Helping our Clients starts from Within: An Interview with TPS Associate of the Year Grant Krebs
Every year TriZetto Provider Solutions highlights associates that made an impact in the lives of clients and coworkers. These associates embody what it means to have a Heart for Service and work tirelessly to simplify the business of healthcare of our valued clients. We spoke with Grant Krebs, the 2020 Associate of the Year, to get his take on what TPS means to him and what’s next for the industry.
Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself and your role?
A: I have worked for TriZetto Provider Solutions for more than 7 years. I began my career at TPS in the EDI Operations division, then took a position as a Business Analyst for our IT department. In my current role, I am responsible for assessing and analyzing technical issues. My day-to-day activities consist of creating user stories to document problems and gauge severity, discussing issues with product owners and assisting our IT team in gathering the information needed to research and deploy changes to correct the reported issue. I also handle the communications sent to relevant stakeholders that are affected.
Q: As the Associate of the Year, what do you enjoy most about working at TPS?
A: I have always enjoyed collaborating with coworkers. Since I have been with the company, it has been a joy working with people that have always made themselves available to assist others. Whether helping to trouble shooting an issue with a product, or sharing healthcare knowledge to help me gain a deeper understanding of the industry, associates are always willing to share their time and expertise. When there is an entire group of people that share a similar work ethic and drive to succeed, it makes your job enjoyable.
Q: What is your favorite part of the job?
A: My favorite part of the job is the “a-ha!” moment. The moment I working on an issue, then discover the root cause and understand what needs to be done to fix the problem – it’s the best feeling! It is so satisfying to know that the work put into solving an issue will bring relieve to our clients and the patients they serve.
Q: What does simplifying the business of healthcare mean to you?
A: To simplify the business of healthcare means imagining, creating and making available the necessary tools for healthcare organizations to streamline their workflows from the moment a patient is first seen, to when the billing process begins, to when the last payment is received for those services. The better the tools and services we can create, the better our clients can serve patients in need of help. Making the business of healthcare simpler for our clients means more attention can be focused on patient care, which in the end will benefit everyone.
Q: In what ways to you believe TPS simplifies its clients’ businesses?
A: By offering quality products that enable clients to perform their business tasks with greater ease, more efficiently and in less time.
Q: How do the tools and services make our clients’ lives easier?
A: The tools and services offered by TPS allow our clients peace of mind. What I mean by that is they can rest assure that the data they are transmitting is reliable and secure. Additionally, we have products that will analyze inbound claims against edits to ensure accuracy the first time around. If there are errors in those claims, the data is sent back to the client so they can be corrected and resubmitted. This allows the client to know that claims are being submitted correctly and avoids getting rejections. This results in more time for the client. A favorite tool of mine that TPS offers is Advanced Reimbursement Manager. It assists clients in automating the identification of denials and streamlines revenue recovery to confirm that our clients are receiving the correct reimbursement of services.
Q: We like to think that TPS solutions are the heartbeat of our clients’ practices, and our Heart for Service initiative guides everything we do. In what ways does this motto impact the mentality you have when you start your work day?
A: The two service standards that I think about most and try my best to adhere to are quality and efficiency. These standards are top of mind throughout the day. For me, it’s important to make sure the information that I deal with is correct, consistent and credible. I am also always trying to find ways to streamline processes and create efficiencies. This allows for better responsiveness and simplifies workflows for not only ourselves, but for our clients as well.
Q: Can you share what TPS has planned for the future?
A: There are exciting enhancements being made to our products that will roll out soon. We are upgrading our patient payment options, making it easier to collect, plus expanding our analytics capabilities to help our clients gain deeper dives into their data.
Q: Any predictions for the healthcare industry, specifically medical practices, in 2021?
A: As our nation slowly comes out of the COVID-19 pandemic, my prediction is we will start to see a greater number of people going back to their healthcare providers for checkups and other health needs they may have put on hold over the last year or so. This influx of patients will cause medical practices to be perhaps busier as ever. As a result, practices will realize the need to invest in better tools and services to meet the demands of their patients and provide optimal service, plus streamline their workflows and optimize collections. I believe eligibility tools and services will be in greater demand, as well as billing products that allow practices to create statements at a quicker and more efficient pace. I also believe our advanced reimbursement management tools and services will be requested, as the need to streamline denials and contract management will be in high demand.