Finances Improved with Digital Means of Patient Engagement at Jackson Hospital

The big change in healthcare Finances has not spared Jackson Hospital, which is located in a remote area of Montgomery, Alabama. Patient are shouldering a greater share of the financial burden due to lower insurance premiums. At the same time, patients and families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic are being forced to bear higher costs for even minor and routine care due to work loss or furlough.

According to David Ralston, vice president of sales cycle at Jackson Hospital, the patient is now the third-largest payer behind Medicare and Medicaid. Ralston said, financial risk created by these changes had to be addressed. We sought to adopt modern ways to reach and engage patients early regarding financial responsibilities and financial payment options and to make arrangements.”

The organization was not able to reach the patients effectively using the traditional methods of treatments. They needed new and best fit capabilities according to the patient’s requirement. They were lacking the technology for conducting appropriate business with patients. As a result, Jackson Hospital looked for ways to better convey patient balances and payment plans for services rendered in order to improve patient collections. Reduced collection costs and improved customer satisfaction were among the objectives.

Ralston soon discovered when he arrived at Jackson Hospital in 2019 that the facility was several years behind in sales cycle processes and technology. It lacked patient-friendly sentences, as well as a comprehensive patient engagement mechanism and Digital engagement capabilities. Ralston switched to Firstsource, the MGagement wireless patient-engagement solution’s provider. The vendor offered a full-service approach that included both technology and support.