Patient Access Project Manager
Resume:
Vicki Cole
MBA, CHFP
Syracuse, NY *****
********@*****.***
SUMMARY
Self-driven and energetic Business professional with experience in health care finance management, general accounting, process improvement, and team building in for profit and not for profit sectors. Possess strong leadership and project management skills to improve and strengthen organizational performance. Reputation for achieving results, challenging methods, facilitating successful financial performance using strong analytical skills, developing cohesive, creative, and dedicated teams to develop efficient process and create related policy and procedures.
SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS
Leveraged propensity to pay tools to decrease accounts sent to early out, resulting in decrease in collection expense and an increase in revenue collected in the first 30 days.
Consistently meets month-to-date/year-to-date cash goal.
Increased use of business analytics which led to work methodology and procedural changes, resulting in reduction of expenses, as well as an increase in revenue. Perform on going internal audits to validate the effectiveness and sustainability of change.
Served as lead project manager – revenue cycle – for a hospital wide conversion, moving from two patient accounting platforms to one.
Provides leadership and ongoing mentoring for revenue cycle transformation and intense cultural shift to bring awareness to all revenue cycle components organization wide
Demonstrates effective communication with all levels of hospital staff, administration and senor leadership.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
ONEIDA HEALTHCARE, Oneida, NY 2016 – present
Director, Patient Accounting
Responsible for patient accounting services for a 101 bed acute care facility and 160 bed extended care facility and 5 clinics with a mix of primary care and specialty services. Work closely with supervisors and front line staff to ensure efficient management of day-to-day operations. Work towards building and maintaining positive relations with other departments in an effort to improve communication and streamline processes and procedures.
Worked to improve follow-up process and reduce and maintain net overall A/R days from 60 to 45
Worked with denial prevention team to reduce initial denials by 6% in first year (8% to 2%), continuing to streamline processes to get to 1% or less of net patient revenue.
Working with all revenue cycle areas to improve key performance indicators and enhance dashboard presented to the board members.
Working with patient accounting management team to update and/or develop policies and procedures. Reduced FTEs by 10% through automation and streamlined processes.
Redesign and improve workflow for our financial assistance practice and provide proper training to new staff members which increased the annual amount of financial assistance awarded by 10%.
Obtained CAC to provide an additional resource to the facility as well as cover during vacancies or absences in order to avoid disruption in services provided to our patient base.
GLENS FALLS HOSPITAL, Glens Falls, NY 4/2014 – 4/2016
Sr. Director, Revenue Cycle
Responsible for promoting the financial viability of the hospital by effectively leading the revenue cycle (Pt. Access, HIM and Pt. Accounting) with excellent communication and positive customer service. Responsible overseeing directors and assisting with day-to-day management of department staff, pursuing continuous improvement and efficiencies and building and maintaining positive relationships with all departments.
Effectively managed a budget total of $9.1M consistently staying within the allowed variance.
Lead integration of current hospital business office and revenue cycle staff from 28 clinics into one enterprise wide business office. Leveraged skills to decrease 3.5 FTE’s in last quarter 2015, with further decrease through attrition planned in 2016.
Worked with analyst to develop month end reporting packet for CFO.
Lead project manager – revenue cycle – for hospital wide conversion from a 2 platform patient accounting system to one.
Developed, implemented and maintained policies and procedures where little to no documentation existed resulting in improved outcomes due to consistency of procedures and a manual to use for training and for all employees to refer to when needed.
SAMARITAN MEDICAL CERNTER, Watertown, NY 3/2013 – 1/2014
Director, Patient Financial Services
Responsible for patient accounting services and patient access for a 294 bed acute care facility as well as a 272 bed long term care facility and a newly constructed 288 bed assisted living and long term care facility. Responsible for patient accounting function for 6 offsite health centers encompassing both primary and specialty clinics as well as an urgent care center. Active member of the core team for a newly formed MSO with 6 other North Country hospitals. Introduce staff to Lean Six Sigma concepts in order to redesign workflow.
Responsibility for discussion with third party contractors to negotiated updated terms in alignment with current industry standards.
Charged with redesigning work flows in order to remove waste and ensure efficient billing procedures and timely collection with an overall goal to reduce days in A/R by minimum of 10. Completed in less than 1 year.
Develop and implement policies and procedure for both patient accounting and patient access where none existed and incorporate into new and existing employee training.
Develop and implement use of score cards measuring key performance indicators and educating staff of same. None existed at time of hire. Overcame pushback by staff by showing data was not being used to discipline but to educate.
Responsible for writing RFP for a CDM review as well as an assessment of the current state of the revenue cycle. Both resulted in major areas of opportunity. Currently finalizing contract for implementation for revenue cycle transformation.
THE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER at MEMPHIS, Memphis, TN 5/2012 – 3/2013
Director, Patient Financial Services
Responsible for patient account activities for a 600 licensed, 300 staffed bed Level I trauma, Level III NICU facility serving all communities within a 150 mile radius of Memphis, TN. Direct, implement and administer operations to ensure billing and collection procedures result in receipt of revenue for hospital services to meet the organization’s financial projections. Direct activities related to third party denials and underpayments for administrative and compliance purposes.
Charged with facilitating a significant cultural shift in a volatile environment. Union environment created a culture of negativity. Enhanced communication to deter and/or eliminate unproductive discussions and employee buy in.
Developed policies and procedures to support organizational changes in process and procedures that supported the missions, visions, and values.
Developed strategies for information management, revenue cycle process, cost containment, productivity improvement and new services/programs resulting in measurable improvements in all areas.
Confers and negotiates monetary settlement following reimbursement activities (specific to MVA’s).
Facilitates interdisciplinary team process and problem solving.
Plans, evaluates and interprets statistical and narrative analytical reports for department services relative to hospital needs.
Ensures the preparation of weekly trending revenue cycle analysis and monthly revenue cycle report card of financial ratios to be presented to the Board.
CROUSE HOSPITAL, Syracuse, NY 2005 – 8/2011
Director, Patient Financial Services
Accountable for overall patient accounting and patient access activities and functions for a 500 licensed bed, 300 staffed acute care facility. Provided leadership for all patient financial services functions which included: admissions, billing and follow-up of patient accounts, compliance with third party payer regulations, cash collections, charge master management, employee productivity and ongoing improvements of key performance indicators such as A/R days, cash collections, bad debt, financial counseling and charity care, denials and underpayments.
Developed and produced weekly and monthly reporting monitoring cash collections by major payer source and investigated and reported any trends or unusual findings.
Developed, implemented and maintained appropriate policies and procedures for staff to facilitate effective operations. Reviewed and updated policies and procedures annually. Used to enhance training for new employees.
Provided all statistical reports weekly to monitor trends and determine deficiencies specifically related to patient financial services. Implemented corrective action plans when results indicated need.
Worked with other departments to develop a more cohesive working relationship which resulted in improved internal customer satisfaction.
Selected and monitored performance of third-party vendors responsible for collection of self-pay and bad debt.
Consistently maintained AR over 90% at less than 22% and AR days less than 44 and educated staff of same for understanding.
Previous Work Experience
University Hospital, Business Manager – Breast Care Center, Surgical Specialties, ENT, Joslin Center
Harrison Center Outpatient Surgery, Business Manager/Controller
Benjamin Rush Center, Internal Auditor, Patient Financial Services Manager
Vector Industrial Services, Office Manager/Accountant, Purchasing Manager
EDUCATION
Master Business Administration (MBA), Utica College
Bachelor of Science (BS), Business Administration (Accounting Major), Syracuse University
Associates of Applied Science (AAS), Accounting, Onondaga Community College
CERTIFICATIONS
Cornell-HANYS Academy for Healthcare Leadership Advancement, 2015
HFMA – CHFP (Certified healthcare Financial Professional), 2019
BOARD MEMBERSHIP/PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Board Treasurer – Paws Across Oswego County (Canine Rescue)
COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP
Former Board Member, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
Trained as Group Facilitator for pre-teens and adolescents, AFSP
Former Member NYS Public Policy Committee, AFSP
Former Chair, Public Relations Committee, AFSP
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