When you combine first-rate
software with dedicated customer support, your testimonials take on a life of
their own. Thank you Sharon for your story.
 |
Sharon Scott, CFO for Intervention
Center for Early Childhood
is all smiles as she works with Jimmy Ma, Manager,
Client Relations
|
By Sharon Scott, Chief Financial
Officer
ICEC – the Intervention Center for
Early Childhood – was established in 1979 as a parent participation early
intervention program. We are located in Irvine, California and serve 250+
children per week from the greater Orange County area.
Our mission is to assist each
developmentally delayed child in achieving their optimum developmental
potential. This is accomplished by providing therapy and intervention
designed for each child’s abilities, while offering emotional support,
education and training to the entire family.
ICEC is a unique family focused
organization. No other agency in Orange County serving the birth to 5
population with special needs children in so many areas of support – parent
participation group and individual early intervention therapy in center and in
home, a reverse mainstream preschool, individual PT, OT & Speech Therapy,
Marriage & Family Counseling, Kids Klub programs for the Siblings, and
family respite care all in one location. We provide such a variety and
multitude of services for the families we knew it would take an extremely well
written, flexible and comprehensive Cloud Based SAAS solution to handle our
needs.
In the fall of 2013 we began a
project called ‘Face Time’ to identify, acquire, implement and sustain a cloud
based integrated EHR, Payroll and Billing Technology system which would
streamline administration time, and increase and maximize ‘face to face’
therapy time with our clients. After several months of evaluating
potential providers, including participation in a collaborative of several
non-profits who were all struggling with the same issue; we selected NPAWorks
as our provider and partner in this project.
CodeMetro's NPAWorks allows us to
add unlimited insurance providers to our network. We have the ability to
quadruple the amount of Regional Center clients who will now be able to utilize
their insurance for PT, OT and Speech Therapy. Gaps are created when families
are forced to change insurance providers, or are discharged/denied services
from the state. Gaps are created at intake, the struggle to get approval
for services. Gaps are created when funding sources change between the
state and the insurance providers, which happens regularity and continually now
that the state has adopted the payer of last resort strategy. The
CodeMetro integrated technology system improves continuity of care and speeds
up the approval process.
The CodeMetro system helps us to
provide all their services in one setting from one team; and when funding
providers change we can minimize the ‘gap’ in services. Less stressful
for the parents, less drive time to and from therapy, a team of pediatric
professionals working in tandem for their child rather than PT, OT, Speech in
multiple clinics and minimal downtime without access to therapy. It has
also streamlined the administrative responsibilities of our therapy teams,
minimizing the amount of administration and paperwork of our support staff and
program directors so they can spend more time working with and advocating for
the children.
The NPAWorks solution is the only
provider that offers us scheduling, charting, payroll and billing solutions for
our multiple funding sources, Insurance, School District and Regional Center
children and we have seen costs savings in both time and money now that it has
been implemented. NPAWorks is by far the most cost effective system we
evaluated, and they provided a completely comprehensive training program
tailored to our needs, our timing and our not so technically ‘savvy’ 45 member
staff.
We estimate that one half hour is saved per day per staff member, in charting and write ups, evaluations,
payroll processing, billing insurance and local regional centers. This
could add up to more than 5,000 additional hours per year that can be
redirected towards providing program services for the children. We have
experienced a reduction work hours for the administrative staff and better end
product, more accurate payroll and invoicing.
The staff at NPAWorks has been
exceptional to work with, very responsive to our needs. We expected this
during our setup and training period, but what has been the most pleasant
surprise is how great the customer service has been post
implementation. For example, when we have asked on a few occasions if they
could tailor a report for us or add a field/item for our individual/specific
needs, the response has been ‘what a great idea’, lets add that feature for
‘everyone"! A week or two later, it’s done! They continue to update
their products, with no additional fees, which is definitely not the case with
most providers.
The first thing we all do every day
after booting up our computers is log into NPAWorks. It has become an
essential part of our day. We couldn’t do what we do without you – thank
you NPAWorks.
Sally and I opened the clinic in March of 2013. Being new
and first time business owners a lot of the processes that we had to set up did
not come naturally. 
