Washington Health System

When our community made it clear they wanted to know ahead of time what their out-of-pocket expenses would be for surgical procedures, exams and radiology, Washington Health System adopted a website tool to put that information at their ngertips. "Patients can nd the patient cost estimator on our website," says Linda Larner, Director of Revenue Cycle at WHS. "ey only need a few pieces of information, and the system takes less than a minute to respond with an out-of-pocket estimate." Patients only have to input: » their hospital of choice » the type of inpatient or outpatient procedure they're having » whether they're insured or uninsured » their name » their date of birth If they're insured, patients also include their user ID. "All it takes is about ve minutes on the website," Larner says. "If patients have any questions, a telephone number is provided to contact us." Before You Go » YOU CAN GET AN ONLINE PRICING QUOTE AT WHS.ORG/PATIENT-RESOURCES/PATIENT-COST-ESTIMATOR/. "The Innovation Unit epitomizes the best inpatient care. From the responsible and caring sta• to the new generation bed and furniture for visiting families, this unit provides a supportive, private, spacious and comfortable place to ease the stress of di‰cult medical situations." —KARLA GYURE I N N OVAT I N G C A R E IN ONE INPATIENT UNIT AT WASHINGTON HEALTH SYSTEM, INNOVATION IS THE ORDER OF THE DAY—EVERY DAY. With challenges in health care becoming more dicult each year, it is imperative that our health system nd better ways to deliver safe, eective care to our community. To accomplish this, partnering with our patients and families is key. An integral part of the Innovation Unit is Patient and Family Centered Care Advocates. e Advocates are volunteers who spend time with patients and families periodically throughout their stay. "e Advocates help us think through how patients feel, as well as provide an unbiased perspective," says Carolyn Orbin, MSN, MBA, RN, Nurse Manager for the Innovation Unit. e groundwork for the Innovation Unit began with hiring team members receptive to change and willing to ask questions rather than accept existing processes. An interdisciplinary team, including physicians and sta members throughout the organization, met regularly to foster team building and gain knowledge in how to apply performance-improvement processes to drive change. e means of continuously improving patient care is a collaborative eort, and the assumption is that the more cohesive the team, the better the care and outcomes will be. One part of that eort is the Patient Status Board. e team reviews key elements of care for every patient in real time. Another strategy being implemented is the review of patients' medications at discharge. A nurse and a pharmacist will educate patients and families about medications so the information is not only accurate but there is a clear understanding on the part of patients and their families about why the medications were ordered and what side eects to expect. In addition, we are exploring creating dierent roles for our nursing care providers and evaluating what combination of tasks and responsibilities produces the best outcomes, value and satisfaction levels for sta, patients and families. While the Innovation Unit has only been open for two months, we are very optimistic that it will help change the landscape of inpatient care at WHS—one small step at a time. » CHANGES MADE IN THE INNOVATION UNIT WILL SOON BE SEEN IN DEPARTMENTS ALL AROUND THE HOSPITAL. the type of inpatient or outpatient procedure If they're insured, patients also include their user ID. "All it takes is about ve minutes on the website," Before You Go YOU CAN GET AN ONLINE PRICING QUOTE AT WHS.ORG/PATIENT-RESOURCES/PATIENT-COST-ESTIMATOR/. IN DEPARTMENTS ALL AROUND THE HOSPITAL. W I NTE R 2017 | connections whs.org 15

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