ROI Healthcare Solutions

Category: Blog

Healthcare ERP Implementations: 7 Common Mistakes
Implementing a new ERP system is not just an IT endeavor. It should be, by definition, a transformative experience for any healthcare organization – one that can only stay on the rails with the right people, approach, tools, support, and execution. Whether your organization deploys a cloud-based, on-premise, or hybrid solution, business and regulatory hurdles almost always turn these projects into marathon efforts.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. We recently spoke with ROI’s ERP strategists about the potential pitfalls when implementing cloud-based solutions, such as Infor CloudSuite, and what organizations can do to improve their deployment efforts. The following seven suggestions, excerpted from that conversation, will help your next ERP project run more smoothly for your entire team.
1. Build the business case first!
  It may seem like a basic, fundamental step, but many organizations proceed before their executives and board have seen and understood the roadmap, costs, and the effort required for success.Management must do more than approve the project. They must also understand and support your vision. Help them see the organization after completion. Show them the business need. Walk them through potential pain points. And absolutely personalize why this ERP implementation benefits them on a personal level (“What’s in it for me?”). A thorough business case and stakeholder buy-in can save you time, money, and frustration later on down the line.
2. Choose the right implementation partner
  It pays to look around, even if you’re happy with your incumbent ERP provider. The right partner understands your project as well as or better than you. They understand the business issues involved, know the products and systems, and recommend solutions appropriate for your organizational priorities and business processes. They ask the right questions and challenge the decisions you’ve made, professionally helping you plan a stronger path forward.The key is to find a partner, not a solutions vendor. Insist on someone who can operate as an extension of your staff. So do your homework – well in advance. Ask around. Talk to colleagues you know and those you don’t. Engage with organizations like KLAS and CHIME to get recommendations from your peers. It’s time wisely invested.
3. Insist on superior project management
  According to recent studies, more than half of large-scale software implementation projects fail because they lack project management discipline. Your ERP implementation partner must have a proven track record that shows that they know how to help everyone pull in the same direction – from executives to line workers, both within your organization and within your partner’s organization.Similar to enterprise EHR implementations, ERP projects touch many departments and require a deliberate, consistent approach and realistic deadlines. Make sure your partner understands all of the needs and drivers across the organization. As part of that process, your partner should help you work through the corporate budget and review the vision, targets, priorities, and how the project ties to a broader strategic plan with all key stakeholders.
  
  In short, everyone involved with the project needs to understand their areas of responsibility. It’s stressful, but don’t let emotions control the process. Effective project management provides the structure to focus on the complex elements of deployment with firm but productive guidance.
4. Put analytics front and center
  Analytics and reporting play a central role in every successful ERP implementation. Data requires structure and interpretation to be effective, and it’s much simpler to build an analytics solution alongside the ERP deployment than attempt to force an integration later. After all, management needs data-driven insights to better operate your organization. Giving them enhanced capabilities through a smarter ERP solution helps everyone deliver the leadership your organization needs.Combining analytics with the ERP solution may increase project scope and require additional decisions but it can save time and money down the road. The right implementation partner understands how to manage this crucial extra step, including how to foster executive support. It’s equally important that your partner can help with structural issues, such as whether to develop in-house capabilities or outsource analytics, and whether decision support operations need to be centralized or distributed across the organization.
5. Set appropriate expectations and communicate status openly
  As preparation for a large project begins, one of the first things people ask is, “How long is this going to take us?” Be ready to answer – early and often. Many healthcare organizations are leery of absorbing yet another big project. It’s difficult, resources are challenged even beyond COVID.Build a communication plan that accounts for parallel and dependent priorities and expectations within your organization. You may find it better to break the project up into segments to avoid pushback – and your implementation partner can assist with this decision. Describe how long it will take to complete the first segment. Meet your deadline, and the credibility you earn through timeliness and transparency will make it easier for everyone to support the next phase.
  
  When deciding on the best implementation approach for your organization, it’s more to listen to the pros and cons of each. For example, your organization’s financial team may suggest that one time of year is better for beginning this project based on cash flow. A merger or acquisition schedule may drive key milestones. Ultimately, credibility and buy-in become much easier when people know you’ve taken their suggestions and concerns into account.
6. Anticipate scope creep and deal with it aggressively
  In many cases, scope creep represents planning failure. Unanticipated changes occur because executives don’t feel involved if Finance hasn’t received timely updates on costs and progress when organizational needs weren’t precisely defined, or if a committee or department head wasn’t held engaged during the planning process.That said, every enterprise-grade software deployment has its unique unknowns. These unforeseeable plan alterations require a disciplined approach for redefining projects, tasks, timelines, and budgets. Coordination and open, transparent communications, often driven by an implementation partner experienced with these challenges, represent the best path forward so that any given alteration doesn’t introduce an ongoing cascade of moving targets and goals.
7. Keep the focus on your people
  It’s easy to lose sight of the human element when tackling something as major and transformative as an ERP transition. Someone championed and built the system you’re replacing. Your organization has multiple corporate and departmental cultures that directly impact how your project will be judged. Change can be frightening.People need to be heard. Once again, your team and your implementation partner need to focus on building open and transparent communications into the project plan. Be cognizant of sacred cows and be sensitive to the concerns they raise. Patience and active listening are essential. Don’t let moving forward become an indictment of the past. Give your people solid reasons to feel positive about the transition. It’s going to be disruptive. If you lose the audience, you lose support, and your project becomes that much more difficult to deliver.
Engage ROI to Avoid Common Points of Failure
Healthcare CxOs and ERP executives are worthy of the success that a strong business case, planning, project management, and real transformation can bring. Over the past 20 years, ROI has built a tenured and credible team of Infor ERP experts, with industry recognition for our Cloudsuite planning and implementation efforts in healthcare. Our experienced employees/team members have extensive experience in ERP, Healthcare, Finance, Supply Chain Management, EDI, Human Resources, Talent Management, and Business Process Optimization. Schedule your 15-minute call with our experts to help you avoid common points of failure and join the executives who achieve success with their ERP cloud transformations.
July 2, 2021
Denials: Stop Correcting the Problem and Fix the Issue
According to the Healthy Hospital Revenue Cycle Index, $262 billion in healthcare claims are initially denied. It’s no secret that denials management has become one of the top issues experienced by healthcare financial executives. Many organizations have focused more intently on creating solutions that address denials head-on, along with their root causes. Executives understand that to truly avoid denials, claims need to be managed properly upfront…. to eliminate the need to be reactive later. In this article, we’ll cover the most common types of denials, a few ways to manage them, medical necessity, and how to break the cycle. Imagine the stability and financial strength your organization can gain when you take this step forward.

Denials Come in Many Forms

A recent Medical Economics article identifies the top 13 reasons for claim denials; some of which include:
- Lack of medical necessity for a specific service (s)
- Duplicate claim submission
- Patient ineligibility for services related to insurance plan changes
- Errors on claim forms (missing modifiers, inconsistent place of service, incorrect codes or data)
- Missed filing date deadline
The astounding truth is that 90% of these types of claim issues are preventable! It’s critical to start creating proactive strategies to ensure claims are submitted correctly and reimbursed, avoiding denials. If you are tired of correcting and re-submitting claims, it’s time to look upstream to identify the process that triggers these denials.

Have You Ever Wondered Why We “Manage” Denials?

Denials are managed to ensure that claims can be submitted and that compensation can be received for patient services. However, the better option should be to prevent denials, not manage them.

When a formal denials prevention process doesn’t exist or isn’t followed, the number of denials inevitably increases. This potentially places your organization at risk. Over time, the denials volume and process non-compliance can force healthcare organizations to take on the daunting task of reviewing what’s happening and optimize.
- Poor processes and lack of appropriate follow-up remain a huge problem… As I collaborate with organizations nationwide, I am continuously surprised by the limited focus on the little things. These minor issues can add up to millions of dollars in real bottom-line improvement! With organizations being forced to do more with less, it’s easy to let the “little things” slip. It’s important to face the problem head-on, remembering that the appeals process incurs recovery costs, requires more resources to rework a claim, and wastes resource time. As we learn to work smarter, we must become more efficient with our process, and eliminate as many touches as possible.
- Here’s an example… Many organizations do very little to address Advance Beneficiary Notices (ABN’s) in a meaningful way. These notices inform a patient that a specific service may not be covered by Medicare, leaving the responsibility of payment to the patient. Ideally, a provider should issue this form if a potential denial is anticipated.There are a few factors unique to managing ABN’s. Though a patient may be responsible for payment related to services, the goal of a well-established ABN process is to work with the providers to justify the procedure and/ or tests. Inferring that the patient should be the responsible payer for the service should be the last resort.
- Organizations can add millions to their bottom line by implementing denial prevention and management best practices.
  “One Rural NY hospital focused efforts on their ABN process by making an investment of $30,000 to establish and follow best practices, resulting in an immediate return of $10,000 within the first month, in reduction of medical necessity denials. After a year of maintaining their revamped ABN process, the return increased substantially to $120,000.”
  
  With a focus on assessing your current processes and attention to department workflow, you can move away from managing denials and work to eliminate their causes.
Medical Necessity: One of the Top Denial Reasons

Over the years, medical necessity has been listed as one of the top five denial reasons. The more organizations use a reactive approach to correct denials after the claim has been submitted, the longer the issue will exist.

If the average provider only performs procedures and tests that are necessary, then the problem stems from a lack of appropriate explanation of the need for the procedure. Registration staff must be educated to request clarification and additional documentation if needed. Thorough clinical documentation should support correct coding, resulting in claim forms that are error-free and have a clear explanation description, prior to submittal for payment.

How Can You Break the Cycle?

Use a comprehensive denials prevention strategy to identify where your processes are misaligned with industry best practices.

Also, expand your understanding of revenue cycle improvement as an opportunity to show a significant and immediate ROI. Here is a list of six solutions as a guide to help you achieve optimal revenue cycle practices.
1. Start with an operational efficiency review
2. Use an interdisciplinary approach to fine-tuning your denials prevention process.
3. Scrub outgoing claims to ensure that there is accuracy upfront.
4. Dedicate specific resources to follow up on claims.
5. Automate as much of the denials management process as possible.
6. Invest in revenue cycle technology and leverage embedded analytics tools.
If Others Have Done It, You Can Too… with the right support

“After a revenue cycle assessment identified the admissions process as not meeting best practice expectations, one Southern California medical center engaged a project team to restructure their process — the project cost was $40,000. In the first 3 months, denials decreased significantly, they achieved a $60,000 return on investment, with an annualized return of $240,000.”

The residual year-over-year improvement goes directly to the bottom line and provides additional capital that can be invested in the many needed improvements and enhancements for the organization.

While you contemplate your denials prevention strategy, also check out the blog entitled, “You Are Not Alone – The DNFB Challenge” to understand the common reasons that accounts are held in DNFB status, 6 steps to reduce DNFB’s, and how your back office can help as you streamline your process.

Engage ROI to Help You Get Started

ROI’s Best in KLAS team of certified revenue cycle experts are available to offer insights and answer your burning questions. With extensive knowledge in leading practice consulting, revenue cycle roadmaps, and system optimization, ROI has the team and approach to help you to drive revenue cycle excellence within your organization.

Schedule a call with ROI at https://roihs.com/contact-us
May 24, 2021
Say Goodbye to PO25!
What if you could eliminate chasing down people for signatures on a contract?

What if you could ensure that contracts get renewed or resolved BEFORE they expire?

What if you had proactive reminders to work on a contract renewal in time to do it right and eliminate the fire drills?

Sounds like a perfect world, but it can be your reality. You just have to say goodbye to PO25 and step up to Infor’s Contract Management application.

It helps the contract manager…manage the contracts. Sounds simple, right? That is the key — having a solution that does the work for you. Stop struggling with documents stored in multiple places.

Contract Management allows you to create the contract and store the related attachments creating a “one-stop-shop” for any questions, comments, notes, or attachments – all in one place!
- No more SharePoint
- No more Teams libraries
- No more storing contract information on someone’s hard drive where it has zero visibility
Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of using Infor’s Contract Management application:
- Contract Dashboard – Gives you one place to be proactive and get ahead of expiring contracts. Navigation Widgets make contracts more visible. You can even personalize the search list putting what matters to you up front and center. You no longer need to run a bunch of reports to manage the daily oversight. Cost comparisons, spend analysis, even managing suppliers are all available from your dashboard quick links.
- Proactive Renewals – Allows you to be proactive when you utilize review dates on agreements with auto notification for renewals.
- Rebate Tracking – Gives you analytics to help you be proactive and forecast.
- Contract Progress Tracking – Define deliverables and milestone dates with reminders and notifications.
- Contract Document Creation – Use document templates, enter the basics of the contract, determine if you will allow redlining and define approvals, as needed. Non-Disclosure Agreements are a perfect example where you can drive efficiency, reduce risk, and save time.
- Integrated Email – Lets you email contacts directly from the dashboard, making managing the overall process easier.
Parting is such sweet sorrow!

Get ready to say goodbye to PO25 by starting some preparations now. Get the data cleaned up. The secret is getting, and keeping, the data clean. You can start by implementing best practices around separation of duties and secure access to data. Limit the people that can update the master data to control the accuracy. For example:
- Contract Managers can request to have a supplier added, but they should not be able to validate and approve the supplier
- Buyers can request a supplier to be added, but they should not be able to validate and approve the supplier
Security protocols are key. Who really needs access to maintain separation of duties? Think about who really needs access to what data. Then, get to work on the data cleanup:
- Verify items and eliminate duplicates
- Get copies of contracts and price files, and make sure you collect all the information
- Coordinate with suppliers and vendors to ensure you have accurate, current information
- Decide on how to load contracts – by manufacturer, distributor, GPO, etc.
- Clean up the item master
Doing this work ahead of time allows you to hit the ground running when you start your project. And, it makes life a little easier now!

When you are ready to say goodbye to PO25, contact ROI Healthcare Solutions. Our team of experts can help you find success on your technology journey. For more information or to learn about how we can help transform your organization, please visit our website.

Don’t Miss It!

Make sure to check out the accompanying Couch Conversation on PO25 with Seth Remetch and Diana Van Blaricom. Watch a short preview below.
March 30, 2021
CIO Interview: The Real Scoop on MEDITECH Expanse
Guiding Principles for a Successful Implementation

CIO Profiles

In a recent roundtable, James Reed, CIO of Conway Regional Health System, and Skip Rollins, CIO/CISO of Freeman Health System revealed their victories, lessons learned, decision-making strategies related to their planned move to MEDITECH’s Expanse platform. While each story is unique, both leaders are passionate about cross-departmental collaboration, user adoption, tech innovation, and mobility.
- James Reed’s organization has been a MEDITECH customer since 1997. They started on Magic, then transitioned to version 6 fifteen years later, and to 6.1 five years after that. James has already led his organization to Expanse.
- Skip Rollins is still driving the decision-making process for his health system. Freeman, also a long-term MEDITECH customer, is currently on version 6.08 and GE Centricity.
This article will cover the key takeaways from ROI’s interview with the two CIOs, but the actual video interview “MEDITECH Expanse – What’s New, Lessons Learned, and Implementation Tips” is still available for viewing at: https://info.roihs.com/meditech-expanse-roundtable.

What Features & Functions are Most Important

MEDITECH’s reputation has had to adapt to the pressures of the ever-evolving EMR market and has made changes to its management structure and technology in a noticeable way. In the roundtable, both CIOs shared what features and functions within Expanse made a real difference in the decision-making criteria.
- A single chart for all points of care and revenue cycle workflows
- The ability for rehab, critical access, acute care to use the same system and similar templates saves time and reduces errors. It creates a smooth experience for the provider and the patient. It also helps the operations team get a clear view of billable and reimbursable items.
- Easy, flexible navigation that is accessible via web and mobile
- The web-based solution makes deployments easier. It also creates a better experience for providers that are traveling from site to site. They don’t have to log in and out at each location. They can use iPads and mobile devices to access secure information through the web now.
- Advanced technology
- MEDITECH has made changes in their systems to improve the user experience. Their management structure has changed and their decisions about technology has a positive impact on interoperability requirements, integration, data aggregation/presentation. Their efforts are noticeable – and for long-term MEDITECH customers, this means a lot.
How to Create Unified Decision-Making across IT, Clinical, and Back Office

Curating an environment of trust, open-mindedness, and collaboration is key. In planning for next steps with MEDITECH, both CIOs recognize how important it is to get feedback from users and providers about what they want and which (optimal) workflows need to be supported by technology.

In both organizations, the formation of a Physician Advisory Committee that incentivizes and celebrates collaboration and candid feedback has been key. Engaging representation from every key department is necessary to make sure diverse perspectives are addressed and heard.

Simple questions that guide productive discussions include:
- What would make your day easier?
- What is NOT present now that creates manual effort now?
- If you could reimagine your day with the best, most efficient approach to work and a positive patient experience, what would it look like?
- Let’s look at the system out of the box and see how much of our workflows are accounted for.
Skipping this step could lead to dragging luggage from the past into the new version.

Another key approach to unified decision-making is to invite technology antagonists and protagonists into the equation, as well as those in the middle of the spectrum. This is a productive way to plan and invite diverse ways of viewing the same issue.

Skip Rollins shared that EMRs mostly all do the same thing – kind of like cars. The decision-making process has to go deeper, asking questions that reveal how each solution will help each organization grow, how it will align with strategic objectives, and which supports a best practice model. All members of the decision-making team need to keep this in mind when moving forward with their EMR upgrade or transition.

5 Steps to Save You Time, Money, Stress During Your EMR Project
1. Involve leaders from all key clinical and non-clinical departments – build trust, decide which goals need to be accomplished and how they will be measured. Ask questions and don’t be quick to make assumptions.
2. If you have not seen the best practices that have come out of the KLAS Arch Collaborative, you should take 15 minutes to search for it and absorb the guiding principles for EMR implementations. Why guess when you can learn from the best?
3. Don’t over-stress your IT team and assume you can do every project on your own – engage experienced partners to help. Even for a small upgrade, it is important to protect the time and focus of your team.
4. Expect the best, but prepare for hiccups – James Reed mentioned applying for a line of credit and to expect a temporary increase in AR days. However, Conway was in a solid position financially before the EMR upgrade. This was done in a proactive fashion to protect the financial stability of the organization.
5. Remember your HIM / back-office teams. Any EMR project impacts operations folks as well and they may need extra support.
Today’s Decision Will Impact Your Organization for 5-10+ Years

Proper planning for your upgrade is key. Look for best practices that will support your organization well beyond your Go-Live date. According to James Reed, “whatever decision you make today will impact your organization, your team, your patients, and your financial position for 5-10+ years.” Choose wisely and leverage the experience of your peers and 3rd party firms. Make sure roles & responsibilities are defined.

Protect Your Legacy Systems While Re-Skilling Your Current Team

Oftentimes, CIOs focus their efforts on their upgrade or new implementation, but make the “keep the lights on” activity an afterthought. Many assume that existing team members can be trained on the new technology while they do their day jobs. That could burn people out and impact your project schedule. Consider engaging a trusted partner, such as ROI, to help with your backfill needs. This way, your team can focus on understanding the new technology and fulfilling the requirements of the clinicians, providers, and back-office staff while a 3rd party keeps things stable for you during the transition.

Need a Trusted Partner to Help Assess Your Total Cost of Ownership, Re-vamp your Workflows before an Upgrade, or Provide Backfill Resources during your Transition?

ROI Healthcare Solutions is a Best in KLAS health IT services firm that delivers with quality, true partnership, and results. You can reach our team at https://roihs.com/contact-us to schedule a call.
February 24, 2021
VLOG: Aligning HR Initiatives with Strategic Objectives

Align Your HR Initiatives

Hear from ROI’s VP of ERP Strategy, Diana Van Blaricom, about the importance of aligning your HR initiatives with your organization’s strategic objectives.

Contact us at: info@roihs.com

Call us at: 678.270.2867

September 23, 2020
VLOG: The Seven Most Expensive Words in Business

Because We’ve Always Done It That Way

Hear from ROI’s VP of HCM Strategy & Services, Diana Van Blaricom, on the seven most expensive words in business…because we’ve always done it that way. Want to learn more? Download our eBook by visiting: info.roihs.com/embracing-hr-innovation-ebook

Contact us at: info@roihs.com

Call us at: 678.270.2867

September 16, 2020
VLOG: Importance of User Perspective in HR Innovation

Why does user perspective matter?

Hear from ROI’s VP of HCM Strategy & Services, Diana Van Blaricom, on the importance of user perspective in HR Innovation. Want to learn more? Download our eBook by visiting: http://info.roihs.com/embracing-hr-innovation-ebook

Contact us at: info@roihs.com

Call us at: 678.270.2867

September 16, 2020
Key Strategies: When and How to Modify Your System
Modifications, customizations, and configurations can make a great ERP system even better by aligning technology with optimal business processes. There are many reasons to configure systems, such as adding user fields to existing forms or placing constraints on fields to support accurate data entry. Before decisions are made to configure your ERP technology, consider three important questions:
1. How does your system handle configurations?
2. Are other options available to meet user requirements?
3. Are these options making it too difficult to apply patches and updates in the system?
How does your system handle configurations?

Some systems are setup to keep the base code in pristine shape. Before any attempts are made to configure the system, the base code is first copied, and all configuration changes are made to the replica. In other words, the configuration sits above the base code, leaving the original base code untouched. Typically, in these systems, patches and updates are made to the base code, leaving the changed copy that sits above it untouched. This means that any updates to the base code that has a configuration sitting above it won’t be realized in the system automatically and would need to be reapplied.

Some systems allow changes directly to the base code. In these situations, patches and updates are made to system language that has been altered. This is problematic as it can cause issues during the patch/upgrade process when the programs try to change the modified code.

Are other options available to meet user requirements?

The top priority when contemplating system modifications is to mitigate risk to system stability and performance. While mistakes could happen during system modification efforts, both IT and the business should be on board to support the same goals for success. If the potential for mistakes does not hinder business operations, could there an opportunity for IT to empower users to take more ownership of the system by:
- Utilizing reports and reporting tools to gain greater visibility
- Increasing end-user training, reducing the possibility of mistakes
- Reserving configurations for to close significant gaps between requirements and out-of-the-box system functionality
Are the above options making it too difficult to apply patches and updates in the system?

Cloud-based systems can have frequent patches and updates, whether you are ready or not. If you do not have a methodical answer to one or more of the questions below, you may need support in creating a repeatable strategy for system stability amidst patches and upgrades:
- If an update replaces your system’s base code, are you prepared to test all the code that has been modified?
- If the upgrade process is unsuccessful due to errors, are you equipped to find the changed code and fix the issue in a timely fashion?
- If an update replaces base code (sitting underneath modified code), are you prepared to accept the update or reapply your configuration to the new base code, so that they are correctly reflected in the system?
Key Strategies for System Configuration:

Most ERP system users configure their technology. When you approach your configuration path, here are a few starting tips to manage the process:
1. Have a clear and comprehensive understanding of how configurations are made to your system. Know where they are stored. Know how they react to patches and updates.
2. Always document your configurations in a way that searchable. To start, name and group them by the type (table, form, list, etc.). Add clarifying fields like comments or business cases to help clarify the need. This will aid in finding the configuration in the code that may need to be “redone” once a patch or update has been applied.
3. Be prepared to test the functionality of forms, lists, and reports that have been configured when a patch or update is applied to them.
The reality is that modifications, customizations, and configurations are always a necessary beast in any implementation. As long as you have a full understanding of how they work with your current product, have a plan of attack for upgrades, and limit their use as much as possible, you will be prepared to handle the ongoing maintenance of your system. Be sure to take this into consideration when planning your technology upgrades and make sure you are working with a system that allows you to easily and efficiently facilitate changes within a stable, high performing system.

As a unique business process and ERP services leader, ROI Healthcare Solutions has spent years managing and refining leading practice approaches to system configurations and extensions for both on-premise and cloud-hosted solutions. If you find that excessive time is spent on testing code against patches and upgrades, you may find that talking through a clear plan for success will be worth your effort. For more information, contact us at: https://roihs.com/contact-us | info@roihs.com | 678.270.2867
January 30, 2020
Why the HR & Payroll Partnership Matters
While HR is responsible for managing everything from payroll to benefits to recruiting to employee onboarding and retention, its relationship with the payroll department is one of special significance. Before efficiency gains can be created in HR, it is important to identify how HR processes and system data specifically impact payroll.

HR Data Feeds Payroll, For Better or Worse

HR processes and systems are the source of data related to employee demographics, compensation benefits, and much more. HR data directly feeds Payroll and drives important calculations related to paychecks for employees and contractors, including (but not limited to):
- Data feeds that go to the Time and Attendance system (time records sent to Payroll)
- Who is paid and where to send the payment (employee name & address)
- Employee compensation (pay rate)
- Calculation of Taxes (local, state, federal)
- Calculation of Overtime (exempt, non-exempt status)
- Receipt of Pay (direct deposit, paper check)
- Pay eligibility (status of Active, Severance, Termination Pending, Terminated, etc.)
- Additional Pay Eligibility (job code drives shift tables for special pay)
- Benefits deductions (Benefits enrollments via Pre/Post Tax deductions)
The Domino Effect of Inaccurate HR Data

When HR data is inaccurate and is processed via payroll, it can create a host of issues that may result in an incorrect paycheck, which can lead to…

Employee distractions while trying to contact someone in Payroll and/or HR to resolve the issue. This distraction can then impact:
- employee productivity
- patient care & safety (for healthcare industry employees)
- tax reporting & payments
- tax filings (requiring revisions for significant issues)
This ripple effect of inaccurate source data is common for many organizations, increasing the need for manual resource intervention to untangle and correct the problem.

HR vs. Finance: The Unnecessary Gap

HR departments manage all aspects of hiring, empowering, and engaging high-performing resources who support the mission, vision, and values of each organization. Payroll is a function of finance to pay employees and contractors at the competitive industry compensation rates set by HR.

Good organizations invest in intra-departmental efficiencies, while great organizations create interdepartmental efficiencies with strong communication, integration, and collective success. In order for HR and Payroll departments to address their individual gaps and reduce manual effort, each must view the other as a much-needed ally with ongoing interaction and sharing of mutually beneficial information.

Three Strategies to Improve the HR/Payroll Dynamic
1. HR and Payroll must have active ongoing communications to help ensure that data affecting payroll remains a focus while business processes and workflows evolve as the business ebbs and flows.
2. Sharing clearly defined roles and responsibilities across departments will help the team to identify the data each area is responsible for to allow for ongoing data auditing.
3. Review and validate these data audit examples below for inaccuracies:
- Pay Rate changes greater than 10%
- Job/Position changes that can impact pay based on promotions/demotions
- Location and address changes that impact taxes
- Limits related to deferred compensation contributions, HSA contributions
- Tax withholdings for local, state, federal (including FICA)
Putting these approaches into practice will contribute to your success as an HR leader, as you formalize your partnership with Payroll. You will be able to more quickly alleviate data issues, reduce manual reconciliation efforts, improve your payroll processing cycle, and enhance the integrity of your HR/Payroll systems. As you start to prepare for year-end, think about how you this improved HR/Payroll partnership will support your goals.

Optimal Processes Before Technology

In our 20 years of delivering ERP, EHR, and Revenue Cycle services, ROI has found that working with clients to correct process, data, and people related issues first always leads to a more comprehensive and successful system implementation or optimization project later. Whether you are using legacy or modern, hosted or cloud-based solutions for your HR and Financial systems, you are in the driver’s seat of your business processes and workflows. Our team has over 20 years of functional experience in HR and ERP solutions, with the passion to help you on your journey to HR and Payroll excellence.

For more information, contact us at https://roihs.com/contact-us

ABOUT ROI HEALTHCARE SOLUTIONS

ROI is a CloudSuite and Birst specialized Infor Alliance Partner with hundreds of Infor engagements under our belt. Our team is passionate, collaborative, and we work with customers to identify optimal processes and setup systems to enable those scenarios, for the benefit of the entire organization. Our certified and experienced Consultants posses over 10 years of functional and technical expertise.

Call us today at 678.270.2867
December 31, 2019
Top Nine Reasons to Optimize Your EHR Now
An often overlooked category of optimization is centered around operational processes that can be tailored independent of health IT systems. While most providers agree that optimization of EHR and financial systems is required over time to meet regulatory and internal expectations, the financial benefits of changing basic processes and procedures is not the focus. For providers to truly maximize their technology investment in EHR systems, optimization efforts across both systems and processes must be considered a top priority. Are you ready to take control?

How can you ensure your EHR is meeting your providers’ needs?

Revisit your initial understanding and expectations of your EHR’s full capabilities.

Distribute a targeted EHR user feedback survey and summarize major themes and high priority items.

Review research from KLAS Arch Collaborative regarding physician satisfaction.

Consider using nursing informaticists to drive your optimization. Be strategic and place them at the frontline to effectively triage issues, make recommendations, and lead partnerships between providers, super users, and IT analysts across departments.

These steps will help you to collect candid feedback from your EHR users, which can be compared against industry benchmarks and leading practices, providing a baseline for future optimization efforts.

How can you identify process gaps within your organization?

Review helpdesk reports to identify daily pain points from specific user groups in the various departments.
- What are your users complaining about?
- What is the quality of your documentation?
- Are your workflows cumbersome?
- Are there issues capturing or accessing vital information within a specialty area?
Talk to a sampling of providers and other end users – they know the workarounds, gaps, and complaints.

Review policies and procedures to confirm alignment with departmental and organizational goals.

Review back-office reports to identify areas for revenue cycle improvement.

Top 9 EHR Optimization Takeaways…

CLINICAL – To create contextual, intuitive systems, and processes capable of giving providers the right amount of data, at the right time, without overwhelming them…
1. Engage your providers in continuous improvement. They have a vested interest in quality and efficient patient care.
2. Focus on Ancillary Systems – Laboratory, Radiology, GI, Therapies, and Dialysis departments drive the entire care continuum. Ensure these systems are performing well by conducting health checks periodically and scheduling upgrades in a timely manner.
3. Promote Standardization. This improves clinical efficiency and transition of care.
Are you promoting system interoperability? Does your EHR vendor participate in networks working to standardize data across health data exchange platforms?
1. Secure & Exchange Data. Data integrity for health information exchanges (HIEs) is critical. Comprehensive meaningful data expedites provider productivity and clinical decision-making.
2. Workflow Efficiency. Are you using standardized workflows across your organization? If not, streamline reporting processes by generating the customized SQL/Crystal reports that bring pertinent data to your providers to aid in patient management.
3. Be Quality Driven. Use the EHR’s built in prompts and alerts to help improve the quality of patient care and end user’s satisfaction, as well as reduce the margin for error.
FINANCIAL – To generate cost reduction due to operational efficiency…
1. Focus on data gathering. Your EHR is where all the patient information is gathered for value-based care. Detailed analysis and care delivery management can help to prove that the most cost-effective services were rendered.
2. Scrutinize your hospital back-office functions, regardless of your technology platform and organization’s strategy. Who is responsible for follow up or periodic account audits?
3. Be Compliant. As regulatory standards continuously change and have burdensome reporting requirements, optimization becomes an ongoing process to account for these changes. Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) and Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) have driven more widespread acceptance of EHR’s and interoperability by incentivizing providers with reimbursements for appropriate Value-Based Care (VBC).
What should your long-term EHR optimization plan include?

A review of a Stanford Medicine survey, conducted by The Harris Poll, reveals that although American physicians see the value in EHR’s, additional focus should be placed on:
- Interoperability. 67% think more interoperable systems will help find better care solutions. At this point, patient data remains too fragmented.
- Predictive Analytics. 43% think securing infrastructure with analytics tools support quicker disease diagnosis, prevention, and population health.
- Integrated Financials. 32% think this will enhance patient understanding of care related costs and improve the perception of healthcare transparency.
Are you ready to engage in process and system optimization efforts?

While you consider your future needs, also read our revenue cycle blogs entitled:

“Denials: Stop Correcting the Problem and Fix the Issue”, to learn the many forms of claim denials, the reasons we need proactive denials management, and how to break the denial cycle by using a comprehensive denials prevention strategy.

“You Are Not Alone – The DNFB Challenge” to understand the common reasons that accounts are held in DNFB status, 6 steps to reduce DNFB’s, and how your back office can help as you streamline your process.

Engage ROI to help you prioritize and get on track!

ROI Healthcare is rated as a Best in KLAS for Partial IT Outsourcing and can provide the optimization experts you need to improve your organizational effectiveness and technology. With over 20+ years of clinical and financial expertise, we can demonstrate how proven strategies can streamline both clinical and financial processes and increase your bottom line.
May 28, 2019

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