Aurora Psychiatric Hospital, Wauwatosa, 2020 Community Benefit

A Helping Hand During a Behavioral Health Crisis

Managing a mental health diagnosis proves to be difficult for many patients. Sometimes it takes a long time before a patient stabilizes, but with professional help, a support system, and sometimes medication, it is possible.
Unfortunately, when a patient isn’t feeling stable, they may act out toward their care team. This was the case with one patient that the Financial Advocate at Aurora Psychiatric Hospital encountered. While the patient was admitted as in inpatient, the staff realized that he had a large amount of outstanding charges and asked the Financial Advocate to reach out to see if he could help the patient.
The patient proved very difficult to work with. After numerous unsuccessful attempts to work with the patient over-the-phone, the Advocate visited the patient in-person. When he met the Advocate face-to-face, the patient was much more willing to answer the Advocate’s questions and complete a financial assessment. He didn’t trust the Advocate on the phone but felt more comfortable communicating with him when he could see that he was a real person who truly just wanted to help.
Following the assessment, the Advocate was able to approve the patient for a 100% discount on his outstanding medical bills through the Aurora Helping Hand Patient Financial Assistance Program. This financial relief allowed the patient to focus solely on his mental health.