Geisinger Western Region Honors Patient Access Representatives
“Patient Access staff are often the first person a patient interacts with when they arrive. While we are not clinical, we help our patients by clearly communicating their insurance benefits and assuring that their personal information is accurate. It is not uncommon to see Patient Access staff grabbing extra blankets for patients, getting a cup of coffee for a family member, or giving a child a coloring book during their visit. Access staff consistently go above and beyond to make our patients feel as comfortable as possible," said Jessica Nail, director, patient access, Geisinger Western Region.
At Geisinger Western Region, the goal of the patient access department is to accurately gather patient demographics, insurance information and verification, and copay collections while registering patients for their current or upcoming visits. If these are not done correctly, it could result in payment denials which lead to bills being sent to patients in error. This is done while treating the patient and their families with the utmost respect and compassion whether they are on the phone or face to face.
Last year Geisinger Lewistown Hospital admitted 4,779 patients and handled 178,963 outpatient visits.
About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the nonprofit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 126 care sites — including 10 hospital campuses — and Geisinger Health Plan, with more than half a million members in commercial and government plans. Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,700 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $15 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.
