Challenge:
Renew ENT & Hearing Center had a goal to increase efficiency and improve business success through more advanced IT solutions. In particular, they wanted to create a better patient experience. To do so, they needed to increase communication with their IT provider, grow the teams’ knowledge of their IT solutions, and automate processes to reduce downtime and allow staff to focus their attention on patients.
Solution:
Our top priority was to create an easy communication process with Renew ENT & Hearing Center to ensure staff can reach us at any time of the day. We introduced all employees to our ticket system so they can quickly let us know when issues arise, allowing us to remotely connect to their systems, troubleshoot problems, and demonstrate to staff how to internally handle easy-fix issues to reduce downtime.
From there, our first project was to improve Renew ENT & Hearing Center’s WIFI network. This involved:
- Putting in newer, more efficient wireless access points
- Increasing the number of access points throughout the office to eliminate connection failures
- Installing a timer to automatically turn off the WIFI when the practice is closed, and occasionally reboot the network to keep it working as efficiently as possible
Once the WIFI was up and running, we worked to begin increasing productivity through customized templates for staff use. These templates help streamline documenting procedures like ear cleanings, nasal endoscopies, as well as surgery scheduling, pre-rhinoplasty exams, Botox treatments, and CT scans, among many others. In addition, we created custom documents and reports in NextGen to help cut down on office operations and give staff more time to spend with patients. This included:
- A post-op surgery instructions doc that automatically pulls in patient data from the templates, eliminating the process of manually re-writing patient information
- A patient instructions doc that staff can use to provide patients a summary at the end of their visit
- Patient information reports to monitor specific chart alerts like prior authorizations, missing emergency contact info, and outdated insurance cards to inform the patient before their visit
- Staff metrics reports to help the nursing department easily see activities such as telephone call notes
We continuously manage Renew ENT & Hearing Center’s IT solutions – from troubleshooting their WIFI network for increased speed to setting up new electronic devices or software as needed. This allows us to consistently improve technology standards and streamline processes, especially as the practice grows.
“Shared IT has been valuable to Renew ENT & Hearing Center’s success because of their knowledge, quick responses, and willingness to find solutions.”
Nikki Cody – Operations Manager – Renew ENT & Hearing Center
Results:
After completing the WIFI network updates and solidifying an IT management plan, business processes have consistently improved. This led to increasing overall productivity and reducing the amount of time staff spend troubleshooting IT issues, creating a greater focus on patient needs and relationships.
As customer-centric healthcare practitioners, Renew ENT & Hearing Center maintains confidence that all electronic devices and IT solutions are working properly every day – allowing staff to provide better customer service and more personalized, higher-quality care to every patient.
“We have been really happy with our partnership with Shared IT, and plan to continue the relationship for many years to come.”
Nikki Cody – Operations Manager – Renew ENT & Hearing Center
With customized templates, documents, and reports, we have optimized Renew ENT & Hearing Center’s business processes and reduced the time needed to prepare for patient visits, fill out patient forms, and find gaps in patient information.
Over time, we continue to use our knowledge and experience to find ongoing solutions that streamline processes and support Renew ENT & Hearing Center’s growth strategy.
