THE PATH TO PAPERLESS

Should you get a VoIP phone system?

Long-term benefits kick in after initial costs.

By Peter J Polack MD FACS

Peter J. Polack, MD, FACS, is co-managing partner for Ocala Eye, a multi-subspecialty ophthalmology practice located in Ocala, Fla. He is also founder of Emedikon, an online practice resource for physicians and administrators. His e-mail is ppolack@ocalaeye.com

Our practice has found a number of benefits in having a local area network in our office, including the ability to connect to a variety of equipment, from diagnostic devices to business productivity tools. Another newer technology that can integrate with your network is what is known as a VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) phone system. This system uses an Internet connection — typically a broadband connection such as fiber optic — instead of the traditional copper wire connection that standard telephones use.

VoIP technology has some especially attractive features for multi-location practices. We have a major satellite office about 20 miles away from our main office, in another county. All communication between the two offices used to be made with long-distance phone calls. Apart from being inefficient, it was also costly.

Recently, we had the opportunity to access the local power utility’s fiber-optic backbone, which eventually linked with the adjacent county. This drastically reduced our data connection service costs — particularly helpful with our EHR and EPM systems. Subsequently, we started looking into VoIP technology to replace our aging telephone system.

UP-FRONT COSTS

The hardware can be pricey, once you throw in all of the handsets needed (anywhere from $70,000 to $100,000 for a practice our size and number of locations). Then you have to factor in the labor and additional equipment required, as well as time for employee training.

We chose a regional IT company called Verteks Consulting (Ocala, Fla.), which recommended a VoIP solution by ShoreTel (Sunnyvale, Calif.). Now, data and voice run on the same network. The system can transfer calls between offices as if they were just extensions. If the user forgets the extension, the phones also have a built-in directory with search function.

We can use iPod docking stations for conference calls or video conferencing, utilizing the office network from any location that has an Internet connection.

One of the best parts of the system was how seamless the transition was for the staff. The handsets look and act like regular phones. The mobility app required just a short tutorial to set up a “favorites” list. Once created, we no longer need to call around to find someone, but merely dial their extension and the system essentially finds them wherever they may be.

THREE-YEAR PAYBACK

The system should pay for itself in three years through a combination of staff savings, efficiency and reduction of legacy phone line costs. We have also seen savings in Internet costs as a result of migrating our data connections to the fiber-optic backbone as well.

Don Gulling, CEO of Verteks Consulting, says that when choosing an IT services company for a VoIP solution, “Practices should consider the firm’s experience working with similar-sized organizations and put heavy emphasis on the firm’s history of delivering service after the sale by checking multiple references, including recent ones as well as ones that are older.” OM