Greener Healing Ways Success Story: Improved Communications, Increased Productivity (Webinar Signup)

Time-consuming patient communications and frustrations with appointment management sent this growing practice looking for a better technology solution. 

Dr. James Berg started Greener Healing Ways in 2016 and has two offices in Hawaii. Specializing in cannabis certifications, he provides patients with information regarding medical marijuana laws in Hawaii and assesses patients to receive cannabis for medical purposes. As the predominant authority in the state, Dr. Berg offers legal services and assistance to a wide variety of patients in need of registration with the Hawaiian Department of Health.

Challenge: Frequent No-shows and Time-Consuming Patient Communications

When Amber Jensen became the Office Manager at Greener Healing Ways in April 2018, their billing software was going out of business. She switched to a different software that proved to be unreliable, despite their advertised prominence in the medical marijuana billing industry.

Though they were promised accurate appointment setting and texting services, this wasn't the case. The software constantly malfunctioned, losing patient appointments and records. “Our office would reach out to their tech support to discuss the many problems regarding appointments, but we soon realized it was an engineering problem that they couldn't fix,” Amber says.

The most significant issues the office faced involved the frequency of appointment errors, no-shows and difficulty managing the calendar. The call volume for scheduling and confirming appointment details was overwhelming, and their current software wasn't helping. Their business was hurting, but Amber was hesitant to change to yet another software because of the daunting task of training the staff on a new system.

To hear straight from Amber about her challenges and the solutions that worked for their practice, watch this free webinar. 

Solution: Switched to Streamlined Patient Scheduling and Communications Solution

After researching Kareo's integrated platform and hearing the testimonials of current customers, Amber brought the new solution to Dr. Berg. The Kareo consultant walked them through all of the benefits and explained the return on investment they would see.  

“I was absolutely blown away with the product and everything that came with it, such as tech support and the dedicated Success Coach that was always available,” says Amber. They decided to make the switch.  

As soon as the system was available to her, which was “pretty immediate,” Amber dove right in, working to resolve missed appointments and no-shows. In fact, they were able to launch the new platform within two weeks after the initial sales call. “I got the login, and the next day I started with the .csv file uploads,” says Amber. “I was amazed by the amount of support that came from Kareo. My Success Coach even checked in on me after hours, and tech support is unbelievable!”

The doctor was delighted with the easy-to-use, color-coded calendar system, for setting appointments with new patients, registration renewal visits and legal information sessions. “Dr. Berg is happy because it works, and the promises made were true,” says Amber.

She notes how switching to the Kareo platform was easier than she was expecting because of the training support she received during the transition. For her previous software switch, she had to create training guides on her own. Kareo offers ongoing live training, videos, webinars and a variety of resources such as guides and checklists.

“I wish I had known how easy the transition to Kareo was going to be because I would have done it much sooner,” says Amber. “It wasn't as much labor as I thought it was going to be because of all the help and Kareo ’s ease of use,” Amber states.  “I didn't have to do all the training myself!”

Results: Easier Patient Communications, Enabling Practice Growth

The practice had struggled with no-shows and managing appointments and communications. “Kareo’s patient communication features have been key for the business, and was not available with the other software,” Amber says. Utilizing the auto-confirm technology for appointment confirmations has made a positive impact on front office efficiency by cutting down on call volume and rescheduling daily appointments via the patient broadcast feature.

Amber recalls how Kareo’s patient communications features came to the rescue after two back-to-back natural disasters: when the Kilauea volcano sent lava flowing across nearly 700 acres and after Hurricane Olivia barreled through the island. “There are new black sand beaches now created by all the lava!”,” says Amber. Many of their patients were displaced and out of contact. Amber and her staff used Kareo’s automated patient broadcast and text messaging functions to reach patients and keep them updated about office closures and important details about upcoming appointments.

In addition to the patient communications tools, Amber praises Kareo’s credit card on file capabilities. “No-shows hurt our business. But having the ability to securely store a credit card and charge a fee is going to help with no-shows. It holds patients more accountable,” Amber says.

“Because of the change in call volume, I can now restructure the office a bit and start up new projects,” says Amber “Having time to build our business, instead of just monitoring it, has been huge. I am blown away.” They have directed their additional time in gaining new patients and providing better assistance to their current patients.

Conclusion

“I feel we are taking better care of our patients because we can reach out to them more and take more time on the phone because the confirmations call volume has decreased so much!” says Amber. With the efficiency improvements, they are able to consider adding another provider to the practice.  And as soon as the Hawaiian Department of Health approves telemedicine appointments, Greener Healing Ways will start using Kareo’s Telehealth video visit technology to reach more patients.

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To hear more about Amber's experience and how Kareo makes it easy for practices to switch to a better solution, watch this free webinar! 

Free Webinar: Switching Your Medical Practice Software Is Easier Than You Think