As primary care offices nationwide were closing in the wake of COVID, CityLife Health Clinic Manager Ruthann Anderson and her team recognized an urgent community need for accessible care. The four CityLife clinics offer care to typically underserved populations in Philadelphia and Newark and, prior to the COVID pandemic, exclusively accepted Medicaid.
As local care options dwindled, CityLife rose to the challenge by choosing to extend their service to non-Medicaid populations and offer COVID testing to all. But the CityLife team needed a way to manage the additional influx of traffic and ensure patients and staff remained safe from infection. Amid increasing demand for contactless healthcare experiences, CityLife sought a way to virtualize their front desk experience in order to keep patients and staff at ease.
CityLife partnered with Solv to begin offering COVID testing, flu shots and urgent care to holders of all insurances. By implementing Solv’s end-to-end contactless service experience and reputation management, they expanded their client base and improved clinic workflow all while creating a safer environment.
Goals
- Expand service population
- Quickly begin offering COVID testing and flu shots
- Create a safer environment for patients
- Eliminate insurance confusion
Online Appointment Booking and Registration
CityLife began offering online booking and registration through Solv. By encouraging patients to book during slower times of the day, appointments naturally load balance. The team now sees fewer unmanageable, dangerous peaks in visitors.
Along with regular appointments, CityLife also enabled COVID test and flu immunization scheduling through the Solv app, ensuring populations who might otherwise not have access to these services are able to receive them.
Mobile Check-in, Waitlist and Two-Way Chat
Using Solv’s mobile check-in and waitlist features, CityLife is able to keep the number of patients in their waiting room low. “We don’t have patients come into the office until it’s their time to come back,” Ruthann shares, “and whether they walk in or schedule ahead, they don’t have to touch anything.”
By scanning a QR code posted at the front desk, patients can check in and view their place in line within the Solv app. This gives patients the freedom to leave the clinic knowing approximately how long the wait will be. Solv’s AI powered algorithm ensures consumers are seen as quickly and efficiently as possible, minimizing wait time. When the patient’s exam room is ready, or in the case that the provider is delayed in some way, staff can send a notification using the two-way chat feature. Keeping patients in the loop using messaging reduces confusion and limits the number of people who approach the front desk.
Solv Pay
CityLife chose to implement Solv Pay in their clinics, facilitating a contactless checkout experience and making patients feel safer - from infection and fraud. Patients are able to quickly upload their payment information to the Solv app using their mobile phones. They then authorize payment after checking in for their appointment, or after their appointment is complete. “This makes it really easy for patients to know that they’re in control,” Ruthann comments.
She also mentioned that she and her team have noticed an improved payment time since implementing the feature, and most balances are paid up front. Improved remittance time is common among Solv users; on average, 84% of balances are settled within 24 hours. This can increase liquidity, freeing up otherwise unrealized funds.
Streamlined Insurance Process
Solv allows patients at CityLife to upload their insurance and photo ID for use during the registration process. Insurance coverage estimates are provided directly to the consumer in a transparent, accessible manner.
““For CityLife, [the ability to check insurance eligibility and coverage] has been incredibly important, given that many of our team are not used to taking commercial insurances. It has helped our team feel comfortable as well as make the registration process really smooth, all while remaining contactless.” - Ruthann Anderson”
Improved Online Presence
Solv’s reputation management has helped CityLife reach more consumers, hear honest feedback and improve their service.
At CityLife, the clinic managers receive notifications of bad reviews, allowing them to address the concern directly with the patient - whether that be with regards to a clinical concern or a personal issue.
“More and more patients are finding us on Solv,” comments Ruthann, and when people are seeking the absolute best option for care, a positive online reputation is vital.
With Solv, patients are automatically prompted to review their clinic immediately following their visit. With the appointment still on their minds, patients leave more honest, thorough feedback. Negative reviews are sent to clinic managers, allowing for service recovery and improvement. Positive reviews are readily available online, contributing to a better online reputation and increased clinic traffic.
Results
CityLife Health saw marked increases in patient traffic, gaining 809 new patients from the Solv consumer app since the beginning of March. CityLife Health’s new contactless clinic experience has attracted consumers seeking out the safest healthcare available, and resulted in maintaining a 4.8 star average rating during COVID-19. Better online reputation management helped spread the word and keep appointment booking steady.
CityLife health’s partnership with Solv enabled them to quickly and efficiently begin offering COVID testing, flu shots, and regular clinic visits to consumers they would not have otherwise seen.
Want to see how a contactless end-to-end service experience can improve your clinic operations? Click here to partner with Solv today or learn more by scanning the QR code below.
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