City of Hope Village Uses TRACE for Patient Reservations, Financial Forms

Located just northeast of Los Angeles, City of Hope is one of only 40 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers nationwide.

In keeping with its mission of caring for the whole person, City of Hope offers patients and caregivers a unique form of temporary housing at Hope & Parsons Village. The Village is a 40-unit, studio-style complex that combines the conveniences of home with patient care in a reasonably-priced, comfortable setting.

The Village uses FaxCert to capture financial application forms submitted by patients who visit the Village. Pay stubs, bank statements, tax returns and handwritten request letters are included as supporting documentation.

Before using TRACE, clerks filed these documents and eventually discarded them due to storage constraints. With each visit, patients submitted new applications, causing unnecessary frustration and delay.

With TRACE, clerks scan the patient's form and documentation as a single file under one tracking number. Upon their return, patients are asked to review the documents and note any changes to the form. Instead of filling out new paperwork, they simply initial the existing form, saving time for the patient and office staff.

"This has been a huge satisfier for our patients. They no longer have to complete lengthy and cumbersome paperwork," said Tanner. "They are ill and need to focus their attention on getting well, not worrying about whether or not they will qualify for reduced room rates."

All files are stored in Tracker, reducing paperwork and storage needs. Supervising the Village from a remote office, Anne Tanner accesses financial forms through Tracker to determine the appropriate charge for each patient.

"Village office staff can now quickly and thoroughly review patient information, attach any new substantiating documentation and obtain timely approvals for continued reduction in room rates," said Tanner. "The implementation of FaxCert in our Village has resulted in increased productivity and greater patient satisfaction."

At the reservation desk, Village clerks also use VoiCert to record calls coming from clinical social workers, case managers, financial counselors or anyone making arrangements on behalf of a patient. Clerks have been educated to record any communication coming from an outside number or from a patient's hospital room. These records serve as confirmation of patient arrangements. Call records are monitored on a monthly basis for customer service checks.

Clerks also use FaxCert to capture patient reservation forms faxed from the hospital to the Village. The faxed forms contain all the information the Village needs to prepare for the patient and eliminates phone tag back and forth with the hospital.

TRACE phone and fax records provide valuable information to help staff meet the unique needs of each patient. One such instance occurred when a patient called the reservation desk to inquire about a bill.

"The clerk called me with the VoiCert tracking number, and I went in to listen to the call. I could hear the distress in the patient's voice," said Tanner.

She returned the call and spoke with the patient about the charges. After reviewing the patient's financial form, she discovered that there was no source of income due to the patient's medical situation. She waived all charges and refunded the previous amount paid. "The patient was extremely grateful."

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