1. AWARDS
  2. System Management
  3. AWARDS Feature Transitions

Automated Providers Transition

Updated

We understand that this Providers transition is quite the undertaking. In recognition of that, we have developed a tool and process that will greatly reduce the burden of this work. With the new Automated Providers Transition Tool, Foothold will help you transition your entire database from the old Support Services Contacts feature to the new, enhanced Providers feature.

The Transition Process

We are making this process as easy as possible by automating the bulk of the transition using our Automated Providers Transition Tool. Here is what you can expect: 

  • Decision Making - Ahead of your scheduled transition, your agency should make some permission and configuration decisions.
  • Automated Transition - The Automated Providers Transition Tool will run.
  • Staff Training - Your agency will train your users on how the new feature works (using the tools and resources Foothold has created.)
  • Post Transition Data Checks & Clean Up - Lastly, you will check your data, run reports, look for duplicates, clean data, etc. 

 

Note: the transition is an agency-wide process for all programs in your AWARDS database. 

Decision Making

Ahead of your scheduled transition, your agency should make some permission and configuration decisions:

Determine Your New Provider Roles

In Support Services Contacts, there were some pre-set roles with an option for a user to write in their own. Different programs could have different options set. In the new Providers feature, this role option is agency-wide, so you will want a comprehensive list of common roles that you would want to collect for an individual across all of your programs. 

Tip! To help you determine the list of roles, run this saved report to see the active roles currently in use at your agency: Reports > Support Services Contacts ReportBuilder - Select  All Agency Programs. Keep all settings the same and run the saved report called "Support Services Contacts ReportBuilder: Foothold Technology: Providers Transition Report - PROVIDER ROLES." This will give you a full list of all the roles currently in use.


Set New Permissions

There are a few permissions related to the Providers feature and Providers Directory. You will want to determine your workflows for these options and set permissions accordingly. This 5-minute video will walk you through the different permissions:

  • Referral/Provider Agencies Data Entry - You may already be using this feature to set agencies as "Admission Referral Sources" for Intake/Admission and/or "Outgoing Referral Sources" for Service Referrals, but this is also where you will set an agency as a "Provider Agency" that a provider is affiliated with. You may want to limit access to this feature to those individuals who will need to merge records for data cleanup and quality purposes.
  • Client Provider - Add New to Directory - This permission allows a user to add a new provider from an individual client's Medical > Providers records during the data entry process without having full access to the referral agency and Providers Directory features. 
  • Authorizing Provider Data Entry - (Optional) This permission is for agencies who use Authorizing Providers. In the old Support Services Contacts feature, any user whose program collected Authorizing Providers could add a new Authorizing Provider. In the NEW Providers feature, you can limit which users are able to perform data entry for this role type. 
  • Merge Tool - (For System Administrators & Help Desk Team) This permission is used for data clean-up purposes and allows assigned users to merge duplicate Provider and/or Agency records in their respective Directories. 


Determine Your Method for Entering Providers in the Providers Directory

There are two different methods for adding provider records to the Providers Directory. Watch this 3-minute video to review these two options and then determine which method you would like to use. From there, set permissions (see the Set New Permissions section above) and inform your staff accordingly. We have also provided ancillary training videos to share with your staff based on the option you choose. 

Option 1: Restricting Users From Adding Providers to the Providers Directory

This option is where the administrators are the ONLY users who can add new providers to the directory. You do not need to give users any new permissions. This is the training video you can provide to the administrators who will add the providers to the directory.

Note: If you opt for this route, you'll need to have clear internal processes and guidance for your staff on how they request that a missing provider be added to the directory. 

Option 2: Allowing Users to "Add New" Providers to the Directory

This option allows users to "Add New" providers from the Medical > Providers module, but will NOT allow them access to the directories or give them the "Client Provider - Add New to Directory" permission. If choosing this option, users should watch the Adding a New Provider for a Client video and the Adding a New Provider for a Client Not in the Directory video. 

Note: If your agency uses Authorizing Providers, you can limit which users can enter these records. You will need to give these users the Authorizing Provider - Data Entry permission. (See the Set New Permissions section above.)

(Optional) Complete the Optional Enhancements Document for the Providers Module

During the transition, your new Providers module will be set up to include the current support service contact roles that you use today. If you would like additional options added to the list, complete this Optional Enhancements Form. 

 

 

Automated Transition

Leading up to the transition, Foothold will perform a few checks and tasks in your database. You may notice some new permissions turned on, some new settings configured, some new/temporary user groups established, and some new ReportBuilders saved. These are all things that need to be done to set your database up for the transition. They will not affect your work or any of your other database permissions or settings. 

Foothold will be in touch with you when we are ready to start your transition. On your agency's assigned date, the Automated Providers Transition Tool will run, utilizing bot technology that simulates the manual process of entering the data that currently exists in the Support Services Contacts module into the Providers module. 

  • Your staff will be alerted to stay out of the Admin > Providers, Medical > Providers, and Medical > Support Services Contacts until the transition has been completed.

Note: If a staff person needs to add a new provider during the transition process, they should add it directly to the new Providers feature.

  • If you are a BillingBuilder customer and require Authorizing Providers, you will receive additional guidance from Foothold at the time of your transition. 

 

Staff Training

It's important to make sure your staff members are trained and comfortable with the new Providers workflow. Once the automated transition is complete, your database will look the same as it did before, except that all the data users previously saw in the Support Services Contacts feature will now be in the Medical > Providers module. Check out the helpful training videos we've included at the bottom of this page to help train your staff on all things "Providers!" 

Post-Transition Data Checks and Cleanup

Once the automated transition is complete, you will want to check that all the Providers-related data appears as you expect. You may want to complete a small amount of data cleanup. Some areas to consider include:

  • Checking New Providers Data
    • Review your data in the Providers Directory and Referral Agencies Directory to ensure it looks complete following the transition. 
    • Review your data in the Medical > Providers module to ensure things look as expected. 

Note: You will have up to one week following the completion of your automated transition to review your data and let us know if there are any issues. 

  • Check the Directories
    • Merge any agencies that need to be merged
    • Merge any providers that need to be merged
    • Optional: Enter any additional information about the providers in the Providers Directory (For example, Specialties)
  • Check the Client Records of Providers
    • Close out any provider records that are no longer current
    • Change any roles that need to be changed
  • Check your FormBuilder Forms
    • If you have any FormBuilder forms that include the old Support Services Contacts module as a dynamic section on the form, you will need to access the form in FormBuilder configuration and switch out the dynamic section to the new Providers module instead.

Other Helpful Resources

We have a variety of helpful resources to help you through the transition process. Have a look!

Enhancement Request Forms

Providers Transition Options - Request Form

Training Films & Demonstrations


FAQs

  • What data will be migrated?

Only current client records data will be migrated on the day that we deploy the feature in your site.

  • What data will not be migrated?

Any client providers that were discharged prior to the migration.

  • What happens when the role in Support Services Contacts is not a role in the selection list in the Providers module?

"Other" will be selected and the exact label that was entered in the Support Services contacts will be entered. For example, if a user entered in a role under support Services Contacts for Therapist but misspelled it as ‘Therapyst’ -the same label will be entered into the new providers. You will be able to clean this up easily as you come across errors or you can

  • What is the purpose of this transition?

A few years ago, Foothold released a Providers feature as an optional alternative to the Support Services Contacts feature in AWARDS. Since then, the two features have existed simultaneously in AWARDS. Foothold is planning to sunset the Support Services Contacts feature, so it is now officially time for all customers to transition to the newer Providers feature.

  • Why is this a good thing?

There are many benefits to transitioning to the Providers module. Some include:

  1. A Shared Database of Providers Across Your Entire Agency. Instead of manually typing each client's contacts into AWARDS, staff can search from the pre-built Providers Directory.
  2. Cleaner, More Consistent Data. The Providers module includes two directories for storing shared information: The Referral/Provider Agencies and the Providers Directory. When you upgrade to the Providers feature, Providers and Referral sources will share a directory, limiting repetitive data entry and incorrect data.
  3. Enhanced Reporting Capabilities. The Providers feature allows you to report on providers across your agency, giving you new insight into your clients’ engagement with their providers of all types.
  4. Consistency. You now have the ability to control which users can enter in authorizing Providers

  • My agency does not want to maintain or manage the Providers Directory, what happens if I never merge or fix the records?

If your agency cannot maintain the directory then you can simply allow users to continue to add to the directory and never clean it up. Chances are you are not looking to report on any of this data and nothing will happen if you have thousands of records in here.

 

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