Passport Health Communications wins revenue cycle solution contract with SSM Health Care

Passport Health Communications Inc. has announced a contract to deliver revenue cycle software and services to 15 hospitals owned and operated by St. Louis-based SSM Health Care. SSM will use Passport's integrated Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions to improve the speed, accuracy and efficiency of financial operations within each facility and achieve Payment Certainty for Every Patient^™.

“Every hospital, every health care organization is unique. Our relationship with SSM is an example of how Passport is more than a software vendor. We listen to our clients, recognize their challenges and lock arms to develop real solutions to help them serve their communities”

As part of the partnership, SSM will upgrade software and processes for verifying patients' insurance coverage and demographics prior to service. SSM will also implement two financial screening solutions from Passport to help reduce overall uncompensated care and manage the charity care it provides. Payment Navigator produces a fair and accurate determination of an uninsured patient's Medicaid and charity eligibility by performing an in-depth financial analysis and recommending the best payment avenue - Medicaid, charity care, upfront collection or payment financing. Assessment, application and reporting activities associated with Medicaid and hospital charity care enrollment will be automated and simplified using Passport's CharityGuide.

"SSM is a faith-based organization with a mission of providing exceptional care for the people in our communities, regardless of their ability to pay. This solution assists us in appropriately distinguishing patients who have the ability to pay from those who don't so that we can continue to serve our communities into the future," said Jon Kimerle, Vice-President - Clinical Transformation, SSM Integrated Health Technologies. "We considered several potential vendors to help us improve in these areas. Passport understands our mission and is committed to working with us as a true strategic partner."

SSM Health Care is sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of Mary and operates nearly 4,000 licensed beds in Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri and Oklahoma. The organization treats 2 million patients annually and employs more than 22,000 people. The system has received numerous awards for its commitment to exceptional care, including the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

"Every hospital, every health care organization is unique. Our relationship with SSM is an example of how Passport is more than a software vendor. We listen to our clients, recognize their challenges and lock arms to develop real solutions to help them serve their communities," said Passport Chief Executive Officer Scott MacKenzie.

Passport will demonstrate these and other eCare^® solutions at booth #1913 at the 2011 HFMA ANI Healthcare Finance Conference in Orlando, Fla.