How FQHCs Improve Revenue Management With Patient Kiosks

By Blakely Roth | April 9, 2025

East Jordan Family Health Center (EJFHC) is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) delivering high-volume care across two Michigan locations. Serving thousands of patients monthly, EJFHC needed a solution to streamline check-ins, reduce manual staff workloads and improve sensitive data collection. 

See how EJFHC made it all possible with patient-led kiosks. 

About the Practice 

• Practice Management System: NextGen 

• Number of Locations: 2 in Bellaire and East Jordan, MI

• Number of Providers: 12 

• Patient Volume: 3,000/month 

FQHC Revenue & Patient Experience Challenges

EJFHC initially relied on manual check-in, leading to inefficiencies and data collection challenges. As an FQHC, capturing comprehensive patient data—including Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) information, as well as data related to homelessness and income—was critical but often difficult to discuss at the front desk. Site Director at EJFHC Kassandra Duby shares, “When evaluating vendors, our top priority was capturing SOGI data in a way that was comfortable for patients.”

Going on she highlights other data management challenges, “We were also looking to get away from a paper-dependent process and all the signing and scanning that goes along with it. We wanted important information to automatically import into patient charts in our practice management system (PMS) to create a more efficient workflow. That’s what led us to Clearwave.” 

Additionally, EJFHC was looking for a way to improve financial transparency with their patients while also streamlining revenue management and eligibility verification processes. 

The Patient-Led Solution for FQHC Revenue Management & Staff Optimization

EJFHC implemented Clearwave Eligibility and Registration kiosks to ease staff burdens, shorten wait times, enhance data accuracy and improve FQHC revenue management and collections. 

Today, the practice sees 80% of patients use kiosks to self-register for their appointments, creating average check-in times of about a minute and half. Duby notes how the practice initially built patient awareness around their new check-in process, “Having a greeter initially helped patients get comfortable with the kiosks. Now, more patients opt for pre-registration from home, making their experience even smoother.” 

Every month the practice sees about 3,000 automatic updates to patient data, all made by patients and directly flowing into their PMS, improving data capture for FQHC compliance tasks. Duby shares, “Patients having buy-in to the kiosks and getting all that data uploaded directly into our PMS allows us to do what we do best—serve them. No documents are being missed.” 

The kiosks have also created a significant boost in patient payments simply by making balances visible right on the screen. Today, EJFHC drives an average monthly co-pay collection rate of 82%, a notable achievement for an FQHC. Duby highlights the impact across their revenue cycle, “The kiosks help patients see their financial responsibility upfront. Instead of ignoring mailed statements, they now recognize outstanding balances and make payments on the spot. It’s led to more productive conversations about billing and a better understanding of costs.” 

The Clearwave Impact on FQHC Patient Revenue & Experiences

EJFHC continues to see impactful staff and patient results every month, including: 

• 1m39s Average Check-In Time 

• 82% Co-Pay Collection Rate 

• 80% Patient Adoption of Kiosks 

• 3,016 Automatic Monthly Data Updates to Patient Accounts

With patient-led registration kiosks, EJFHC improved efficiency, enhanced patient experiences and increased financial transparency. “Our staff appreciates the kiosks,” Duby notes. “They no longer have to navigate difficult conversations about documentation or spend time scanning paperwork. Now, they can focus on providing a welcoming experience.” 

With Clearwave Eligibility and the Staff Control Center Dashboard, the practice stays on top of insurance issues and any additional registration tasks prior to patient appointments. Duby shares, “Staff have been very receptive to the dashboard. It gives them a quick snapshot of everything that needs to happen for patient appointments. They have tasks that alert them to request other forms from patients and it’s helped us stay efficient.” 

Ready to See Similar Revenue and Patient Results at Your FQHC?

See how you can achieve similar success and remove burdens for both your FQHC patients and administrative staff. Learn more about patient-led registration and scheduling for FQHC practices.