Blue Ridge had an open referral coordinator position. They didn't fill it.

Before working with Elera, Blue Ridge Pediatrics had a referral coordinator on staff who managed all of their referrals. When their referral coordinator left, the practice was considering hiring someone new to take over the role.

Blue Ridge decided to try Elera instead. Elera took over their referral coordination, and they found that there was no longer a need to hire someone for the open position. Since March, Elera has coordinated 478 referrals for the practice, with 94% of patients successfully scheduled with a specialist.

The transition was easier than they expected, and Elera was able to pick up the work right away.

One less position to hire for

With Elera managing referrals, Blue Ridge was able to leave the coordinator position unfilled without moving the work to the front desk or MAs.

Elera now handles the day-to-day referral work that previously sat with their coordinator, from finding an appropriate specialist and confirming insurance to scheduling with families and following the referral through completion. Blue Ridge's staff can stay focused on their existing responsibilities rather than taking on another role.

The work behind every referral

Elera contacts an average of 2.7 specialist offices for every Blue Ridge referral to find the best option for each patient. Whether that means finding an earlier appointment, working around insurance or finding a more convenient location, Elera keeps looking until the patient has an option that works. That extra effort has helped Blue Ridge get patients scheduled faster.

No new system for the staff to manage

Elera integrates directly with Blue Ridge's EMR. New referrals are pulled in automatically. Once an appointment is scheduled, the confirmation is written back into the patient's chart. There's no separate list for the staff to maintain and no duplicate entry. Blue Ridge can keep its existing workflow while Elera handles the work behind it.

The position stayed open

Blue Ridge started with an open referral coordinator position. Instead of filling it, they gave the work to Elera. Since then, Elera has handled 478 referrals with a 94% closure rate, while Blue Ridge continues to operate with zero referral coordinators on staff.

For Blue Ridge, the result is simple: the referrals are getting handled without adding another employee to do it. Justin's advice to another practice considering Elera: