Meet Robert Ball – creating exceptional patient experiences in Austin.
As admissions supervisor at Texas Children’s Hospital – North Austin, Robert Ball is always thinking about exceptional patient experiences – from the moment our patients and families walk in, until they are ready to go home.
How did you end up at Texas Children’s?
I’m originally from Louisiana and have an architecture degree, but transitioned to health care in 2009. My 15 years of experience ranges from front-end operations to consultant work and various roles across the revenue cycle. Working at a children’s hospital in Virginia, and going through cancer motivated me to pursue pediatrics. When looking for a new role, Texas Children’s was a top choice based on its history and mission, and many people I encountered agreed, it’s a great place to work.
What are you most excited about as we open our North Austin Campus in 2024?
I can’t wait to cultivate our Texas Children’s culture and apply it with a unique Austin spin – to build relationships with our partners, patients and families to ensure our continuous ranking as one of the best children’s hospitals in the nation.
What inspires you in your role, and what’s next in your career?
I’m passionate about helping and empathizing with people. Since admissions is the point of entry and exit for the hospital, I can utilize my skills to ensure our patients have a great experience throughout their journey of care. In my past roles, the most rewarding aspects were the face-to-face interactions and relationship building. When I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and admitted to the hospital, seeing the kids in my unit push through and stay strong inspired me to enroll in a physician assistant program. I’d like to specialize in pediatric oncology.
What makes Austin a great place to live and work?
Austin provides an array of great music, amazing food, beautiful lakes and parks, and diversity. One of my favorite restaurants is Doc B’s located in the Domain.
What is the best career or work advice you’ve ever received?
Become a lifelong learner. Sometimes in life, we become complacent in our day-to-day work and careers, and tend to forget the world keeps on spinning and changing. With a learning mindset, we grow personally and professionally every day.
Admissions, transfers, and discharges are the three types of patient movements within a hospital. Our admissions representatives oversee all aspects of scheduling, registration, pre-admission and admission operations – ensuring the highest possible customer service, accurate data for clinical/strategic planning, an efficient billing and collections process, and compliance with state and federal laws.
If admissions is your area of expertise and you are passionate about providing exceptional patient experiences, we look forward to connecting with you at TexasChildrensPeople.org.
