Physician Scheduler® Customer Success Stories

Through more than a decade of change and growth, Northwest Radiology Associates has relied on Physician Scheduler® for proven results in automated physician scheduling

A tried-and-true software solution for automating physician schedules, ensuring shift equitability and improving staff satisfaction.

That's how Dr. Clifford R. Wolf, M.D., a staff radiologist at Northwest Radiology Associates who handles the group's scheduling responsibilities, describes Physician Scheduler®.

Dr. Wolf should know. He's been using Physician Scheduler for more than 12 years now at this radiology group in Arlington Heights, Il., and he can't imagine his job without it.

"As the scheduler for a group of 17 radiologists, I feel like I am basically organizing 17 people's lives," explains Dr. Wolf. "I simply can't do that, efficiently and accurately, without an advanced level of automation.

"Physician Scheduler is a very well-designed, robust product. It's simple to use, but can handle very complex schedules at the same time. And it's a product that grows and changes as you change. Over the years, we've gone from eight to 17 radiologists, and the software has adapted to our needs every step of the way. Whether it's adding new staff, incorporating new shifts, or changing your scheduling methodology, Physician Scheduler easily accommodates change."

Efficiency and time savings through advanced, rules-based automation

"The software just makes it so easy because of the degree of automation in generating schedules," emphasizes Dr. Wolf. "It is one thing if you have a group of a few people, but we have 17 physicians, and to generate effective, accurate schedules manually would just take forever. And I would have no way of tracking what I did."

Assignment equitability and the reporting to prove it

A strong point of Physician Scheduler, Dr. Wolf says, is its ability to generate equitable schedules for all physicians, and document schedule fairness through on-demand reporting.

"It's really critical that the software be able to ensure that every staff member receives an equal number of shifts, especially those that are least desirable such as call and weekend shifts.

"Physician Scheduler does a great job of equalizing shifts and workload. And if a physician comes to me, feeling there is a discrepancy or has a question about a specific assignment, I can quickly run a report to show that everything was done equitably and fairly. Running reports with the product is really simple."

The convenience, accessibility and satisfaction of Web-based scheduling and request submission

Physician Scheduler continues to improve and incorporate new functionality that adds value to customers, Dr. Wolf says.

"A great example is the product's new Web interface," he points out. "By having up-to-date schedules, reports and request submission available over the Web, it has made the whole process of scheduling simple and more accessible. This has improved satisfaction among the staff who really like the open, anytime access to schedules. They like the ability to make requests for time-off and vacation as long as a year in the future, and get immediate feedback from the scheduler.

"I really like the Web component because it saves me time and effort. Staff members don't have to come to me with issues because everything is there online. And I don't have to keep paper documentation anymore."

An organization that stands behind the product

Physician Scheduler is backed by AtStaff, a company that serves more than 1,200 healthcare organizations, and offers a comprehensive array of professional services that include ongoing customer support resources.

"We've used the product for more than 12 years now, and it's a good reflection on the product how seldom we have had to contact AtStaff's customer support department," says Dr. Wolf. "When we have contacted customer support, the help has been very responsive. It's nice to know there's a solid support infrastructure there behind the product."

About Northwest Radiology Associates

Northwest Radiology Associates in Arlington Heights, Il., has provided diagnostic and interventional radiologic services in Chicago's northwest and west suburbs since 1959. The group's 17 board-certified radiologists deliver comprehensive in-patient and outpatient services at Northwest Community Hospital as well as other services at several other outpatient locations.

Northwest Radiology provides many of the most advanced services to patients, including Uterine Fibroid Embolization, Vertebroplasty, RF Ablation, Chemoembolization and all facets of medical imaging.

About AtStaff

AtStaff develops staff management and physician scheduling software that enables healthcare organizations to improve healthcare quality and patient safety, increase profitability, and enhance staff recruitment and retention.

Enterprise, nursing and physician scheduling software systems from AtStaff serve more than 1,200 healthcare organizations, medical facilities, nursing departments and group practices.

More information on the company's Physician Scheduler® product is available by calling 866-807-8233 toll free and accessing www.physicianscheduler.com.

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