Exploring new frontiers
Enhancing healthcare finances and access
Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) faces many challenges as it pursues its mission: “Alaska Native People working in partnership to provide the best healthcare for our communities.” Xtend is grateful for our nearly decade-long partnership with SEARHC.
Situation
SEARHC is one of the nation's oldest and largest Tribal Health Organizations (THOs). The nonprofit consortium runs dozens of facilities across 25+ communities, including many where it is the sole healthcare provider.
Xtend's relationship with SEARHC began in 2013, when we were brought in to help implement a new patient accounting system and to provide interim leadership and supplemental revenue cycle assistance. In 2017, we won a competitive procurement for Day 1 billing and follow-up work. Our customer selected us because of our track record of success and a high-value pricing structure.
Challenges
Historically, SEARHC had faced significant challenges.
- Patient access: Terrain, climate, and other geographic issues hindered patient access.
- Staffing: Location and workforce limitations complicated efforts to attract and retain skilled staff.
- Liquidity: Recovery and reimbursement rates were below SEARHC's target levels.
- Reimbursement: Complex payer arrangements presented unique challenges.
Actions
Over the years, we have taken many steps to help SEARHC solve their challenges, including:
- Increasing productivity and automation with our proprietary PRISM workflow management platform while leveraging powerful technology including robotic process automation (RPA) and artificial intelligence (AI)
- Tracking data to reduce denials and improve appeal results
- Enhancing staffing and career paths by rebadging staff and hiring remote workers
Results
We are proud of the results of our partnership with SEARHC.
- Insurance receivable liquidity has risen to 167% of where it started (39% to 65%).
- Self-pay inventory liquidity has improved by more than 700% (<5% to 36%).
- The share of receivables aged 90+ days has decreased by 37% (41% to 26%).
- There have been significant improvements to DNFC rates, A/R days, and cost to collect.
- SEARHC’s improved financials enabled them to make acquisitions and plan and build new campuses in Juneau and Sitka, recruit more clinical and office staff, and expand service into additional communities.
- Together, we enhanced community relations through patient-friendly communication.
Thanks to our record of success, SEARHC has greatly expanded our partnership since it began in 2013.
New projects/responsibilities added by year:
2013-2018
- New patient accounting system implementation
- Interim leadership
- Supplemental revenue cycle support
- Day 1 insurance billing project
- Self-pay accounts receivable (A/R) recovery
- Chargemaster review
- Cash posting
2021-2022
- Day 1 dental billing services
- Release of information services
- Outpatient rehabilitation project
- Pharmacy billing follow-up
2023
- Provider education, training, and auditing
- Underpayment reviews
- Scanning backlog of paper patient records
- Revenue cycle outsourcing (RCO) for behavioral health A/R
- HIM RCO, with transition of SEARHC staff to Xtend
- Full coding for all service types
- Denali joint venture
SEARHC’s new Vintage Park campus in the Mendenhall Valley area of Juneau
Bringing this success to more organizations nationwide
There are hundreds of THOs across the United States. In 2023, SEARHC and Xtend formed a joint venture entity — Denali Healthcare Solutions, LLC — focused on providing services to THOs and other providers looking to make financial and revenue cycle improvements.
“We want to help other organizations experience the same success and transformation we have achieved,” said Dan Harris, Chief Financial Officer, SEARHC. “We selected Xtend as our partner because of our longstanding and successful history with them.”
“We are excited to expand our partnership with SEARHC and offer a broad set of critical services to healthcare organizations, especially Tribal Health Organizations,” said Mike Morris, Chief Executive Officer of Xtend.
Ready to explore new revenue cycle frontiers?
Contact us today.
(800) 770-3371