The backbone of Lakeview Private Hospital … the Lakeview Private Hospital Administration team
“Our care for our patients doesn’t start from the time they arrive at Lakeview Private Hospital, it starts from the moment we receive their booking.”
Maria Marokakis, Team Leader Lakeview Private Hospital Administration
It is often said that the administration department is the backbone of any organisation. An effective administration department doesn’t just provide the link between an organisation’s departments, it ensures the smooth running of the day to day operations as well as the crucial flow of information from one part to the other.
Such is the case of the Lakeview Private Hospital administration team. Headed up by our Administration Manager, Rodney Deckker, these 26 individuals are responsible for the excellent reputation that Lakeview Private Hospital has gained over the years for being one of the most professionally run private hospitals in New South Wales.
Professionalism & Efficiency
“When we were in the process of launching Lakeview Private Hospital and recruiting staff,” says Rodney, “the Board were only too aware of the need to ensure that our Administration Department should consist of the best hospital administration staff available. They knew that this was crucial to ensure the high level of professionalism and efficiency that Lakeview Private Hospital was keen to achieve.”
It was this policy that not only saw Lakeview Private Hospital recruit a team that were not only highly efficient administrators but highly regarded in each of their own specialist areas.
“Our team is split into four divisions,” continues Rodney. “medical records, billings, medical scanning and general administration. The general administration team is then divided into reception, admissions, patient packs, preadmission calls, health fund checks, estimations and the booking department. All work together to ensure the smooth running of a patient’s stay at Lakeview Private Hospital in keeping with our ethos of Patients First.”
In simple terms the Lakeview Private Hospital administration department receives the Patients Administration Form, the data is then recorded, the patient booked in, their Health Fund is checked and they are then liaised with to ensure they are fully informed and are comfortable with their forthcoming admission. The process requires each section to communicate effectively with each other to ensure the smooth running of a patients stay.
Just as crucial as this communication however is the liaison with the patient themselves. Indeed, it is this patient liaison which is the cornerstone of the Lakeview Private Hospital philosophy of Patients First and what sets Lakeview Private Hospital apart.
A Reassuring Welcome
“We make a point of talking to every patient who is booked in to Lakeview Private Hospital prior to their arrival,” says Maria Marokakis, Team Leader of Lakeview Private Hospital Administration.
“We have a series of questions the patients calling team we ask them to ensure they are fully aware of what to expect and that they are comfortable with their pending visit. This involves everything from what they need to bring, fasting times, details for whomever may be meeting them once they’re discharged, valuables, and of course talking them through costs, their excess and making sure they fully understand their estimate and what is due on the day.”
“Our care for our patients doesn’t start from the time they arrive at Lakeview Private Hospital,” continues Maria. “It starts from the moment we receive their booking.”
In addition to the pre-admission process, another area in which the administration team upholds the Lakeview Private Hospital values of Patients First is the day of the patient’s actual admission itself.
“Patients are invariably a little nervous when they arrive but our team has a wonderful ability to put them at ease, make sure they’re comfortable and that their admission is as easy and straightforward as possible,” says Rodney Deckker.
“It’s all a case of keeping them fully informed and reassuring them from the moment they arrive. Ever since we opened we have sourced patient’s feedback extensively. That feedback has enabled us to continually improve our services and patient care. For instance we’ve been investing recently in an online booking process for admissions which will go live in January. This will make things considerably more efficient for referring GP’s, our own admissions team and the Lakeview Private Hospital surgeons.
It’s that attention to detail and putting Patients First that has enabled Lakeview Private Hospital to build and maintain its reputation as one of the finest private hospitals in Australia for patient care.