A project being conducted by Flint Hills Community Health Center is opening up about 30 appointments per day and allowing for less wait time for patients, board members learned during the monthly FHCHC board of directors meeting Tuesday afternoon.
Project Rev-Up, a project the health center is participating in to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the patient visit and improved revenue, continues to evolve at FHCHC. Jody Wilkins of the Primary Care Clinic said by the beginning of next week, all five doctors will be on 20-minute appointments times.
“By all of us going to 20-minute appointments, we are opening up 30 appointments a day,” Wilkins said. “People are getting in a lot sooner. It’s been a big increase in the amount of appointments available.”
Lougene Marsh, FHCHC executive director, said that another goal is to eventually have every patient in the health center in some kind of registry, so that patient information can be tracked better.
“Electronic health records will get us there a lot faster,” Marsh said.
Board members voted to adopt a dental lab policy.
Dr. Christa Walker of the dental clinic presented board members with the new policy which states that “patients must first pay a minimum down payment for the lab charges. Patients who have insurance must pay the cost of lab work except for space maintainers. The patient’s remaining portion will be due when lab work is completed or the patient can make a payment contract for the remainder.”
Also, “appointments for crowns, bridges, partials and dentures will not be made until the patient’s up-front portion has been paid, then the patient will be scheduled within the next three to four weeks to start work on the lab procedure.”