Latest / Becker’s Healthcare Podcast / Michael Mutterer, RN, LCPC, NCC, CADC, LNHA, President & CEO, Silver Cross Hospital

Transcript

Michael Mutterer, RN, LCPC, NCC, CADC, LNHA, President & CEO, Silver Cross Hospital · Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

• 0:02
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• 0:31
  Hello, and welcome to the Becker's Healthcare podcast.
• 0:35
  My name is Will Riley from r one.
• 0:38
  I'm joined today by Michael Muttera.
• 0:41
  Michael is president and CEO of Hill Silvercross
• 0:44
  Hospital in Illinois.
• 0:46
  Welcome to the podcast. Thank you, Will. Pleasure
• 0:48
  to be here. Good to have you. Good
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  to have you. Tell us a little bit,
• 0:51
  please, about yourself.
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  Tell us about Silvercross.
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  Sure. As you said, I'm Michael Mutter, president
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  and CEO at Silvercross Hospital. We are a
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  348
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  bed level two trauma center located in the
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  suburbs of Chicago.
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  We are
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  a
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  we service about,
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  80,000 patients,
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  per year through our emergency departments. We have
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  a freestanding emergency,
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  department, one of the only one of very
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  few in in the state of Illinois that
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  has a freestanding,
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  emergency department,
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  level three perinatal center.
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  So busy busy hospital. We were a replacement
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  hospital built in 2013,
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  so,
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  newer hospital as well. Okay. Okay.
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  Tell me a bit about the area around
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  you, the demographic, the community. What's it like?
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  Yeah. So New Lenox, is a, you know,
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  south suburban,
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  suburb of of Chicago.
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  We are,
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  I'm gonna say a mixed community.
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  I'm gonna say probably mostly middle class. So
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  we're very blessed with our payer mix, within
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  within our primary and secondary service areas.
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  You know, we obviously do service a a
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  small portion of public aid and,
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  certainly do our charitable work for the community
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  as well, but, but definitely blessed from a
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  from a payer mix.
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  Got it. Okay. Cool. Tell me, please, about
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  some of the big priorities that you have
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  going into 2026.
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  Well,
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  lots lots of priorities.
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  I'm gonna say, you know, obviously, with, the
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  ever changing world of health care,
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  you know, you've you've constantly gotta be, I
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  think, nimble and and be,
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  able to to pivot, at a at a
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  moment's notice.
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  I would say our our largest priorities right
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  now, first would be access.
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  You know, really looking at,
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  how do we, you know, how do we
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  not only,
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  make sure that we're open for business and
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  have locations, bricks and, you know, brick and
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  mortar available for,
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  for populations,
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  you know, throughout our primary and secondary service
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  area.
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  But really looking into the intricacies of, you
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  know, how quickly do we answer the phone,
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  you know, how fast is it to get
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  an appointment, you know, with a with a
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  physician or a specialist.
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  You know, so really focusing on access for
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  us. We're an independent hospital, not part of
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  a larger system.
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  So
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  we have we have to be,
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  in my opinion,
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  focused on our market, whether it be the
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  primary service market, secondary service market,
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  Making sure that we continue to keep our
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  market share and or, you know, capture market
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  share from the competitors around us. So so
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  access is a is a huge initiative and
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  right along with that I would say is
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  growth.
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  So making sure that we're looking at the
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  service areas that,
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  that are, you know, with within, you know,
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  both our primary and secondary markets to,
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  to help us figure out points of care.
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  Where do we open new urgent cares? Where
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  do we open new physician practices?
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  So so growth definitely
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  a a a big
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  piece of that for us as well. And
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  so you're a you're a smaller player surrounded
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  by in in a competitive space.
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  So I'm interested in growth. And and how
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  are you how are you making that work?
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  And how do you have the
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  resources? And how do you how do you
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  allocate those resources to support that? Sure. Yeah.
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  We're we're one of, I'm gonna say, in
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  the Chicagoland
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  area, one of three hospitals that are still
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  independent, so not part of a larger health
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  system.
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  And so as we look at growth for
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  us, it is looking at the competitive landscape
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  out there and, you know, figuring out from
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  a population perspective where it makes sense to,
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  you know, add new buildings, brick and mortar.
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  And then
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  I'm gonna say from a marketing perspective, even
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  if we don't have bricks and mortar, how
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  do we market to that community?
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  Some of the, you know, great things that
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  we have to offer at Silver Cross. You
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  know, we've been blessed to be a leapfrog
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  a rated hospital 22 consecutive times in a
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  row.
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  You know, we've vacillated between the CMS four
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  and five star.
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  You know, health grades, we've been, the number
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  one surgical hospital in the state of Illinois
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  for the last two years, so beating out
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  all of the major players, I would say.
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  So we focus on quality and patient safety,
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  and,
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  I think our communities respond to that. Yeah.
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  Okay. Okay. So you have some differentiators,
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  really, that We do. Yeah. Yeah.
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  I'd like to ask you about technology Yes.
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  And technology innovation,
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  another area because that requires investment.
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  Sure. I'm curious
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  of how you think about this.
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  One of the questions I'm asking everybody on
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  the podcast is about,
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  health care's
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  new,
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  seemingly new enthusiasm
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  for technology because of AI. Yes. Feels like
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  health care has traditionally been rather conservative in
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  how it's been adopting technology,
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  but it feels like that's changing
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  with AI. People are finding use cases that
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  are genuinely valuable and getting excited about that.
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  Are you seeing that too? So I am.
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  I'm we definitely see it around us. I'm
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  gonna say we're probably,
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  definitely not on the bleeding edge of of
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  AI. So I'm gonna say we're one of
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  those hospitals that sit back a little bit
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  and,
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  and
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  evaluate,
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  what's out there. Not to say that we
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  aren't, in the AI space. So we have
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  a a number of different areas where we've
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  implemented,
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  some AI solutions.
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  We're working right now with ambient listening with
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  our physicians. I mean, obviously, that's the biggest,
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  I'm gonna say,
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  buzz around right now. Every doctor asks me
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  every day when can I get it? Right.
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  Yeah. So that's been interesting.
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  We recently partnered with a with an organization,
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  that has AI detection
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  in their colonoscopy,
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  you know, in colonoscopy
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  procedures. So, again, having that artificial
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  intelligence behind the eyes of our of our
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  proceduralists,
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  to be able to detect,
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  polyps that maybe the naked eye wouldn't see.
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  So that's been
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  interesting as we implement that because I feel
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  like that from a quality perspective is is
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  great for the communities that we serve.
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  You know, we've recently partnered, on the revenue
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  cycle area,
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  with a
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  solution that helps our CDI team,
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  that, looks at appropriate diagnosis and and coding
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  for the patients, and appropriate statusing Yeah. Whether
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  a patient's observation or fully admitted into the
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  hospital. So so, yeah, we're we've we're dipping
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  our toes in it,
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  and and interested in seeing where where it
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  takes us. When you think about that and
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  you think about
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  who to work with,
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  well, I suppose the question is how are
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  you thinking about who to work with? Are
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  you working with
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  your traditional
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  partners,
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  that you've always had by your side? Are
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  you working with new kinds of companies?
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  Yeah. No. I think we've branched out a
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  little bit. I mean, I'm a big believer
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  in competition breeds excellence.
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  So I think as we as we look
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  at the landscape out there, you know, we
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  definitely look at, you know, sort of the
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  top player, but then also, very interested in
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  looking at who else is in the in
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  the space.
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  So we've branched out a little bit over
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  the last, you know, twelve to twenty four
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  months in some of the partnerships that we've,
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  decided to to go with in in the
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  AI space. So, so, yeah, I would say
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  we're we're definitely open to, to new players
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  in the market as well. You mentioned clinicians
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  coming to you,
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  looking for the solution.
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  Is that an an interesting experience
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  and and, I mean, like a new experience.
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  Right? And and and is it giving you
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  challenges in terms of then
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  governing some of these projects and thinking about
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  how you do it? Because like you said,
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  you don't want to be on the bleeding
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  edge. So how do you sort of
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  restrain the enthusiasm, if that's if that's the
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  right way of saying it? So
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  it it is not easy,
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  especially as it looks as we look at
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  the, ambient listening for the physicians. I mean,
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  literally, every day, I have somebody coming in
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  and asking, can they get on the platform?
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  And, you know, right now, we're really focusing
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  on our,
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  on our high volume physicians and staying within
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  the primary care space I see. Initially.
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  I I would say our,
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  my chief, informatics officer and her team are,
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  very
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  closely monitoring from a governance perspective,
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  a, what companies we partner with, b,
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  how
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  quickly we implement and launch these solutions.
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  So I think we're starting,
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  you know, with a with a core group
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  of physicians and evaluating how that's going and,
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  you know, looking at, you know, what what
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  opportunities it's it's giving those physicians,
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  and evaluating on the back end,
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  you know, as, you know, as we look
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  at those physicians from a, you know, billing
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  and coding perspective, is it similar to where
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  they were prior to using the ambient listening?
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  Are we seeing improvement in, you know, in,
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  their their
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  billing documentation their documentation and billing.
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  And, you know, I think just really kinda
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  keeping a close eye on
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  on what it's
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  how it's helping us Yeah. Organizationally
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  and,
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  and going through there. Keeping
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  physicians close,
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  guide
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  using them to help guide you, focusing on
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  outcomes. Yeah. For sure. Yeah. I think, you
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  know, they're inherently, I would say, our physicians
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  have not been,
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  super open to change.
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  Right? And so I I think this has
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  been
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  a little bit of of a refresh,
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  and and I think what's happening is they're
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  hearing other physicians talk about how it's making
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  their job easier, I'm gonna say, That they're
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  not spending as much time after hours documenting,
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  that the notes seemingly are a little bit
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  better than even what they would have produced
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  had they have, written the notes themselves.
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  So
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  I think overall, the product is helping speak
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  for itself. And so I think that's what's
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  also pushing Yeah. You know, our physicians to
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  to ask what about me or when can
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  I Sure? When can I get on the
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  platform? Sure. Yeah. You touched on,
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  payer mix earlier on, and you said you
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  had a pretty favorable payer mix. How are
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  relations with your payers right now?
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  I'm gonna say I I'm gonna say I
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  I believe we have good relations with payers,
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  but it's always a struggle. You know, the
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  denials are increasing,
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  you know, just challenging.
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  I'm gonna say every day there's a challenge
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  with, you know,
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  of peer to peer,
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  or,
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  you know, a denial that comes through or,
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  you know, just challenges on down coding,
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  etcetera.
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  So at the end of the day, I
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  don't know that it's that our relationship has
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  changed year over year. I just think it
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  it's it's seemingly a little bit more heat
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  you know, the the heat is a little
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  bit higher than what maybe it's been in
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  the past.
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  You've touched on technology potentially having the potential
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  to,
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  improve
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  payment performance, improve revenue cycle performance. Yes. Revenue
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  cycle's been an area historically that's been or
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  it's very labor driven, labor centric,
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  using technology as a sort of aid or
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  a tool.
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  But it seems now that it is an
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  an area that can become technology led and
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  human supported.
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  Do you agree with that?
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  I think I think it can transition to
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  that. I'm gonna say that we you know,
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  this is one of the areas that we've,
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  you know, dipped our toe into the water.
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  We were working with a more people centric,
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  revenue cycle support group,
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  that was more of a concurrent
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  review of of charts working with our CDI
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  team. Mhmm. And
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  feel that our our team, our physicians, our
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  CDIs,
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  our coders,
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  really benefited from that, to a point where,
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  we did recently implement a AI
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  focused solution. So sort of moving away from
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  the people support,
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  and moving to a more,
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  computerized,
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  AI,
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  style,
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  of software that's that's supporting our team right
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  now. So it's it's new for us. So,
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  I mean, we're in the first couple of
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  months of launching that. So really keeping an
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  eye on
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  if it's gonna continue driving the performance that
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  we saw with the concurrent reviews.
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  And, you know, we're very hopeful that that
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  is true that not only have our people
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  learned, but now the,
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  software is gonna help guide them. So, patiently
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  awaiting results and
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  seeing, you know, if if that is true.
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  And do you think that can improve payout
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  relationships over time just through visibility,
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  speed, performance, accuracy,
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  for example? Yeah. I I do. Yeah. I
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  do. I think, you know, I think there
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  is,
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  there is
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  a a sense that that that that is
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  true, that through
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  improved performance and,
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  and,
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  I'm gonna say more accurate coding
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  Yeah. That that definitely could, you know, improve
• 13:37
  payer relations. Yeah. Yes. Okay.
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  Let's end with a thought on the the
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  patient,
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  and and and and you talked a bit
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  at the start about about access.
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  Like, what what
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  we've we've talked about
• 13:54
  using technology to improve the clinician experience and
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  help administratively.
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  How do you see some of these advancements
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  helping the the patient as well
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  and maybe patient access?
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  Yeah. I mean, I can think of a
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  couple ways. I mean, we've we've recent recently
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  put a a focus on our a call
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  center, and,
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  we had a abandonment rate of upwards of
• 14:18
  fifteen percent, which obviously, as a CEO, you
• 14:20
  don't wanna hear,
• 14:22
  that fifteen percent of your patients are hanging
• 14:23
  up before they actually get an appointment scheduled.
• 14:26
  So we've worked, very,
• 14:28
  we've had very focused efforts over the past
• 14:30
  twelve months,
• 14:32
  bringing that, abandonment rate below the industry
• 14:36
  average of five percent. We're running right around
• 14:38
  three percent right now, which is a significant
• 14:40
  improvement.
• 14:41
  So from an access perspective, I think that's
• 14:43
  great for our patients.
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  I'm gonna say our patient population,
• 14:47
  in in New Lenox isn't as supportive
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  of,
• 14:52
  of,
• 14:53
  using technology. So, like, our check-in process,
• 14:56
  we have the ability to be able to
• 14:57
  check-in electronically or via a person.
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  And I'm gonna say the majority of our
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  patients still prefer to use the person even
• 15:05
  when redirected and and helped. So we're we're
• 15:08
  coaching and, you know, working, you know, working
• 15:10
  with the population to get more comfortable with
• 15:12
  it. Mhmm. Because at the end of the
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  day, it does streamline things and and makes
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  access easier.
• 15:18
  But, but, but, yeah, I I think there's
• 15:19
  lots of solutions out there that can continue
• 15:21
  to help with access and and improve our
• 15:23
  patient
• 15:24
  satisfaction. We've just gotta, you know, keep dabbling
• 15:27
  in it and find what works, for the
• 15:29
  populations we serve. Yeah. Very good. Michael, are
• 15:32
  there any concluding thoughts that you want to
• 15:34
  leave us with? No. Just excited to be
• 15:36
  here at the Becker's conference, and thank you
• 15:38
  for, thank you for your time. Cool. Thank
• 15:40
  you very much for yours. We really appreciate
• 15:42
  talking to you. Thank you, Will. Thank you.