^For 24 years, Dr. John Scibal owned a full-scope optometry practice as well as a consulting practice that helped other practices with computer software and electronic records. When Dr. Scibal decided to scale down and run a smaller optometry practice that provided only vision services, eliminating the retail sales of glasses, he knew he needed an affordable yet comprehensive software solution that would give him digital, customizable tools to help him maintain a high level of patient care—without all of the “bells and whistles” he no longer needed.

From Manual to Modern

After scaling back his practice, Dr. Scibal has only a two-person team—just him and an administrative assistant. Before Office Ally, Dr. Scibal tried to manually keep records in a spreadsheet with his assistant doing manual bookkeeping. “It was extremely time consuming to do things this way, not to mention very hard,” Dr. Scibal said.

Dr. Scibal needed a comprehensive software solution that would fit his needs, but he was reluctant to pay a large bill every month that included the features he didn’t need. “I didn’t need something fancy or expensive. I needed something that would work for me at the right price point, ”he added. Dr. Scibal found what he was looking for with Office Ally and its affordable, customizable solutions, Practice Mate and EHR 24/7.

Tailored Patient Care with Customizable Tools

The biggest standout feature for Dr. Scibal was the ability to customize Office Ally. He uses the patient notes templates in EHR 24/7 for every appointment. He has found this very flexible and straightforward. He sets it up ahead of time and customizes to both his and his patients’ needs. “These digital notes are especially nice because I can lookback at older encounters and notes at any time,” he said. “It can really add to a patient appointment.”

Dr. Scibal also uses EHR 24/7 to create automatic billing statements for patients. “We can create a billing statement with no extra steps with EHR 24/7, so by the time a patient is done with their appointment, we have the bill ready to hand them,” he said. Plus, his assistant can attach notes and file insurance claims with just a few clicks.

Patient-Centered Excellence

Office Ally helps Dr. Scibal enhance his patient care with better scheduling options and data protection. “Everything from scheduling to the actual exam is much better and more efficient than before,” he said. “Plus, everything just moves faster overall without sacrificing quality.”  

• Scheduling Options. Dr. Scibal uses Practice Mate to manage his schedule online. This gives him control over his schedule, and his patients can schedule appointments at their convenience. “We can schedule from anywhere, anytime, and I can even check my schedule at my house before I come in to work,” he said.
• Data Protection. Practice Mate and EHR 24/7 are HIPAA compliant so Dr. Scibal can feel secure when exchanging patient data for care and insurance coordination. He doesn’t need to worry about his off-site data, and his patients can rest easy knowing their data is protected.
• Overall Care. With Practice Mate, Dr. Scibal sticks to a tighter schedule than ever before. Patients finish up an appointment, walk to the front desk to grab their receipt, and are out the door within minutes. “Rarely do patients have to wait,” he said.

“I’ve never had a better experience with any other software I’ve used, for optometry or otherwise,” said Dr. Scibal. “Office Ally has helped streamline everything in my practice.”

Aligning Ambitions

Dr. Scibal uses Office Ally to streamline not only his practice but his personal life too. “Office Ally gets the job done so I can get home on time and maintain my work-life balance,” he said. “The patient record and billing are done by the time the patient walks out the door, and that means I am done as well.”

Along with a quick and accurate migration, it only took Dr. Scibal a few weeks to master the Office Ally solutions, so he didn’t have to spend extended amounts of time training himself or his assistant. “One of the biggest benefits we’ve seen from Office Ally is that the insurance claim process is so uniform—you don’t have to waste time training someone on the unique ways to fill out a claim on each individual insurance website,” he said.

Additionally, Dr. Scibal doesn’t have to stay late when he needs a problem or IT issue solved. He can simply put in a customer service request to Office Ally (whether by phone or online), and a member of the customer support team will find a time that works with his schedule. “I let them know what works for me, and they work around my schedule instead of vice versa,” he said. “Plus, the support is fast. It usually takes a call less than five minutes to resolve an issue.”

From Vision to Victory

For both his practice goals and personal life, Dr. Scibal uses Office Ally solutions to see clearly. From enhancing patient care through customizable charts and online scheduling to getting Dr. Scibal home on time thanks to streamlined workflows, it’s acritical piece of his practice. “Office Ally is a no-brainer for a practicelike mine. It provides cost-effective solutions that are easy to use, plus they meet all your needs,” he said. “It’s a very high value for the cost.”

Discover Office Ally for Your Practice

Office Ally has many integrated tools to help your practice run smoothly. Practice Mate helps you manage your practice, including scheduling patients, confirming insurance, and managing accounts, all while giving you visibility into your revenue cycle. EHR 24/7 makes it easy to enhance your workflows and increase staff and provider productivity so you can stay on track. Get started with Office Ally today.