When your urgent care operation covers 12 states and more than 170 locations, it would be easy to think of business as just a numbers game. But for NextCare, one of the midwest’s most trusted urgent care providers, profitable numbers depend on more than volume. Patient satisfaction is commensurate with success.
Their strategic partnership with Solv has helped them do more than just schedule millions of visits over the last five years. It has helped them find and retain a loyal patient base and find data that allows them to create processes that build patient satisfaction across all locations. Using Solv Experience, Connect and Telemedicine has allowed NextCare to take patient care to the next level.
- NextCare saved 4,537 hours by utilizing paperless registration in 30 days
- Patient wait time was reduced by 18 minutes when booking online
- In one week, NextCare received 900 five-star reviews on Google and 3,388 five-star reviews on Solv
From Adequate to Exceptional
When NextCare first considered adopting Solv five years ago, it wasn’t an easy sell for staff, according to Joleen Haxton, NextCare’s Vice President of Ancillary Services. The company used a competing booking software but was intrigued by the potential for marketing and data capture that Solv provided. For staff, booking software seemed like an extra step. Then the pandemic hit.
“Until COVID hit, the entire staff did not embrace how powerful Solv could be in managing patient flow.”
Joleen Haxton, Vice President of Ancillary Services, NextCare
As patient loads doubled and tripled in some areas, the need for online registration and booking became essential.
“There were clinics overwhelmed with patients–there would be 50 patients lined up at the door in the morning,” Haxton says. “That’s when they realized how essential it was."
“We started adding all the wonderful things Solv offers, like patient registration and integration into our EHR. [Front desk staff] really started to understand the power of [Solv], and what it takes off of them so that they can focus on the patient.”
Joleen Haxton, Vice President of Ancillary Services, NextCare
NextCare appreciates the ability to allow patients to preregister online, saving valuable minutes in the office and eliminating data transcribing mistakes. With full EMR integration, staff can focus on managing patient flow confidently so that they have captured the necessary information. NextCare is ready to embark on its next growth phase as they partner with Solv Telemed to power its NextCare Anywhere.
Minutes Matter
- 10 — the average number of minutes saved per online booking and preregistration using Solv
More Than Just Booking
Once clinics realized the impact that Solv could have on their day-to-day operations, decision-makers were able to expand and engage with more of Solv’s capabilities.
Jesse Henderson, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, says that working with Solv has felt like a true partnership rather than a vendor line item.
“Our relationship with Solv has allowed us to do things that we couldn’t with prior vendors. I think of Solv as a technology partner, not a check-in platform.””
Jesse Henderson, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, NextCare
Haxton says that Solv presented a focus that went beyond the mechanics of organizing bookings and registrations and focused on patient experience. Their prior booking platform focused on operations but didn’t consider how to engage with patients and create a satisfying experience.
“With our prior company, the software wasn’t necessarily about the patient—it was about the clinic and letting us get what we needed. Solv has a different approach; it’s very patient-focused as opposed to ‘here’s a piece of software for an operational company to use.’ That twist of dynamic has made a huge difference."”
Joleen Haxton, Vice President of Ancillary Services, NextCare
Although Haxton and her team acknowledge that the mechanics of the software matter, the philosophy behind Solv’s platform impacts how they utilize its functionality, keeping the focus on keeping patients happy and, in turn, creating a better work environment for their staff.
Taking Direction From the Data
While the algorithms and data collection that make Solv work remain invisible to patients, it’s a powerful tool for operators. NextCare says that analyzing system wide data has helped them create company-wide service standards that adhere to their mission and focus.
“Data is powerful–it’s not just a bunch of letters and numbers. When you have more than 170 locations, it’s hard to keep track of our people and ensure they are doing the right thing.Being able to monitor and manage what people are doing helps us control the patient experience and make it repeatable. ”
Joleen Haxton, Vice President of Ancillary Services, NextCare
With regional reach, Haxton emphasizes that while there will be community differences in how each clinic operates, NextCare leadership strives to create a cohesive, on-brand experience for every patient. Maintaining a consistent value proposition based on fast and efficient care is integral to growth and reputation management.
Using historical data to forecast future patient flow allows leadership to establish efficient protocols and staff appropriately to avoid overload, bottlenecks, and burnout while keeping the patient experience consistent. Since online booking creates opportunities to book 24/7, utilizing historical data to set pacing standards is extremely helpful.
Tipping the Online Review Scales
Every company lives and dies by its reputation, so gaining those five-star reviews is essential. Before working with Solv, Henderson says that NextCare’s online reviews had plateaued.
Patients were sent an internal survey to gauge their satisfaction–if they weren’t happy, NextCare didn’t send them a link to leave an online review. However, this strategy didn’t actually work in NextCare’s favor. Instead of stemming the flow of bad reviews, they had fewer reviews overall, making any particularly bad reviews all the more impactful.
“Ultimately, we discovered that upset people would find a way. All we were really doing was making it harder for happy people to speak their minds,” Henderson says.
A few months after signing with Solv, Henderson decided to open up the reviews again, using Solv’s instant feedback features to make it easy for anyone to leave a review.
“There was a pause among clinic staff when they heard that we were going to make it easy for anyone to leave a review. I responded that if we were providing the highest level of care, what were we worried about?”
Henderson was right. As the reviews poured in, encouraged by Solv’s direct communication with patients during follow-up messaging, they found that limiting feedback had only handicapped them.
““This is one of my biggest areas of satisfaction with Solv. When we turned that switch on, our scores improved drastically and rapidly. We finally got enough volume of positive reviews to tilt the score in a meaningful way."”
Jesse Henderson, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, NextCare
- 3.6 average Google rating before Solv
- 4.5 average Google rating eight months after adopting Solv
Using Solv to Reward and Encourage
Not only do positive reviews inspire more confidence in each clinic, but they also act as constant encouragement to staff.
Stephanie Swinbourne, Director of Business Development, says that constant feedback allows staff to celebrate wins and address shortcomings immediately.
“It creates a great feeling when you see the little hearts pop up [in Solv] as positive reviews come in. And if there’s a low review, it emails the clinic manager. It’s given clinics the opportunity to quickly respond to anything that is an area of opportunity, but it’s also a good representation to staff that they are doing a good job.”
Stephanie Swinbourne, Director of Business Development, NextCare
The Future Of NextCare–Solv Telemedicine Powers NextCare Anywhere
NextCare continues to grow–both in and out of the office. When COVID-19 hit, NextCare implemented telemedicine seemingly overnight to meet demand, using Solv to make it happen. Now, they are getting ready to expand their telemed offerings with the NextCare app. Even though some companies specialize in telemedicine, NextCare is continuing with Solv as their provider.
“[Solv] has been good enough for us to say we feel confident launching our new application with Solv Telemed over bringing on a new telemedicine partner. We’re confident about what will be put out there with patients, and I think that speaks volumes for Solv and what they’ve been able to offer in the telemed space.”
Stephanie Swinbourne, Director of Business Development, NextCare
NextCare and Solv–An Evolving Partnership
“I still think it’s the power of the focus on the patient experience. It gives us a different perspective on how we think of things and forces us to keep the patient in mind instead of how we want things to run,” says Haxton.
As NextCare continues to grow, they’ve found that Solv has more than just products that make life easier for their staff and patients. They’ve found a partner willing to listen and grow with them. After five years, NextCare is still learning new ways that Solv can help its business run more smoothly, but one thing remains the most important: Patients.
