INSIDE Leading the Way ............................................................... 2 Things to do in Atlanta ...................................................... 4 NAHAM Launches FTE Calculator ................................... 5 CHAA Prep Course .......................................................... 6 Get Involved with NAHAM ................................................ 6 NAHAM Launches Joint Commission Toolkit ................... 7 Patient Access Week........................................................ 7 NAHAM Membership Updates ......................................... 8 JANUARY 2013 As we enter 2013, NAHAM has much to reflect on and even more to look forward to. Planning for our annual conference is well underway. The Hyatt Regency Atlanta will be a perfect location for our conference’s blend of educational programs and networking. More information is available on page 2. The conference theme is “Leading the Way: A Brave New World of Patient Access.” As many aspects of the Affordable Care Act go into effect, that’s exactly what we’re facing in 2013: a brave new world. And as the front-line of the revenue cycle, patient access is more impor- tant than ever. That’s why it’s important for NAHAM to take the lead on raising aware- ness for what we do and how we do it. Just a couple weeks ago, NAHAM launched the FTE/Registration Calculator, an interactive tool designed to help Access Managers prepare budgets, determine appropriate staffing, respond to workforce cutback recommendations, and advise senior man- agement on future staffing needs, based on NAHAM-reviewed standards. Check page 5 of this issue for more information. This calculator is the first step in the direction of NAHAM-driven Key Performance Indicators (KPI) that will help us tell a story and generate the recognition we deserve. Speaking of recognition, it’s important that we always stop and take the time to reflect on what we do and celebrate our accomplishments. That’s why NAHAM celebrates Access Week, which will take place April 1-7, 2013. Mark your calendars and watch your inbox for more information! On the topic of calendars, let me mention Atlanta one more time. Regis- tration is now open for the annual conference; you should have received your official announcement in the mail and via email. Keynote speakers have been selected and the Learn- ing Labs have been finalized. There is plenty of time to submit a poster presentation, another great way to develop presentation skills. Our staff can answer any questions you may have about poster presenta- tions and even provide you with some ideas for topics. Visit www.naham.org/conference for more information. The conference will also be an op- portunity for NAHAM to showcase some of our valuable new member benefits, from the FTE Calculator to the Joint Commission Toolkit to our in-development CMS Toolkit. All of these have been created with you in mind: to make your job easier and more efficient while enhancing the value of your membership. I hope these new and enhanced offerings will help you on a daily basis and I encourage you to give us feedback so that we can continue to meet the needs of our members. I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and I look forward to our many successes in 2013. Jeff Brossard, CHAM NAHAM President From the President
Transcript
INSIDE
Leading the Way ...............................................................2
Things to do in Atlanta ......................................................4
As we enter 2013, NAHAM has much to reflect on and even more to look forward to. Planning for our annual conference is well underway. The Hyatt Regency Atlanta will be a perfect location for our conference’s blend of educational programs and networking. More information is available on page 2. The conference theme is “Leading the Way: A Brave New World of Patient Access.” As many aspects of the Affordable Care Act go into effect, that’s exactly what we’re facing in 2013: a brave new world. And as the front-line of the revenue cycle, patient access is more impor-tant than ever.
That’s why it’s important for NAHAM to take the lead on raising aware-ness for what we do and how we do it. Just a couple weeks ago, NAHAM launched the FTE/Registration Calculator, an interactive tool designed to help Access Managers prepare budgets, determine appropriate staffing, respond to workforce cutback recommendations, and advise senior man-agement on future staffing needs, based on NAHAM-reviewed standards. Check page 5 of this issue for more information. This calculator is the first step in the direction of NAHAM-driven Key Performance Indicators (KPI) that will help us tell a story and generate the recognition we deserve.
Speaking of recognition, it’s important that we always stop and take the time to reflect on what we do and celebrate our accomplishments. That’s why NAHAM celebrates Access Week, which will take place April 1-7, 2013. Mark your calendars and watch your inbox for more information!
On the topic of calendars, let me mention Atlanta one more time. Regis-tration is now open for the annual conference; you should have received your official announcement in the mail and via email. Keynote speakers
have been selected and the Learn-ing Labs have been finalized. There is plenty of time to submit a poster presentation, another great way to develop presentation skills. Our staff can answer any questions you may have about poster presenta-tions and even provide you with some ideas for topics. Visit www.naham.org/conference for more information.
The conference will also be an op-portunity for NAHAM to showcase some of our valuable new member benefits, from the FTE Calculator to the Joint Commission Toolkit to our in-development CMS Toolkit. All of these have been created with you in mind: to make your job easier and more efficient while enhancing the value of your membership.
I hope these new and enhanced offerings will help you on a daily basis and I encourage you to give us feedback so that we can continue to meet the needs of our members.
I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and I look forward to our many successes in 2013.
Leading the Way: A Brave New World of Patient Access
Plan to join your peers from across the nation at the Hyatt Regency At-lanta in Atlanta, Georgia for NAHAM’s 39th Annual Educational Conference and Exposition–“Leading the Way: A Brave New World of Patient Access.” This premier event for patient access professionals will convene May 15–18, 2013.
The Meeting Organizing Committee has selected 25 of the most relevant and cutting edge Learning Lab ses-sions to fill the educational needs of our members and other conference attendees. The popular Pre-Confer-ence Symposia—NAHAM University and the Customer Service Sympo-sium—will be held during the after-noon of May 15. NAHAM University is a forum for those from both academic and non-academic healthcare institu-tions to participate in dynamic facilita-
tor-led discussions on the hot topics facing today’s patient access services professionals. The Customer Service Symposium will pick up where last year’s session left off; a great opportunity for returning attendees and first-timers to build on their customer service skills! You won’t want to miss these special pre-conference symposia.
The conference will also again be featuring Industry Sponsored Symposia, commercially-supported sessions presented by NAHAM Business Partners for all attendees. Interested in presenting an Industry-Sponsored Symposia? Visit www.naham.org/iss.
2 | CONNECTIONS
NAHAM Board of DirectorsConnections is published as a membership service of the National Association of Healthcare Access Management
PresidentJeff Brossard, CHAM
Vice PresidentBrenda Sauer, CHAM
Immediate Past President and 2013 Conference Chair Holly Hiryak, MNSc., RN, CHAM
Have you never attended a NAHAM conference? Are you interested in attending in 2013?
Each year, NAHAM accepts applications for the Dale Williams Scholarship Award, which provides for roundtrip transportation, registration and lodging to our Annual Conference and Exposition.
Apply for the Scholarship Award—available to first-time attendees only—by visiting www.naham.org/conference and clicking on “Apply for Dale Williams Scholarship”.
We are thrilled to bring to our attendees two highly-rated and relevant health-care-related and leadership-focused speakers for our keynote sessions at the conference.
Ryan Estis’ message is a compelling crusade on corporate culture, communication, change and preparing to thrive in the ultra-competitive, hyper connected environment we now know as the new normal. Ryan approaches the platform prepared to impact the world of work and em-ployee/customer evangelism with powerful ideas, case study examples, in-session action planning and energy that makes the moment
memorable enough to ensure meaningful outcomes.This keynote experience will review the essence of cultivating a high engagement, high performance work culture and challenge conventional leadership philosophy with emphasis on innovation and strategy that offers the audience ‘actionable content’ to impact the organization immediately.
Stacy D. Nelson is a highly respected trainer who delivers Crucial Conversations®, Crucial Con-frontations, and Influencer Training to organiza-tions across the globe. Specializing in healthcare and leadership effectiveness, Stacy helps indi-viduals, teams, and organizations increase orga-nizational effectiveness, achieve bottom-line results, and become measurably more vital. Cli-ents continually praise Stacy for his ability to
help them achieve hard-hitting results in the areas where they need it the most. A recipient of the Zapara award for excellence in teaching, Stacy consis-tently receives accolades for his charismatic presentation style and highly ef-fective training design. His experience, coupled with an engaging presentation style, has clients asking for his return again and again. Respected in the health-care industry, Stacy worked with Dr. James Rippe, a Harvard-trained cardiolo-gist, in the development of a nationally recognized executive health assessment at Celebration Health.
In addition to our timely and important workshop presentations and our top-notch keynote speakers, we plan to provide our attendees with plenty of op-portunities to have fun and expand their professional network via social events designed not only to provide a good time but to also let our attendees spend time meeting new friends and building their list of professional contacts.
continued on page 4
Interested in exhibiting in the Access Management
Solutions Marketplace?
The prospectus is now available at www.naham.org/prospectus, and contains detailed
information on exhibiting, sponsoring, or advertising at the conference
World of Coca-ColaOpened in May 2007, the World of Coca-Cola at Pemberton Place covers 60,000 square feet of exhibits to explore and contains over 1200 artifacts. Experience a show in the 4-D movie theater with moving seats, or taste over 60 different products from around the world. You can also take a tour of a fully-functioning Coca-Cola bottling line. For more information, visit www.woccAtlanta.com/.
Georgia AquariumGeorgia Aquarium is Atlanta’s #1 attraction. It is the world’s largest aquar-ium at a astonishing 8.1 million gallons and features an array of water displays. A 100-foot-long glass tunnel into the aquarium offers a rare glimpse at undersea life unlike any other. The Georgia Aquarium is located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. To learn more, visit www.georgiaaquarium.org.
CNN Atlanta TourExperience a re-creation of CNN’s main control room for a behind-the-scenes look at live 24-hour news. Uncover an interactive exhibit to view video clips of the top 100 news stories that CNN has covered during the past 20 years. For more information, visit http://www.cnn.com/tour.
Centennial ParkIn addition to serving as Georgia’s lasting legacy of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games, this unique 21-acre park plays host to community-wide free events, including the Fourth of July Celebration, Wednesday Wind Down concert series and Fourth Saturday Family Fun Days. For more information, visit www.centennialpark.com.
Georgia World Congress CenterDowntown Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center is one of the finest convention, sports and entertainment venues anywhere. In addition to the 3.9 million square-foot convention center, GWCC is comprised of the 71,250-seat Georgia Dome and 21-acre Centennial Olympic Park. Events range from international trade shows to outdoor concerts to Atlanta Falcons football. For more information, visit www.gwcc.com.
Atlanta Botanical GardensFrom an indoor collection of orchids and special exhibits to an outdoor gathering of hydrangeas, hardy palms and cobra lilies, the Atlanta Botani-cal Gardens are a truly special treat for all five senses. For more informa-tion, visit www.Atlantabotanicalgarden.org/home.do.
Martin Luther King Birth HomeMartin Luther King, Jr., was born in 1929 in the Sweet Auburn community, the thriving African-American hub of Atlanta. His two-story birth home is open to visitors but only via a park ranger-led tour. Each tour is filled on a first-come, first-served basis and is limited to 15 people. For more infor-mation, visit www.nps.gov/malu.
For more information on these fun filled attractions or to find more excit-ing things to do while in Atlanta, visit the Activities section of the Hyatt Regency Atlanta website.
Things To Do In Atlanta
Whether you’ve got a few hours to enjoy the city or you’ve tagged on a few extra days to stay, Atlanta offers a ton of things to see and do once you’ve stepped outside the doors of the Hyatt Regency.
Some of Atlanta’s best tourist attractions include:
The Access Management Solutions Marketplace returns with up to 70 provid-ers of products and services aimed at driving improvements at your hospital and solving the challenges you and your staff face. And our “Marketplace” is THE place to be on the closing day of the conference when many of our par-
ticipating exhibitors raffle off terrific prizes to thank our attendees for spend-ing time with them during our meeting and exhibition. Last year’s conference giveaways included iPads, Kindles, cash, and more; don’t miss out!
Registration is now open!
Visit www.naham.org/conference for registration information, as well as more information on this exciting conference.
In December, NAHAM launched a brand new Registration Time and FTE Cal-culator. This is an exclusive online tool for NAHAM members only, designed to help Access Managers prepare budgets, determine appropriate staffing, respond to workforce cutback recommendations, and advise senior manage-ment on future staffing needs, based on NAHAM-reviewed standards. You will also be able to compare your registration times and FTE requirements to peers.
Overview and InstructionsThis tool will help you determine and document staffing requirements for both Pre-registration and Registration. It groups numerous Patient Access tasks and processes into 20 distinct “components” and helps you determine the time required to perform each component. Based on your inputs, the tool calculates the total time expected to complete a registration, as well as the FTE’s and cost required to perform them. It is helpful to have one specific registration location in mind when you approach the tool, remembering it is designed to calculate one registration location at a time. You may use the calculator as often as you like for each of your registration locations. You are welcome to use the tool to evaluate or test out different component combina-tions and times without submitting for peer comparison.
To begin, start with a specific location in mind (for example; Pre-registration, Emergency, Outpatient Surgery, Central Registration, etc.), and follow the steps below:
1. Login to http://www.naham.org/ and click here to access the tool. This is a members-only benefit so you must be logged in to access the tool.
2. Review the registration component list to identify the tasks you require at the registration location you are evaluating. Hover over the component name to view more details about each component.
3. Choose which registration components are required at that location by clicking the “Selected” box.
4. Select the average time (in minutes and fractions of a minute) to complete each component, using the good/better/best time choices (note these are editable to allow you to enter from your own time-studies).
5. Note the “Total Time Expected” is calculated automatically at the bottom of the component list.
6. Scroll down to the FTE Calculator and enter five assumptions in the blue highlighted fields (Shifts, Break time, Productivity Ratio, Annual Volume and Average Salary). Note that Average Reg Time is automatically entered for you, and will dynamically change if you adjust your component and time choices.
7. Note that the FTE Calculator’s fields in orange are automatically calculated, in-cluding the FTE’s Required and Estimated Labor Cost.
8. To compare your time and FTE results to peers, click on the “Compare to Peers” button. You’ll be asked to certify that the results you are about to submit are true for a location you currently manage. Please do not submit if you are projecting fu-ture-state scenarios. Feel free to play with the tool as much as you see fit, but only submit for true, current data. This is an essential part of NAHAM’s data collection process.
After clicking the “Certify” button you will be asked demographics questions that allow meaningful peer grouping (by geographic location, patient type, payer type, facility size and ADT/HIS system). Note that early users may not find a statistically significant volume of data to compare to within the first 90 days of this project. All results will be added to a running poll which improve peer comparison data over time and assist NAHAM in continuing to identify best practices and develop indus-try standards for Patient Access.
We hope you find this tool practical, useful and easy to use. And, we want your feedback and suggestions for improvement! Please fill out the form at the bottom of the FTE Calculator with your feedback.
NAHAM Launches New Registration/FTE Calculator
Click here to access the Registration/FTE Calculator!
This is your Association!
Are there any member benefits you would like NAHAM to offer? We are always looking for ideas to enhance the value of your membership.
NAHAM is proud to be your leading resource in patient access services! Just last month NAHAM released the new CHAA online certification prepa-ration course.
Designed to help you assess your knowledge of the CHAA exam content, this new web based pro-gram will help you identify areas in which addi-tional study is necessary before you take the exam. Specifically, the course will help you:
• Learn about the CHAA examination
• Assess what you already know
• Identify areas of improvement
• Learn successful test-taking strategies
• Develop a study plan that will help you prepare for the examination
In addition, the CHAA Certification Preparation Course comes with access to:
• Over 100 Multiple choice practice questions throughout the course
Participants who complete the online prep course will earn 3.5 contact hours toward their certifica-tion. Priced at just $50 for members and non-members, the CHAA preparation course tool is a great resource for anyone on your team to deter-mine if they are ready for the next step in their career.
The CHAA preparation course is yet another great comprehensive leaning tool to help you as you prepare for the exam. In addition to this course, NAHAM also offers a complete line-up of other preparatory materials including study-aids, study
group guides and assessment indicators. Visit the Certification Examination Preparation page of the NAHAM website under Certification for more in-formation and to purchase the prep course today.
CHAA Prep Course
Get Involved with NAHAMRun for a Position on the NAHAM Board of Directors
What People are Saying: I found this course to be extremely helpful and feel much more confident about taking the CHAA exam. The scenarios not only gave examples of real-life situations but required me to think through to a solution and not just select from multiple choices.
I also appreciated that if I answered a ques-tion wrong, the course provided a detailed explanation of why my answer was wrong.
—Marsha Fitzgerald, NAHAM member
The National Association of Healthcare Access Management is pleased to announce the Call for Nominations for two open positions on our Board of Directors: Vice President and Secretary.
Participation on the NAHAM Board of Directors is a unique opportunity; a chance to grow personally and professionally, to develop skills, gain unique experience, and make lasting connections with a team of other passionate and motivated professionals. Individuals may self-nominate or may nominate another member.
The NAHAM Vice President serves on the board for a total of three years (one as Vice President, one as President, and one as Past President). The term of office for Secretary is two years (pending a membership bylaw vote) with a limit of two consecutive terms.
Candidates must meet a professional standard of excellence in that they must have earned their Certified Healthcare Access Manager (CHAM) certification, have current membership in NAHAM, be willing to accept a leadership role for the future of our national, professional organization, and pledge time to dedi-cate to fulfilling their responsibilities as directors of the governing board.
Help lead your national association and profession into the future by nominat-ing a colleague or yourself for the position of Vice President or Secretary. The election concludes in early March and the new board members take office at the end of the annual conference in May, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. The opportunity to work with other leaders in NAHAM allows you to be on the cutting edge of healthcare access concerns and to be part of the decision mak-ing process on the national level. The nomination form, the 2013 Candidate Information Guide, and the Vice President and Secretary position descriptions may be found by clicking here.
Please consider becoming actively involved in NAHAM’s leadership and nomi-nate either yourself or another member today. The deadline for nomina-tions is February 1, 2013. Please email any questions related to NAHAM elections and the director positions for which we are seeking candidates to [email protected].
Thank you for considering this rewarding opportunity to serve on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Healthcare Access Management.
Save the Date: Patient Access Week Mark your calendars, Patient Access Week will be April 1–7, 2013!
NAHAM is excited to celebrate the 31st annual Patient Access Week. Keep an eye out for fun activities, events and much more!
Participating in a Joint Commission survey can be challenging and overwhelm-ing in terms of the information needed by the healthcare access staff to be successful in the tracer methodology, group tracers, or in an audit situation.
NAHAM, with the guidance of the Policy Development/Government Relations Committee, recently launched a members-only Joint Commission Survey Toolkit to help you and your facility prepare for your next Joint Commission Survey. The toolkit consists of a preparedness checklist, question set, case studies, “what if” scenarios, and other tools to help access professionals navigate these audits.
Click here to view the Joint Commission Survey Toolkit
NAHAM also hosted a free webinar that discussed these surveys, the toolkit, Tracer Methodology, and other special considerations for your next Joint Commission Survey.
This important webinar was presented by Michael Sciarabba, CHAM, Director of Patient Access Services, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Cen-ter and the chair of the NAHAM Policy Development/Government Relations Committee and Brenda Sauer, RN, MA CHAM, Director, New York Presby-terian Hospital and NAHAM’s current Vice President, and is available for free on demand.
Click here to access the free webinar.
NAHAM Launches Joint Commission Toolkit
NAHAM is interested in your feedback regarding this tool. Please fill out the form at the bottom of the toolkit page
Membership in NAHAM allows you to be a part of the industry’s collective voice that is working to influence and promote the high quality delivery of patient access services. Your investment in the association helps to strengthen our efforts and ensure that NAHAM continues to provide exceptional educa-tional and professional development opportunities.
With your renewal, you will continue to receive the same great benefits including:
• A subscription to The Access Management Journal as well as other NAHAM publications like Connections, CertAlert, and the weekly NAHAM Newsbrief
• Discounted registration to the Annual Educational Conference & Exposition -- Save the Date! The 2013 conference will be held in Atlanta,
GA at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, May 15-18th
• Special discounts on continuing education programs including webinars, publications and other products
• Networking opportunities with fellow members and peers via online discus-sion boards, social media platforms and live events
• Access to members-only tools like the FTE/Registration calculator and Joint Commission Survey Toolkit
• Access to the CHAA and CHAM certification programs
• …And much more! To read more about these and the other great benefits of membership visit the NAHAM website at www.naham.org.
Like other associations, NAHAM must periodically review its operating costs and the anticipated work ahead. As a result, NAHAM has instituted a $30 increase in annual membership dues. Effective January 1, 2013, dues have increased to $195. Additional dues revenue will allow us to continue to provide quality products, programs, and services to you and to better position the association in the industry.
In 2012 alone, NAHAM has introduced a variety of new programs and features that have been added to the already exceptional line of benefits:
• Joint Commission Survey Toolkit – consisting of a preparedness checklist, question set, case studies, and “what if” scenarios, this toolkit will help your facility prepare for your next Joint Commission Survey
• Registration/FTE Calculator – developed to assist patient access managers in calculating budget implications of registration rates, the calculator is a first in a series of members-only tools designed around Key Performance Indicators
• These resources are in addition to the host of members-only benefits in-cluding education, networking, timely information, and a growing member community unique to NAHAM.
Our members are our best resources. We need your continued support and commitment to continue to advance and deliver the highest quality of patient access services. If you haven’t already done so, renew your membership now to avoid a disruption in benefits. Renew your membership today on the NAHAM website or by returning the paper invoice with payment that you received by mail.
If you have any questions about renewing your membership, please contact NAHAM at (202) 367-1125 or at [email protected].
NAHAM Membership UpdatesIt’s that time of year again! NAHAM membership expired on December 31st!
Take advantage of NAHAM’s Member Community
Don’t forget to utilize these online resources to network, learn, and share:
