SLCH Earns National Recognition for Excellence in Financial Interactions with Patients
Newburgh, NY – St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital (SLCH) has been recognized as an Adopter of the PATIENT FINANCIAL COMMUNICATIONS BEST PRACTICES® by the Healthcare Financial Management Association. In achieving HFMA recognition, SLCH has demonstrated that it follows nearly 100 best practices covering all aspects of financial interactions that take place in a variety of settings.
“It is imperative that we communicate with our patients about what they can expect financially when they utilize our many services,” said SLCH President & CEO Joan Cusack-McGuirk. “This recognition is confirmation that not only do we deliver high-quality, compassionate care, but we also treat our patients with respect and understanding when it comes to financial matters.”
One of the hospital’s recent initiatives is the Pre-Access Center, which opened in April 2016. The Pre-Access Center allows for a seamless, non-stop process for all of the hospital’s scheduled outpatient visits by scheduling and financially clearing patients prior to their arrival. The program helps improve patient service by helping reduce waiting times and simplifying registration, which allows patients to spend more time focusing on the reason for their visit, their health and well-being. The new system does not impact inpatient hospital admission.
“When people are dealing with health issues, they should be focusing on their health, not trying to decipher confusing financial information,” said HFMA president and CEO Joseph J. Fifer, FHFMA, CPA, in learning of the award. “St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital has demonstrated its commitment to ensuring that patients have a good experience when it comes to the financial aspects of their care.”
St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital joins a select group of hospitals, health systems, and physician practices that have received this first-of-its-kind, national recognition. A blue-ribbon task force developed these best practices to help improve communication between healthcare providers and consumers about financial matters. The task force included representatives from major industry groups, including the American Hospital Association, America’s Health Insurance Plans, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the National Patient Advocate Foundation, among others. The best practices are part of HFMA’s HEALTHCARE DOLLARS & SENSE® initiative. More information is available at hfma.org/dollars.
About St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital
St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital (SLCH) is a not-for-profit community hospital with campuses in Newburgh and Cornwall, NY. The hospital is dedicated to serving the health care needs of the Hudson Valley and has achieved excellence in the delivery of compassionate and comprehensive health care services. The Joint Commission noted SLCH for excellence in Key Quality Measures in management of Heart Attack, Heart Failure, Stroke and Surgical Care. SLCH is also recognized as an industry leader in using information technology to improve patient care, by winning the Most Wired Award for the second year in a row. In January 2016, SLCH officially partnered with Montefiore Health System to strengthen the delivery of health care locally and enhance access to exceptional specialty care for Hudson Valley residents.
About HFMA
With more than 40,000 members, the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) is the nation's premier membership organization for healthcare finance leaders. HFMA builds and supports coalitions with other healthcare associations and industry groups to achieve consensus on solutions for the challenges the U.S. healthcare system faces today. Working with a broad cross-section of stakeholders, HFMA identifies gaps throughout the healthcare delivery system and bridges them through the establishment and sharing of knowledge and best practices. HFMA helps healthcare stakeholders achieve optimal results by creating and providing education, analysis, and practical tools and solutions. Its mission is to lead the financial management of health care.
