This week I have been attending the 38^th Annual NAHAM Educational Conference and Exposition in San Diego, California.

The theme of the conference this year was Patient Access: The Helm of the Revenue Cycle; with over 600 attending delegates and 55 exhibiting companies the conference maintained its reputation for excellence in the quality of the workshops, presentations and industry sponsored symposia.

I am always impressed by the dedication and enthusiasm of the front-line patient access staff that make such a difference to the patient experience and the initiation of the critical revenue cycle.

In the last 5 years I have witnessed the changes which have been brought about by healthcare reform and re-focus on patient satisfaction and positive outcomes, in his opening address Ian Morrison gave an eloquent commentary on the changes yet to come and how the “old” economy has been supplanted by the “new” order and how this will impact the provision of care in the future. Coming from a country which has superb “universal” healthcare I am always amazed at the way in which the 50 million or so Americans who do not have health insurance are provided with healthcare and the passions expressed at the range of solutions to this enduring problem.

Mr Morrison concluded his presentation by highlighting the importance of patient access staff and how they positively impact re-imbursements, streamline patient encounters, manage the initiation of the revenue cycle and reduce re-admissions.

As always I have enjoyed meeting with my many friends who attend the Annual Conference and wish you all a successful year and look forward to seeing you again next year!