As I approach my six-month mark of employment with Spare Key, I wanted to share the enthusiasm and excitement I have for this organization. I am so proud to work here and stand behind every aspect of the Help Me Bounce program. The more I learn about it, the more my desire to share my knowledge about the platform grows. So, what better way to share than through this blog! This Q&A Series is not only for the applicants and participating families, but for the visitors to the site, our generous donors and the medical professionals that help our cause in so many ways.
As I dove into my role as Help Me Bounce Program Coordinator, I immediately noticed recurring questions on the forefront of everyone’s mind when it came to applying for assistance. A lot of those questions asked were related to our social worker/medical professional verification process. So today, I’m answering some of those most common questions!
Every part of the application is equally important, but the medical professional verification portion is different in that it brings a person from outside our organization onto the platform to verify the applicant’s medical situation. With serving families and medical professionals across the country, I wanted to provide additional clarity to make everyone’s role as easy as possible!
Read on for my next installment of Help Me Bounce Q&A series: Medical Professional Verification.
How does the verification process work?
When the participant submits their application for review, an automated email is generated and sent to the medical professional’s email address. This email provides a link to a verification page on Help Me Bounce. They are asked to enter their credentials (such as the hospital name, medical license #, etc.) and prompted to select yes or no that the family is facing a medical crisis. When the medical professional submits their verification, Spare Key is notified that the application is ready for our review and approval!
Why does a medical professional have to verify my application?
Spare Key’s Help Me Bounce platform helps families facing medical crises. This verification step confirms that requirement. This is one of many ways Spare Key gives 100% assurance and confidence to donors on Help Me Bounce.
Does it have to be a social worker who can verify my medical crisis?
No. It can be any certified medical professional who can provide their license number and is aware of your medical situation. Some examples are a nurse, physical therapist, hospital social worker, primary care physician, and chiropractor.
What if my doctor’s office does not have an email address to use?
We understand some medical professionals do not provide a public email address to patients. If this is the case for the medical professional you are using for verification, we suggest explaining how the process works, and they may provide an alternative work email address. If, after sharing the process, they are still unable to provide an email address, the best option may be to use a different medical professional associated to your case. There is no other way to process this verification.
Is there any other way my doctor’s office can verify my medical crisis other than through email?
No. Our Help Me Bounce program is completely online. We cannot accept verbal verifications over the phone, or any form of written verification that is sent to Spare Key staff. To ensure transparency throughout the process for everyone, we must have this email verification completed before publishing.
Can my medical professional use their own personal email address for the verification?
No. We require the medical professional’s work email address. In part of the verification process, the email address itself indicates the medical professional’s affiliation with their certification. We will stop the application process and ask to edit the email address if a personal email address is provided.
Can I change who verifies my medical crisis?
Yes. Participants can edit information before the verification has been completed or during a campaign’s renewal period. On the applicant’s dashboard, they can select ‘Edit’ under the ‘Social Worker / Medical Professional”. Applicants can then edit or update any fields before selecting ‘Save and return to campaign’. An alert at the top of the screen will state ‘Saved the social worker request for your family’ when done correctly.
What information is shared to verify my application?
The medical professional receives an email explaining a family applied for assistance on Spare Key’s Help Me Bounce platform and indicated they are the medical professional tied to their case. We explain that a verification of the family’s medical crisis is needed to approve the family’s application. We do NOT ask for any medical information; only a “Yes” or “No” confirmation. The medical professional then enters their credentials, electronically signing and submitting the response back to Help Me Bounce.
How long does the verification process take?
The URL link is valid for 15 days. The status of your campaign will remain ‘Pending social worker request’ until the medical professional completes the verification response. If the verification request was sent and it has been longer than a week, we suggest contacting the medical professional you provided to request they search for sender ‘support@helpmebouce.org’ to verify the email was not sent to the junk or spam folder. If it has exceeded the 15 days, please email Spare Key at support@helpmebounce.org or call (952) 406-8872 to request a new URL link be sent.
Do I need another verification from a medical professional if I renew my campaign?
Yes. Your Help Me Bounce campaign is live and featured on our platform for six (6) months. Approximately two weeks before the expiration, you will receive an email asking if you would like to extend your campaign for an additional six (6) month period. If you choose to extend, the renewal process begins, and a new verification email will be sent to the medical professional listed on your application. The same information is needed from medical professional as in the original application. Spare Key will verify the medical professional’s credentials before approving the renewal.
I hope this installment of the Help Me Bounce Q&A Series gave you the knowledge and understanding you need to trust our program and continue to rely on Spare Key to give the best support we can to our families. Sharing insights on every step of the process gives us more opportunity to help families ‘Bounce and not Break’! We are here for you, so please reach out if you have any questions along the way by emailing me at: support@helpmebounce.org.
Angela Frazier
Help Me Bounce Program Coordinator