A Manhattan-based radiology clinic is touting a 40 percent cut in accounts receivable days as a result of going paperless.
Lenox Hill Radiology, which opened in 1988, is also celebrating business growth of more than 200 percent without adding office staff, thanks to the implementation of software programs and services from MedInformatix and ZirMed.
"Back in 2003 we realized the potential of going paperless," said Lenox Hill's COO, Donovan Spamer. "There's no doubt that a computerized practice management system is greener, more cost-effective and more efficient."
Along with installing a Philips 3.0T MRTI system - which allowed the practice to be the first accredited for PET scans by the American College of Radiology - Lenox Hill in 2003 implemented a radiology information system (RIS) from Los Angeles-based MedInformatix. Four years later, the company sought out ZirMed, headquartered in Louisville, Ky., to install a Web-based revenue cycle management system.
Once installed at Lenox Hill, the MedInformatix RIS system allowed office staff to track patient records as well as staff workflows. Adding ZirMed's RCM software allowed staff to coordinate each stage of the payment process, from eligibility to remittance and including credit card processing.
"The MedInformatix/ZirMed integration lets us quickly verify insurance eligibility," Spamer said. "The fast turnaround of denials is a major plus. The combination of ZirMed and MedInformatix also lets us start transactions right from the point of scheduling, even before the patient comes to the office."
"Our average check-in time has gone from six minutes to just one," he added.
Spamer said the clinic plans to expand its paperless system to other locations.