Customer Story

MedBridge Reduces Costs and Improves Outcomes at Freeman Health System

15%

decrease in no-shows and cancellations

19%

improvement in outcomes scores

23%

savings on continuing education and HEP

Client Challenge

Freeman Health is a 460-bed, three-hospital system representing 60 specialties, including inpatient, outpatient, and home health rehabilitation. With MedBridge, Freeman Health System set out to achieve the following objectives:

  • Increase staff engagement and the number of CEUs earned per clinician
  • Provide easier access and greater flexibility to help clinicians maintain licensure
  • Elevate quality and consistency of care among clinicians and across locations
  • Save on costs of continuing education and home exercise program investment
  • Improve health outcomes and patient satisfaction

Freeman Health System at a Glance

Headquarters in Joplin, MO
460-bed, 3-hospital system
www.freemanhealth.com

MedBridge Solution

Freeman Health System has leveraged MedBridge to reduce costs and improve outcomes through:

  • Consolidating different products for continuing education and patient engagement to the all-in-one MedBridge platform
  • Offering convenient access to high-quality, ongoing professional development opportunities via MedBridge
  • Engaging patients with video-based home exercise programs assigned via MedBridge
  • Streamlining management and consistency of clinical education across all locations
  • Improving communication between clinicians and staff across all locations
  • Leveraging the assistance of a dedicated account manager

Results

Staff Engagement and Retention

“Our staff is more engaged since partnering with MedBridge. The consistency in education and training has created continuity and makes for a more collegial environment, making it easier for clinicians to change specialties,” says Chris Peterson, PT, DPT, OCS, Freeman Physical Therapist and Rehabilitation Services Clinical Coordinator. “Of the 25 employees in my division, we had a 100% retention rate while using MedBridge in 2015.”

Financial Savings

Freeman has seen cost savings across the board since switching to MedBridge by consolidating their different products to the all-in-one solution for staff empowerment, patient engagement, and business management.

Patient Engagement

By partnering with MedBridge, Freeman discontinued use of their previous HEP provider. In doing so, the company eliminated $6,500 in costs and improved the patient experience. Freeman saw a 15% improvement in their cancellation and no-show rate.

Quality and Consistency of Care

MedBridge was a significant contributing factor to the increase in outcomes ranking. After implementing MedBridge, Freeman saw a 19% increase in their national ranking in FOTO, rising from 41st percentile to 60th. In addition, the Freeman clinicians are “speaking the same language” since using MedBridge, and management has noticed that there is more continuity of care.

Staff Empowerment

Freeman used to pay for CEUs by the hour and paid as much as $750 per clinician in 2009. Now all the CEUs are part of the MedBridge annual subscription, and from June ‘15 -‘16 alone, the organization watched 1,672 hours of CE courses.

Patient Satisfaction

“Our patient satisfaction numbers are up across the board since partnering with MedBridge,” says Chris Peterson. Of the Freeman patients who responded, over 95% have found the MedBridge home exercise program helpful in their rehabilitation.

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Standardized training for roles and specialties with the MedBridge Staff Retention Solution, improving staff engagement and reducing attrition.

Staff Retention Solution

Deepened connection and rapport with patients via the MedBridge Patient Experience Solution, leading to greater patient adherence and engagement.

Patient Experience Solution

Implemented engaging, video-based home exercises with MedBridge Home Exercise Program, improving patient satisfaction, engagement, and adherence.

Home Exercise Program

About Freeman Health System

Freeman Health System is a 460-bed, three-hospital system providing comprehensive healthcare and behavioral health services to an area that includes more than 450,000 people from Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. They employ 93 rehabilitation professionals across multiple locations. Freeman Health System offers outpatient therapy from six locations in three cities, providing treatment for pediatrics, lymphedema, sports, spine, hand therapy, general outpatient orthopedic, work injury therapy, and neurological care. Additionally, Freeman Health System offers inpatient therapies in each of their three hospitals, including a 20-bed inpatient rehabilitation facility. Seventeen athletic trainers help to cover 20 local high schools and five colleges. Home health services are provided to eight counties across two states.

“MedBridge has helped improve the quality and consistency of care at Freeman. Our ability to stay abreast of emerging evidence has set a culture of learning, and better engaged staff, as well as improved patient outcomes.”

Chris Peterson, PT and Coordinator of Outpatient Therapy
Freeman Health System

“I would absolutely recommend MedBridge to other organizations. I have personally benefited from MedBridge, and have felt that it has improved my own practice.”

A Freeman Health System Staff Member

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