4Blocks: Back Office (General Services Team)

4Blocks

The GST acronym is CSF2. There are a lot of tasks, duties, and situations to handle every day on the General Services Team, but you know you’re doing your part to help patients and the whole team when you can:

• C — Communicate clearly, effectively, and pleasantly with patients and the team about information you need, gather, process, and transmit between parties
• S — Self-start, self-pace, and self-motivate in your specialized backstage tasks
• F — Perfect your understanding and execution of dealing with accounts, payment, collections, complaints and other financial matters, and learn how to translate that understanding into clear, non-threatening language when dealing with patients and the clinical team
• F2 — Connect on a human level to have extraordinarily constructive interactions with patients about delicate financial matters, and keep warm and open communication going with the clinical team

C — Communication

Your understanding of the processes involved in doing business are a component of communication. Your ability to transmit the status of those processes, share what you gather and process, and explain necessary next steps is another. Your ability to understand and explain what is known, what is needed, and what is complete in the business processes you facilitate is crucial to good patient care and customer service, and to the successful operation of the practice as a business.

To help you master your role, you will be given Effective Actions to focus on. Some 4Block tasks centered around C=Communication that you will master on the GST:

• Discuss patient accounts with Doctors
• Set up payment plans with patients
• Interaction with the credit bureau
• Interaction with insurance companies
• Keeping clinical staff up-to-date

Sample EAs:

• Every time you set up a payment plan for an overdue account that requires an initial payment, swipe.
• Every time you explain that the doctors are paying the copay, swipe.

S — Self-Starting

The nature of your work in tracking down payments, making arrangements, and dealing with money is different than the nature of the work the clinical team does, so you’re often off on your own. For this reason, it’s imperative that you’re able to properly triage tasks, find and use efficiencies to make the most of your time, and cope with having a limited number of people to escalate issues to. Your ability to self-start, self-pace, and self-motivate is one of the key ways you succeed in your role and bring value to patients and the whole team.

Some 4Block tasks centered around S=Self-Starting that you will master on the GST:

• Triage and task scheduling
• Creating, documenting, and using efficient workflows
• Initializing Treatment/Payment plans
• Assisting others when done with your responsibilities

Sample EAs:

• Any time you initiate an appropriately documented write-off on the spot with a patient, swipe.
• Whenever you complete an 80/20 analysis on daily or weekly tasks, swipe.
• Whenever you complete the top-priority task for your day, swipe.

F — Financial

Your understanding, execution, and facilitation of the financial processes in your purview support the patients, the team, and the entire practice as a business by translating successful patient care into payment. You help patients and the clinical staff understand where they are in those processes in plain, clear, effective, non-threatening language.

Some 4Block tasks centered around F=Financial that you will master on the GST:

• Sending statements/letters/calling patients regarding accounts
• Discussing patient accounts with Doctors and Front Desk team
• Posting payment by phone, mail, and direct deposit
• Discussing HealthSmart with patients in need of funds
• Sending claim forms out for resubmission

Sample EAs:

• Every time a patient interface results in payment, swipe.
• Any time you discuss the option to use HealthSmart, swipe.
• Any time you receive payment on a resubmission, swipe.
• Any time you successfully complete a patient account following a conversation with a doctor, swipe.
• Any time you collect on an over-90 account, swipe.
• Any time you collect on an account over $1000, swipe.

F2 — Face-to-Face

Everyone in the practice needs to practice good Face-to-Face. If we connect on a human level to establish trust and open communication, we can give exceptional care to patients and support each other as a team. Working on the GST is no exception. Complaints, collections calls, and conversations about money are especially sensitive, and require understanding and finesse to get on the same side as the patient and ensure they leave these interactions happy.

Some 4Block tasks centered around F2=Face-to-Face that you will master on the GST:

• Calling patients to discuss outstanding accounts
• Interacting with teammates
• Keeping in touch with the clinical team
• Explaining the insurance process to patients

Sample EAs:

• Anytime you make a positive comment to a patient about a treating doctor or hygienist, swipe.
• Anytime you have a positive interaction with the clinical staff, swipe.
• Any time you have a great call with an insurance company representative, swipe.

The GST in Summary

Working in the back office, making collections, and handling complaints, these behind-the-scenes players set the stage and stabilize the functioning of the practice. The functions the GST perform are critical to the practice, but they can be overlooked because of the backstage nature of their jobs.

• Communication — Usually physically separate from the rest of the team, GST members must make communication with the whole team a priority to avoid being siloed and ensure they receive the recognition they deserve.
• Self-starting — This role demands self-starting as a strength, coming not just from each person internally but from the support they are given.
• Financial — Understanding and executing financially — and helping patients navigate financial conversations — are key.
• Face-to-Face — Un-silo yourself. Greet the clinical team in the hall and build the rapport necessary to support each other most effectively.

In short, a top-performing General Services Team member is great at communication, self-starting, and able to work on their own. They understand the value of their role with the finances of the entire practice and execute well in this area. They practice good Face-to-Face with patients on the phone and in person, as well as with the rest of the team. Keeping communication flowing with the whole team reinforces the value they bring to everyone in ensuring that the practice is run like a business.