Desert West OB/GYN was already using Phreesia for digital registration, with completion rates above 90%. But its payment setup was holding the practice back.
Patients could not use Apple Pay®, Google Pay™ or digital billing through its existing processor. So Desert West moved merchant processing to Phreesia.
The impact was immediate: $40K collected in the final four weeks with its previous processor vs. $104K in the first four weeks with Phreesia—a 154% increase.
We sat down with Amador Tello, Practice Administrator at Desert West OB/GYN, to discuss why the practice made the switch, what changed for patients and staff and how it increased collections 154% in one month.
Bring the digital experience to patient payments
Q: Why did you consider moving merchant processing to Phreesia?
Tello: We were already using Phreesia and seeing how effective it was at getting patients to complete registration digitally. Our completion rate was above 90%, so we knew Phreesia was good at engaging patients.
We wanted to bring that same experience to payments. Patients want a simple way to pay from their phones, without waiting for a paper statement or navigating another portal.
From $40K to $104K in one month
Q: What happened after you switched?
Tello: I ran a report because I wanted to understand the difference between what we collected before the switch and what we were collecting through Phreesia.
In our final four weeks with the previous processor, we collected approximately $40K. In our first four weeks with Phreesia, we collected $104K.
That was a 154% increase in collections in one month.
I was really surprised by the difference. We knew making payments easier could help, but seeing that kind of increase that quickly made the value of switching very clear.
More ways to pay
Q: What helped drive that increase?
Tello: Making it easier for patients to pay made a big difference.
In that first month, nearly 13% of payments came through Apple Pay® and Google Pay™.
Phreesia also gives patients more ways to resolve balances digitally, including card-on-file with autopay, self-service payment plans and digital bills.
Patients can review what they owe and pay from their phones instead of waiting for a paper statement or going through a separate portal.
When paying is easier, more patients complete it.
More collections without more billing work
Q: Did switching processors change anything for the billing team?
Tello: That was one of our biggest questions before go-live. We wanted to know how long it would take for a payment processed through Phreesia to appear in our PM/EHR.
In practice, it happens within seconds.
We have not experienced a meaningful delay, and we are not doing anything differently to apply the payments.
That was important because we did not want stronger collections to create more work for the billing team.
A smooth switch
Q: What was the transition like?
Tello: We were one of the first groups in our network to move forward, so there were some initial contracting steps.
But once the agreement was complete, the implementation itself was smooth.
We processed a test payment to confirm it reached the correct bank account, then trained the front-desk and billing teams separately so each group could focus on its workflow.
The Phreesia team made the transition smooth, with clear support for setup, testing and training.
Would you recommend the switch?
Q: What would you tell other practices considering moving merchant processing to Phreesia?
Tello: I would absolutely recommend it.
We saw a 154% increase in collections in one month, which made the value of switching to Phreesia merchant processing clear.
For athenahealth practices looking to collect more and get paid faster, switching to Phreesia merchant processing is worth it.
Key takeaway
Desert West OB/GYN did not need a new registration platform. It needed to extend the same digital convenience patients already had during intake to payments.
One change unlocked 154% more collections in one month, $104K collected through Phreesia, 13% of payments via Apple Pay® and Google Pay™ and zero new reconciliation steps or batch-management changes.
The lesson is simple: Make it easier to pay, and patients pay more—and faster.
*Desert West collected approximately $40K through its previous processor from May 1-28, 2026, and $104K through Phreesia from June 1-28, 2026.*
