A new imperative for patient relationship management.

: Managing relationships with patients and their families before, during, and after treatment is central to the success of health systems of the future. Revenue cycle staff are critical to an organization's efforts to build patient loyalty, because revenue cycle operations involve one of the few standardized processes in health care to engage with patients on and off campus. A patient engagement initiative implemented by Gwinnett Medical Center in Atlanta delivered a better billing experience for 86 percent of patients surveyed--either with Gwinnett or with another hospital.