The problem

Summit Orthopedics, a physician-owned organization with more than 125 providers, was not managing a patient waitlist before Phreesia. When patients canceled or missed appointments, valuable slots often went unfilled, costing the organization lost revenue and leaving patients waiting weeks for needed care. “It was the wild west,” said Cassandra Englund-Thompson, Strategic Project Consultant at Summit Orthopedics. “We simply didn’t have the staff or bandwidth to manage a waitlist systematically.”

The need

Summit Orthopedics needed a simple way to rebook canceled appointments and no-shows without creating extra work for staff.

The solution

Summit Orthopedics implemented Phreesia’s Appointment Accelerator®, a smart, text-based scheduling solution. The tool automatically identifies clinically relevant patients and fills open slots without any staff intervention. Patients now receive care sooner, schedules remain optimized and the practice captures revenue that would have otherwise been lost.

“When patients cancel, Appointment Accelerator instantly offers the spot to someone waiting further out—so patients get seen sooner, saving almost 5 years of wait time in a single month and more than 40 years over a year,” said Englund-Thompson. “The patient impact is undeniable.” 

The tool has been especially impactful for high-value diagnostics such as EMGs. With only two providers offering the tests, patients often faced waits of six weeks or more. The tool now fills 75% of EMG cancellations, even at odd hours or before holidays. “If someone cancels at 8 p.m., the system can still fill the slot automatically—no staff needed,” she noted. 

Learn more at phreesia.com/appointmentaccelerator.