Patient Access Week, sponsored by the National Association of Healthcare Access Management (NAHAM), takes place April 1-7, 2018. This year’s theme, Patient Access: Soaring to New Heights, complements Cooper University Health Care’s commitment to provide exceptional service based on industry best practices.
The first interaction patients have often begins with Patient Access, which makes it so necessary to have a friendly face or voice on the phone to connect with. Patients sometimes feel apprehensive and need support.
“When people aren’t feeling well, we need to be fast, accurate, and friendly,” Access Director Linda Brand noted. “If we don’t do our job right, the problems reverberate throughout the hospital.”
In an average day, our Access teams handle a variety of requests from physicians, nurses, and patients. They schedule visits, arrive admissions, and help coordinate patient transfers. Access staff must also be familiar with the procedures of various insurance companies and, in many areas, are also responsible to provide financial screening and point-of-service cash collections. During National Patient Access Week, we acknowledge our special goodwill ambassadors in Access areas throughout Cooper and thank them for helping to achieve a superior patient experience.