EMPLOYEE TURNOVER AND OTHER ISSUES THAT AFFECT YOUR SUCCESS
“The only person who really understood the details of how our system is set up doesn’t work here anymore”
Article co-authored by Cheri Lane and Karla Hageman
The EMS billing world is constantly changing. Changes in government regulations in health care, such as HIPAA, Ambulance Fee Schedule, Condition Codes, NEMSIS, state data reporting requirements, etc., occur often and affect organizational processes and revenue streams. EMS services must keep up on the latest information and partner with other organizations that can assist them in these areas.
 The Sweet-Billing system is an integral part of a successful EMS organization and it is designed to help keep track of critical information, provide the tools for compliance in EMS billing, ensure maximum accounts receivable and provide useful information to analyze for the most efficient and effective billing department. As such, the Sweet-Billing software is quite extensive in its functionality and may seem overwhelming for a new-comer with little training. Between the complex nature of regulations and proper billing in EMS and the extensive Sweet-Billing program, moving new employees into these areas of responsibility without proper training will most likely impact the success of the entire organization as well as add much anxiety and frustration to your billing staff.
Unfortunately, Ortivus often hears the following statements:
“The only person who really understood the details of how our system is set up doesn’t work here anymore,” or “I had no idea the system could do that.” Another common occurrence takes place in situations in which a long-time billing employee leaves a service and no one has been trained to replace him or her, causing the EMS service to outsource their billing (pay someone else to perform this function) even though they own the tools to do it themselves.
Other factors that can further complicate this situation include:
- Internal organizational changes that affect the billing system setup, such as new contracts, new requirements for specific payers, transitions from old “Method 4 Billing” to “Method 2 Billing.”
- Most people do not recall 100% of everything that was covered in the initial software training.
- Many services do not cross train their employees, or have good documentation of the billing system setup.
However, disruptions in an EMS organization caused by employee turnover can be avoided with proper proactive measures. Cross training in the billing office is one of the best proactive strategies, along with employee participation in continuing educational opportunities. Ortivus realizes that it is not enough to simply sell an EMS organization a software system, but rather to also become a business partner with them to help ensure the success of their software implementation and use of it within their entire organization. Ortivus offers the following types of training and education:
- Annual User Group training
- Online webinars covering topics ranging from issues in the industry to compliance, EMS management and administration, reimbursement and software updates.
- Recorded classes offered through our website on various modules and tasks of the Sweet software programs
- Onsite training/retraining and consulting
- Remote phone training
- Billing system checkup and consulting (Sweet-Billing Checkup)
While we may have little control over the actual reimbursement levels paid, we do have control over many other factors that affect the success of EMS organizations, such as a well-trained staff, the time and effort spent in many organizational processes, and to a large extent, how quickly reimbursements are received. Ortivus has 30 years of experience in working with services like yours and has a vested interest in your success. For more information about Ortivus products, services or education, please give us a call at 800-537-3927 or email us at info@ortivusna.com. We have much to offer you.
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