Leading Remarkable Revenue Cycle Turnaround at Level 1 Trauma Center

Introduction

Funding is the lifeblood of any healthcare entity, and without steady revenue coming in for services provided, the ability to deliver quality care can be severely compromised. For Minnesota-based Regions Hospital, the only Level 1 Trauma Center in the eastern Twin Cities and one of the two remaining hospitals in downtown St. Paul, revenue cycle management was a critical challenge.

As part of Regions Hospital, HealthPartners Medical Transportation (HPMT) took on the task of revolutionizing their revenue cycle and capture process. Through an established process and the implementation of ImageTrend Elite™ with the built-in ImageTrend Report Writer™ tool and utilization of the CQI Module, HPMT achieved remarkable improvements in their revenue cycle performance.

Getting Started

When HPMT began its journey towards enhancing revenue cycle efficiency, the department was still recovering from a challenging Medicare audit. Recognizing the need for a comprehensive solution, the implementation of the Elite system was identified as a key improvement resulting from the audit.

Additionally, a new position was created to bridge the gap between clinical review and billing charge entry, ensuring a smoother transition between these essential functions.

The Power of Data

As the team familiarized themselves with the various features offered by Elite, they discovered the potential for significant efficiency gains through the Clinical Quality Improvement (CQI) Module.

While primarily designed for clinical quality review, HPMT saw an opportunity to leverage the CQI Module to address documentation errors identified during the Medicare audit. Eager to make a tangible impact, HPMT delved deep into learning the functionalities of the CQI Module and Report Writer tool.

Transformation Through Innovation

With the CQI Module as the foundation of their Plan, Do, Check, Act cycle, HPMT began to identify areas of revenue loss. By closely scrutinizing their processes, they were able to detect and rectify issues that were negatively impacting their revenue cycle.

From 2020 to 2023, the department achieved remarkable progress, reducing their lag time from 10 months to providing feedback within a mere 24 hours. Furthermore, the percentage of electronic Patient Care Reports (ePCRs) reviewed and charges entered within two weeks of service soared from 40% to an impressive 97%.

Flexibility for Optimal Results

The success achieved by HPMT was not the result of a single action but rather the synergy created between the team and their data-focused workflows. With that synergy, HPMT was able to dramatically streamline their revenue cycle and provide rapid clinical reviews to their dedicated care providers.

The innovative use of the CQI Module, despite its original purpose not being geared toward billing speeds, showcased the profound impacts that creative problem-solving can have on organizational performance.

Conclusion

Regions Hospital’s HealthPartners Medical Transportation has emerged as a shining example of revenue cycle improvement through the strategic implementation of Elite, coupled with the innovative use of the CQI Module and Report Writer tool.

Through their dedication and proactive approach, HPMT was able to overcome past challenges, significantly reduce revenue cycle lag time, and offer prompt clinical reviews to their care providers. The success story of HPMT serves as an inspiration for other healthcare entities, highlighting the importance of leveraging technology and adopting innovative approaches to enhance revenue cycle performance and ensure the delivery of exceptional patient care.

HPMT and their Operations Supervisor Tyler Ostman were recipients of a 2023 ImageTrend Hooley Award in the Innovation category. The Hooley Awards recognize innovators and thought leaders, honoring their involvement, creativity, and passion, and were founded to acknowledge their contributions in innovation and excellence.

The Hooley Award finalists were celebrated, and the winners were announced during the 15th annual ImageTrend Connect Conference.