Gonzaba Medical Group Soars to New Levels of Efficient and Consistent Patient Communication

Within two months of implementing Balto’s Real-Time Guidance, Gonzaba Medical Group’s call quality satisfaction rose to 89%

The Challenge

To improve efficiency and cohesiveness in a patient-centric contact center

Gonzaba Medical Group isn’t your typical healthcare provider. The San Antonio, Texas-based senior primary and specialty care medical group started as a one-room office more than 60 years ago and is now one of the largest in Southern Texas. Its expansion and longevity stem from a philosophy of “Como Familia – Like Family.”

That mission extends to a hardworking Patient Services Contact Center, handling everything from appointments with 65 different providers to medications, refills, and transportation arrangements. The sheer volume of information is impossible to memorize, and searching for answers leads to extended hold times.

So, Gonzaba Medical Group focused on creating a more efficient system to reduce patient and agent frustration with a vendor that could address the following:

• Immediate access to provider-specific information
• Agent monitoring efficiency
• Call consistency, without being robotic or memorized
• Superior customer service with quality patient-first interactions

Pamela Velasquez is the current patient access center operational initiatives manager and former senior call center manager. She shared that Gonzaba Medical Group considered five potential partners, but Balto ticked all the boxes.

“We wanted to find a way to help our team members consistently provide a high level of patient experience every single phone call they had.”

Pamela Velasquez, Manager, Patient Access Center Operational Initiatives, Gonzaba Medical Group

The Solution

Implementing Balto’s Real-Time Guidance using customized playbooks for different healthcare providers, enhanced by a core group of agents acting as subject matter experts

Real-Time Guidance by Balto is powered by AI and trained by customized playbooks, so reps know what to say on every call type and have the confidence to navigate every conversation. While Pamela Velasquez initially created the playbooks based on existing job aids, she relies on the team for continuous improvement.

Gonzaba Medical Group partially launched Real-Time Guidance in March of 2022, and the full rollout was complete in April. But a process team, like an advisory committee consisting of 25 agents, has been instrumental in expanding the knowledge base.

The enthusiasm stemming from the process team made it easier to get everyone on board within 30 days, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Patient Services Representative Dawn Dreibrodt shared, “I love it!!! I wish we would have had this when we started in PAC.”

Managerial Tools for Coaching and QA

Balto also provides tools for oversight and training. Real-Time QA satisfies Gonzaba Medical Group’s quality control department by monitoring 100% of their monthly calls. The platform scores and evaluates each call, and the main dashboard displays up-to-the-minute data. Plus, Real-Time Coaching allows supervisors and leads to jump in and provide suggestions when calls take unexpected turns.

“I like how simple and user-friendly it is. I use the checklist a lot. I’m always worried that I didn’t ask the patient one of the items on it, so it’s a safety net for me.”

Valeria Estrada, Patient Services Representative, Gonzaba Medical Group

Key Results

A 60-second reduction in the average handle time and 89% call quality satisfaction in the first two months of using Balto’s Real-Time Guidance

With Gonzaba Medical Group’s patient-first philosophy, there was initial apprehension about using Balto or any similar service. Pamela Velasquez shared that they didn’t want patient services representatives to sound robotic or scripted. But Real-Time Guidance encourages agents to let their personalities shine while providing informational consistency.

Gonzaba Medical Group also benefited from the following in the first two months:

• Calls are more efficient but don’t feel rushed
• Agents have access to volumes of information customized for individual healthcare providers
• An increase in call quality to 89%
• Shorter hold times
• A reduction in helpline calls and supervisor escalations
• Average handle times shortened by 60 seconds
• Accurate quality control data with individual call monitoring and a real-time scoring system

The contact center has always maintained its goal of putting the patient first. But now, with the addition of Real-Time Guidance, quality service includes consistent and fast responses.

While Real-Time Guidance is still relatively new to the patient services department, PAC leadership is enthusiastic, “[In the first month], we were seeing numbers in a positive direction that we wanted to see.”

“I use it on every call I get and love it. It helps me when I speak too fast to the patient, which has always been such a struggle. It also gives me very informative articles that I do tend to forget in order to be more helpful to the patient. My first audit for April was 101%, which is the highest it has ever been.”

Amber Ortegon, Patient Services Representative, Gonzaba Medical Group