Non-Profit Health System Solves Disconnect With Patient Referrals

THE CHALLENGE

A southwestern non-profit health system was experiencing incongruities in patient demand and scheduling volumes. Therapists and physicians were not being fully utilized resulting in major gaps in their schedules. At the same time, patients were complaining of having to wait long periods before being scheduled for follow-up care.

THE DISCOVERY

The discovery process revealed a lack of standardization in the area of patient referrals. The health system did not have the tools or workflows necessary to execute an effective outreach strategy. Patient follow-up was sporadic at best without the proper technology or personnel resources. Proactive patients were calling to schedule themselves, often weeks after their referral was made, while others either sought care elsewhere or not at all. Failures in the referral process were negatively impacting physician and patient sentiment as well as patient outcomes and revenue.

THE SOLUTION

Envera Health partnered with the health system to solve the disconnect with patient referrals. The partnership included the necessary technology, such as auto dialing tools, to perform effective outreach and a freshly built workflow that standardized the referral process. Envera’s solution includes a dedicated team of Patient Access Coordinators (PACs) to execute outreach efforts, removing the need for extensive training or additional burden on internal staff and minimizing uptime.