Baptist Access App Connects Patients Before, During and After Visits

For years, the executive team at Baptist Health System had explored the idea of a robust and patient-focused wayfinding app. With the dramatic shift to consumerization in today’s healthcare environment, they knew patients expect a seamless experience at each point in their care journey. Additionally, their deep understanding of patient engagement led them to believe that adopting a system-branded mobile platform would open up unique opportunities for business development, allowing Baptist Health to set itself apart from the competition and reaffirm its position as a leader in healthcare across southeast Georgia and northern Florida.

While several options were explored, including an in-house solution, achieving the necessary buy-in to move the project forward proved challenging. As the recent pandemic put pressure on the system’s operational resources and a new CIO joined the system, wayfinding moved up on the health system’s priority list. 

CHALLENGE
Rising call volume at Baptist Health’s customer service centers was beginning to have a negative impact across the board. Longer wait times were hurting the patient community, while increased strain on both staff and management muted enthusiasm and performance. 

“The number one thing for us was taking pressure off the phones. Self-service is where it’s at,” says Melanie Husk, Senior Vice President and Chief Consumer Officer at Baptist Health.

The concept was simple. Baptist Health needed to empower its patients by giving them more opportunities to directly interact with the Baptist Health network. Patient surveys and outside analysis overwhelmingly showed that wayfinding was a high priority for most customers across the entire demographic being served. 

“The need for wayfinding came up a lot in terms of our voice of the customer feedback,” Husk says.

Several other features, such as bill pay, find a provider, and wait time details, were also cited as urgent requests. Baptist Health website data confirmed the popularity of these features. 

Given the pandemic, which limited in-person contact, and the increasing call volume experienced in house, it was clear that time was of the essence. Establishing a personal connection via a customized app could deliver a better outcome for both patient and provider while building brand loyalty. 

SOLUTION
While Baptist Health has a strong Dev-Ops team, leaders decided to invest in an outside, off-the-shelf solution—one that could quickly give Baptist Health the wayfinding service patients needed, but still be fully customizable to meet future patient needs while addressing bottom-line requirements. 

“At the end of the day, it came down to speed to market,” Husk says. “The Gozio app allowed for heavy customization while using an established framework.”

Gozio also met Baptist Health’s non-negotiable needs, the first being seamless continuity from the app to the health system’s website to support smooth transitions for patients. Other features requested by leaders included the ability for patients to:

• Find a Baptist Health location or provider near them
• Easily schedule an appointment
• Access Emergency Department and CareSpot wait times at nearby locations
• Get directions from their home to their chosen healthcare location
• Find hospital campus maps, including indoor, turn-by-turn maps that show floors and buildings with a services directory  
• View insurance plans accepted by Baptist Health
• Access medical records via MyChart
• Pay their bill

Called “Baptist Access,” the customized app empowers patients to access the information and services they need, when they need them, creating a frictionless experience.

“In today’s world, we are used to having information right at our fingertips. With Baptist Access, our patients have the latest information from Baptist Health in their hands, making it easy to access care,” says Michael A. Mayo, DHA, FACHE, president and CEO of Baptist Health.

RESULTS
Baptist Access has already begun paying dividends. In fact, before the official launch, the app had already been downloaded more than 2,000 times. This is an impressive number that Husk attributes to the excitement of the Baptist Health employees, who are driven to improve the experience of every patient. 

Looking to the future, Husk is also passionate about the ability of the app to meet patients where they are in real time, elevating the relationship between the system and the communities it serves.

“What we look for is a halo effect—a patient was able to find patient registration, the ATM, a place to eat. Baptist Access is critical for demonstrating our commitment to the holistic experience, one that goes beyond just the provider’s office,” Husk says.

With the Baptist Access app, Baptist Health aims to optimize the patient’s journey at all main access points of the health system.

“This is a strategy that aligns with research that suggests digital offerings play an important role in overall patient experiences,” says Joshua Titus, CEO and founder of Gozio Health. “Patients gain greater control of their care journey, and this builds trust in the health system and a positive experience that extends beyond the point of care.”

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