Case Study – Univ. Missouri

Case_Study_University_Missouri

Case_Study_University_Missouri

Client Success – Unbilled Days: University of Missouri, 2010

 

PROJECT PROBLEM

The challenge is to build the confidence to identify the things we do every day that are WASTE and not be afraid to find new ways to eliminate those things.

In the fall of 2009 University of Missouri Health Care, as part of its benchmarking and quality programs, identified that days in unbilled accounts receivables were too high. Kay Davis, Director of Patient Financial Services, said, “We knew that our goal was to achieve best practice for unbilled accounts and to achieve that goal, we also needed proven talent to deliver on this initiative.”

University of Missouri Health Care engaged Denver, Colorado-based Edge Process Consulting (Edge) to help focus the improvement initiative by utilizing the Edge Process for Revenue Cycle Optimization.

This process is based on Lean Six Sigma DMAIC principles. The Six Sigma DMAIC process includes five phases – Define which outlines project scope; Measure where you evaluate your measurement and reporting systems and establish your baseline; Analyze where you dig into the details of the root causes and formulate areas of focus; Improve where you implement improvements and Control where you monitor your results and take corrective action if improvements falter.

Manage Your EMR, Meaningfully

Too many healthcare practices underestimate the need for experienced project management when navigating the implementation of EMR and Revenue Cycle Management systems. Edge Process will help get you live, on time and on budget.

As $72 billion in federal incentives, ($64,000 per qualifying practice), become a matter of dollars and sense, Edge Process provides the project management skills, techniques and experience you need to navigate and implement meaningful use of Electronic Medical Records – saving you time and money!

Here are few ways that Edge Process can help:

EMR/RCM vendor selection

EMR/RCM implementation project management

Flat fee/milestone-based or effort-based options available

Communication between your team and your software vendor

o workflow design
o data dictionaries set up
o staff training development
o test planning and coordination
o go-live support and issues management

 

All this talk of Federal dollars and electronic upgrades and you are still unfamiliar with the in’s and out’s of “meaningful use”?

Below are a few links that will help clarify the recently passed incentives.

MGMA: Meaningful Usehttp://www.mgma.com/meaningfuluse/

Colorado Public Radio: “Colorado Docs Could Get Federal Dollars to Go High Tech” – by Eric Whitney

 

For more questions, or to get your business moving into the digital age, contact us today!

Why Healthcare is Ripe for Lean

“Our Nation’s health service delivery systems face growing challenges to enhance quality while reducing costs. Lean/Toyota Production Systems (TPS) is a process redesign strategy developed in manufacturing that promises to help health care delivery systems meet these twin challenges.” – Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.(1)

The High Cost of Inefficiencies

Process inefficiencies run deep in healthcare. Just walk into your doctor’s office, or local hospital, and you can see some of the inefficiencies rife within today’s Healthcare system. Think about the number of times you’ve been asked to fill out multiple forms, asking for the exact same information, even within the same hospital. This example is just one of many that the patient experiences and is merely the tip of the iceberg of inefficiencies. Some are driven by organizational culture and politics, some by regulation, and some by the departmental fragmentation that exists in any business setting.

Continue reading “Why Healthcare is Ripe for Lean”

EDGE Process Consulting Launches New Platform for Progress

epc-launch

NEW PLATFORM FOR PROGRESS: Healthcare Organizations Gain New Productivity Partner.

Project management and process improvement firm launched to partner with healthcare organizations throughout the U.S.

epc-launchDenver, CO. – April 30, 2010: The platform for progress has come to those in the Healthcare IT industry. Now more than ever, the efficiency of healthcare is under scrutiny at a national level. You now have a partner that can help you exceed your goals and improve operation efficiencies. Denver-based EDGE Process Consulting, LLC officially opened its doors on April 22, 2010, under the executive leadership of President and Managing Director, David Ridley.

EDGE Process Consulting is a leading provider of IT project management, process improvement consulting and training services. They manage cross functional improvement efforts and IT projects utilizing methods based in Lean and Six Sigma DMAIC and DFSS processes. As well as proven Project Management skills and techniques. EDGE Process Consulting helps your organization demystify process improvements using quality tools in ways that make them easily applicable, easy to use and understand.

The Edge Process© to project selection and process improvement has been uniquely designed to eliminate unnecessary initiatives and reduce expenditures, making you end results exponentially more effective. Clients claim that this new metric driven approach towards process improvement generated great results for their team. “We were able to significantly reduce late charges in a sustainable way and consistently improve our manual payment posting accuracy. These were not just quick fixes, but sustainable results” said Kay Davis, a client.

EDGE Process Consulting leverages twenty years of project and process management practice in the healthcare industry. Mr. Ridley has vast experience with Lean process improvement methods in human-based and IT processes in software and health care. He is also Six Sigma Black Belt certified and holds a MBA from Regis University. EDGE Process’ strong knowledge of the health care revenue cycle, in tandem with past experience in logistics, operations and distribution makes them a cutting edge industry leader and your partner to help improve productivity.

Client Access

Discussion . Resource . Communication . Collaboration

We gladly work with you individually or your team to make the best use of both our network, resources, and specific areas of expertise. The exact mix depends on the nature and scope of your project. Throughout our relationship, our clients and registered users gain the benefit of continual support and communication, as we provide multiple points of contact and collaboration.

Gain access. Log in, register or click here to inquire about exclusive client access.

 

 

 

Current Hospital and Medical Practice Clients:

  • University of Missouri Hospital   Columbia, Missouri
  • University of Colorado Hospital   Denver, Colorado
  • The Children’s Hospital   Denver, Colorado
  • Boston Medical Center   Boston, Massachusetts

Current Project Management Subcontracting Clients:

  • FTI Consulting   Danvers, Massachusetts
  • Marathon Health, Inc.   Winooski, Vermont
  • AsquaredM Healthcare Consultants   Columbia, Missouri
  • KeyBank Healthcare Segment   Denver, Colorado

Current and Former Education Clients:

  • FTI Consulting   Danvers, Massachusetts
  • University of Colorado Hospital   Denver, Colorado
  • Denver Health   Denver, Colorado
  • Continuum Health Alliance  Vorhees, NJ
  • Marathon Health, Inc.  Winooski, Vermont

Lean Six Sigma Clients:

  • Marathon Health, Inc.   Winooski, Vermont
  • University of Missouri Hospital   Columbia, Missouri
  • University of Colorado Hospital   Denver, Colorado

Planning Assessment Implementation Coaching

Edge_Services

Edge_Services

Developing Team Solutions That Work, Save Time, and Money.

The Edge Process© to project selection and process improvement has been uniquely designed to eliminate unnecessary initiatives and reduce expenditures, making your end results exponentially more effective. We align ourselves with your objectives, employing a metrics driven, top-down/bottom-up methodology to process optimization. By following a hands-on training approach we maintain an executive level vantage point.

 

Additionally, we provide multiple lines of support, communication, and secure, unfettered access to our clients, exchanging documentation, enabling collaboration, and promoting overall efficiency.

Learn more about what we offer and how we can help you achieve your goals:

IT Project Management

 

Lean Six Sigma

 

Interim IT Management

 

Operational Assessment

 

Operational Assessment

Assessments of your organization’s operating mechanisms, project execution rigor, sophistication of operational metrics and readiness to deploy Lean Six Sigma process improvement techniques and methods; identifying both your organization’s technical and soft-skills capability, assisting with project identification and prioritization against your organizational goals and objectives.

Interim IT Management

Interim_IT_Management

Healthy growth requires flexibility and strength. The EDGE Process© to Interim IT Management services puts the power of progress in your hands.

Interim_IT_Management

Edge can help your organization in a time of need. We will fill your IT management gaps and provide seamless transition to your new leadership model. Leveraging our extensive project, people and change management skills to provide interim IT management services to help you with:

Budget and Staff Management
Portfolio Management
Goal Development and Monitoring

Built on a foundation of more than eighteen years of project, people and operations management in a software and IT setting, the EDGE Process© to interim IT management allows your senior leadership to fill unplanned gaps in IT management roles while conducting a replacement search. Our IT Management services are designed to fill 3-6 month gaps in IT management.

The offering can be tailored to your needs and can include:

  • Project and Production Oversight

  • Vendor Management

  • Project Planning

  • Budget Management

  • Staff Management

  • Replacement Search Assistance

Lean Six Sigma Process Improvement

Lean_6_Sigma

Process Improvement you can count on…Guaranteed! Guiding you as you maximize operations, capitalizing on more opportunities than ever before.

Lean_6_Sigma

Using the EDGE Process© to Lean Six Sigma, we help you identify, map and prioritize improvement opportunities. We assist you in developing balanced scorecards and key process measures. We train your leaders and team on Lean Six Sigma improvement methods through a rigorous execution process aimed at achieving sustainable results.

What is Lean?

Lean is a process improvement methodology focused on reducing and eliminating waste and bureaucracy in processes. It is best used when there is a known process that requires streamlining and simplification.

What is Six Sigma?

Six Sigma is a statistically based process improvement methodology focused on reducing variability in processes to optimize outcomes. Six Sigma is best used when the problems in your processes are not well understood and data is required to pinpoint where the problems exist.

What is the EDGE Process© to Lean Six Sigma?

The EDGE Process© to Lean Six Sigma process improvement employs simple tools like process mapping, value stream analysis, time studies, and brainstorming. Your team is employed in finding the right solutions and making change stick.

The EDGE Process© involves your leaders in determining which projects align with your organizational goals.

We help you

Form effective cross-functional teams

Analyze current process capability

Derive the right solutions and

Monitor changes through effective control plans