Dear Supporters of Shriners Hospital for Children-Spokane,

It has been a while since I wrote an article for your Temple publications.  I have quite a bit to tell you about so I will get right to it.  First, I want to report that our Revenue Cycle initiative is working very well in Spokane.  Since we started dropping our insurance claims in January we have earned well over a million dollars in cash for the system.  Ninety four percent of the children we have seen have insurance.  Of the thousands of visits we have conducted since go live July 2010 I am aware of two families that did not want to work with us on using their insurance.  Clearly, the concerns about this issue were not realized.  In fact, many of the concerns about implementing revenue cycle have not been realized.  My guess is it was more fear of the unknown than anything else. 

As for SHC-Spokane we are planning for a very bright hospital.   Our strategic plan recently approved by our Board of Governors calls for aggressive growth at our hospital.  Families and children referred to us enjoy short wait times for outpatient clinic appointments and surgery dates.  We are proud of this fact but this is also and indicator of excess capacity.  We are working to increase volume by partnering with Al Aska temple in Anchorage, Alaska, and Gizeh Temple in British Columbia to refer more children to our hospital.  After all, why should a child wait needlessly for care? 

We are also exploring opening a Cleft Lip and Palate service and making more surgery space available for consulting physicians in Spokane who need a place to operate.  Our initial overtures with Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children’s hospital revealed the need for more OR time for maxiofacial and pediatric dental surgeries.  In relatively short order we may be able to add hundreds of cases to our schedule in the coming weeks and months.  This is a win-win for all concerned.

In short, our future looks very bright here in Spokane.  We just passed our Joint Commission with flying colors, eagerly await approval to bill Medicaid insurance and are making good progress with revenue cycle. 

I want to thank you all for your support of our hospital.  I am proud and honored to serve here in Spokane. 

Sincerely,

Gene Raynaud, FACHE
Administrator