Introduction
Main Street Medical, a primary and urgent care practice in South Carolina, faced an overwhelming challenge: an unrelenting volume of phone calls and voicemails that stretched staff to their limits. With six providers supporting more than 3,000 patients, the administrative burden was unsustainable. The practice needed a smarter, technology-driven solution — and found one in healow’s Genie AI system.
The Challenge: Drowning in Calls and Voicemails
Every morning, before the doors even opened, staff would arrive to find 10 or more voicemails waiting. Throughout the day, a dedicated team member was assigned solely to checking and returning messages — yet the practice still struggled to keep pace.
“Patients were frequently placed on hold, sometimes hung up out of frustration, and then waited hours — or even days — for a callback,” recalled Casey Bateman, office manager at Main Street Medical.
The bulk of call volume revolved around routine but time-consuming requests: prescription refills, appointment scheduling, office hours inquiries, directions, and lab-related questions. Prescription refills were the most painful bottleneck. Staff would listen to voicemails, manually transcribe messages, create a telephone encounter in the EHR, and route it to a provider — all before the refill could even be addressed. Additional back-and-forth with pharmacies or patients to clarify details added even more delay.
“The cumulative effect was a team that felt perpetually behind,” Bateman said. “Time that we wanted to spend on patients was instead diverted to managing phone traffic and administrative follow-up. It was a system that couldn’t keep pace with the needs of our patient population, no matter how hard our team worked.”
The Proposal: An Always-On AI Healthcare Assistant
Vendor healow presented the Genie system to Main Street Medical staff as an “always-on helper” — a consistent, reliable first point of contact for patients that could immediately answer common questions, handle routine requests like appointment scheduling and prescription refills, and reduce hold times and voicemails.
What set Genie apart from other vendors the practice evaluated was its direct, native integration with eClinicalWorks, the practice’s existing electronic health record (EHR) system.
“Previously, we relied on third-party platforms that were not integrated with our EHR, leading to scheduling conflicts, duplicate work and inefficiencies,” Bateman explained. “The fact that this system was built into the existing EHR infrastructure eliminated the need for disconnected systems and manual reconciliation.”
The practice envisioned a calmer, more focused in-office environment where technology absorbed routine tasks, freeing staff to redirect energy toward higher-value patient care.
Meeting the Challenge: Seamless EHR-Integrated Workflow
Main Street Medical implemented Genie as both a patient-facing and practice-facing technology, fully integrated with eClinicalWorks. The results were immediate. Scheduling, prescription requests, and documentation now flow seamlessly into the electronic record, reducing duplicate data entry, minimizing manual tracking, and ensuring real-time accuracy.
The practice currently operates with three staffed seats — reduced from four after just four months, once patients became comfortable with the system. Genie handles routine needs independently, with staff stepping in only for complex or clinically nuanced situations.
“One positive surprise was how quickly both patients and staff adopted the system,” Bateman noted. “Many patients have embraced automation and appreciate being able to accomplish tasks without waiting on hold. The ability to schedule appointments or request refills instantly — especially outside of normal business hours — has been particularly well received.”
Results: Measurable Gains in Efficiency and Patient Satisfaction
Since implementing Genie, Main Street Medical has achieved striking, measurable improvements across key performance indicators.
Of approximately 4,500 calls received per month, Genie now handles 76% end-to-end without staff intervention. It answers 100% of after-hours calls — calls that previously went straight to voicemail — dramatically improving patient access around the clock.
Staff efficiency gains have been equally impressive. The practice has experienced an 80% reduction in administrative burden, saving at least two hours per staff member per day. Prescription refill management alone accounts for more than 30 staff hours saved monthly, with improved tracking and accountability built in.
“Patients report that refill requests are routed accurately and that expectations around timing are clearly communicated, resulting in fewer follow-up calls,” Bateman said. “This has reduced staff burnout and allowed the team to focus more on direct patient care.”
Scheduled appointments increased by 16.5%, driven by easier scheduling and 24/7 self-service options. Notably, patients across all age groups — including those in their 80s — adopted the technology with ease, demonstrating its broad accessibility.
Conclusion
Main Street Medical’s experience with healow Genie demonstrates how AI-powered, EHR-integrated communication tools can transform a overwhelmed healthcare practice into a more efficient, patient-centered operation. By automating routine interactions, the practice reclaimed staff time, improved patient satisfaction, and expanded access to care — without adding headcount.
