BHG Doubles Down on Improving Patient Retention, Outcomes
By Julie Koenig, RN, Chief Operations Officer
Every day, our leadership team talks to colleagues across the country about the challenges and victories of helping patients stick with their recovery journey, especially during those first 90 critical days. As we’ve made much progress in upgrading our infrastructure, processes, talent recruitment and professional development, at the end of the day, we recognize that patients face obstacles in their minds, bodies and environments that throw them off course. To address how we can help strengthen our care, our teams, and to help patients tackle issues that may lead to a disruption in care, we have implemented a Patient Retention initiative series over the last month. Our goal is to help our patients stay in treatment. Through your feedback and direction from our Clinical Leadership team, below are the key patient retention initiatives underway and are already making a difference.
- Last month, we kicked off a new Town Hall educational series to introduce a strengths-based clinical model and culture for BHG.
- We’ve deployed a counseling engagement model to guide counselors to focus on incoming, higher acuity patients.
- We’ve amended the discharge policy to reduce capricious discharge, and data collection on discharge types have been sophisticated and standardized for better tracking.
- Call Center staff are now reaching out to patients who have appointments to increase engagement and identify barriers to care.
- We’ve developed dosing guidance for your teams to make more informed decisions to avoid under-dosing, which our analytics show is correlated to non-retention.
Series Schedule & Recordings
| October 8 | Addiction 101 |
| October 15 | Strengths-based Care Approach |
| October 22 | Intake and Admissions Process |
| October 29 | Dosing Guidance |
| November 5 | No-show Process/Discharge Management |
| November 12 | Integrated Dynamic Care Model |
| November 19 | Patient Financial Program and Process |
Since we are early in the launch of these initiatives, we don’t have specific analytics to report yet because it takes time for you all to see patients stabilize and stay in treatment. In the meantime, I want to share some great perspectives from some of our top performers in retention. I’m excited to see more lives transforming as a result of our efforts. We will be updating you in the coming months on what we see working and will continue our open forums and learning together about how to strengthen our approach to real recovery.
Crystal Isaac, Program Director, BHG Pikeville, KY
BHG Pikeville has an estimated 300 patients and has experienced a roller-coaster retention rate this year. In January, retention was around 30% to 35%. By June, the Center hit 100%, then down to 92% and now at 63%. Crystal started collaborating with her team on ideas to improve retention, and now they have more tools to work with from BHG’s new initiatives. At the heart of what they do is their intentional actions every day to connect with patients and make them feel welcomed and safe.
“Three weeks ago, we started a 21-Day Check-In Program where we assign a counselor, other than the patient’s regular counselor, to call the patient every day for 21 days to check in on their progress, listen, and answer questions. On these calls, they may bring up things that they wouldn’t bring up in a group session, and it adds a level of comfort and trust building.”
“We also make sure patients are getting COWS (clinical opioid withdrawal scale) assessments two to three times a week. Before, most of our patients that would leave in the first 90 days were in our OBOT. That’s why we focused on starting more OBOT group sessions. I lead those sessions and all of the patients love it. We’ve had a lot of participation. They feel like it’s another network of support that’s more peer driven and with people who understand what they’re going through.”
As a result of patients who would start and then leave because they weren’t aware of how intensive the daily program was, the Pikeville team started a “101” session with patients to review treatment expectations upfront and determine if the patient is able to agree to it.
“When we do the 101 review at the beginning with patients, they tend to stay in. If they can’t do it, sometimes we’ll find the right treatment program elsewhere because we really do want to help them.”
“I tell staff to always be open, friendly and smile because when that person comes in our center, they may be the only person that smiled at them that day. We work to build that trust, from our Patient Registration Coordinator all the way up. We try to make them see they are a person, not an addict.”
“I’m excited to see the outcomes of all of BHG’s efforts. It’s been kind of like a team builder for us because everyone provides input on what we can do better. I’m really excited to see what other centers are doing and what we can all learn from each other.”
Leylah Dixon, Program Director, BHG Colorado Springs
Leylah believes you can have all the meetings, technology and tools in the world, but what’s at the foundation of strong patient retention and a great clinic is a positive leader who people trust and want to follow which is reflected in an authentically compassionate, concerned, helpful team who are truly invested in their patients’ recovery.
“Patients love how personable and sincerely concerned we are with them. For example, we had a patient who completed intake, but didn’t realize the distance of the clinic initially and wanted to transfer to another facility that was a little closer to where she lived. A few hours later, she called us saying that she decided not to do so because she feels so comfortable at our facility and that it’s worth the drive. She’s been consistent in her treatment ever since.”
“As a director, I never carry tension or stress in the workplace. I’m always laughing and smiling in all cases. I can’t say enough about how this impacts the clinic environment. Our counselor Kris and I both came from a large, local competitor and experienced how a clinic should not be run. So, when we both started together at BHG and those doors opened to serve Colorado Springs, we knew what we needed to do to be hardworking and successful. Communication is the No. 1 factor with all patients and employees. I want those lines to be fully open all the time.”
“I’m lucky to have a quality team that knows and understands the importance of the level of care we need to give our patients. You can have all the meetings and talks in the world, but without a true understanding from each employee of what we do here at BHG, that is what will impact day-to-day functionality which impacts patient retention.”
Lisa Smith, Program Director, BHG Paris, TN
At BHG Paris, the retention rate hovers around 70% to 72% and Lisa believes their high staff retention is a direct correlation.
“When you retain your staff, you’re going to retain your patients. Stable staff and strong retention rates provide stability for the patients.”
