Sydney practice regains patient facing time with Avant’s 'revolutionary' virtual medical receptionists

Gordon & Lane Cove Eye Surgery is a large multidisciplinary specialist practice based in two locations on Sydney’s North Shore. With 22 specialists caring for patients of all ages, the practice is dedicated to providing high-quality ophthalmic care. 

As a large practice with a diverse team – including orthoptists, ophthalmic technicians, administration personnel and casual support staff – the Surgery prides itself on operational excellence and patient-centred service.

Prior to using Avant Practice Solutions’ virtual medical receptionist service, the front desk team at Gordon & Lane Cove Eye Surgery was constantly overwhelmed with calls. Around 60% of these calls were routine confirmations of appointments or referral details.  

Although the practice assigned a full-time team member to manage calls, its six receptionists were also required to assist with call overflow, limiting their ability to warmly welcome on-site patients and support the specialists. 

Given the volume of calls some also went unanswered, which the practice feels likely led some referees to contact other practices. The constant phone interruptions were also found to pose a psychosocial hazard for some team members, affecting their focus and morale.

To alleviate these challenges, Gordon & Lane Cove Eye Surgery chose to engage Avant Practice Solutions’ Call Overflow and Virtual Reception (COVR) service.  

The Surgery’s practice manager, Lucy Peters, said Avant’s virtual medical receptionist service has been “revolutionary” for the practice. “Our on-site staff can finally concentrate on improving the patient experience on-site and strengthening connections,” she added.

“It was important for us to ensure scripting of phone calls taken off-site aligned with our practice processes and culture, and the Avant team were able to accommodate this.”

COVR is an 100% Australia-based solution that provides: 

• A dedicated off-site reception team – Experienced medical receptionists work as an extension of the practice team to provide support in answering calls and managing routine admin tasks, to help ensure operations run smoothly during peak periods or unexpected staff shortages
• A bespoke service tailored to practice needs – Practices can define the call types and admin tasks that are referred to our virtual medical receptionists, who will follow agreed call flows and practice procedures
• Increased call capacity and efficiency – Our team helps ensure practices experience fewer missed calls and voicemails, which can assist with improving patient satisfaction and engagement. 

The impact of Avant’s call overflow and virtual medical receptionist service was immediate and transformative for Gordon & Lane Cove Eye Surgery, leading to: 

• A dramatic reduction in on-site call handling – Allowing receptionists to have more patient facing time
• Improved patient experience – Receptionists could focus on delivering excellent service without constant phone disruptions
• Enhanced operational efficiency – The back-office admin team could dedicate more time to tasks that require more specialised training.

If your practice is struggling with overwhelming call volumes and admin staff burnout, Avant Practice Solutions’ Call Overflow and Virtual Reception service can help.  

With experienced Australia-based medical receptionists working as an extension of your team, you can help ensure calls are answered promptly while allowing your in-house staff to focus on patient care. 

Book a 30-minute meeting with our team to learn how our virtual medical receptionist service can be tailored to your practice.    

You can also explore how you can help boost efficiency with our full suite of solutions covering medical transcription, medical billing, medical bookkeeping and practice management consulting.