TIME FRAME THAT AN INVOICE CAN BE HELD OPEN
The invoice can be held open for any number of days between Monday and Friday each week. Every invoice for animals not in hospital must be checked out on Friday by 3 pm, no exceptions.
The medical record must be kept in the cage slot that corresponds to the cage being held for the animal between visits. Cage number, along with date and time of return must be recorded on the appropriate appointment schedule. We will use “open invoice re-admit slips”. These forms will be distributed to each section, this will allow us to relay the client return information to the receptionist and to allow EM clinicians easy access to this record.
The clinician or student will complete a re-admit slip for open invoice cases. These slips will allow us to know the date and time the client is expected to return, and who will be receiving the patient. The slips must be turned into the receptionist by the clinician, student or client when the patient leaves the VTH.
The clinician will be responsible for recording the actual number of nights that the patient spent in the hospital on the financial sheet. If this isn’t done or isn’t done correctly the clinicians TC account will be charged for erroneous hospitalization.
The clinician will insure that an adequate deposit (half of the low end of estimate) is collected and updated with additional deposits accordingly.
When the client is returning Monday or Tuesday of the next week the clinician will turn the complete medical record into the business office no later than 3:00 pm on Friday. The clinician or student will notify the business office of the day and time of the client’s return, the medical record will be flagged, sent to medical records at 3:00 and will be returned to the reception area by 4:30.
All paperwork must be dated. The ENTIRE medical record must be turned in at each invoice closure, no exceptions.
Every client will still need to go to the Business Office to be checked out and have their clinician or student paged. Please tell your clients this so they are not surprised by this procedure.