PrimeCare - General Information

06-06-18

 

The following should help in orientation to our industry, our language, our policies, our procedures, and our expectations.

 

Non-Emergency Medical Transport (NEMT):

Professional transport for "non-emergency" situations, where rider is medically stable, but still in need of additional transportation assistance. Services are typically wheelchair or stretcher (bed-bound) individuals who require transport to and from doctor appointments, dialysis, rehab, or relocating to a new residence or facility. We also provide “leisure” trips which include weddings, funerals, graduations, movies, events, etc.

 

The Medical Transport business is an aspect of the Healthcare market, which means everyone knows everyone. Business is handed out by Administrators, Social Workers, Coordinators, and Nurses, based on word of mouth and performance. Good impressions are crucial and failures in service spreads quickly. And with high turnover in Healthcare, we must always be putting our best foot forward.

 

Trips:

Generic for Transports. “Trips” for us are always one-way transports involving a pick-up and a drop-off. Round Trips (RT) are two one-way trips coupled together in our system, but because of the way we cover the area, the same Driver may not return the same patient. This allows us to be both efficient and timely in our service.

 

To accurately “book a trip” (or “schedule a trip”), several pieces of accurate and timely data need to be captured, including; Patient Name, Date of Birth, Appointment Date, Appointment Time, Pick-Up Time (if needed), Who Called Trip In, Private Pay or Facility Bill, Pick-Up Location/Details, Drop Off Location/Details, Type of Service, Equipment Needed, Authorization Numbers/Codes, Other Details such as steps, patient weight, any escorts, etc.

 

How do Trips come in?

Most come from phone calls, emails, faxes and imports from Broker portals. And most come from people who have seen or experienced our service. We are always being watched and we are always marketing ourselves.

 

Our Main Number: (901) 808-0004

To make it easy for people to remember, we have a single number for trips, cancels, questions, etc. This means it is important to answer promptly and professionally, get to reason for call, satisfy caller, and clear the line. The main number drops down our “phone tree”, meaning it is forwarded to our cell phones, from CSR, to Dispatcher to Office Manager, etc.

 

Staff Roles:

[ see OFFICE STAFF - Roles and Responsibilities sheet ]

 

Why is the accuracy of Data so important?

The data captured and input for the Trips is the first and most critical element of proper execution of service. Typically you only get one call, one chance to get the data. We need good, clear, detailed and accurate information to properly execute each trip. From a Customer Service point of view, the Patient Name, Pick-Up/Drop-Off, and Other Details are crucial. From a Dispatch point of view, Appointment Time, Date, Location, Details, Equipment Needed and most of Type of Service is crucial. From an Invoicing point of view, Patient Name, DOB, Appt date, Locations, Facilities, Authorizations, Type of Service are all crucial.

 

Type of Service:

- AMB (Ambulatory, can walk, but may have walker, cane)

- WC (Wheelchair, can be theirs, ours, facility, electric or traditional)

- STR (Stretcher or Invalid Stretcher, bed bound patients or behavioral patients)

 

Example: [ We have a STR trip as a Bring WC trip ]

So, we show up with wrong equipment and wrong team and can’t take the trip. Now family is upset, facility/social worker who booked trip looks bad, patient will be late or have to reschedule so Physician office suffers. Not only do we look incompetent, but we now have to divert needed resources trying to correct this mistake (leave scene and get proper equipment or send over other vans/drivers), then we have to talk with family and facility and try to minimize the damage to our reputation (future trips). So we now have 4 people and 3 vans involved in a routine trip because details were entered wrong, it’s a HUGE deal.
 

Shifts and Coverage:

Day Shift (between 6am to 6pm)

2nd Shift - noon to 8 pm

3rd Shift (nights) - 8 pm to 6 am

Weekend Days (Sat and Sun) - 6 am to 8 pm

 

Phone Coverage and Dispatch Coverage will be in Schedule, but generally phone is CSR, then Dispatcher, then Office Manager from 5:30 am - 8:00 pm, after those hours 3rd Shift Driver or Lead Weekend Day Driver is first in line.

 

Schedule:

This is list of trips and trip details to help us execute efficiently. Details typically include Driver Assigned, Pick Up Time and/or Appointment Time, Distance, Pick-Up Location and Details, Drop-Off Location and Details, and any Notes about the trip. This Schedule is arranged and emailed the night before and provides a starting point for the next day’s trips. With various return times, add-ons and discharges, our Schedule is fluid and changes throughout the day. These changes need to be documented and reflected in our Schedule software to be accurate for Invoicing.

 

Route Management/Dispatch:

This is where human beings, with assistance of various pieces of software, monitor, direct and alter the Drivers and Trips throughout the day. This is a dynamic process as Return Trips are coming in and Add-On Trips are being called in, each altering the original plan of the day. This requires active monitoring and understanding of local facilities, routes, Drivers, hours, preferences, etc. We do not just randomly assign trips, nor do we send Drivers across town for no reason.

 

Why is Route Management/Dispatch so important?

Dispatch is a key and crucial component of any transportation service provider. Poor Dispatch ends up with late or missed appointments, long waits for return trips, and wasted time/gas/maintenance on vehicles with inefficient directives. A good Dispatcher knows what is most likely going to happen over the next 2-3 hours and can put resources in place beforehand.

 

Medi-Routes (our Dispatch Platform)

This is the Dispatch platform we work from, includes mobile app.

 

Long Distance

These were trips more than 30 miles from our base of operations, thus requiring more time, resources and planning to execute.

 

Hangouts

Google’s instant messaging platform, used for more immediate communications between Drivers, CSRs, Owner, Dispatch, and Staff

 

Pay Sources:

Private Pay - individuals paying out of pocket at time of service (we take cash, check or credit card)

Facility Pay or Facility Bill - where PrimeCare has contracts in place and send Facility an itemized bill bi-monthly or monthly for services rendered that cycle.

Brokers - these large organizations work with insurance companies to find resources to help provide services, in our case, transportation. These are typically invoiced through their portals after trips are completed.

 

Cancel On Scene (C.O.S.)

A trip in which we show up at or before the appointment time and the trip is cancelled for whatever reason - patient sick, patient transferred to hospital, miscommunication, family didn’t make it, etc.