Healthcare organizations under pressure to reduce costs are often tempted by offshore call centers offering rates as low as $7.50 per hour. On paper, that sounds like a smart moveâespecially when access center teams are struggling to keep up with rising patient demand, missed appointments, and burnout.
But as leaders at several health systems have discovered, what looks like a 20x cost savings on paper rarely plays out that way in practice. When you add up the full cost of offshore staffingâand compare it to what modern AI can offerâthereâs a strong case for investing in automation instead.
Hereâs why AI-powered access solutions like Luma Healthâs Navigator are not only more cost-effective, but a smarter, more scalable choice for healthcare organizations looking to modernize patient engagement.
1. Turnover and training burn resources. Offshore call centers, especially those supporting healthcare, face high employee turnoverâranging from 30% to 45%. Every time an agent leaves, organizations incur hidden costs: onboarding, training, and productivity losses. If it takes up to three months to fully train a new access center agent, thatâs three months before theyâre even able to support patients confidently.
2. Management overhead adds up. Managing offshore teams introduces friction. Organizations must accommodate time zones, language barriers, performance oversight, and quality assurance processes. Add in the infrastructure to securely handle sensitive data and the model quickly becomes more complexâand expensiveâthan anticipated.
Even when healthcare organizations outsource offshore staffing through an agencyâavoiding the need to manage those teams directlyâthe burden doesnât disappear. Practices still face high costs, delays from turnover, and frustrating coordination challenges. The agency may handle day-to-day management, but communication gaps, time zone friction, and inefficiencies still land squarely on the practice’s shoulders. The promise of âhands-offâ management often turns out to be more complicated in practice.
3. Compliance and security risk. Partnering with an offshore vendor can introduce risk: U.S. laws including HIPAA may not be enforceable in other countries and enforcing contractual obligations including anything referenced in a Business Associate Agreement may be difficult. Offshore vendors, depending on locale may not maintain the same standard of security and privacy controls we have come to expect in the U.S. and auditing their processes may be more difficult. These factors could lead to increased compliance and reputational risks that healthcare systems cannot afford to take lightly.
1. AI is always on. Solutions like Navigator donât clock out at the end of the day. They operate 24/7, instantly engaging patients for scheduling, appointment cancellation, rescheduling, medication refill intake and more â no shift coordination or overnight staffing required.
2. AI agents scale instantly. Need to handle a surge in call volume or launch a new service line? AI can scale up in minutes â not months. No hiring pipeline. No onboarding lag. No burnout.
3. AI eliminates training gaps. Thereâs no ramp-up period for Navigator. It launches with predefined workflows and can be configured to match your organizationâs protocols. Staff training isnât neededâand consistency is guaranteed.
4. AI agents reduce human error. Unlike offshore agents who rely on training and manual processes, Navigator handles workflows with accuracy and automation, minimizing the risk of miscommunication, data entry mistakes, or missed follow-ups.
Letâs revisit that $7.50/hour offshore agent. Sure, itâs cheap upfront â but it doesnât tell the full story.
Navigator is built specifically for healthcare with privacy and security at its core. Itâs HIPAA-compliant, integrated with leading EHRs, and rigorously tested to meet enterprise-grade security standards. Navigator builds upon Lumaâs existing security programs and certifications in this area, including HITRUST CSF r2, ISO 27001:2022, US-EU Privacy Framework and TX-RAMP Level 2. Additionally, our annual SOC 2 Type II process reinforces our dedication to security and compliance. Weâre committed to the gold standard in healthcare information security. We believe so strongly in our security programs that our policies are available publicly, without NDA at https://policy.lumahealth.io.
Luma employs robust data protection measures to safeguard sensitive information and access to data is strictly controlled through least-privilege principles, multi-factor authentication, VPNs, and context-aware access.
Navigator harnesses cutting-edge leading foundational AI models from trusted partners such as Vapi, Deepgram, OpenAI, Claude, and Elevenlabs. These models are regularly updated, with new versions released periodically â typically when they offer significant improvements in capabilities and performance.
Itâs important to note that no patient data is ever used to train any models, and we operate on a zero-retention model, so no data is retained any third parties.
Offshore agents may seem like a bargain â but in healthcare, speed, reliability, and data integrity matter more than hourly rates. When the true cost of managing offshore resources is considered, the math changes quickly.
AI agent solutions like Navigator are purpose-built for modern access needs: reducing staff burden, closing gaps in care, and delivering a better experience for patients â day or night.
Want to explore what AI-led access could look like for your organization? Letâs talk.
How does pricing for Navigator compare to offshore call center models in real terms?
While specific pricing details are not publicly disclosed, Luma Health emphasizes that its AI-native Patient Success Platform reduces manual tasks, leading to increased efficiency and revenue. For instance, you can review the real outcomes that UAMS has seen using Navigator, suggesting significant cost savings compared to traditional staffing models.
Can Navigator handle both inbound and outbound workflows?
Yes. Navigator is designed to manage both inbound and outbound patient communications.
What specific workflows can Navigator automate today?
Navigator can automate a range of workflows, including:
How does Navigator integrate with my EHR or practice management system?
Navigator offers bidirectional, seamless integration with all major EHRsâincluding Epic, eClinicalWorks, MEDITECH, Oracle Cerner, and athenahealthâensuring patient data flows smoothly and securely between systems. Backed by over a decade of experience in building deep, robust EHR integrations, Luma is uniquely positioned to deliver reliable, scalable connectivity that reduces manual work, minimizes errors, and enables smarter workflows. Unlike other solutions, our proven integration track record means you wonât be left troubleshooting or relying on partial connections.
What are the limits of AI agents in complex patient interactions?
While Navigator handles a wide array of patient interactions, complex cases may still require human intervention. Navigator agents are designed to triage and escalate issues appropriately, ensuring patients are attended to appropriately and in a timely manner, receiving the necessary attention without overburdening staff.
What kind of results have other health systems seen?
Healthcare organizations using Luma Health’s platform have reported:
Is AI secure and compliant enough to replace human agents in a PHI-rich environment?
Yes. Luma Health’s platform is designed with security and compliance in mind, ensuring that patient data is handled in accordance with HIPAA regulations and industry best practices.
Whatâs the implementation timeline and IT lift?
Luma Health emphasizes ease of implementation with its platform. It happens in four key steps with each step taking approximately 7 business days: 1) solution design, 2) account configuration and QA testing, 3) user acceptance, and 4) go-live including go-live readiness. Dedicated support throughout the process ensures a smooth integration with existing systems, minimizing IT burden.
Can we configure Navigator to reflect our branding, scripts, or workflows?
Absolutely. Luma Health offers configurable workflows, allowing organizations to tailor the agent workflow to their specific needs and maintain consistency with their brand identity. (YouTube)
How do patients respond to interacting with an AI agent instead of a human?
Patients have responded positively to interactions with an AI agent, appreciating the convenience and efficiency. Luma Health’s platform is designed to enhance patient engagement, leading to improved satisfaction and outcomes.
Right now, uncertainty is the only constant in healthcare. Leaders are grappling with budget cuts, shifting policies, legal challenges to long-standing mandates, and an exhausted workforce. The landscape is evolving rapidly, often without clear guidance on whatâs next or how to prepare.
But throughout this unpredictability, one thing hasnât changed: people still get sick. Families still need answers. Communities still rely on timely, high-quality care. In fact, the need for accessible, efficient healthcare has never been more urgent.
This is not a moment to pause. Itâs a moment to refocus â and double down on patient access and operational efficiency.
Across the industry, leaders are feeling the squeeze from every angle. At the policy level, questions around Medicaid expansion, telehealth reimbursement, and DEI initiatives have created a fog of confusion. Funding windows open and close without warning. Priorities shift seemingly overnight. And no oneâs quite sure what will be funded â or when.
Operationally, the pressure is relentless. Staffing shortages are hitting hard, not just in clinical roles, but also in IT departments and access centers. Burnout is no longer just a concern; itâs the reality. At a recent industry event, one executive remarked that call volumes at their access center were spiking â not because of new demand, but because frustrated patients couldnât navigate existing digital tools. The system is overloaded.
Financially, most health systems are operating with little room for error. Margins are flat or shrinking. IT teams are being asked to stretch aging systems further while driving innovation on tighter budgets. In this environment, every inefficiency becomes a liability.
And then thereâs the patient experience â the part of the story that can get overshadowed.
This isnât just noise. Itâs a call to act.
The debates about policy are ongoing, but one thing is clear: people still need care. Delaying that care doesnât make the need go away, it just makes it more urgent later.
In times of uncertainty, itâs tempting to hold still. To wait for clarity before making changes. But in healthcare, waiting often makes things worse.
Delaying or deprioritizing access initiatives wonât stabilize the system â it will destabilize it further:
And once patients disengage from the system, rebuilding that trust is possible but it takes more time, and money, to bring them back.
Instead of freezing, healthcare organizations must focus. That means getting smarter about where and how they invest in access and efficiency.
Efficiency doesnât mean doing more with less. It means doing the right things, better.
Small improvements in how appointments are booked, how reminders are sent, or how patients are guided through the system can lead to big wins â for both experience and revenue.
Even modest improvements in scheduling or communication can yield major results:
Remember: prioritizing access is essential to healthcare because access is the gateway to outcomes. If patients canât get in the door (whether that door is physical, digital, or operational) nothing else in the care journey can happen.
Technology, too, plays a key role. The future isnât about ripping out whatâs already in place. Itâs about building resilience into whatâs already working.
This isnât the time for short-term patches. Invest in systems designed to evolve:
When done right, these investments donât just help organizations weather uncertainty. They make them more agile, more adaptive, and ultimately more effective.
This moment calls for leadership â not paralysis. The health systems and clinics that come out stronger wonât be the ones that waited. Theyâll be the ones that acted with purpose, even amid ambiguity, in order to:
Because at the end of the day, uncertainty doesnât change the mission. It clarifies it. If anything, uncertainty makes it clearer than ever: every patient deserves access to timely, compassionate, and efficient care. People still need care. They always will. And the systems that serve them need to be ready â not someday, but now.
In healthcare, solving challenges always requires more than a single step. From scheduling appointments and verifying insurance to managing care transitions and reducing no-shows, the path to better patient outcomes is rarely straightforward. Just as healthcare organizations rely on interconnected systems like electronic health records (EHRs) and practice management software, AI solutions are most effective when they work together seamlessly.
This is where agentic AI comes in. Agentic AI refers to a system of specialized AI agentsâeach designed to perform specific tasksâworking in coordination to achieve a larger goal. Think of it as a team of experts, each contributing their skills to move a patient smoothly through their care journey. By handling tasks autonomously, these agents reduce administrative burdens and allow healthcare teams to focus on what they do best: caring for patients.
At Luma Health, we believe the future of healthcare lies in the collaboration of AI agents. Our AI-powered Navigator solution uses agentic AI to streamline workflows, improve patient experiences, and drive measurable outcomes. From automating routine tasks to providing actionable insights, our network of AI agents supports both operational and patient care teams in delivering exceptional care.
In this blog post, weâll explore how multiple AI agents work together to solve complex healthcare challenges, the benefits of agentic AI, and how Luma Health is helping providers navigate this new era of intelligent automation.
Agentic AI is like having a team of digital assistants, each with its own role, working together to achieve a common goal. Each agent is specialized, meaning it has a clear taskâwhether thatâs gathering data, analyzing information, or triggering actions.
As Ivan Viragine, AI Engineering Manager at Luma Health, explains: “An agent is a combination of a large language model (LLM), a prompt, and a set of tools. In Navigatorâs case, we have one agent for verifying a patientâs identity, another for listing appointments, and others for tasks like confirming visits. These agents work together to achieve their goal of understanding and fulfilling the user’s request.”
These agents coordinate in real time, adjusting their actions based on new information. For example, if a patient cancels an appointment, one agent verifies the patient’s identity, another lists the upcoming appointments to confirm which one to cancel, and a third cancels it directly in the EHR. This intelligent division of labor reduces administrative burden and ensures patients receive timely care.
This multi-agent or âagentic AIâ approach also improves accuracy and reliability. Instead of relying on a single AI to parse an overwhelming set of rules or dataâlike expecting one person to memorize and apply a 100-page manualâagentic AI distributes the cognitive load. Each agent focuses on a smaller, well-defined domain (like one chapter of that manual), and a coordinating supervisor directs requests to the most relevant agent. This specialization not only speeds up performance but also reduces the risk of error or confusionâespecially critical in healthcare, where mistakes can have serious consequences. The result is a system thatâs more capable, precise, and less prone to “I can’t help you with that” dead-ends.
Healthcare operations are inherently complex. From scheduling and follow-ups to prior authorizations and patient communications, these processes often require complex coordination with large groups of people. Disconnected systems lead to inefficiencies, delays, and frustrated patients. On top of that, healthcare staff are burdened with administrative tasksâresearch shows that clinicians spend nearly 50% of their time on paperwork and administrative work, taking away from patient care.
Healthcare needs multi-agent AI systems. Many real-world patient interactions are too nuanced for a single agent to manage. Imagine a patient who wants to cancel her upcoming PCP appointment and refill her childâs prescriptionâall within one call to the clinicâs access center. A common scenario, yet far too intricate for traditional, monolithic AI systems to handle effectively. This is where multi-agent AI shines.
One way to understand the power of agentic AI is through analogy: imagine asking a person to memorize a 100-page instruction manual and then locate the answer to a very specific question. The likelihood of them missing or mismanaging the task is highâbecause the answer might live in a tiny paragraph on page 56. But if you break the manual into chapters and assign a smaller expert to each one, then have a supervisor route questions to the right expert, accuracy improves dramatically. Each specialized agent only needs to sift through a narrow slice of information, which significantly reduces the risk of misunderstanding or error.
This is especially critical in healthcare, where the consequences of a mismanaged task can directly affect patient safety or delay care. Smaller, specialized agents reduce cognitive load and hallucinationsâtwo well-documented risks in large language modelsâresulting in more reliable performance.
Think of agentic AI like a surgical team. Each memberâsurgeon, anesthesiologist, nurseâhas a well-defined role. Similarly, AI agents specialize in distinct functions:
As Hwee Min Loh, Senior Product Manager at Luma Health, describes it: “Agentic AI means that the reasoning framework is spread across multiple specialized agents, rather than relying on one massive list of instructions. This reduces common issues like hallucination and enables more accurate, reliable outcomes. Navigator ensures all patient requests are directed to the right specialized agents.”
At Luma Health, we see the impact of agentic AI systems every day. One compelling example is our work with UAMS (University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences). Faced with rising call volumes and patient communication challenges, UAMS partnered with Luma Health to deploy our Navigator AI platform.
With Navigatorâs agentic AI approach:
The results were transformativeâUAMS saw a 20% decrease in patient no-shows and significantly reduced call center volume. Staff were freed from repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on providing high-value care. Learn more in our UAMS case study.
The future of multi-agent AI in healthcare is exciting. As AI systems become more adaptive, predictive, and personalized, hospitals will increasingly rely on agentic AI to anticipate patient needs and proactively manage care.
Healthcare organizations will further integrate agentic AI for proactive care managementâreducing administrative burdens, improving operational efficiency, and ultimately enhancing patient outcomes. At Luma Health, weâre excited to continue leading this transformation, empowering providers to deliver exceptional care through the power of many AI agents.
No single AI agent can solve healthcare challenges alone. Just as healthcare providers work as teams, AI agents are most effective when they collaborate to streamline operations and enhance patient care.
At Luma Health, we are committed to applying the power of multi-agent AI to make healthcare easier for providers and patients alike. By leveraging Navigatorâs agentic workflow, we help healthcare organizations reduce administrative burdens, improve operational efficiency, and ensure patients receive timely, high-quality care.
Want to see how multi-agent AI can transform your organization? Learn more about Navigator or request a demo today to experience the Luma Health difference.
Lumaâs Navigator platform is designed to integrate seamlessly with leading EHRs, scheduling systems, and communication tools. Whether you’re using Epic, Cerner, Athenahealth, or other platforms, our AI agents can access and act on real-time data through secure API connections and industry-standard integrations.
Most organizations see their first AI workflows live within weeks. Our dedicated team handles the heavy lifting of that first implementation, with minimal demands on your IT resources. We tailor the rollout to your existing workflows and provide hands-on support to ensure a smooth transition. There are also self-serve tools available so that you can build your own workflows in a no-code, easy-to-use interface using Navigatorâs individual agentic AI skills.
Yes. Security and compliance are non-negotiable. Luma Health is HIPAA-compliant and HITRUST-certified, and all agent actions are fully auditable. Our platform ensures patient data is handled securely at every step, with encryption and strict access controls built in.
Navigator is designed to augment, not replace, your team. By taking on repetitive and time-consuming tasks like scheduling, appointment reminders, and eligibility checks, our AI agents free up your staff to focus on high-value interactions that improve the patient experience and operational outcomes.
Agentic AI is built to collaborateâwith each other and with your team. When an agent encounters a complex or ambiguous request, it automatically escalates the task to a human staff member. Patients never hit a dead end, and your team is always in the loop.
Navigator includes built-in analytics that track key performance metricsâreduction in call volume, no-show rates, scheduling efficiency, and more. Our clients often see measurable impact within the first few weeks of deployment.
Yes. Each Navigator agent can be configured to fit your needs, such as modifying the welcome and end message, the agent’s voice, and the action it can take with your patient. Whether you want agents to follow specific scripts, recognize custom intents, or trigger internal protocols, we give you the flexibility to stay in control. There are also self-serve tools available so that you can build your own workflows in a no-code, easy-to-use interface using Navigatorâs individual agentic AI skills.
Patients appreciate fast, 24/7 access to the help they needâwithout waiting on hold. Our Spark AI is designed to be transparent and patient-friendly, clearly indicating when theyâre interacting with a digital assistant. When needed, agents seamlessly hand off to staff, ensuring a smooth and trusted experience.
Changing your electronic health record (EHR) system is one of the most significant technology decisions a healthcare organization can make. But while most teams are laser-focused on the EHR transition itself, they may miss a critical opportunity: reevaluating their broader tech stack.
At Luma, weâve seen firsthand how organizations like University Hospitals took a comprehensive approach to their EHR migration. Stacy Porter, who previously served as the VP of Digital Transformation at University Hospitals in Cleveland, says: “When youâre implementing a new EHR, itâs not just an opportunity â itâs an obligation to look at your entire digital portfolio.”
Hereâs why evaluating your IT landscape during an EHR transition can unlock long-term value and how Luma can be an invaluable partner in the process.
1. Consolidate and Simplify Your Digital Portfolio
An EHR change often reveals redundancies and inefficiencies. Before University Hospitals switched to Epic, according to Porter, they completed a capability mapping exercise to compare their existing digital tools â including platforms like Salesforce, Conversa, and RevSpring â against Epicâs capabilities. This allowed them to make informed decisions about what to keep, what to replace, and where gaps existed.
Rather than defaulting to piecemeal solutions like Twilio for patient reminder texts, Porter asked: “Is there a vendor that can consolidate these functions and provide additional value?” Enter Luma Health. By selecting a partner like Luma, they reduced their vendor sprawl and ensured seamless interoperability with Epic from day one.
“When youâre implementing a new EHR, itâs not just an opportunity â itâs an obligation to look at your entire digital portfolio.”
Stacy Porter, former VP of Digital Transformation at University Hospitals
2. Co-Design for Long-Term Success
When evaluating vendors during an EHR transition, consider how co-designing can prevent future headaches. Porter emphasized this strategic approach: “We co-designed with Luma, so when we turned on both Epic and Luma, everything worked by design â no overlap, no retrofit.”
By collaborating with Luma early in the process, University Hospitals avoided unnecessary IT buildout later. This streamlined implementation and reduced the burden on their IT team, with Luma handling most configurations and only needing operational input.
3. Minimize Change Fatigue
For both patients and staff, transitioning to a new EHR means significant change. University Hospitals took a “rip off the Band-Aid” approach to minimize disruption. “Change once, change deep,” Porter said. Rather than subjecting patients and staff to waves of adjustments, they implemented Epic and Luma Health simultaneously.
This reduced the need for multiple rounds of training and communications, ultimately leading to smoother adoption and fewer frustrations.
4. Communicate Effectively
One of the most critical factors in a successful transition is proactive communication. Porter highlighted the importance of clear, consistent messaging to both patients, staff, and providers about whatâs changing and why. Now imagine repeating that process three, six, or nine months later when introducing another solution â itâs a scenario best avoided.
By implementing Luma alongside Epic, University Hospitals ensured that everyone was aligned and informed upfront, reducing confusion and frustration.
5. Choose the Right Partners
Not all vendors are equipped to navigate the complexities of an EHR transition. Aditya Bansod, Lumaâs co-founder, advises organizations to think holistically: “Every EHR conversation is part of a larger IT conversation. Use this as a moment to clean up your tech stack. Luma can be part of that.”
By choosing a partner like Luma, healthcare organizations can consolidate disparate tools, bring legacy systems into the future, and maximize their EHR investment.
EHR conversions take a lot of consideration from all fronts, and these five reasons make it clear: an EHR migration isnât just a system switch â itâs a strategic opportunity to modernize and streamline your entire digital infrastructure. Hereâs a quick recap to guide your planning:
An EHR migration is not just a software upgrade â itâs a pivotal moment to evaluate and optimize your entire digital strategy. With the right planning, stakeholder engagement, and vendor support, your organization can turn this period of change into a long-term advantage.
At Luma Health, weâre here to help you make the most of your EHR investment. Letâs reimagine whatâs possible together.
At Luma, we believe the healthcare industry has moved beyond the initial hype of artificial intelligence (AI). While AI once dominated conversations with grand promises and speculative claims, it has now become table stakes. The industry is entering a new phase, one where AI is treated like any other technology investment â evaluated with rigor and held accountable for delivering real outcomes. For healthcare leaders, this shift requires a focus on practical applications and measurable impact.
AI should not be designed or deployed with the intent to replace your workforce. Instead, it enables your workforce to focus on patient-facing interactions over administrative busywork.
To explore what this shift looks like in practice, in this blog post weâll follow the journey of Hayes Valley Health Center, a mid-sized hospital navigating the realities of AI adoption. Hayes Valley is fictional, but its challenges are anything but. Modeled after the experiences of Luma customers, the health center faces mounting pressure to improve operational efficiency, deliver high-quality care, and enhance experiences for both patients and staff. Like many health systems, theyâre excited by AIâs potential but have struggled to move beyond the buzzwords.
Throughout this post, weâll explore how Hayes Valley Health Center approaches AI adoption with a focus on outcomes, applying the same level of diligence and strategic thinking they would with any other technology. From identifying clear goals to measuring success, their story serves as a practical guide for healthcare organizations striving to turn AI’s promise into real-world progress.
Like many health systems, Hayes Valleyâs leadership initially viewed AI as a way to reduce staff costs. They hoped that chatbots could replace human schedulers, handling appointment management and patient inquiries with minimal human intervention. It seemed like a quick win to drive efficiency and lower expenses.
The reality didnât match expectations. While the AI chatbot excelled at simple tasks, it struggled with more complex patient requests. Patients seeking specialized care, needing to reschedule complicated procedures, or asking detailed insurance questions grew frustrated. Staff often had to step in without sufficient context, leading to inefficiencies and dissatisfaction on both sides.
Recognizing this challenge, Hayes Valley recalibrated their approach. Instead of positioning AI as a replacement for human schedulers, they deployed it as a productivity booster. The AI was assigned three key tasks:
This shift freed staff to focus on higher-value patient interactions. Without the burden of routine tasks, they could provide more compassionate and personalized support. AI operated behind the scenes to streamline workflows, while human schedulers brought empathy and expertise to complex situations. The result was a better experience for both patients and employees.
Lumaâs AI-powered Navigator product supports this kind of balanced approach. Navigator uses conversational AI to assist with appointment management and patient inquiries, ensuring staff can dedicate their time to what matters most. By handling the repetitive, AI enables healthcare organizations to scale their services without sacrificing quality.
The key lesson Hayes Valley learned is clear: AI is not a substitute for human expertise. Instead, itâs a powerful tool to enhance productivity, reduce operational friction, and improve care experiences. When thoughtfully applied, AI empowers staff to excel in their roles, making healthcare more efficient and empathetic for all.
What can all of us learn from the missteps of the fictional Hayes Valley? We must shift focus to AI solutions designed to solve practical, high-impact problems, and it should integrate seamlessly with existing systems and staff workflows.
Before adopting any new AI tool we recommend asking four critical questions, based on input from health system leaders we work with who have successfully adopted and deployed AI:
Future-proofed, AI-native platforms like Lumaâs are designed with these principles in mind. Built to adapt and grow with healthcare organizations, they ensure todayâs AI solutions wonât become tomorrowâs technical debt. Platforms that anticipate industry needs and prioritize interoperability are the ones that will drive lasting impact.
Hayes Valley Health Centerâs journey offers lessons for effectiveAI adoption â avoid the hype, invest in practical solutions, and ensure AI tools support (rather than replace) healthcare teams.
By aligning AI investments with clear goals, empowering staff with adaptable tools, and maintaining a disciplined roadmap, organizations can drive meaningful improvements.
The key takeaway is simple: AI should empower, not complicate. With the right mindset and technologies, AI can become a powerful tool for transforming healthcareâenhancing experiences, improving outcomes, and making care more accessible for all.
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences handles 95% of after-hours calls with AI automation for healthcare call centers
Like many access leaders, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciencesâ Michelle Winfield-Hanrahan had a legacy workflow in her contact center â and it was hurting patient experience and staff efficiency.
When a patient called after the contact center â also commonly known as an access center or call center â had closed for the day, they left a voicemail on a dedicated after-hours phone line. The workflow had been created to avoid costly overnight staffing. âStaff shortages donât only affect nursing and clinical roles, but their effect spans into the call center as well,â said Winfield-Hanrahan.
But the after-hours line presented a challenge for staff the next day. Many patients used it to let UAMS know that they needed to cancel an appointment â and staff needed to take action on those requests right away.
âThe team was using three hoursâ worth of time every day just listening to voicemails from patients who called in after hours. Then, they had to manually cancel appointments,â said Winfield-Hanrahan. âWe had to try to backfill those appointments or lose the revenue.â
UAMS needed healthcare call center automation to improve the patient experience, save time for staff, and avoid this lost revenue.
Lumaâs Navigator AI concierge was the solution. With HIPAA-compliant, zero-retention agentic AI that integrated with UAMSâ Epic EHR, patients easily cancel their appointments after hours. The next day, staff simply see an up-to-date schedule â no manual follow-up required.
âWe were looking for efficiency â and we found it with Navigator,â said Winfield-Hanrahan. âNavigator completely took that manual work off our plates.â
Winfield-Hanrahan cites Epic integration, a quick implementation time, and minimal change management as benefits that encouraged her to use Navigator. âImplementation took just three weeks from start to finish,â she said.
UAMS also chose Lumaâs AI concierge because it complemented and expanded on the patient access options UAMS already offered with the contact center and MyChart. âNavigator sounds and acts like a human, and itâs so helpful,â said Winfield-Hanrahan.
With Navigator, UAMS has seen results including:
To hear more about UAMSâ story and their results from Navigator, check out the following resources:
To learn more about Navigator and how it could help your organization, check out these resources:
Today, your staff might be dealing with overwhelming call volumes â and many of these calls are for simple needs, such as a cancellation or an FAQ, that donât require the experience and knowledge of a dedicated staff member.
But calling a business or health system and reaching an AI agent is no longer in the far-off future. Organizations like UAMS are using them every day to provide a better patient and staff experience, and ultimately serve more patients with fewer resources.
An AI concierge allows you to decant, or deflect, simple calls to an AI agent while your staff handle higher-complexity calls and patient needs. Worried that patients wonât want to use AI, or that AI lacks a personal touch? This strategy gives you the best of both worlds. Patients who are comfortable with self-service can quickly meet their own needs using AI, while those who need to reach a staff member can stay on the line.
Here are some of the benefits of AI in healthcare call centers:
Maybe your organization doesnât struggle with an overloaded after-hours phone line, like UAMS did. But donât discount the value that AI might bring to other challenges your call center is facing. Winfield-Hanrahan, an experienced access leader who has consulted with many health systems to improve their call center workflows, encourages fellow leaders to consider other legacy workflows that might create problems in healthcare call centers and impact your patients and staff.
Call centers are costly to staff, and agents can be difficult to retain, said Winfield-Hanrahan. âItâs a challenging job, and we want to make sure that our agents are spending time on âtrue-to-taskâ work helping patients â not on hours of administrative tasks,â she said.
Research backs up this challenge. Contact center attrition rates are anywhere from 30% to 60%, with one poll of 400 contact center employees placing it at 42%. And the attrition rate for agents is about 1.3x higher than the average annual attrition rate in the US. Another recent study reported that more than half of contact center agents are on the verge of burnout.
If your organization is experiencing any of the following challenges, you might have legacy or manual workflows that AI could help automate with minimal process changes or change management:
Not sure whether AI is the right fit for you, or how to go about evaluating and selecting the right AI concierge? The benefits of AI in healthcare call centers donât require you to reinvent all of your workflows â a smart application of AI automation, like UAMSâ, can make a big difference overnight.
Winfield-Hanrahan offers these tips for fellow access leaders:
Weâre here if you want to chat about Navigator, how UAMS is using it, or creative ideas for how it could solve inefficiencies in your call center. See Navigator in action here.
Ready to learn more? Schedule a meeting today!
Want to join the conversation with other healthcare leaders talking about the latest technology, challenges and opportunities, and creative ways to improve healthcare delivery? Tune in to Digital Health: On Air, our podcast discussing pressing healthcare topics with experts and leaders like you. You can find it on Spotify or YouTube, too!
You might be especially interested in episodes featuring CHIMEâs Keith Fraidenburg (AI in Action: How Health Systems are Approaching the AI Boom) or Ardent Health Servicesâ Anika Gardenhire (Innovating with Purpose: Strategies for Meaningful Investment in AI).
Insights from CHIME Fall Forum Focus Group show common trends
Ask two different CIOs what theyâre focused on for 2025, and you might get very different answers. But when we asked in the context of an âEHR-firstâ approach that many CIOs say they adopt, we uncovered several similarities.
A group of CIOs came to our CHIME Fall Forum focus group specifically focused on maximizing their EHR investments and the rest of their tech stack. They were asked what they loved â and what they didnât. From academic medical centers to regional health systems to behavioral health, from the Midwest to the coasts, they pinpointed three similar themes. Hereâs what they said:
Itâs no secret that Epic is much beloved among its customers, especially CIOs. Several CIOs using Epic said it was a great investment. Epicâs integration and interoperability capabilities in particular got shout-outs:
But Epic wasnât the only EHR with devoted customer advocates â MEDITECH received high marks for its collaboration and ability to support co-development with its customers.
Investing in the EHR was consistently highlighted as a priority, with the EHR driving many strategic investments and programs. But these pain points were common, even among EHR advocates:
Focus group attendees often called out clinical workflow improvements co-created with their EHR vendor as a source of pride. Examples included:
However, these workflows might not be perceived as bright spots for the EHR vendor as much as organizational points of pride. Several attendees called out their organizationâs own reputation for high-quality clinical care as a driving factor in their technology strategy, and many of the same clinical workflows that were highlighted as co-innovations came with their own EHR challenges like speed of deployment.
When asked what theyâd most like to change, or what would be their top priority for improvement, the leaders were unanimous. No-shows and related schedule utilization challenges, like filling the open slots and getting patients who missed appointments back on the schedule, were the top answer across the board.
Even CIOs at organizations with robust EHR tools for schedule management and patient self-service called out no-shows as the biggest challenge that technology could solve. Some highlighted the significant revenue losses when slots arenât filled or the heavy staff lift to fill last-minute openings.
The no-show challenge fit into the larger theme of CIOsâ EHR wish lists: they wanted less maintenance, less manual work, and less starting from scratch to solve the same problems as peers â with great results for basic workflows, plus the opportunity to innovate.
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At the 2024 CHIME Fall Forum, attendees had begun looking ahead. They looked to 2025 and to ways to solve pain points while remaining EHR-first (or, in some cases, switching EHRs to begin building an EHR-first strategy).
For the most part, they felt they were on the right track. An EHR-first strategy unified the technology stack, enabled innovation, and facilitated core workflows well for the majority of attendees. Efficiency was the main pain point, with maintenance, training, and support coming up frequently. No-shows united the entire group as a common and persistent challenge.
Based on the feedback, in 2025, we can expect to see leaders like these focusing on efficiency. Innovative clinical care is a bright spot, but enterprise-wide efficiency and access will likely drive strategy.
This article was originally published in Becker’s Hospital Review.
Across the health IT industry, leaders are balancing pressing concerns like increasing call volume and the need to maximize revenue with limited resources. And nice-to-have initiatives just donât cut it anymore, with those that donât drive revenue left on the cutting room floor. So how do you balance building for the long term with the pressures youâre managing right now?
In the webcast Digital Health: On Air, leaders in a variety of roles have shared the challenges theyâre facing â and the strategies they use to achieve success in spite of them. Here are some of their takeaways:
Take an incremental approach
In healthcare, âchange can be very, very challenging,â says Arz Raheem, Sr. Director of Digital Transformation at Montefiore Health System. â[But] I think, after many years, healthcare is open to the change that is needed. And even if that’s iterative, that’s fine.â
Investing in a large-scale transformation project might be off the table for your organization right now. Thatâs okay, according to Raheem and Tarun Kapoor, MD, Chief Digital Transformation Officer at Virtua Health. And it can even be an asset.
âIn our hypercompetitive market, speed to impact is worth a lot,â says Kapoor. âAnd so you have to think about, âWhat is the problem that the consumer is facing in this specific situation? How can I make them successful?ââ
At Virtua Health, Kapoorâs iterative approach created real clinical impact. Realizing that some patients werenât responding to colonoscopy reminder outreach, he took a step back. âTraditionally, we say, âyou have a care gap. Come into the office so we can talk to you about this care gap.â Instead, we said, âwe know you might not have time to come in right now. Can you do a CologuardÂŽ test at home?â After this more tailored outreach to a specific subset of patients, Virtua Health got thousands of home tests back and found nearly 300 patients with positive results.
Instead of taking months to work toward a larger project and hit a number of defined milestones, Raheem says, heâs also seen results from an agile approach where projects are smaller-scale and can be expanded later, if theyâre successful. An important caveat: âBe brave enough to kill it if thereâs no value.â
Bring varied stakeholders to the table
So, whatâs the most important ingredient in this iterative approach?
âWe try and find people from operations; finance; security; compliance and legal; who are open to change, who can be our champions,â says Raheem. â[Then] we can take good ideas from ideation to implementation and make sure that we’re creating value,â he says.
Gathering this multi-stakeholder group and approaching challenges from this lens requires a culture shift, says Raheem, from the traditional health IT implementation model.
âTechnology has had, in my opinion, a culture of more preservation and maintenance. I say, âI’m going to try small things. I think Iâm onto something and want to show you what Iâve got.â But if you don’t have the right support, great ideas will die on the vine.â
At the same time, this âcoalition of the willingâ across different areas of expertise is especially important for Raheem, who serves one of the countryâs leading academic medical centers, to avoid introducing risk with an agile approach.
âWeâre agile, but we have to be extremely careful about how we implement change and how we’re introducing new technologies because weâre in an environment that is heavily regulated,â he says. So, âif you don’t have that support, then speed to impact doesn’t really happen.â
Pinpoint your pain points
Another way to create outsize success? Pinpoint very specific use cases for new technology, like Main Line Health.
First, Main Line Health identified that their call volume was too high for staff to handle. Having already successfully transitioned to a centralized call center and offloaded some calls to an external resource, they needed another lever to help patients get to the right place without waiting on hold.
Next, they identified that a majority of incoming calls were to schedule mammograms and DEXA scans. âThe largest service line supported by central scheduling is radiology and imaging,â said Noreen Friel, Director of Call Center Operations. âAnd weâve been trying to increase access to our digital front door and enable patients to schedule themselves.â With a defined scope of the types of calls they wanted to assist with self-service, they were able to quickly add a call-to-self service workflow for patients that would allow scheduling for mammograms and DEXA scans by SMS if the patient desired.
Since adding in the self-service option for these types of calls, Main Line Health has saved 900+ hours in a single year while still getting patients what they need. Pointing to the success of the project, Friel says: âWe already had self-scheduling, and we kept it pretty simple. So it was implemented very fast.â
Look for hidden barriers
As your health system is evaluating whatâs necessary for the short-term and where to focus for the long term, Elizabeth Woodcock, DrPH, MBA, FACMPE, CPC, founder and executive director of the Patient Access Collaborative, encourages looking for hidden access barriers.
Hidden barriers, says Woodcock, exist throughout the patient experience and can often be resolved to create more equitable and smooth access to care. These barriers could include:
Better patient access or transformation of the experience doesnât have to be out of reach if your health system is focused on containing costs through this year and next. Consider low-cost changes that could address these hidden barriers, such as:
Woodcock says that the number one best tool leaders can have for transforming patient access is to âreally, really listen.â And as part of this listening, understand that finding hidden barriers requires more creative thinking than simply consulting patient feedback surveys, as these are often a âbiased sampleâ of only patients who have been reached in the right way and in the right language, Woodcock says.
Ultimately, Woodcock points out, searching for and addressing hidden barriers is worth it. âOur most vulnerable patientsâ voices are not being heard. And because of that, they’re fighting to get in our system.â
Take a look at cybersecurity basics
The rising threat of cyberattacks means itâs impossible to focus on iterative, impactful changes without a strong security infrastructure. And the very digital transformation that helps create these changes creates more risk, according to security expert Brent Williams.
âHealthcare is a target-rich environment,â he says. âThink about the datasets that are out there â itâs really powerful in terms of stealing identities. In the last 10 years, malicious actors have definitely noticed that, as the digital aspect of the healthcare business continues to grow.â
A core component of a secure health system, according to Williams, is a company culture of security. âThe term I use is âbusiness as usual.â Security, when it’s done well, should just be part of the fabric of your processes, your technology, your business,â he says. To enable this culture, he recommends:
âItâs the same weaknesses over and over,â like unprotected VPN endpoints or login pages, that lead to significant cyberattacks, says Williams. âSo I keep coming back to the basics.â And over time, Williams says, âthe team starts to get a bias toward, âoh, this is working well.ââ
While the added scrutiny needed for cybersecurity at todayâs health systems can be stressful, says Williams, this basic hygiene can protect against costly and disruptive cyberattacks and allow your health system to focus on other impactful initiatives.
Conclusions
The CIO is at the center of a number of challenges, from serving more patients with fewer staff to remaining competitive without overspending on expensive digital tools. But amidst these challenges, youâre still responsible for directing your organization toward long-term success.
The experts featured in season 1 of Digital Health: On Air are creating immediate impact with long-term potential with:
If youâre interested in topics like these or would like to hear more from these speakers, follow Digital Health: On Air on Spotify or subscribe for a monthly episode digest.
Utilizing an enterprise EHR system is like traveling on a cruise ship. You and hundreds of fellow passengers are on the same journey, for better or worse. The ship is designed to keep everyone onboard happy. You know which destinations lie ahead, but the schedule may be impacted due to weather.
But what if you want to stay a little longer in one port? What if you need to hurry up and meet friends at a different destination? What if youâre a little seasick and want to slow down? Youâre out of luck. Thereâs no diverting the cruise ship from its set route, even when passengers arenât on board.
We often observe this in healthcare. Many complex organizations benefit from the immense scope and scale of an enterprise EHR to care for a broad patient population, but one size does not fit all. Patient experience and engagement varies widely. Healthcare is a competitive market. In many regions, patients have a choice about where to seek care. Without IT tools in place to smooth the patient journey, this looks like:
Patientsâ unique needs would benefit from speedboat flexibility to react to market conditions as they change. Enter patient engagement platforms: a solution that natively integrates with your EHR can implement new outreach strategies and realize results now.
In competitive marketplaces, this is not a luxury but a necessity. If you donât have the ability to reach patients now, you risk losing them to a facility that can. How do we know? Because 87% of surveyed healthcare decision-makers agree that ability to compete in a marketplace is a driver for implementing patient engagement solutions (source). Fortunately, you donât have to lag behind.
Fill the Cracks, Fast
What if your organization could start seeing changes in a matter of weeks?
Most systems are designed to work when everything is going right: when patients are fully engaged with all of their tools. In an enterprise health system, the multitude of available tools can flow through a patient portal for a streamlined patient experience. But data shows that more than half of patients arenât using patient portals, even after receiving opportunities to register.
A platform approach to patient engagement can integrate into the native EHR and bridge some of the cracks with a medium that everyone uses: SMS text messaging.
Unlike enterprise EHR modules, API-integrated platform solutions can be implemented and launched within 45 days â enabling your organization to not just keep up with the Joneses, but surpass their assets.
Break Free from Boilerplate
Why are 89% of patients between the ages of 17-74 reluctant to use online scheduling options? Reasons include lack of access to internet, lack of awareness that options exist, low computer skills, and resistance to changing habits (source). It can be challenging to change their ways when limited to boilerplate messaging options and a set number of scenarios. To activate these patients and keep them within a healthcare network, organizations must be able to think outside the box – and step outside of boxes, too.
Partnership with a flexible patient success platform keeps patients on that journey. Over 1,000 messaging scenarios, and the ability to develop more, will accommodate your unique organization – and your patients – right from implementation.
Donât Despair: Automate
When complexity abounds, organizations hesitate to adopt patient engagement technologies because their processes can vary wildly across the system. Specialities following different workflows keeps organizational knowledge siloed and ensures that valuable staff time is required to keep patients in-network. Many are surprised to learn that complexity doesnât have to be a barrier to modernization. In fact, implementation of a platform is often an opportunity to simplify workflows and identify streamlined ways to automate tired processes. Administrators and staff alike are often pleasantly surprised to learn that people donât have to manually undertake every step of the scheduling and intake processes.
The perfect mix
Automation is a hot topic right now, but itâs important to deploy a strategy that keeps humans involved when necessary. Sometimes itâs best to simplify the easy stuff and leave the personal touch for when itâs needed most. Main Line Health saved 15,000 minutes of human time per month when they implemented Digital Call Deflection. Inbound calls could be diverted to conversational SMS text messaging, enabling the call center to focus on patient interactions that benefited from a human touch.
What next?
Learn how an out-of-box solution can reach and activate the 40% of patients who arenât using your organizationâs patient portal. Request a demo here.
Patient care extends well beyond the minutes that a clinician and patient pass in an exam room together. The ensuing visit notes are just one piece of the continuum. Healthcare systems have long integrated selections from a smorgasbord of technology tools to document care, optimize practice operations, and integrate patientsâ financial journeysâŚwith varying degrees of interoperability and success.Â
Moving into 2024, healthcare providers report momentum towards consolidating tech stacks, looking to existing solutions for add-on capabilities before evaluating new vendors. Many EHR vendors are expanding beyond their core functionality of care documentation with solutions across the patient care journey. But organizations should tread with care.
Enterprise EHR is not one-size-fits-all
Every organization has unique aspects that influence operation. The gap between patient expectations and system capabilities can be massive, presenting many opportunities for patients to fall into the chasm between.
Whatâs holding patients back? Research indicates that barriers to self-service include access to the internet, lack of awareness of services, low computer skills, and change in the habit of making appointments over the phone or face-to-face. But even for patients who engage with technology, a challenging process is likely to disenchant and deter. Patients expect a frictionless experience. Anything less will stand between them and a completed appointment. No pressure, right?
The good news is, in a competitive marketplace, healthcare systems have a huge opportunity to deliver a seamless experience to keep patients coming back.
Most systems are designed to work when everything is going right: when patients are fully engaged with all of their tools. But data shows that only about 20-30% of patients make it through a manual scheduling process to a completed appointment. In their wake, they leave the debris of administrative burden, network leakage, missed appointments, and ultimately: lost revenue.
To capture maximum value from an enterprise EHR, you will need supplemental capabilities and patient engagement guardrails designed to keep the other 70 – 80% of patients in network.
10 Ways that Patient Engagement Platforms Support Patient Retention
Simple, right?
Having all of these in place is great, but if they donât integrate deeply with your EHR, your organization wonât reap maximum returns. Overworked staff canât spend time tracking these things down manually. For true Patient Success, these workflows must be deeply embedded in a native EHR, automating processes with closed-loop referrals and EHR writebacks.
Navigating the happy path in the complex landscape of enterprise EHRs requires a thoughtful approach to patient engagement. By addressing gaps with personalized strategies, proactive waitlist management, and consideration of generational nuances, healthcare providers can guide patients seamlessly through their journey, leading to improved outcomes and increased value from their EHR investments.
RESOURCE: Learn more about how Luma integrates with EHRs like Epic to support patient retention.
With hours of manual outbound calls on their plates and phones ringing off the hook, many organizations using MEDITECH are looking for ways to stretch their limited staff farther to create the best-in-region experience that will continue to differentiate their brand.
Imagine if your own organization had hours more time for each staff member to provide a truly concierge-level experience to your patients â ensuring they were up to date on preventive care appointments, checking in after procedures, providing resources to patients who needed financial, language, or other support, and much more.
These Luma customers have integrated automated and self-service actions using Luma directly into their MEDITECH systems to take manual work off of their staffâs plates and enable a better experience for both patients and staff.
At Northfield Hospital + Clinics, âweâre like David between two Goliaths,â said Vern Lougheed, Director of IT. Northfield is located in rural Minnesota, and competes for patients who also have the option to visit large health systems in the Twin Cities like Mayo Clinic.
Northfield chose Luma to power its patient experience initiatives by integrating directly with MEDITECH via APIs. The resulting efficiency helps Northfield stand out: âOur goal is to provide easy access to our organization anywhere a patient wants it,â said Debbie Oathoudt, IT Program Manager.
Before Luma, Northfield staff manually called each patient for appointment reminders, totaling 150-200 daily calls per FTE. Now, with reminders that are automatically sent to patients with appointments scheduled in MEDITECH, Northfield saves 80 hours in reminder calls every month. The reminders have also helped decrease no-shows by 15%.
For Phelps Memorial Health Center, where many patients travel long distances to get to care, better staff efficiency and more patient convenience have a direct impact on patient outcomes.
API integration with MEDITECH helps Phelps Memorial patients prepare for visits ahead of time by:
Self-service and digital options have been âso well received at Phelps Memorialâ by both patients and staff, says Director of EHR Kurt Schmidt. 84% of patients who receive intake forms from Luma complete them ahead of their appointment, and âdifferent departments come to me and ask how they can implement Luma into their workflows,â Kurt said. Phelps Memorial reaches more than 98% of their patient population using Luma.
Northfield Hospital + Clinics and Phelps Memorial Health Center show the power of giving scheduled patients actionable next steps. Not only does this help patients remember and prepare for their appointments, but allowing patients to self-service takes hours of work off of your staff. Whatâs more, data from KLAS Research shows that patients want self-service options and will even select a provider based on available digital offerings.
If youâre interested in the possibilities of integrating options like these with MEDITECH, book a quick call with a Luma + MEDITECH expert.:
Weâre thrilled to announce that Luma is now fully integrated into one of the healthcare industryâs top electronic health record providers to deliver powerful new capabilities to the thousands of healthcare providers that use the MEDITECH Expanse EHR. This integration will provide new and powerful features for the thousands of healthcare providers that use the Expanse platform.
As an initial member of the MEDITECH Alliance program, and currently the only patient-facing solution included in the program, Luma collaborated with MEDITECH to validate integration of its Patient Success Platform⢠and MEDITECH-enabled workflows for integration with MEDITECH Expanse, including patient scheduling, conversational messages, operational and clinical forms, staff scheduling, and more.
Todayâs announcement exemplifies how both healthcare providers and patients benefit when a major health systemâs EHR provider opens API technologies. This is especially true when the health system goes the extra mile by providing a mechanism for third-party developers, such as Luma, to validate and perfect their own innovative solutions within a real MEDITECH EHR installation.
Back in 2018, MEDITECH launched MEDITECH Greenfield, an application development environment to fuel the building and adoption of third-party applications. We paid particular attention to this announcement because it emphasized interoperability and offered support for useful technical connections like RESTful APIs, including FHIR. Better still, the program is backed by the MEDITECH technical teams to help developers (and, by extension, MEDITECH customers) maximize the value of the Expanse EHR.
When MEDITECH invited Luma to join the initial roster of third-party developers for the MEDITECH Alliance program, we jumped at the opportunity. MEDITECH Alliance provides greater transparency for organizations interacting with MEDITECH, and simplifies the discovery and purchasing process for customers who want to broaden the capabilities of their current systems. Over several months, we collaborated closely with MEDITECHâs technical and commercial teams to tightly integrate Luma with Expanse, ensuring a friction-free experience for our mutual customers.
After thoroughly validating Lumaâs functionality within Expanse, MEDITECH invited a healthcare provider, Phelps Memorial Health Center of Holdrege, Nebraska, to pilot Luma within the MEDITECH Greenfield Workspace program. Phelps Memorial Health Center partnered with MEDITECH and Luma Health to leverage MEDITECH’s implementation of the Argonaut FHIR scheduling APIs, creating powerful workflows for staff to more successfully connect with patients.
This FHIR API-based approach to integration is benefitting patients by allowing them to intuitively schedule and manage their own appointments using apps developed within MEDITECHâs Greenfield Workspace environment. The result of this collaboration and integration is a âsingle pane of glassâ into the patient experience and Luma-enabled touchpointsâall fully integrated into the MEDITECH Expanse experience.
âWe are an organization committed to providing a quality patient experience. Collaborating with MEDITECH and Luma Health has empowered us to be adaptable in serving our communityâs needs,â said Kurt Schmidt, Phelps Memorialâs director of electronic health records. âUsing APIs has resulted in more efficient workflows and a better digital experience for patients who want immediate access to their care.â
Phelps Memorial has experienced efficiency gains and improved patient experience by working directly with MEDITECH and Luma Health. For example, 81% of patients now complete digital intake instead of in-office paper forms.
Phelps Memorial is just one of the many healthcare systems now taking advantage of this deep integration, which uses MEDITECH Expanse APIs to connect appointment, demographic, and schedule data directly with Luma. Then, Luma sends rules-based text, email, and voice reminders to patients based on Luma Bedrock⢠data-driven best practices.
When an appointment is confirmed through a Luma communication, the information is instantly sent back into MEDITECH, changing the appointment status to confirmed or canceled. This gives MEDITECH customers an up-to-the-second view of their day. Patients can also schedule their own appointments through Luma, and these appointments are immediately synced to MEDITECHâs scheduling module via MEDITECH Expanse APIs.
[RESOURCE] How Luma integrates with MEDITECH
Want to learn more? Book a quick call with a Luma + MEDITECH expert.