System-wide services agreement designed to improve the patient experience by connecting patients to the health services and information they need.

BEDFORD, Texas, May 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), the nation's third-largest nonprofit health system, has selected Beryl as its sole-source provider of outsourced patient experience solutions. Beryl, a technology-enhanced patient experience services company dedicated to improving relationships between healthcare providers and consumers, provides end-to-end marketing and clinical communications solutions across the care continuum to facilitate seamless care transitions.

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Specifically, CHI facilities, which include 72 hospitals, will exclusively use various Beryl services to improve access to care, increase patient retention and enhance the overall patient experience. These services include:

• Physician Referral
• Service Referral
• Class and Event Registration
• Marketing Services
• Scheduling Services
• Post-Discharge Services

Health care reform and the diverse needs of CHI's facilities were major factors in seeking a partner to support patient experience strategies, according to Donell Martinez, director of marketing communications for CHI. "We were looking for ways to increase access and improve the continuity of patient care for the duration of their experience and over multiple services," said Martinez. "Due to the size of our network, we felt we needed a partner capable of helping us better meet the needs of local health care communities."

Martinez also said Beryl's scope of services also played a key role in the selection process. "With Beryl, hospitals can select the services that best fit their local strategy, whether it's a marketing or clinical strategy," she said. "From a branding perspective, Beryl's sophistication with regard to staff and technology resources will enable us to maintain a brand consistency across all CHI-affiliated hospitals and multiple service lines."

Steve Whitehurst, senior vice president of patient experience, said Beryl's patient experience services are designed to support a client's patients at multiple touchpoints. "Through our specially-trained patient experience advocates, we offer personalized support for patients before and after the acute care event," said Whitehurst. "What that means to the client is increased patient acquisition, lower readmission rates, higher satisfaction scores, and long-term patient relationships. For the patient, it means better overall care and an experience with their health provider that exceeds their expectations."

Prior to the exclusive agreement, Beryl provided patient experience solutions for several CHI facilities, including Franciscan Health System in Tacoma, Wash., St. Clare's Health System in Dover, N.J., and Jewish Hospital & St. Mary's HealthCare in Louisville, Ky.

About The Beryl Companies

The Beryl Companies is comprised of four businesses: two that focus on improving the patient experience in a variety of health care settings and two that focus on improving workplace culture and values-based business productivity. The Beryl Companies sees these activities and concepts as intrinsically linked. The Beryl Companies' foundational business, Beryl, is a technology-enhanced patient experience services company dedicated to improving relationships between healthcare providers and consumers. The Beryl Institute serves as the professional home for stakeholders who recognize that the patient experience is an essential element in the execution and evaluation of health care performance. Founded in 2009, The Circle is a training company that helps other businesses enhance employee engagement and develop more positive workplace cultures. The last firm, The Small Giants Community, is a global organization that brings together leaders who are focused on values-based business principles.

About Catholic Health Initiatives

CHI is a national nonprofit health organization with headquarters in Englewood, Colo. The faith-based system operates in 19 states and includes 72 hospitals; 40 long-term care, assisted- and residential-living facilities; two community health-services organizations; and home health agencies. In fiscal year 2010, CHI provided almost $590 million in charity care and community benefit, including services for the poor, free clinics, education and research. With annual revenues of approximately $9 billion, CHI is the nation's third-largest Catholic health care system.

SOURCE The Beryl Companies

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RELATED LINKS
http://www.beryl.net
http://www.theberylinstitute.org
http://www.catholichealthinit.org