North Kitsap ENT saves hours daily by switching to ModMed Otolaryngology
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>Case Study
Practice Goals
- Implement all-in-one ENT-specific software.
- Stay on track with government regulations.
- Provide staff with iPads for charting.
Key Benefits Experienced
- Automated processes and saved hours daily.
- Added payment options for patients.
- Streamlined the check-in/checkout process.
- Reduced manual data-entry errors.
Learn how all-in-one ENT software helps one practice save time and improve efficiency
“Dr. Jungkeit saves between 1.5 and three hours daily, and he doesn’t have to chart on the weekends like he did with our previous EHR.* The PM system is also great on so many levels. I love the fact that we now have true all-in-one EHR and PM software with one log-in.”
Practice Manager Kristina Muhleman
BACKGROUND
The North Kitsap ENT Clinic, in Poulsbo, Washington, specializes in caring for patients with ear, nose, throat, head and neck problems. It also provides facial plastic surgery procedures that repair imperfections, which may be present at birth or caused from aging, injuries, burns, wounds or disease.
The practice had used its legacy EHR system for over a decade. Then staff learned the platform was going to lose its certification because it couldn’t meet government regulations in the proper time frame.
After seeing a demo of EMA® EHR, the award-winning** ENT system, and Practice Management (PM) at the AAOA conference, the group switched to the all-in-one ModMed® Otolaryngology suite. Practice Manager Kristina Muhleman discusses the experience since switching to ModMed and the positive impact it has had on the practice.
LEAVING THE OFFICE ON TIME
Prior to EMA, Dr. Michael Jungkeit, the practice owner, would spend a few hours every night finishing his charts. When he demoed EMA, he could see the time savings and improved efficiency it would provide, not only for him but also for our staff, and it has proven true. He is saving between 1.5 and three hours daily,* and he doesn’t have to chart on the weekends like he did with our previous EHR.
Our MAs act as scribes and use iPads, which provides portability and is much faster than our previous system. Previously, there were nights they would be at the office until 6PM. Since switching to ModMed, they are able to leave by 4:30PM some days. They are happy because of it. Also, training new employees takes less time because we find EMA is so easy to use.
STREAMLINED CHECK-IN AND CHECKOUT
I love the fact that we now have true all-in-one EHR and PM software with one log-in. It’s so nice having everything in one place. Our previous system required you to log into the EHR, and the PM was a separate log-in that looked completely different. We also found there was a lag time from when the patient checked in to showing up on the flow in the EHR. We had to refresh the screen often and wasted time. Now, it’s so fast and the MAs can see right away in EMA when the patients are ready to be roomed.
The PM system is great on so many levels. Checkout is fast, and it’s so easy for our staff to book appointments. They can click the Appointment Finder, and the system will pull over the available slots to choose from. We also find the insurance eligibility functionality user friendly and quite accurate.
We’ve seen an increase in efficiency at the front desk and receiving payments with the integrated payment processing platform, ModMed Pay. With our previous solution, we had to hand key the payments into the charts and scan them into a folder. This resulted in a high amount of manual errors that we had to spend time correcting. This was a lot of work.
ModMed Pay is faster, and the tap-to-pay option is so convenient for our patients. Because it integrates with the PM system, payments go right into the patient’s chart.
A SMOOTH TRANSITION DURING THE PANDEMIC
We implemented ModMed Otolaryngology in the heart of the pandemic. We completed all of our training online, which went smoothly. For go-live, we had ModMed trainers on the phone with us the entire day ready and available to answer questions that came up. We took their advice and scaled down the schedules and were back to full patient volume in three weeks. We adhered to the recommendations of the ModMed trainers, which I believe helped us to be successful.
People are naturally afraid of change, but for our practice, it was so worth it. If we can take on switching systems during all of the uncertainty around the pandemic at that time, then anyone can do it.
The statements and conclusions contained herein reflect the opinions of Kristina Muhleman and not those of ModMed. ModMed makes no representations or warranties as to the accuracy of any such information.
* Results may vary depending on medical practice size, product usage and other variables.
** 2023 Black Book
