THE CHALLENGE
A community-owned, not-for-profit health system serving nine counties across the Midwest, operating nine hospitals and more than 35 clinics, was looking to expand its patient financial assistance capabilities. Known for innovation and recognized for clinical quality, the organization serves more than 235,000 patients annually, many of whom faced financial challenges related to the cost of care.
Despite its commitment to community health, the system’s financial assistance processes were not capturing the full range of available programs for eligible patients. Financial counselors were managing cases manually, and the organization lacked the technology infrastructure to systematically screen patients against the thousands of assistance programs available nationwide. Leadership sought a partner that could deliver immediate, high-value results while aligning with the system’s community-first values.
THE SOLUTION
The health system partnered with Atlas Health to utilize its dedicated expert advocates alongside the Atlas AI-powered platform. The solution was implemented across the system’s network, enabling comprehensive patient screening and enrollment across all nine hospitals and associated clinics.
Atlas’s advocates worked as an extension of the system’s financial counseling team, bringing deep expertise in navigating complex assistance programs while the technology platform ensured no eligible patient or program was overlooked. The partnership model was specifically chosen to minimize the operational burden on existing staff while maximizing the speed and scale of results.
The partnership was designed to integrate seamlessly with the system’s existing workflows, maintaining the patient-centered approach that defined the organization’s culture.
THE RESULTS
The partnership delivered strong cumulative results, securing more than $12M in total patient financial assistance for nearly 400 patients. The depth of per-patient impact was notable, with an average of more than $30,000 in assistance per patient, reflecting the program’s ability to thoroughly identify and capture available funding for each individual.
The results positioned the partnership as one of the most successful deployments in the system’s history, demonstrating that a community health system can achieve cumulative results comparable to much larger organizations when equipped with the right technology and expertise.
The combination of strong cumulative impact and high per-patient value across the system’s nine-county service area has reinforced the Atlas partnership as a critical component of the organization’s financial sustainability strategy, with the program continuing to scale.
