The practice was a one-man show. Now it has a second pair of hands.
Key Takeaways
- A solo cardiologist’s small staff was overwhelmed, and requests arrived from everywhere, including WhatsApp messages from the doctor himself.
- One part-time virtual assistant, working four to five hours a day, now handles nearly every administrative task the doctor needs.
- For time-sensitive cardiac procedures, the virtual assistant chases authorizations and facility bookings until the patient is scheduled on time.
- The engagement started with appointment reminders alone and grew from there.
A solo practice doesn’t need a full-time hire to get real help. This case shows what a virtual assistant for medical practice support looks like when the practice is one cardiologist and a small staff.
The practice before DataMatrix
A single-physician private cardiology practice ran on NextGen with a small ground staff that was stretched thin. Scheduling, records, referrals and procedure coordination all competed for the same few hands, and work was all over the place.
The practice didn’t come to us with a task list. It came with problems, and wasn’t yet sure what a virtual assistant could take off its plate.
The scope we handle
- Hours: four to five a day, part time
- Starting scope: appointment reminders only
- Current scope: scheduling, record keeping, referrals, device tracking reports, coordination with outside hospitals and facilities, and talking patients through upcoming procedures
- Facilities coordinated with: three surgery centers and hospitals
- Request channels: phone, NextGen and WhatsApp messages from the doctor
How a virtual assistant supports a solo cardiology practice
One virtual assistant works part time inside NextGen and takes requests from whichever channel they arrive on, including the doctor’s WhatsApp messages to add patients to the schedule. The virtual assistant closes each one, so nothing depends on the doctor remembering to follow up.
- Scheduling and reminders. Patients are booked as the doctor requests and reminded before their visits.
- Records and referrals. Records are kept current in the chart, and referrals are worked through to an appointment.
- Device tracking reports. Reports for patients’ cardiac devices are kept up to date.
- Procedure coordination. For each procedure, the virtual assistant confirms authorization, books the surgery center or hospital, and talks the patient through what comes next.
- STAT cases. When a cardiac procedure can’t wait, the virtual assistant works with the prior authorization team to get approval and secures the booking at the surgery center or hospital so the patient is seen on time.
The results
| Measure | When we started | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Scope of support | Appointment reminders only | Nearly every administrative task the doctor needs |
| Requests from the doctor | Scattered across calls and messages | One person who picks them up from any channel and closes them |
| Time-sensitive procedures | Coordinated by a stretched staff | Authorization and facility booking chased until the patient is scheduled on time |
| Support model | In-house staff only | One part-time virtual assistant, four to five hours a day |
Source: DataMatrix Medical internal data.
The client kept adding work as trust grew, and the virtual assistant now covers everything the doctor needs.
One request up close: the cardiac surgery approval that came down to the day before
The surgery was tomorrow. The approval wasn’t in yet.
The case
A patient of a solo cardiology practice was scheduled for surgery at an outside facility. The day before the procedure, the authorization still hadn’t been approved.
Why this request was at risk
Facilities generally expect an approved authorization on file before a scheduled procedure. Without it, the case may be postponed, or the practice risks a denied claim after the fact. For a cardiac patient, a postponed procedure means delayed care.
What our team checked
- Is the authorization approved, still pending, or waiting on more information?
- What does the payer still need, and who can provide it today?
- Do the facility and the patient know where things stand?
What we did
The practice’s virtual assistant called the prior authorization staff and checked the payer portals to find what could be done from their end. The authorization was approved before the surgery. The virtual assistant then confirmed with the facility and informed the patient, all in time for the procedure.
A question for your team
If an authorization isn’t approved the day before a procedure, who on your team chases it?
Want virtual assistants who check the chart before they act? Talk with DataMatrix Medical.
More from this series: see all three virtual assistant case studies.
This case is drawn from a real engagement our virtual assistant team supports, and the example from a real request we handled. We removed identifying details to protect client and patient privacy. Workflows, payer and facility policies vary, so the same steps will not produce the same result in every case. This article is educational and is not legal, billing, or clinical advice.
Nathaniel Smathers is the VP of Client Education and Marketing. He is also a long time contributor of the DataMatrix Medical blog and has a background in healthcare content creation for over a decade. Nathaniel is passionate about exploring the intersections of healthcare, data analysis, and digital innovation.
