We’ve been hesitant about recommending partnerships in the past here at MEG, but after years of research and experience, we’ve found a few worthy exceptions.
What makes sense for a Physical Therapy Startup vs. an Existing Physical Therapy clinic in terms of partnerships that can help increase your bottom line? MEG talks through the strategic partnerships that make sense for physical therapy owners at various points in their business.
Who is Mike Dwyer?
Co-founder Prompt Therapy Solutions
Mike Dwyer is one of the co-founders and Head of Sales at Prompt EMR. Mike’s lengthy history as a physical therapy patient led to discovering inefficiencies and redundant workflows that plague physical therapy practices.
Who is Adam Baliatico?
Co-founder Prompt Therapy Solutions
With a background in Equity Research at Canaccord Genuity Group and owner/operator of Boston College 247 Sports, Adam has a unique background in managing large teams on different tracks. At Prompt, Adam is responsible for guiding product development and has been critical in bringing the platform to where it is today.
First Question: At Prompt, how do you treat the partnership when you sign on with a physical therapy practice?
Mike: We’re an extension of the practice’s team. We’re not only there to help you use the technology, but to use it effectively and learn how you grow your business with it.
Question: What are the main considerations people should take into account when choosing an EMR system?
Mike: There’s no perfect system. But I tell people to evaluate what’s going on in their practice – what’s taking too much time, etc. Also make a Wish List – what would the ideal system do for you? Then check off as many of those boxes as you can. With Prompt, having every piece of the pie in one system, you don’t have to spend hours on it.
Question: How does Prompt make documentation more efficient?
Mike: Adam and I spend an inordinate amount of time in the practice watching people operate. What is the front desk doing? What is Billing doing? And we find how we can do it better. We also get a constant stream of feedback from our clients.
Adam: Not being PT’s or PT owners gives us an advantage to be able to think outside the box, and to compensate for that we spend a ton of time meeting with the clients, owners, therapists and billers to understand the problems and what they’re trying to solve. We then are able to think outside the box when coming up with the optimal – even if unexpected – solution.
At MEG, our personal Billing team works closely with Prompt.
Question: How does Prompt facilitate and improve communication across divisions?
Adam: We use a live chat support that’s built into the system so that they can get their question answered quickly. It’s important to us to create great customer service. We also do Prompt Advance training – we do updates so often that this helps people keep up on how to use the features and it’s been a really effective way to make sure people are maximizing the system.
The implementation process can be somewhat of a nightmare sometimes.
Adam: Our implementation is focused on doing the right things at the right time. We never rush it. It has to be a multi-week process as it involves training, data transfer, making sure your centers are set up with the right tax IDs, billing schedules, etc. We use a project management software (Asana) that we add the clients to so they know what to do and when to make sure everything is done before the go-Live day.
You can’t run your business like a democracy, take input from your staff but make the final decision on what to do with your EMR. Prompt has successfully been able to remedy the fear of switching by conveying how it increases value to the whole clinic. Prompt is forward-thinking and cutting edge.
Switching gears from EMR and billing, let’s evaluate another important (if not THE most important) area of your practice… your communication and marketing.
Who is Kevin Gulbransen?
Head of Vertical Marketing at Weave
Kevin Gulbransen is the Head of Vertical Marketing at Weave. He has a special emphasis on working with the medical sector, particularly the physical therapy community. He has worked in the tech industry for a number of years and came aboard Weave because he was impressed with their unique communications and marketing solutions.
Question for you, Kevin: Can you tell us about Weave and how it differs from the traditional phone system?
Kevin: Weave is a complete engagement communications Marketing system for your practice, and the root of it is our phone system which enables you to do everything remotely. It’s a voiceover IP system, so right away you’re eliminating your phone bill. When your call comes in you can see important information/notes about the caller. This allows your staff to provide a personalized experience to every person who calls in, which is so important. We’re all about that superior patient experience. This has allowed people to keep their staff home, especially during the pandemic. We also provide call analytics, so you can track and adjust accordingly.
Question: Does Weave pair with Prompt for scheduling with payments?
Kevin: Not yet, we’re working on that and it’s on our radar. But Weave pairs with the most popular physical therapy EMR and practice management systems out there.
Question: Which Weave solutions have PT practices found most valuable?
Kevin: The ones I hear about a lot is #1: the phone system. We have our missed call text feature, which will automatically send the missed caller a text to capture that contact point. This ensures that they never miss a reach. Another tool that’s popular more on the Marketing side is the review feature. Your positive presence on Facebook and Google go a long way, so with Weave’s review system it can send automated text messages to prompt patients to leave reviews. Lastly is the mobile app that allows people to work remotely right from their phone.
Question: We train a lot of front desk personnel. Does Weave have a call monitoring feature where you can record a conversation for training purposes?
Kevin: Yes, call recording is part of it.
And get this guys, this is all HIPAA compliant!
Question: Can a patient actually schedule themselves from home and put themself into the system?
Kevin: They can and they can’t. Someone can request an appointment and form a waiting list, and if someone drops off your schedule, you can send an automated text out to a number of patients who are trying to get in. If they respond, they can get themselves in. This has been particularly helpful during COVID. But we don’t have a portal.
Question: Can people schedule themselves in Prompt?
Mike: It can show availability, but it won’t automatically go into the system because as a front desk you still want to be able to control the schedule.
Adam: The key is it’s a real-time feed from their Prompt schedule. The patient only sees when their therapist is actually available. Over 95% of the requests of appointments get confirmed with that integration.
As you can see, you don’t have to go back to the pre-Covid rat race of sacrificing your happiness in life. The company culture starts with YOU as the owner. Outsource these processes to give yourself time to do what you’re good at. There’s a huge gap between when you graduate to when you become a good CEO/Owner. That’s where MEG training comes in.
You can’t grow your business as a minimalist. It’s time to snap yourself out of survival mode and operate from a position of abundance, and be willing to invest in yourself. Align yourself with people who are constantly evolving. Anticipate, analyze and adapt.
Closing thoughts:
Kevin: Weave views itself as a partnership with PT practices to help them engage better with their current and prospective patients. Let us help you maximize your interactions at every level, and strengthen those crucial communication contact points. This will provide a top level patient experience to make you stand out.
Mike: I would spend at least half a day quarterly in every department across your practice to spot why things are happening in a certain way, and if it could be better.
Adam: We view every new clinic we bring on as a partner. Everything we do is to try to help you operate your business, that you worked so hard to create, more efficiently and take those manual processes and make them streamlined and automated. And give you access to data so it’s easy to understand and make business decisions that can help you operate in that abundance mentality. Everything is geared towards increased efficiency and helping you grow your practice.
Get with Weave to up your communication game.
Get with Prompt for “the Ferrari of EMR systems.”
Allow the professionals to do the heavy lifting in the areas that you simply don’t have expertise in.
Outsource to these guys who are at the tops of their games in their respective fields. If you’ve ever wished for more hours in the day, that’s an indicator that you have a lack of organization. Weave and Prompt make things more efficient, and give you time as the owner to focus on areas where your attention should be for growth and to make a better experience for your staff AND your patients. This is how you create more time for yourself.
PLEASE NOTE: Be sure to mention MEG when you reach out to our preferred partners to access additional discounts where available!
In case you missed the Zoomcast, You can access the Zoom Cast Vault Here:
