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The Access Center Main Admitting Area is located on the 1st floor of the hospital and is comprised of four distinct, interrelated areas:
Parents and patients who are arriving for ancillary service testing such as Radiology and Lab should present to the Outpatient Registration Desk on the second floor of the main hospital. Other exams registered here include EEG, Dialysis, GI Lab, and Sleep Disorders/Sleep Studies.
All patients who present for testing must have a physician-signed order to indicate the specific test or exam, along with the diagnosis/complaint. If your physician has given you this order, please bring it with you on the day of your visit. Parents should be prepared to present the order, insurance cards and valid identification to the Access Facilitators at the Outpatient Registration Desk. After paperwork and signatures are completed, the staff will direct the patient and parent to the appropriate area for the exam. The Outpatient Registration Desk is open weekdays from 6 a.m. until 7:30 pm and Friday from 6:00 am until 5:00 pm. Any patient needing to be registered for outpatient testing outside of the normal business hours should report to Admitting for registration.
When patients are admitted to the hospital, they are registered in Inpatient Admitting within the Access Center. The Inpatient Admitting area and Bed Control are located just inside the glassed-in area that faces the main lobby. Patients are admitted here, as well as assigned an inpatient room. Physicians and their offices may call in an admission to the Access staff prior to the patient's arrival, and give information such as diagnosis, age, admitting physician, and the approximate arrival time. Parents should be prepared to submit insurance cards and identification upon their child's admission. The Inpatient Admitting / Bed Control area is open seven days a week, from 7 a.m. until 12:00 a.m.
Financial Counseling is available for parents of any child who is uninsured, or parents who have questions regarding their insurance. The Financial Counselors work to obtain various pieces of financial information from parents in order to help them apply for assistance. The two predominant types of assistance are Medicaid/Patient First and Blue Cross AllKids. These two programs are available to any child who meets the specified eligibility requirements; this includes monthly income, number of people in the household, etc.
The Financial Counselors also verify insurance eligibility, benefits, and pre-certifications for inpatients and One-Day Surgery patients. The Financial Counseling offices can be found just behind the Inpatient Admitting waiting area, and counselors are available weekdays from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
Please click the highlighted items for information regarding our charity care and uninsured patient policy and charity care guidelines.
The Cashiers Office is on the ground floor of the hospital next to the Inpatient Admitting area. The cashiers accept payments on existing accounts and are available to answer questions regarding account balances. Parents also pay their inpatient co-payments and deductibles at the Cashiers Office. The cashiers offer a "Courtesy Discharge" to inpatients and their parents by physically going to the patient room to collect payment, writing a receipt for the parent, and stamping the patient's chart. When the patient is discharged, the family is free to go home without stopping by the Cashiers Office to settle the account. The Cashiers Office is open weekdays from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
The Pre-registration Staff within the Access Center is responsible for contacting parents at home to enter and verify patient information before the patient arrives for the appointment. Patients who are pre-registered experience a significantly shorter registration process when they present on the appointment date. Since all of the information has already been entered and/or verified by the Pre-registration staff, all that remains for the Access registration staff to do is obtain the required signatures and make a copy of insurance and identification cards. The Pre-registration staff works both day and evening shifts and tries to contact all parents prior to the child's appointment date. The staff makes calls between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The Access Center staff in One-Day Surgery and APASS (Anesthesia Pre-Admit Screening Service) is located within the surgery center on the 2nd floor of the hospital. These employees are responsible for registering incoming surgery patients, obtaining signatures, verifying demographic and insurance information, and assigning surgery beds. Most of these patients have been pre-registered by the Access Center Pre-registration staff, so the waiting time from the patient's arrival until he or she is placed in a surgery bed is minimal. The One-Day Surgery and APASS center opens weekdays at 5:30 a.m. and closes at 5:00 p.m.
Access Center -- Specialty Care Outpatient Clinics
Prior to the appointment date, an Access Center Facilitator will attempt to contact the patient / parent by telephone to pre-register the patient. If a patient's scheduled service requires prior authorization by their insurance carrier, they are expected to comply with the terms of their policy. Other questions asked during pre-registration include demographic information such as address, referring physician, insurance information, emergency contact numbers, etc. Pre-registration by telephone allows the patient / parent to experience a significantly shorter registration process on the day of the visit.
When a patient presents for service, an Access Facilitator in the Specialty clinic will perform the registration process. This includes collecting pertinent demographic and financial information. If the patient has been pre-registered, their information needs only to be verified by the Access Facilitator. This is necessary to prevent potential delays in patient flow or billing problems. New patients will be registered in the hospital computer system and assigned a permanent medical record number. A patient's medical record number is unique and follows them throughout the healthcare system. Patients / parents need to bring insurance cards and the patient's social security card or number. Insurance co-payments will be collected at the point of registration.
The Access Facilitators in the Specialty clinics will schedule follow-up appointments upon discharge. They will also assist in scheduling any further tests / examinations requested by the Physician.
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