Case Study: A Critical Access Hospital’s Turnaround After System Conversion
Client Background
Critical Access Hospital (CAH) located in the Pacific Northwest.
The Situation
A CAH and affiliated Rural Health Clinic (RHC) engaged in a system conversion to Cerner Com-munity Works (now Oracle Health CommunityWorks).
The cloud-based electronic-health record platform helps support the clinical, financial, and operational needs of small to midsize critical access hospitals.
After a year and a half, the hospital hadn’t returned to pre-conversion collections rates. Account Receivable (AR) days were still well above industry average and cash collections were lower than expected net revenue. Moss Adams was engaged to assess opportunities as well as lead revenue cycle improvements in a boots-on-the-ground approach to working with management and staff.
The Solution & Results
Moss Adams worked with the revenue cycle team, Cerner, and internal IT partners. Activities included:
- Refined and reconfigured system and billing edit modules to improve claims flow
- Revised operational processes to decrease time and cost to collect
- Restructured staffing complements to align with patient volumes, claims, and productivity expectations
- Streamlined follow-up, denials, and appeals processes
- Developed and provided educational materials for revenue cycle management
Additionally, with the departure of the client’s revenue cycle director, the Moss Adams team stepped in to provide interim revenue management support.
Outcomes
- Cash collections increased to above pre-conversion levels.
- AR days decreased by 28% and align with industry best practice.
- Aged AR percentages decreased to align with industry practices.
- Employee morale and patient satisfaction improved.
We’re Here to Help
For more information on revenue cycle services to fit your organization’s needs, please contact your Moss Adams professional.