Monthly Archives

May 2020

May 10
0
physical therapy management

Immediate therapy management services tips your hospital should implement during COVID-19

By | Blog, COVID-19

The COVID-19 outbreak is changing the way the health care system functions, specifically the management of nonemergency, essential hospital services such as physical, speech and occupational therapy. Patients who require physical, speech and occupational therapy are often recovering from surgery or an underlying medical condition that caused a stroke or other trauma, putting them in a higher at-risk category for COVID-19 complications. Therefore, additional precautions must be in place to ensure that rehabilitation patients receive the treatment they need without risk of exposure to the novel coronavirus. 

According to the American Physical Therapy Association, there are specific guidelines recommended for physical, speech and occupational therapy services within an acute hospital setting, such as:

  • Hospitals should consider testing all physical, speech and occupational therapy patients for COVID-19 and separating them accordingly to reduce the risk of contamination from shared surfaces and airborne droplets.
  • Physical therapists working within the ICU should be specifically trained on how to handle the COVID-19 outbreak and appropriate protocol for reducing infection of themselves and their patients. 
  • Staff who are pregnant should avoid exposure to COVID-19. This includes regular testing of staff and patients and appropriate separation of the infected.
  • Avoid unnecessary review of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 unless clinically required due to significant functional decline.
  • All aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) should be performed in a negative-pressure room or in an isolated environment with the staff wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). 
  • When AGPs are required for a patient who has tested positive for COVID-19, the therapist must wear an N95/P2 mask, fluid-resistant long-sleeve gown, goggles or face shield, and gloves. It is recommended that hair and shoes are also covered to reduce permeation from airborne droplets.
  • All physical therapists should wear a high-filtration mask when in contact with a patient, whether or not the patient has tested positive for COVID-19. 
  • All staff should be trained in the correct way to wear and remove PPE, specifically face masks.

At Alliance Physical Therapy Partners, we have more than 50 years of experience working with hospitals to provide outsourced therapy services. We are here to help you create a safe and functional environment for your patients and staff during this COVID-19 outbreak. If you need assistance during this time, please contact our team today.

May 09
0
what is an outsourced therapist

What is an outsourced therapy partner?

By | Blog, Outsourced Post-Op Rehab

An outsourced therapy partner is someone who is outsourced by a company to provide rehabilitation services to the company’s patients. Many hospitals choose to operate their rehabilitation department by partnering with a team of outsourced therapy providers in order to provide treatment to patients while still keeping their overhead costs low. 

Specifically, smaller hospitals that do not have the financial or administrative bandwidth to hire several therapists opt for an outsourced solution that provides services to their current patients and establishes a new stream of revenue as the rehabilitation team also drives new patients to the hospital for treatment.

What are the benefits of choosing an outsourced therapy partner?

Physical, speech and occupational therapy is the key to moving your patients from treatment to healing, and it is a major determining factor for overall patient satisfaction. Hospitals that want to succeed must offer rehabilitation services to their patients. However, the overhead costs of hiring plus the administrative costs of scheduling and coordinating services with other medical staff and patients create a significant expense that most smaller hospitals cannot manage. 

Contact physical, speech and occupational therapy services allow hospitals to take advantage of the following benefits:

  • A greater comprehensive patient experience proven to increase your patient satisfaction rating
  • Reduced overhead costs by outsourcing labor
  • Lower administrative costs by allowing the outsourced team to be managed externally
  • A strategic marketing plan designed to bring more patients to our partnered services
  • Dedicated compliance and regulation officers to keep your physical, speech and occupational therapy services operating efficiently
  • Turnkey solution to growing market share and improving performance

Additionally, a successful rehabilitation service will reduce the number of costly readmissions to your hospital, as well as increase revenue by providing a new marketable service. 

At Alliance Physical Therapy Partners, we have more than 50 years of experience working with hospitals to implement teams of outsourced therapy providers in order to reduce the burden of cost and labor that smaller hospitals are faced with. To learn more about how we can help you improve your overall patient satisfaction rating, reduce costly readmissions and potentially increase revenue, contact our team today.

May 08
0
how to reduce overtime in health care

How to reduce overtime for therapy service providers in hospitals

By | Blog, Contract Therapy

While physical, speech and occupational therapy in a hospital is key to improving overall patient satisfaction, not all hospitals have the bandwidth to manage a team. The recruitment alone would increase your overhead expenses, and the manpower needed to administer schedules and coordinate services with physicians and nurses is more than what most smaller hospitals can leverage. What typically happens in these situations is that the team is understaffed and overworked, and the patients suffer because of it. 

Physical, speech and occupational therapy is often the last point of contact that a patient has on their treatment journey. So, if your staff is overworked and exhausted, your patients are going to notice. A recent study predicted that a lost patient due to dissatisfaction equates to roughly $200,000 in lost revenue during the lifetime of the one patient. Therefore, it benefits not only your therapists but also the long-term success of your hospital to make sure that your staff is not forced into overtime on a consistent basis. 

A therapy management services solution

By properly managing your patient therapy services department, you can reduce the risk of costly readmissions that threaten the stability of a small-budget operation. With Alliance Physical Therapy Partners, we can work with your team to implement and manage an outsourced team that adheres to your budget guidelines. 

Our therapy management services solution provides the following services to meet your operational challenges:

  • Auditing the performance of your current services and assessing the demand for future rehabilitation services
  • Determining the best strategy for growth and development, as well as measuring and tracking outcomes
  • Implanting leaders specialized in hospital rehabilitation programs
  • Staying ahead of regulatory changes and innovations and providing education as needed
  • Maintaining constant and effective communication with other hospital staff

Our team has more than 50 years of experience working with hospitals to implement successful rehabilitation programs to help increase patient satisfaction. To learn more about how our services can help reduce recruitment issues and decrease overtime needed to cover patient care, contact us today.

May 07
0
physical therapy resources

Three therapy management resources your hospital needs to succeed

By | Blog, Occupational Therapy Management

Physical, speech and occupational therapy are the services that bridge the gap between treatment and healing, and they complete the comprehensive patient experience that renders high patient satisfaction ratings for hospitals. Rehabilitation is a necessity to long-term hospital success. Because of this, it’s important to make sure that your physical, speech and occupational therapy department is equipped with the resources needed to succeed. 

Take a look at these three resources your hospital can begin implementing in order to increase patient satisfaction and protect the longevity of your hospital. 

  1. Outsourced therapy services —For many hospitals that struggle with the financial and administrative bandwidth to add a physical, speech and occupational therapy ward, outsourced services are the answer. This outsourced service allows you to create a comprehensive patient experience and open a new marketing strategy to drive patients to your physical, speech and occupational therapy services. 
  1. Therapy services consultation —A therapy services consultation will allow you to work with an expert in hospital-based physical, speech and occupational therapy practices to measure the efficacy of your services. A consultant can help determine your needs from an administrative and budget perspective and then help you design a physical, speech and occupational therapy service that meets those needs, whether in-house or partnered with an outsourced service.
  1. Patient experience evaluation — Because physical, speech and occupational therapy is so closely tied to the overall patient experience, a consultant can help evaluate your current patient experience in order to improve your ratings. Not only can this therapy management resource help you analyze your patient wait times and scheduling issues, it is also an effective method of patient communication that empowers patients on their journey to wellness. 

At Alliance Physical Therapy Partners, we have more than 50 years of experience working with hospitals to design and implement optimal physical, speech and occupational therapy solutions. Our outsourced services have been shown to reduce overhead expenses and increase profitability for hospitals. To learn more about the physical therapy resources we can offer your hospital, contact our team today.

May 06
0
outsourced therapy companies

Finding the right outsourced therapy services company to partner with your hospital

By | Blog, Outsourced Post-Op Rehab

One of the biggest obstacles that smaller hospitals face when it comes to offering physical, speech and occupational therapy to their patients is overhead cost and administrative hours to manage this additional team. In truth, many hospitals opt to not provide this service, which has been shown to break the comprehensive patient journey and reduce overall patient satisfaction. 

Physical, speech and occupational therapy are the services that bridge the gap between treatment and healing. As a medical provider, you want to walk with your patients from start to finish — treatment to healing — to make sure they are back on their feet. When this walk is interrupted due to budget and manpower limitations, the patient experience suffers. 

This is why many hospitals are choosing therapy services companies to partner with in order to continue that patient care without taking on the overhead expenses of hiring more staff. So, how do you know which outsourced therapy company to choose? Look for these three factors when making your decision:

  • Proven track record — Is this outsourced therapy company used to working with hospitals, and are they familiar with the nuances that come with hospital regulations?
  • Partnership —Are they providing marketing efforts that align with your overall goals to help bring your hospital new patients, or are they only benefiting from the patients you provide to them?
  • Profitability — Does their plan increase your bottom line, or is it ultimately going to hurt your revenue, despite improving your patient satisfaction rating?

At Alliance Physical Therapy Partners, we have more than 50 years of experience partnering with hospitals for outsourced therapy services. Some of the benefits of working with our outsourced therapy company include:

  • Increased patient satisfaction rating
  • Reduced administrative costs by outsourcing labor
  • Aggressive marketing plan to drive in more patients 
  • Immediate access to a proven system of work in the therapy space
  • Added resources for recruiting top talent therapists
  • Turnkey solution to growing market share and improving performance

To learn more about how our outsourced therapy services can help you improve patient satisfaction ratings and overall profitability, contact us today.

May 05
0
physical therapy consult

What can a therapy services consult do for my hospital?

By | Blog, Contract Therapy

Providing physical, speech and occupational therapy services in your hospital has been shown to improve the overall patient satisfaction rate of your hospital. And because patient satisfaction ratings are directly tied to the success of your hospital, it’s important to consider whether physical, speech and occupational therapy services are something you can include in your patient care. 

For many larger hospitals, an in-house rehabilitation team is a necessity. However, for smaller hospitals, the overhead cost and administration needed to manage an additional team is limited. Therefore, many smaller hospitals are faced with the choice of improving their patient satisfaction at the detriment of their profitability or continue at a lower satisfaction rate and risk long-term profit and stability loss. Neither option is flattering. 

The best of both worlds

Working with a therapy services consultant can help you find a solution that provides physical, speech and occupational therapy services to your patients without adding additional administrative and overhead costs. At Alliance Physical Therapy Partners, we have worked with hospitals for more than 50 years to find customized solutions to fit their needs. Our outsourced physical, speech and occupational therapy services offer the following benefits to smaller hospitals who are not able to hire an in-house team:

  • A greater comprehensive patient experience that will help improve your patient satisfaction rating
  • Reduced administrative costs by outsourcing labor
  • A strategic marketing plan designed to bring more patients to our partnered services
  • Immediate access to a proven system of work in the therapy space
  • Added resources for recruiting top talent therapists
  • Turnkey solution to growing market share and improving performance

We can schedule a consultation with your team to review your current patient journey and administrative/budget factors and help you find a solution to fit your specific needs. Contact us today to schedule an initial consultation with our Alliance PTP team.

May 04
0
improving patient satisfaction in healthcare

One proven strategy for improving patient satisfaction in health care

By | Blog, Contract Therapy

Patient satisfaction is directly tied to the success of a hospital. In a study conducted by the Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, it was noted that patient behaviors when choosing a hospital for treatment mimicked consumer behavior patterns. It was also noted that patient satisfaction impacted the financial stability of the hospital through the following ways:

  • Satisfied patients will likely return for treatment throughout their lifetime, as well as refer friends and family to your hospital.
  • They are less vulnerable to price changes.
  • One lost patient due to a poor experience can equate to over $200,000 lost in the lifetime of the patient.
  • Satisfied patients are less likely to pursue malpractice lawsuits.

Despite the importance of patient satisfaction to the success of a hospital, many hospitals still struggle with improving their overall patient score. Often, this is due to a lack of manpower and resources to devote to correcting the areas in the hospital that matter most to patients, such as wait time, check-in experience and operational efficiency. 

Consider the overall patient journey

One of the best ways to improve your patient satisfaction score is to consider the comprehensive patient experience. Your hospital may be good at offering treatment to a patient, but are you there with the patient through the entire healing process? One big area where this falls short is in hospitals that do not have physical, speech and occupational therapy services on-site. 

Many patients require physical, speech and occupational therapy to rehabilitate after surgery, and we have proven stats that show an increase in overall patient satisfaction when you can walk with each patient through the rehabilitation process. If budget and administration limit your ability to hire an in-house team, consider using  to offer the same level of care to your patients for a lower overhead cost. 

Our team at Alliance Physical Therapy Partners has more than 50 years of experience partnering with hospitals to provide valuable outsourced therapy services. Talk to us today about how we can help you improve your overall patient satisfaction score without sacrificing your profit and administrative manpower. 

May 03
0
improving patient satisfaction

Why you should focus on improving patient satisfaction now

By | Blog, Contract Therapy

For years, hospitals have been considered a necessity. Patients don’t choose the hospital based on patient satisfaction — they choose it based on the nearest location in the event of an emergency. This type of thinking has led many hospitals to push patient satisfaction to the back burner while they move forward with new health care initiatives. 

In a study conducted by the Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, patients are referred to as consumers based on the criteria on which they determine where to receive their hospital care. Factors such as wait time and hospital staff interactions were weighted in tandem with actual treatment received. In our current health care structure, most patients have three to four hospitals within a 30-minute drive of their home. So, when it comes to elective procedures or treatment that allows scheduling, patients will pick the hospital based on their overall patient satisfaction — not based solely on the services provided. 

How improving patient satisfaction will drive your revenue growth

Patient satisfaction is directly tied to hospital success. In that same study by the Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, several success factors were determined by patient satisfaction, such as:

  1. Repeat business —Satisfied patients will likely return for elective procedures throughout their lifetime, as well as refer friends and family to your hospital.
  2. Loyalty to hospital/physician — Satisfied patients are less upset by fluctuations in health care pricing. “In a study conducted in Voluntary Hospitals of America, nearly 70% of patients were willing to pay more money if they had to consult a quality physician of their choice.”
  3. Increased profitability — It is estimated that losing one patient due to poor patient experience can result in over $200,000 in loss to the practice during the lifetime of the patient.
  4. Reduced risk of malpractice lawsuits — Satisfied patients are less likely to pursue malpractice lawsuits, thereby offering greater protection to your doctors and your financial stability.

Our team at Alliance Physical Therapy Practices has more than 50 years advising hospitals on how to improve overall patient satisfaction ratings and provide a comprehensive patient journey. We also provide outsourced therapy services to help smaller hospitals close the gap between patient treatment and the healing process. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you improve your patient satisfaction rating with our partnered services.

May 02
0
outsourced therapy services

Three signs your hospital may benefit from outsourced therapy services

By | Blog, Contract Therapy, Outsourced Post-Op Rehab

Most large hospitals offer in-house physical, speech and occupational therapy services as part of a comprehensive patient journey. After all, you have helped the patient overcome the first part of treatment, whether that was surgery or recovery from a stroke or accident. You want to be there to help them through the next part, which is rehabilitating back to a functioning quality of life. 

However, there are several reasons why smaller hospitals are not able to provide outsourced therapy services, such as overhead expenses and administrative bandwidth to manage another section in the hospital. But that doesn’t mean that your patient journey has to be cut short. Partnering with a company that offers outsourced therapy services will allow you to continue rehabilitating your patients without sacrificing your overhead expenses or limited manpower. 

At Alliance Physical Therapy Partners (Alliance PTP), we have partnered with hospitals for over 50 years to bring outsourced therapy services to patients. We understand the hesitancies that you may have about outsourcing, but we have also seen the benefits in revenue and patient experience when these outsourced therapy services are utilized. Our outsourced physical, speech and occupational therapy provides solutions to the three most common issues that hospitals face when building an in-house rehabilitation team:

  1. Recruiting and hiring qualified and credentialed physical therapists can be difficult in certain regions, such as rural areas.
  1. Properly documenting and charting services provided, especially if other clinical staff such as nurses are performing rehabilitation duties.
  1. Physical, speech and occupational therapy also has a different set of regulatory expectations that require management to keep up with in order to stay compliant.

Our outsourced therapy services include a strategic marketing plan to help drive more patients to your door for our partnered services. It will also provide you with immediate access to our turnkey solution to growing market share and improving patient satisfaction.

To learn more about our outsourced therapy services, contact our team at Alliance PTP today.

May 01
0
outsourced physical therapist

Is a partner therapy services team right for your hospital?

By | Blog, Contract Therapy, Physical Therapy Consulting Services

Physical rehabilitation is a common service offered by hospitals to help patients heal after surgery, stroke or any other incident that has left their physical movement impaired. However, not all hospitals have the bandwidth to provide a robust in-house physical, speech and occupational therapy service due to budget and administrative limitations. If your hospital falls into this category, it’s important to know that there are options available to help you provide the rehabilitation services needed to your patients without getting buried under overhead costs and additional staff management.

Hiring a partner therapy services team can help reduce your overhead cost by not requiring additional staff to manage the rehabilitation section of your hospital. It will also open an additional market stream to draw new patients into your hospital to find treatment for their chronic pain. By partnering with a team of trained therapists who specialize in working with hospitals, you are creating a more cohesive patient experience and reducing the stress and overhead expenses that an in-house rehabilitation department would require. 

How to choose a partner therapy services team

At Alliance Physical Therapy Partners (Alliance PTP), we have more than 50 years of experience helping hospitals provide unmatched, cost-effective physical, speech and occupational therapy services for their patients. By partnering with our team of highly trained therapists, your hospital can gain from the following benefits:

  • Immediate access to a proven system of work in the therapy space
  • Added resources for recruiting top talent therapists
  • Turnkey solution to growing market share and improving performance

In addition to providing a more comprehensive patient experience for your hospital, our team of therapists will also bring a competitive marketing strategy to drive more patients to your hospital for our partnered services. We will work with you to ensure our marketing efforts are aligned with your goals and objectives.

To learn more about how your hospital can benefit from our partnership, contact Alliance PTP today.