As a behavioral health provider, you understand the importance of swift, secure, and thorough access to quality mental health care. But how can you ensure your patients can reach a calm and compassionate human being when they need immediate help? Or that a qualified and reassuring team member answers when an individual in need takes that pivotal step of picking up their phone in the first place? The answer is simple: hire a professional answering service.
Here are the top four answering service benefits for behavioral health centers:
Personalized Support 24/7
No matter how dedicated you are to your practice, and no matter how hard your in-house staff works, it is impossible to be available around the clock. With an answering service at the ready, you can rest assured that there is always someone available to take calls from potential and existing patients. By doing so, no calls, no matter how urgent, slip through the cracks.
The best answering services will be staffed by agents who are not only familiar with medical terminology but also HIPAA compliance regulations, allowing them to provide personable and personalized support at all times.
Improved Efficiency
Having an answering service handle your behavioral health center’s phone lines frees up valuable time, allowing your on-site team to focus on so many other important tasks related to patient care and intervention while making certain that callers are still able to get the help they need promptly.
Reduced Overhead Costs
Hiring an answering service is much more cost-effective than hiring additional employees or outsourcing your reception duties to a third-party vendor. Why? Because answering services typically charge a flat rate per month for their services rather than charging per minute like other vendors. In addition, answering services are only compensated when they are working on your practice or center’s behalf, which means you save money every month without sacrificing quality or service for your patients.
Increased Patient Satisfaction
Around-the-clock support is not only convenient, but when it comes to the mental health community it could also mean the difference between life and death. Be sure your office is available when patients need it most. This 24/7 assurance leads to increased patient satisfaction overall. Patients know they have easy access to help without having to jump through hoops to get answers. This helps to enhance a sense of safety and self-worth. Not only that, but it leads to improved patient and customer loyalty and retention rates over time as well as word-of-mouth spreads from happy clients who want others to benefit from their positive experience.
As the manager of a behavioral health center, you are responsible for ensuring that your patients receive the best possible care and attention. Making certain someone is available to answer your calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week is only one of your myriad responsibilities, but it is a critical one.
Edwards Answering Service can help. For decades, our team has helped medical and behavioral health practices establish practices that meet their patients’ unique needs while protecting their privacy – and creating a more seamless, streamlined office environment.
Reach out to us today at 800-606-3273 to learn more or contact us to ask about a free trial.