In challenging times, FQHC prevails through partnership
As practices adapt to changing circumstances, a strong partnership is key.
Such has been the case for Monongahela Valley Association (MVA) of Health Centers, which switched gears quickly after the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
As the 14-provider Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) worked to serve its patient population in and around Fairmont, W.Va., it also dealt with declining patient volume and changes to reimbursement.
The practice credits Greenway Revenue Services for helping it stay on track. By outsourcing revenue cycle management (RCM) to a team of experts, MVA is better positioned to provide the best care in the long run.
Navigating new revenue challenges
Even though the practice responded quickly, the pandemic still hit hard. In the first quarter of 2021, MVA had already seen a 30% decrease in patient visits compared to the prior year.
Throughout this period, MVA navigated drastic changes in regulations and reimbursement with the help of Greenway Revenue Services, which it first implemented in 2017.
“Naturally, encounters were greatly reduced,” said Meredith Forren, Chief Financial Officer. Meanwhile, there were no significant delays to the posting of charges or payments, she said.
Prior to the pandemic, Greenway Revenue Services helped fill in training gaps and get team members up to speed on FQHC billing. Michelle would go back and forth with questions, rarely waiting longer than a couple days for a solution or an answer from the Greenway team.
We've built a great relationship with them professionally ... we're in contact daily.Michelle Cook, Business Office Supervisor/RCM
As it has done since the beginning, her team holds biweekly calls with Greenway Revenue Services. Since the pandemic, the calls have provided an opportunity to get ahead of timely topics such as telehealth billing and COVID-19 swab collection documentation.
Michelle points to the Greenway Revenue Services team’s knowledge of the system and how it works as a major advantage.
“They help me quite often when I’m looking for a way to add a code or change, or if the way something is adjusted off,” she said. “They take the initiative so I can work on other things, which is great.”
Greenway Revenue Services provides FQHCs with Revenue Cycle Management support where they need it most:
- Filling in training gaps
- Navigating government regulations
- Communicating coding and other changes proactively
- Discovering programs that practices are eligible to participate in
- Working with auditor groups to help practice complete grant funding reconcilement reports
- Optimizing system set-up to complement funding requirements
Benefits of a single Health IT partner
Greenway Revenue Services has not been MVA's only secret to success, however. Michelle also credits Intergy, their electronic health record (EHR), which the staff finds both user-friendly and efficient. With Intergy, she said, "Everything is right there in theEHR, whether it's orders, labs, imaging, documents, or other information."
“The ease of everything being in one place is what I really appreciate,” Michelle said.
With Greenway’s help, the MVA team customized the system so providers would know where to find the codes they use most often.
It built tabs to give providers “favorites” they can locate easily.
“That helps the providers to move quickly through so their documentation is complete and they've not forgotten anything,” Michelle said.
Providers who can navigate the system quickly can see greater numbers of patients. When patient volume increases, revenue follows.
Vaccination and beyond
In March 2021, the practice added vaccine administration to its testing and treatment services. Serving members of the community during COVID-19 has spurred MVA to take a step further.
“We are very, very interested in community action and getting vaccines out there to the homeless, to the poor, to whoever is in need of the vaccine and can't get it anywhere else,” Michelle said.
Because the administrative staff didn’t have to stop what it was doing to address RCM challenges, Michelle said, the practice has been able to take a more creative approach to patient care, reaching a variety of populations where they are.
“(GRS) take(s) the initiative so I can work on other things, which is great.”Michelle Cook, Business Office Supervisor/RCM
Other benefits provided by using Greenway Revenue Services:
- Maintain full control over the medical billing aspects clients want to keep in-house
- Focus more time with patients and on "creative approach(es) to patient care"
