THE CLIENT
Dr Paul Tuohey and his business partner Tim Davies established Health First Medical Group (HFMG) in March 2014. While Ballarat has numerous medical centres, they felt that the sector lacked a customerservice centric practice.
HFMG sees two distinct sides to general practice medicine:
- providing the best care possible through its doctors and allied health professionals, and
- creating an efficient, safe, comfortable customer service environment
The practice has four GPs, two practice nurses, two chiropractors, a podiatrist, and on-site pathology with Dorevitch. It has plans for further expansion. As a new business, HFMG wanted its business-critical aspects of print, telecommunications and IT to be low-maintenance solutions that made the most of upto-date technology, in the simplest format.
They also wanted those services to be integrated into their other technology choices and software. They based each decision on the business’s needs, with the overarching thrust that it had to enhance patients’ experience, and be simple for staff to use. Knowing research into suppliers and solutions would be key in achieving their goals, HFMG compared five suppliers – four from Ballarat and one Melbourne based company.
THE CHALLENGE
As a new business, HFMG wanted its business-critical aspects of print, telecommunications and IT to be low-maintenance solutions that made the most of up-to-date technology, in the simplest format. They also wanted those services to be integrated into their other technology choices and software. They based each decision on the business’s needs, with the overarching thrust that it had to enhance patients’ experience, and be simple for staff to use. Knowing research into suppliers and solutions would be key in achieving their goals, HFMG compared five suppliers – four from Ballarat and one Melbourne based company.
THE SOLUTION
HFMG chose Viatek for its consultative approach, in working through what the business wanted to achieve for staff and patients, and how it wanted to operate, including handling funding and cap-ex needs as a new business.
Equipment:
- 1 x DocuPrint CM 405 Multifunction Device (MFD) in the main office/reception area
- 7 x DocuPrint 355 printers (one in each consulting room)
- 1 x DocuPrint CP 405 colour printer (management and marketing)
- ShoreTel Communication system
- Microsoft Small Business server
HFMG had long-term financial goals for its IT and telco needs. While other providers had recommended using the cloud, this didn’t suit HFMG’s requirements. Choosing to use the NBN for its internet needs and a tailored managed print solution, were just two of many carefully considered decisions; all chosen because they provided the best possible solution while being cost-effective. The MFD also scans directly into the client management software.
THE RESULT
The print, telco and IT systems allow the medical centre to run efficiently. One of its key goals was to provide the doctors with an efficient, electronically run practice so they could focus purely on patients. For administration staff, the main advantage is the business continuity such a robust solution affords, allowing the practice to be more time effective, and provide a higher level of service to patients. Part of that continuity is Viatek’s helpdesk, which HFMG staff find useful, prompt and a quick way to fix small problems.
The ShoreTel communication solution includes “presence-management functionality”. This allows staff to instantly see if someone is on the phone or not, before putting through a caller, or ringing through themselves with the caller on hold. This gives HFMG the ability to deliver a high level of customer service to clients ringing in, with prompt handling of requests. By reducing distractions, it also allows doctors to concentrate fully on the patient currently in their consultation room. The system allows for internal communications via paging and instant messaging.
“Viatek helped HFMG to identify the best solution, and help with integrating it into their other technology choices.”
"One thing that is important to me was dealing with a company that didn’t try to take over my business and tell me what was best for me. Rather, they came into my business to see what we were about and what we wanted to achieve through our IT, telco and print, and then took a consultative approach in providing us with that solution. They were the only company that wanted to come on-site and get a feel for what our vision was - not what they thought it should be. A dedicated account manager, project manager and support via their helpdesk, has made the whole process transparent and effective."
“When further equipment is required, they are very professional in the manner in which they deliver and install it. This is vitally important to a busy medical centre.”
