CLIENT SUCCESS STORY
Injury Centers of AZ improves revenue collection by 62.5% in 8 months with UnisLink’s RCM services
As Arizona’s leading work injury clinic, Injury Centers of AZ connects workers with the healthcare services they need to make a complete recovery. “We view ourselves as a patient advocacy clinic because we help workers get the right diagnosis and take care of things that other clinics can’t do,” says Dr. Chrisotpher Armstrong, business partner with Injury Centers of AZ.
The clinic opened its doors in 2023 with one location in downtown Phoenix. Today, it has ambitious growth plans, with two new locations set to open in 2024 and as many as 10 more planned in the coming years. To achieve its growth goals, the clinic needed a billing partner that could help it improve revenue capture and move its balance sheet from red to green.
Results
- 8 months
- 30 percentage point boost in revenue collection
- 20% increase in billable service
- In the green and on track for exponential growth
Impact
Within months of partnering with UnisLink, Injury Centers of AZ achieved significant financial improvements through optimized billing and expanded referral opportunities. Our team’s comprehensive review and industry expertise identified and captured previously unbilled services, leading to immediate revenue gains.
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The challenge:
Reduce administrative and billing hassles
Previously, the clinic had contracted with another third-party billing company, but they soon spotted signs of trouble. “They wanted us to switch to another EHR that was much more complicated to understand and use than the one we had,” Dr. Armstrong says. That step would’ve been overwhelming for the clinic, which has fewer than 10 office staff members.
“The other company was going to make us learn how to do the billing with their software and teach us how to generate our own reports,” says Dr. Armstrong. “We didn’t feel comfortable with that, because our team needs to focus on clinical care.”
The solution:
A trusted partner with workers’
compensation expertise
Seeking other options, Dr. Armstrong asked their EHR provider, Tebra (formerly Kereo) for help. Their experts recommended two companies, one of which was UnisLink.
“We needed a billing partner with deep expertise in workers’ compensation, which represents up to 90% of our patient mix,” Dr. Armstrong says. “After talking with Tim [Tobin, Regional Director at UnisLink], I was confident that UnisLink was the one for us.”
Impact: Achieving dramatic results – in 8 months
UnisLink and Injury Centers of AZ began working together in August 2023 and experienced near immediate results. Initially, UnisLink’s experts focused on analyzing the clinic’s prior billings and finding ways to recapture previously lost revenue. Then UnisLink’s team focused on areas where the clinic could enhance revenue, including properly coding for E&M visits and elimination of lost charges.
“Kerrie [Hansen, Client Relationship Manager with UnisLink] and her team were very responsive,” Dr. Armstrong says. “They were able to find codes that we didn’t even know existed so we could bill appropriately for the care we had delivered.”
Within months of partnering with UnisLink, Injury Centers of AZ achieved significant financial improvements through optimized billing and expanded referral opportunities. Our team’s comprehensive review and domain expertise identified and captured previously unbilled services — including return-to-work forms — leading to immediate revenue gains. Additionally, UnisLink’s industry knowledge facilitated connections with a valuable provider network, enhancing the clinic’s ability to serve its patients.
When UnisLink started in August 2023, just 48% of the clinic’s total revenue came from charges. With UnisLink’s help, by the end of February 2024, that number grew to 78%, representing a 62.5% increase in revenue capture. Additionally, the clinic has increased its billable services by about 20%. “Now we’re in the green, and we’re seeing payments from insurers on a day-to-day basis,” Dr. Armstrong says.
Even better, the clinic’s staff now has more time to devote to patient care. “We didn’t have to learn how to do billing or how to do anything,” Dr. Armstrong says. “We just need to do what the medical side should do, which is put in the correct service code and send it through the system. UnisLink handles all the rest.”
Next step: Seeking exponential growth
With improved cash flow, Injury Centers of AZ is laser-focused on its growth plans. The clinic currently offers orthopedic care, spine injury, pain management, physical therapy, and head injury services. It will soon add new surgical services as it opens additional locations throughout the Greater Phoenix area.
“UnisLink makes billing seamless and easy,” Dr. Armstrong says. “As a result, we now have more time to recruit providers, develop fresh marketing strategies, grow our practice, and focus on what we do best — help injured workers heal.”
