5 Ways KSB Hospital Transformed Patient Access and Saved $20M in Revenue

Alicia Auman, Director of Patient Access, KSB Hospital | Friday, May 6, 2022

In 2019, revenue cycle leaders at KSB Hospital took a hard look at our patient access department and realized status quo was no longer acceptable. Registration times were long, staff turnover was high, and we were losing millions in revenue to preventable denials. It was time for change.

Using AccuReg EngageCare® Provider as our foundation, we implemented a five-step strategy to improve inefficiencies, reduce denials and create a high-performing patient access department—a two-year journey that ultimately saved the organization $20 million in revenue.

Manual, Outdated Patient Access Processes

Patient access was operating with outdated pen-and-paper processes, and our staff had no method for tracking patient registration accuracy or POS collections. Further, registration staff in the eight outlying clinics operated under different management than the main hospital staff. Siloed and lacking proper training and measurement tools, patient access staff didn’t understand the significant role scheduling and registration processes had on the revenue cycle. Registrations were error-prone, causing unnecessary and costly rework, and millions in denials.

In addition, our patient access department:

Lacked automation, efficiency and effective tools for communicating to service areas and patients
Had no measurement and training tools to track and improve patient registration accuracy rates, staff performance or POS collections
Faced high staff turnover due to a lack of education and training, automated tools to support their work, or opportunities for advancement

Read the Case Study

Reinventing Patient Access, Increasing Hospital Revenue

Using one integrated platform for front-end revenue cycle management and implementing strategies for career growth and recognition revolutionized patient access and shifted the mindset of our entire organization.

In just two years, KSB:

Reduced denials from 21% to 7%
Prevented an average of $800,000 per month in denied charges—a savings of $20M in revenue
Improved first-pass initial accuracy rates from 63% to 95% and final accuracy from 80% to 99%
Reduced staff turnover from 42% to 25%

In addition, KSB has created a substantial method for tracking POS collections, which total between $11,000 and $30,000 each week. Patient access staff are more confident in their roles and understand their impact on the revenue cycle.

5-Step Strategy for Transforming Patient Access

1. Consolidate Patient Access Staff

Consolidate registration staff in the main hospital and eight outlying clinics under one patient access umbrella
Increase the size of the patient access department from 21 to 70 people
Improve communication, collaboration among staff

2. Implement Pre-Registration

Implement pre-registration by phone to increase patient privacy and expedite check-ins
Reduce check-in times for preregistered patients from three-to-five minutes on average to 45 seconds per registration, an overall improvement of 82 percent

3. Use AccuReg Front-End Revenue Cycle Technology

Increase patient registration accuracy using quality assurance and real-time, automated eligibility verification
Improve POS tracking and collections using price estimation and payments
Integrate trainings and measurement tools to improve accuracy rates

4. Support Staff Education and Create New Leadership Roles

Implement new QA analyst and educator position to streamline processes, and to train and educate staff on AccuReg features and functionality
Appoint team leads for departments (central scheduling, insurance verification, preregistration, etc)

5. Build a Career Ladder for Success

Implement a career ladder and a three-tiered pay scale, from entry-level check-in roles and pre-registration, to more advanced authorization and financial counseling roles
Reduce staff turnover from 42% to 25%

EngageCare Provider significantly improved our patient access processes, giving staff the tools needed to produce clean claims and avoid revenue loss. Staff satisfaction increased and turnover decreased, despite COVID-19 challenges and reduced staff numbers due to temporary furloughs. We’re thrilled to see staff thriving in their roles, and it’s recognized throughout the hospital.

To learn more about KSB’s successful two-year journey and patient access outcomes using EngageCare Provider, download the case study.