Streamlining Patient Access: Delivering Exceptional Talent for a Leading Healthcare System

Situation

A prominent healthcare system with multiple locations was struggling with staffing challenges in their patient access and registration departments. Working with several staffing agencies, the organization still faced difficulties filling positions quickly enough to meet operational demands. When candidates were finally placed, the onboarding and training process often took a month or longer, creating significant gaps in service coverage. With fluctuating needs of anywhere from 1-15 openings at any given time across their network, the healthcare system needed a more efficient and reliable staffing partner who could deliver qualified candidates and accelerate the time-to-productivity.

Challenge

The healthcare system faced several critical staffing challenges that impacted their ability to maintain efficient patient access operations:

• Lengthy onboarding and training processes that delayed time-to-productivity (often taking a month or more)
• High turnover and difficulty retaining qualified staff
• Inconsistent candidate quality from existing staffing partners
• Multiple locations with varying staffing needs, including both standard daytime and evening shifts (4pm-10pm)
• Need for candidates with specific qualifications who would remain engaged and reliable
• Required accelerated onboarding to have new hires productive within two weeks from offer acceptance
• Training schedules that only began on specific days of the week, creating additional timing challenges

Solution

Networks Connect implemented a comprehensive recruitment and onboarding strategy tailored to the healthcare system’s specific needs:

1. Proactive Talent Pipeline: We created a bench of pre-vetted, qualified candidates ready for immediate placement as positions opened, rather than starting the recruitment process from scratch each time.
2. Accelerated Onboarding Process: We streamlined the compliance and onboarding process with a goal of 3-4 days, ensuring all required paperwork was submitted within 24 hours of offer acceptance to secure training slots.
3. Strategic Training Coordination: We aligned hiring timelines with the healthcare system’s training schedule to ensure candidates could begin training the week following their offer, reducing downtime.
4. Enhanced Candidate Preparation: We thoroughly prepared candidates prior to interviews, ensuring they understood job requirements, training expectations, and organizational culture, which led to better interview performance and long-term fit.
5. Comprehensive Support System:
   • Provided in-person training support at our office to supplement the virtual training offered by the healthcare system
   • Supplied company laptops with necessary systems pre-installed to expedite training
   • Maintained continuous contact with placed candidates to ensure engagement and address any concerns
6. Rigorous Pre-screening Process: We implemented a multi-step interview and evaluation process that thoroughly assessed both technical qualifications and reliability indicators before presenting candidates to the client.

Results

Networks Connect’s tailored approach delivered remarkable results that transformed the healthcare system’s patient access staffing:

• We became the preferred staffing partner, with the healthcare system selecting Networks Connect over other agencies when filling positions.
• Time-to-productivity decreased significantly, with new hires becoming operational within 1-2 weeks of offer acceptance—less than half the previous timeline.
• The interview-to-offer ratio improved dramatically, with nearly 100% of presented candidates receiving offers due to our thorough pre-screening process.
• Our success expanded beyond initial engagements, with the healthcare system entrusting Networks Connect with additional staffing areas, including evening shifts and other locations.
• We successfully managed contract transitions, keeping high-performing employees within the healthcare system by moving them to different locations or departments when initial contracts ended.
• In one specialized project, Networks Connect placed 7 out of 10 Provider Enrollment Temporary Associates (70% of the required positions), demonstrating our ability to deliver specialized talent on a short timeline.

Client Feedback

Why It Matters

In healthcare environments, patient access staff are often the first point of contact for patients, playing a crucial role in both patient experience and revenue cycle operations. Networks Connect’s success with this healthcare system demonstrates how strategic staffing partnerships can significantly improve operational efficiency while reducing the administrative burden on internal teams.

What sets Networks Connect apart is our comprehensive approach that addresses the entire talent lifecycle—from initial sourcing through onboarding, training, and ongoing support. By understanding both technical requirements and organizational culture, we’re able to deliver candidates who make an immediate impact while reducing turnover and improving long-term outcomes.

Is your healthcare organization struggling with patient access staffing challenges? Networks Connect specializes in identifying and securing top-tier talent for even the most specialized roles. Contact us today to learn how we can help you build your dream team and calculate your potential ROI using our Recruiting ROI Calculator.