Revenue Cycle Operations
Revenue Cycle Operations
UTMB Health Revenue Cycle Operations creates a culture of excellence built by providing outstanding service. We do this through accurate verification of patient eligibility and timely billing of services. Our objective is to secure optimal reimbursement while maintaining excellent customer service. As a world-class revenue cycle organization, we will continue to be proactive and innovative through the integration of our diverse departments. Unified, yet independent, our teams collectively maintain the momentum which moves the mission of the UTMB system.
Our Mission
To optimize revenue and reimbursement through strategically driven initiatives contributing to the organization’s financial health and patient satisfaction.
Our Promise
Based on our extensive experience, we will cultivate a culture of trust, perpetuate patient care, analyze revenue, encourage efficiency, identify performance trends, communicate objectives with clarity and develop customized solutions across the entire revenue cycle.
This site addresses a number of common financial and billing questions under the billing team’s department home page. If you do not find the information you need, please contact one of our Customer Service Account Specialists at (409) 771-8811 or (800) 994-0363.
Revenue Cycle Operations Departments
Patient Access Team
Commitment
The Revenue Cycle Patient Access team has the most contact with the patient out of any of the RCO departments, as they are most involved with the pre-care patient treatment. Patient Access is responsible for patient registration, surgery planning and eligibility. Spread over two locations and with a staff of over 75 employees, this team, with the guidance of Director Gretchen Hall, successfully establishes a positive point of contact for the patient to receive care and begin the revenue cycle process. This team also engages the patient in financial counseling in order to maximize not only their quality of care, but their quality of life after medical treatment has been received.
Contact
Director Gretchen L. Hall
Phone: (409) 772-1579
E-mail: ghall@UTMB.EDU
Coding Team
Commitment
The Revenue Cycle Coding team of over 80 individuals supports UTMB clinics in encounter documentation and data interpretation. Through our innovative information systems and our diligent coding specialists, with the guidance of their Director Melody Dowler, we are able to ensure quality assurance in the capture of all healthcare encounters throughout the fiscal year. Our coders operate both in house at Shearn Moody Plaza and remotely. During training periods, our coding team will also visit campus and clinics to assist in clinical documentation training.
Contact
Director Melody Dowler
Phone: (409) 266-8929
E-mail: mrrogers@UTMB.EDU
Billing Team
Commitment
The Revenue Cycle Billing team is responsible for timely billing and processing of denials for all of our hospital and professional claims, as well as the fiscal mitigation of our special contract relationships, the financial management of our UTMB research accounts and provider enrollment to all payors. Our Billing team, understands the time sensitive nature of processing reimbursement for the UTMB enterprise and executes their contribution to RCO with prompt diligence; however, they do not lose sight of customer service or patient sensitivity. Our billing department works as much for our patients as our providers do, and assists with all payment options and queries, redirecting potential candidates for financial assistance to our esteemed customer service specialists or eligibility team in order to ensure quality care without compromising quality of life.
Professional Billing Contact
Director Kara Campbell
Phone: (409) 772-0861
E-mail: kgcampbe@UTMB.EDU
Denials Team
Commitment
The Revenue Cycle Denials Management team is responsible correcting denials of reimbursement for medical care in order to optimize revenue. After the patient has received care the claim for care will be sent out to a payor to receive payment. Sometimes, the payor finds that documented claim insufficient. It is the Denials team's responsibility to mitigate the denial and attempt to root cause correct the error in order to prevent any unnecessary loss of reimbursement to our facility or faculty.
Denials Management Contact
Director Kara Campbell
Phone: (409) 772-0861
E-mail: kgcampbe@UTMB.EDU
Patient Accounts Team
Commitment
The Patient Accounts team is the last stop in healthcare billing, as they are responsible for finalizing patient payments and patient posting. This team is also the most post-care patient facing area of our team and take their role as customer service champions very seriously. Each interaction with a patient is an opportunity to positively influence our patient's opinion of not only RCO, but of all of UTMB.
Contact
Director Patricia Ojeda
Phone:(409) 772-0865
E-mail: pojeda@UTMB.EDU
Project Management Office
Commitment
The Project Management Office (PMO) identifies opportunities for efficiency discovered in our operations and develops lean process solutions. As our billing systems become more sophisticated and notation becomes more specific and critical to claim success, our technological solutions increase in demand. In order to guide these process driven initiaitives, we have asked our PMO to guide our projects to success.
Contact
Director Ejay Birkmeyer
Phone:(409) 747-1178
E-mail: ejbirkme@UTMB.EDU
Strategy Team
Commitment
The Strategy team drives innovative tactics to improve process flow and gain efficiencies to simplify and hone RCO operations. In response to the growing complexity of the healthcare revenue cycle, this versatile team maintains the stability and effectiveness of internal operations and encourages external relationships with our vendors, stakeholders, community and clients. Our areas of responsibility include strategic planning, executive and operational support, budget management, employee excellence and strengthening relationships with our customers.
Contact
Director: Michelle Cantrell
Phone:(409) 772-7791
E-mail: mdcantre@UTMB.EDU
As we further develop greater cohesion between our diverse departments, our teams are inundated with increased innovation, progressive process enhancement and creativity in effective communication across all specializations in this department. It is with diligence in our daily accomplishments and compassion for our patients that Revenue Cycle excels in its efforts to encourage the function and vitality of UTMB.
The Road Ahead for Revenue Cycle:
Our Project Management team is congruously in perpetual development and training mode, building a smarter way to work better. Our Strategy team is guiding our mission through to fruition, as they work to encourage daily decision making in closer alignment with future focus. Our Patient Access and Patient Account teams execute our day to day action plans through the full arc of patient care, as they motivate quality and sustain success across the organization. Our Coding team persists in precision as they assure accountability through accurately captured healthcare encounters. Our Denials Management team is our champion of maintaining efficiency while our Billing team strives toward enabling excellence in reimbursement efforts. All teams work in tandem and tenacity with our Administration, driving greatnessat the forefront of our united efforts.
We understand at RCO that excellence is an achievement to be maintained, while greatness must be ever strived after. This department is the embodiment of the guiding principle of UTMB: Working together to work wonders.