The Virtual World!

AMY REPMAN

DIRECTOR OF ACCESS AND CALL CENTERS

WELLSPAN HEALTH

• Overview of WellSpan Health

• Understand how WellSpan’s Access Operations growth drove the need to develop a Work From Home program.

• Steps to establish the program, including:– Who to send home – What expectations were set– Technological aspects of such a program.

• Discuss the challenges, lessons learned and the positive outcomes experienced.

Learning Objectives

Who are we?● Integrated health system located ● Top 100 – Integrated Health Systems● York Hospital – “Top 100” Hospital with

Thomson Reuters – 7 years ● Gettysburg Hospital – “Top 100”

Performance Improvement Leader

WellSpan Health System

5 hospitals (1,051 beds) 95 sites in 4 counties; 2 states serving

a population of 500,000, 60% overall market share

11,169 staff, physicians, volunteers 7 residency programs with over 250

students 6 retail pharmacy sites 910-member multi-specialty

medical group 1 home health organization 1 DME company PPO serving 50,000+ covered lives

WellSpan Health System

Hospital

Selfie

Medicare 40%Medicare Advantage 3% Medicaid 10%Blues 18%Other Contracted 16%Commercial/Other 13%

Payer Mix

Access

Hospital Registration

InpatientOutpatient

Emergency Dept

Hospital Pre-RegistrationSchedulingRegistering

Insurance CenterInsurance

verificationPre-service collection

AuthorizationsDenial Tracking

Medical GroupSchedulingRegistrationAsk a Nurse

2010

• Reported up through Patient Financial Services; joint director

• 5 departments, approx. 100 employees

• Limited to a pre-registration call center, central registration/admissions departments, ED registration & insurance verification

2015

• Patient Access is its own reporting line; director reports to CFO/SVP

• 13 departments, approx. 500 employees

• Expanded to provide services for our 75 Medical Group practices

• Expanded scope of responsibility in pre-service & hospital registration

Access Operations Just Keeps Growing!

No More Room At the Inn…..

Running out of work stations to sit employees

Too high of a cost to keep adding office space

No more real estate was going to be approved for

Access

We had to come up with a PLAN!

Cubicle at Greenway Tech Building

$13,000

Work From Home Station

$2,200

Brainstorming/Planning Meetings

• What does working from home look like?

• Who would go home? How would we determine that?

• How should a work station look like at home?

• What does the employee provide? What do we provide?

• How does the technology all work?

• How do we enforce HIPAA compliance?

• What kind of expectations should we have for the employee?

• How do we monitor them to ensure productivity?

• What happens if the employee doesn’t meet expectations?

• How do we help them still feel like a part of the team?

How do we begin to create a Virtual World?

• Specific qualifications were designed to help determine the eligibility of the employee to go home based on the needs of each department.

Meets expectations currently. No write up’s in file.

• Their designated work area at home had to be in compliance with the guidelines that had been established.

• They had to be able to provide their own internet at their own cost, including meeting all specifications such as router and speed.

• The employee could NOT be a primary caregiver during their shift.

Who gets to go home?

• The designated area needs to have the proper seclusion to maintain optimal privacy for our patients and where home life will not interfere during scheduled working hours.

• The space should be safe and ergonomically correct in set up and lighting.

• If a call center employee, no outside routine noises should be audible during working hours, such as pets, children, appliances.

• Must be HIPAA compliant at all times. • They must provide their own home

office furniture (desk/chair).

Look of Work from Home Station

What do we provide:

Laptop

Wireless Keyboard

Wireless Mouse

Extra Computer Monitor

Connection Cords

Phone

VPN Access

Software as needed

ASA Box Power Injector as needed

• Develop an extensive Home Based Agreement/Contract to be signed by employee and supervisor.

• A home visit should be made prior to sending anyone home to work.

• Have confirmation that their internet meets the specifications required to have optimal connectivity.

BEFORE They Go Home

• Router should be no more than 3 years old• Router best if hard wired; Wireless standard: AC• Router speed should be 750 or above• Router must have a Gigabit Ethernet; preferred TP-Link Archer AC750

or Edimax Dual Band AC1200• Internet speed must be .75mbps or greater for downloads• Internet speed must be 4.50 mbps or greater for uploads• Consider this:

– Different internet services based on where employee lives– Have a downtime plan

Technology is great!

TIPS and Tricks

Please go to this link

www.Speedtest.net from

your home computer, It is

extremely important the

you are not VPN connected

or Disconnect your VPN

before running the test for

us to get accurate results.

• It is a privilege, not an entitlement to work at home

• Must meet same expectations as “in house”

• Report cards for call center employees

• Deadlines and work lists for non call center employees

• Establish specific requirements to remain in the

program regarding performance and consequences

when they are not met.

Productivity

One of Access Operations biggest strengths

• Get suggestions from those staff on what leadership and co-workers can do

• Work from home employee MUST also be responsible for their own

involvement and engagement with the team.

• Mailers and stamps.

• Staff meetings with conference lines – 75% participation expectations

• Leader rounding monthly

• Skype daily – good morning

• Buddy system

Employee Engagement: Stay Connected

• Coordination & Facilitation

• Technology

• Communication

• Employee Impatience

Challenges Faced

• Be conscientious of the “out of sight, out of mind” mentality

• Do not send an employee home if you are having trust

issues with them.

• Have one supervisor responsible for managing At Home

Employees for a larger group.

• Set the expectation that work from home may be lonely and

isolating. The employee needs to know that reality.

• Technical issues with phone numbers.

Lessons Learned…

• Less IMLOA used by employees that work at home• Phone coverage during inclement weather• Phone coverage during power outages• More productivity• Resolved transportation issues for some• Easier to cover shifts for a full medical leave; team

could split hours• 11-7 shift can be covered for On Call Services more

easily• Staff more relaxed and positive

Positive Outcomes

Questions?