Starting Jan. 29, with just one call to Calvert Memorial Hospital’s new Patient Access Service Center centralized scheduling service, residents will be able to schedule multiple visits, learn what their insurance covers and get instructions about their diagnostic test or procedure.
At the same time, patients will be able to find out what, if any, out-of-pocket expenses apply and if any preparation is required. The centralized scheduling facilitator will also advise what time to arrive, where to check-in and what patients should bring with them.
Hospital officials say the new Patient Access Service Center streamlines the entire registration process and eliminates unnecessary duplication. The result is a well-organized system that saves patients time.
According to Franklin Smith, director of Patient Financial Services at CMH, the center was created to provide Calvert Memorial’s customers with the opportunity to use one call to handle multiple tasks while working with the same individual throughout the scheduling experience.
“We believe our customers will appreciate the ease and convenience of the new centralized system,” he said.
The local number to reach the CMH Patient Access Service Center is 410-414-APPT (2778). There is also a toll-free number for those calling from work or another location outside the county. That number is 1-855-414-APPT (2778).
In the past, scheduling appointments typically involved making calls to different offices, speaking with different persons who would have needed to ask the same questions over and over again.
According to Smith, the new Patient Access Service Center will handle making appointments for most CMH outpatient services, including the Anti-Coagulation Clinic, Cardiopulmonary Services, Cardiac/Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Diabetes Self-Management Program, Diabetic Counseling, Diagnostic Imaging, Endoscopy Center, Family Birth Center, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Medical Nutritional Therapy, Nuclear Medicine, Occupational Therapy, Pain Management Center, Physical Therapy, Same Day Surgery, Spine Clinic, Sleep Disorders Center/EEG, Speech Therapy, Ultrasound and Wound Center.
He said a completed physician’s order is needed for tests and exams to be scheduled. These can be faxed to the Patient Access Service Center at 410-535-8789. The center is open from Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fax requests are available after business hours.