Medical Call Center News

August/September 2010

LVM Releases Centaurus on .Net Platform

LVM Systems released its Centaurus software on Microsoft’s .Net platform, giving LVM customers a choice on how they want their Centaurus software to function.  “We believe Centaurus is already the top healthcare call center software solution in the industry,” said LVM Systems’ Vice President of .Net Applications Jake Johnson.  “Adding the .Net platform gives LVM Systems and our customers access to the latest technologies.”

The move to the .Net platform was three years in the making.  It also represents a significant investment in staffing and resources.  “We listened to our customers and other call center managers,” said Les Mortensen, LVM Systems’ president and chief information officer.  “They said they wanted a .Net option.  We made that happen.”

LVM Systems’ Centaurus software is a customizable solution for healthcare call centers.  Centaurus was first developed in 1988 and has evolved to meet the changing needs of the healthcare call center industry. 

Although it is anticipated that the .Net version of Centaurus will become the primary choice among new customers, LVM Systems will continue to provide support to those customers with the original version.  Customers have the option of which platform they want Centaurus to run on.

miOnCall App Now Available for the iPad

1Call announced that the miOnCall app is now available for the Apple^® iPad™ and can be downloaded on the Apple iTunes^® store.  The miOnCall App is an essential mobile tool for physicians and staff, allowing them to view and manage their Infinity IS Web-based on-call schedules. 

Other apps that are available for download on the iTunes store include an iPhone^® version of miOnCall and a miDash app for iPhone, both of which allow supervisors to view Infinity IS dashboard gauges and charts to monitor Infinity system traffic from virtually anywhere.  These apps are also compatible with the iPod touch^®.

Amtelco President Tom Curtin said, “With the iPad rapidly infiltrating hospitals, the miOnCall app is helping physicians quickly access the vital information they need.  Giving them the ability to check and make changes to their on-call schedules is an immensely valuable tool not only for the physicians but also for our partner organizations.”

For more information, call 800-225-6035 or email info@1call.com.

855 for Toll Free Services to be Implemented

The Wireline Competition Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authorized opening the 855 toll free code on October 1, 2010.  The announcement was made on June 25, 2010.

The 866 and 855 NPA (numbering plan areas) codes for toll-free service were assigned in 1999, supplementing the 800, 888, and 877 NPAs.  The 866 NPA code went into service in July 2000, but implementation of the 855 NPA was deferred until now.  The Database Service Management Inc. forecasted that the current supply of toll free numbers was expected to reach the 90% threshold in the fourth quarter of 2011, serving as the impetus for this action.

Earlier this year, the 544 NPA was assigned for personal communication services (PCS) and overlays were announced for Western Quebec (873 to overlay 819), Oklahoma (539 to overlay 918), New York (929 to overlay 718/347), Quebec (579 to overlay 450), and Arkansas (327 to overlay 870). 

An overlay means that a new area code is assigned to the same geographic region as existing code(s).  With an overlay, no one needs to change area codes; however, ten-digit dialing becomes required for all calls.

Synergy Solutions Earns ATA-SRO Accreditation

Synergy Solutions, Inc., a provider of outsourced healthcare and health insurance contact solutions, has achieved full accreditation from the American Teleservices Association Self Regulatory Organization (ATA-SRO).  Accreditation requires that a certified third party SRO auditor determine that Synergy Solutions meets all SRO standards and has established that the process and controls in place operate in full compliance with state and federal teleservices regulations.  After a rigorous three-step process, Synergy Solutions was recommended for accreditation by Angela Morris of Quality Contact Solutions, a certified SRO auditor.

“We are extremely proud to be a pioneer in this process,” said Lynne Jacoby, vice president of Healthcare Solutions and Compliance.  “Synergy’s team was very confident our compliance program exceeded the ATA-SRO standards, but the external audit was a great way to assure ourselves and our clients we are focused on the right things.”

Lori Fentem, Synergy Solutions’ president, added that, “SRO accreditation was a very high priority for the Synergy team as it serves as a way for our clients, our employees, and regulators to have confidence in our stringent compliance processes.  Being one of the first companies to become accredited is evidence of Synergy's integrity and commitment to excellence.”

Strong Attendance Sparks Energizing AAACN Conference

An outstanding education program drew more than 700 nurses to Las Vegas for the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN) 35^th Annual Conference, May 4-7, 2010.  The conference boasted a 30% increase in attendance over 2009 and one of the highest in AAACN history.

The conference was designed to meet the needs of nurses practicing in ambulatory care and telehealth settings.  Education sessions were taught by leading experts and covered such topics as immunizations, enhancing quality and safety, medical home models, the role of non-licensed personnel, and managing clinical challenges.

Two special tracks focused on leadership and telehealth nursing and included dedicated concurrent sessions throughout the conference.  Attendees also boosted their knowledge with pre- and post-conference workshops and poster presentations, visited the exhibit hall, and met with vendors about the latest products and services.

“Ambulatory care nursing is an integral part of today’s healthcare environment, and it is exciting to see so many ambulatory care nurses who love what they do come together to advance their practice and the future of our specialty,” said AAACN’s new president, Traci Haynes, MSN, RN, BA, CEN.

1Call Introduces On-Call Coverage Checker

The 1Call Division of Amtelco announced the new 1Call Infinity IS on-call coverage checker, included as part of Infinity software version 5.6.  This new feature alerts individuals about unassigned on-call schedules and also reminds personnel when they are scheduled to be on-call. 

The on-call coverage checker uses the new “reminder” tab on the on-call schedule screen.  Supervisors indicate how many hours before a schedule to check for empty shifts and can then select the desired contact email addresses from the Infinity IS directory without retyping.  Then, at the designated time, Infinity checks the schedule and uses the email contact methods for each individual to notify them of the unassigned shifts.  The on-call coverage checker can also send shift reminders to personnel about upcoming shifts.  These settings can be customized for each on-call schedule, allowing supervisors to customize the reminders to meet the needs of each department and physician.

“This amazing new feature saves an amazing amount of time and effort for call centers and makes it even easier for operators to ensure they always know who is on call,” stated Amtelco President Tom Curtin. 

For more information, contact 1Call at 800-225-6035 or email info@1call.com.

Cosmopolitan Medical Earns Top Ranking for Outstanding Service

Catering exclusively to the medical community, Cosmopolitan Medical Communications of Glendale, Arizona, has been honored with the 2010 Award of Excellence for the fourth consecutive year, earning the highest score among the hundreds of participating call centers.  The honor is awarded annually by the Association of TeleServices International (ATSI).  Cosmopolitan Medical Communications was presented with the “top score” award at ATSI’s 2010 Annual Convention that was recently held at the Westin Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego, CA.

After six months of testing, an independent panel of judges scored call-handling skills such as courtesy, response time, accuracy, and overall service to their clients – the cornerstones of the call management industry.  Cosmopolitan not only exceeded the criteria necessary to be recognized, but it also exceeded the scores of all other call centers being evaluated, earning the top ranking.

For more information, call Michelle Weiss at 800-900-0101.

Investment in Call Center Speech Analytics Set to Double

Global call center spending on speech analytics is set to grow from $95 million in 2009 to $180 million by 2014.  A report by independent telecom analyst Ovum found that although still an early-adopter technology, speech analytic use will grow over the next few years, helping businesses to improve customer loyalty and processes.

The key functions of speech analytics are call categorization, emotion detection, and root cause analysis to find the key reasons that customers call a call center.  Speech analytics can also be used to search for key words and phrases in order to determine whether agents are adhering to scripts.  Calls can be grouped into categories, such as repeat calls or cancellations.  By using speech analytics to identify repeated issues, companies can work towards improving problem resolution strategies, create better processes, and improve customer service. 

Aphrodite Brinsmead, the report author, said, “Spending on speech analytics will increase at a compound annual growth rate of 13.5% between 2009 and 2014.  Companies have shown significantly more interest in the technology as they begin to understand the business case.  Consequently they can now justify the costs despite tightening IT budgets.”