By the end of the day when you get 80 calls you want to rip the phone out of the wall. We were able to get through all of the insurance checks for the week on Tuesday, because the phone wasn't ringing and constantly interrupting because we were able to manage our time appropriately.
Donna Muscarella
Practice Manager
About Buffalo ENT Specialists
Buffalo ENT Specialists is a preeminent otolaryngology practice in Buffalo, NY. They treat a wide range of Ear, Nose and Throat conditions for patients across the Western New York region and welcome Canadian patients.
The Challenge
Because they have a small and focused practice staff, Buffalo ENT was constantly bombarded with phone calls from prospective patients seeking treatment options, along with ongoing communication with their existing patient base and other offices coordinating care.
During busy times, additional staff would have to work through the call backlog and patients would end up on hold or with a voicemail expecting a call back. The calls were never ending and by the end of the day the reception staff was exhausted and feeling like they did not give adequate attention to their patients - both in person and on the phone. They were in the process of evaluating external call center solutions or hiring additional staff just for routine calls like new patient intake.
The Solution
When they approached Clark Street Health for a pilot, we quickly presented a plan to augment their ability to pick up every new patient call. They were able to go live with their pilot in a few weeks and found it was a drop in replacement to support their operations.
Their customer AI agents were able to adapt easily to their particular needs and focus on:
- New patient intake and insurance validation
- Inter office communication
- 24/7 AI phone support
The Result
After implementing the AI agent, the following processes have improved efficiency:
- The ability to quickly glance at perhaps 20 messages and prioritize their importance rather than slowly going through the voicemail retrieving messages in no particular order. This is a tremendous time saver.
- Having basic information from each patient before returning a call to make an appointment so as not to repeat what was said on voicemail.
- The ability to check patients in for their appointment without phone interruption and returning calls based on time availability (also nice for the patient checking in).
“By the end of the day when you get 80 calls you want to rip the phone out of the wall. We were able to get through all of the insurance checks for the week on Tuesday, because the phone wasn't ringing and constantly interrupting”because we were able to manage our time appropriately.”
The Buffalo ENT team was able to immediately see success after launch. They made quick adjustments to capture the right level of detail for new patients, and the AI agents were able to navigate insurance nuances seamlessly.
With every single call being answered and detailed notes recorded in their systems, they could easily provide their undivided attention to patients arriving in person and promptly get back to all prospective patients for new consultation scheduling. Once validated, the team has expanded their agent use and enjoys the ability to scale up and down their support as needed.
The receptionist staff has also been able to prioritize their call backs which relieves pressure on both the staff and the customers/patients. Honestly, it has created a calmer, more professional and pleasant environment for everyone that works in the office, which translates to a better relationship with patients.