For Immediate Release: July 15, 2020

Contact: Brian Reardon (217) 544-6464, ext. 44306 brian.reardon@st-johns.org

ST. JOHN’S STREAMLINES PROCESSES FOR REGISTERING AND ADMITTING PATIENTS

SPRINGFIELD – New services recently introduced at St. John’s Hospital allow for easier and more efficient access for patients who seek medical care.

Outpatients can now check-in for certain procedures at the hospital using Express Check-In kiosks located in the Main Lobby and WCC Lobby. Departments whose patients are eligible for the Express Check-In include: Scheduled Radiology, Mammography, Rehab, END, Day Hospital, Maternal Fetal Medicine and Dietitian Services. As the system evolves, more services will be added.

“The kiosks provide patients with quicker access to services while enhancing the hospital’s ability to collect correct information from patients,” says Mike Jeziorski, who oversees Patient Access Services.

When patients arrive, they swipe a credit or debit card to “sign-in.” The card information is not stored, nor is it used to pay hospital charges. If the patient prefers not to use a card, he or she can self-identify using name, date-of-birth and the last four digits of the Social Security number. Patients can also use the Express Check-In to scan insurance and identification cards and sign consent forms. When they have completed the information and submitted, they can go straight to their intended location.

“We feel very confident about the security of personal information,” adds Jeziorski. “This system is convenient for patients, and they can also be secure knowing they will be properly identified and their information is safe.”

Another technological advancement for Patient Access is online pre-registration. Patients can go online prior to their arrival at St. John’s and complete registration questions on a form that is available on the St. John’s Web site. All hospital services are eligible for this feature. To pre-register online, please visit www.st-johns.org.

For patients who are admitted to St. John’s from a physician’s office, a new “direct admit” initiative cuts out waiting times and allows the patient to get settled in a room as quickly as possible. Because patients are pre-registered through the referring physician’s office, treatment can begin immediately.

While the initiative began only a few months ago, it has already proven to be popular with patients and their families.

"Patients comment on the ease of admission, room readiness, the quick comfort of crawling into their bed, the ability to immediately start receiving on important medications and the warm welcome at the front door,” says Patient Placement Coordinator Nancy Hood, RN.

To learn more about direct admissions, call 544-6464, ext. 45979.