Valley Health System said it recently achieved recognition as an adopter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association’s Patient Financial Communications Best Practices.
As a Best Practices adopter, Valley demonstrated that it follows nearly 100 best practices covering all aspects of financial interactions that take place in a variety of care settings.
“In a time when patients are paying more out-of-pocket for their health care, the financial conversations we have with patients have never been more important,” Bill Klutkowski, senior vice president of finance and chief financial officer for Valley Health System, said. “At Valley, our team has taken the necessary steps to ensure that each patient is treated with compassion and respect in regard to all financial matters.”
“Talking about money and one’s health are two of the most uncomfortable conversations for most of us,” HFMA Senior Vice President Richard Gundling said, in learning of the award. “Valley Health System has demonstrated its commitment to ensuring that patients have a good experience when it comes to the financial aspects of their care during particularly stressful periods in their lives.”
“This recognition is a testament to the compassion, advocacy and education provided by Valley’s Patient Financial Services and Patient Access teams. We appreciate all that they do to care for our patients, each day,” Josette Portalatin, assistant vice president of the revenue cycle and financial administration for Valley Health System, said.
Valley joins a select group of hospitals, health systems and physician practices that have received this first-of-its-kind, national recognition. A blue-ribbon task force developed these best practices to help improve communication between health care providers and consumers about financial matters. The task force included representatives from major industry groups, including the American Hospital Association, America’s Health Insurance Plans, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the National Patient Advocate Foundation, among others.
