Marketplace Physical Therapy Boosts Visit Volume by 14.8% with Penciled

Customer Background

Marketplace Physical Therapy and Wellness Center is a prominent provider of physical therapy services in the Los Angeles region, operating five clinics with a team of 43 providers. The organization focuses on sustainable growth while maintaining high-quality patient experiences, navigating challenges such as rising labor costs and tight reimbursement rates.

Challenge

Marketplace faced significant operational bottlenecks due to outdated technology and manual processes. The primary challenges included:

• High administrative burden from scheduling and confirming patient visits.
• Delays in patient intake and referral data entry, leading to missed appointments and revenue loss.
• Increasing payroll costs without a corresponding increase in efficiency.

Solution

Penciled provided an automation solution that integrated seamlessly with Marketplace's existing EMR, WebPT. Key features included:

• Automated scheduling for initial exams and plan of care visits.
• Responsive confirmation systems and automated waitlist management. This approach allowed Marketplace to reduce manual tasks and focus on patient care, ultimately addressing their operational challenges.

Implementation

The implementation of Penciled was executed in phases:

1. Phase 1: Waitlist Launch - Marketplace first automated the waitlist to capture cancellations without manual intervention, significantly reducing administrative workload.
2. Phase 2: Full Platform Rollout - Following the successful waitlist launch, the full Penciled platform was deployed across all clinics, enhancing scheduling and operational efficiency.

Marketplace's team emphasized the importance of organizational alignment and staff buy-in during the rollout, addressing initial skepticism about AI tools among employees.

Results

The impact of Penciled's automation was immediate and measurable:

• 14.8% Increase in Visit Volume: Over three months, Marketplace reported a significant rise in patient visits, averaging more than 4,550 visits booked in one month.
• 27% Reduction in Call Volume: The automation led to fewer inbound calls, indicating that patients were able to resolve scheduling needs independently.
• 27.5% Increase in Average Visits per Case: From September to December, the average visits per case rose from 4.0 to 5.1, enhancing revenue potential and patient care.
• 23.6% Increase in Initial Evaluations: The number of initial evaluations also saw a notable increase, contributing to overall business growth.

Quote

"Penciled had an answer to the two problems that were plaguing us: exploding payroll costs and no-shows. If we continued on our current trajectory, it was only a matter of time until our profitability disappeared." - Marketplace Leadership Team

Conclusion

The partnership with Penciled has transformed Marketplace Physical Therapy's operational landscape, enabling them to achieve significant growth while reducing administrative burdens. The case study illustrates the critical role of automation in enhancing operational efficiency and patient outcomes, providing valuable insights for other healthcare providers facing similar challenges.