Cash Handling Policy

Implementation Date: 1/8/2019

Date of Last Revision: 2/3/2023

Next Review Due: 2/2/2025

 

Reviewed by VTH Administrative Team: 9/24/2018

Reviewed by VTH Board: 1/8/2019

 

Reviewed by Legal Counsel: N/A

Revised VTH Director Approval: 11/8/2021

Subject to modification by the VTH Director without approval.

Policy

In accordance with University of Illinois cash handling policy, the following applies to all Small and Large Animal Clinic Customer Service Representatives, Accounting Officer and Pharmacy Staff.

1. Cash funds must not be left unattended. Cash funds must be stored in a cash box within a register, safe or locked cabinet, to which access is restricted to preferably the cashier or person in a department acting as a cashier. 
2. Each Accounting Officer is responsible for their own change bag (see Acceptance of Change Bag Key form)
3. Delivery of bank deposits from the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) to cashiering must be done by the courier contracted to provide the service.
   
   

Guidelines

Cash Handling Unit Guidelines

1. All cash received must be recorded through the HIS (Health Information System). 
2. If the HIS is not available, a pre-numbered receipt form must be issued to the customer and a duplicate copy retained by the cash handling unit. 
3. The cash received must be reconciled to the HIS proof as agreed with the Accounting Officer.
     a. Each daily proof must be “verified” to document your reconciliation of your daily work 
     b. Verification of daily proofs also verifies that your change bag is reconciled for the day 
     c. Each transaction on the proof must be accompanied by supporting documentation (with the exception of online adjustments and balances that are sent/pulled              back from GAR)
4. Checks must be made payable to the any of the following: University of Illinois, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Small or Large Animal Clinic. Additionally, the back of checks must be stamped “Pay to the order of University of Illinois Only Veterinary Teaching Hospital”
5. A deposit form prepared by the Accounting Officer must be written for the total amount of the deposit and the cash and deposit slip must be delivered to campus cashiering daily or on a schedule agreed with the cashiering department. Due to COVID-9 impact, the daily deposits are only delivered to OBFS cashiering on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Change Fund Guidelines

1. It is the responsibility of the Customer Services Representatives and Pharmacy staff who maintain change funds to adhere to this policy/guideline. 
2. A change fund may be applied for or increased by completing a request form and forwarding to Alice Seaton of UIS Cashiering (see Change Funds Document for further information)
3. The change funds must be kept in a safe or locked cabinet under the control of the responsible person. 
4. The change funds must at all times contain the authorized amount in cash. The funds may not be used for customer shortages or cashing checks. In the event the change funds do not contain the appropriate amount of cash, the VTH Business Office must be notified.
5. Funds received from any source must not be added to the change fund but must be processed per the procedures for a cash handling unit.
   
   

Procedure (if applicable)

Definitions (if applicable)

Cash - May be comprised of coin, currency, checks, money orders, credit card transactions, CareCredit transactions, and electronic funds transfers. 

Cash Handling Units - Departments or other units that handle cash on a regular basis.

Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH): The collective clinical services of the Large Animal Clinic, Midwest Equine, the Small Animal Clinic, and the Veterinary Medicine South Clinic.