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How Overflow Call Answering Can Help Healthcare Practices

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Walk-in urgent care clinics and other smaller medical practices are growing in popularity and filling the gaps left by more traditional hospitals. These healthcare clinics often have just enough staff to attend to patients and essential administrative tasks, including phone calls. But when the calls are coming in faster than a receptionist can answer them, or during a staff meeting when no one is free to answer phones, the caller is either put on hold or sent to voicemail.  

However, the last thing that someone who’s calling a clinic or practice with an urgent question wants is to wait on hold or to wait for a callback. The message they receive is, “If they’re too busy to take my call, they’re going to be too busy to take care of me in a timely manner if I go in.” With that message received, most of these callers will move on to another healthcare clinic or practice.

Fortunately, there’s an easy solution. The receptionists at a live healthcare answering service can answer all “overflow” calls when the staff receptionist is on another line or when no one is able to answer in the office. The answering service agents act as extensions of the clinic staff, and callers don’t even know they’re speaking with someone who isn’t in-house.

All calls are answered promptly, and urgent matters are patched through to the attending physician or nurse. Meanwhile, the clinic’s or practice’s staff members are able to give their full attention to the patients on hand.  This helps the medical staff stay on schedule, which decreases patient wait times—and that, in turn, increases patient satisfaction.

Overflow healthcare call answering is simple to set up and requires no extra equipment like servers, software, or phones. Answering service representatives can be directed to pick up calls that aren’t answered after two or three rings. And receptionists that are routinely trained to be HIPAA compliant will professionally and confidentially manage all patient health information.

HIPAA compliant overflow call answering is beneficial for any healthcare practice, such as:

  • Urgent care clinics
  • Small medical practices
  • Hospitals
  • Dermatologists
  • Dentists and oral surgeons
  • Optometrists and ophthalmologists
  • Pediatricians
  • Home healthcare providers
  • Hospice providers

With a team of virtual receptionists ready to answer the calls you and your staff aren’t able to, your patients will no longer be stuck on hold or left wondering if they should call another practice that can help them more quickly. And of course answering service receptionists can answer your calls after office hours and on weekends and holidays, 24/7, 365 days a week if you choose.

Voice Link of Columbus, Inc. was launched nearly 30 years ago in order to meet the unique communication needs of those in the medical field and has earned an 82% referral rate for medical telecommunication needs. Secure communications and prompt, professional call answering services save you time and money while improving patient satisfaction.

To learn more about Voice Link’s month-to-month service agreements, expert staff, and state-of-the-art technology request information online or call (800) 262-2799 for a free consultation.

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