Making Flu-Shot Scheduling Painless: Appointment-Plus Online Appointment Calendar Software Helping Healthcare Centers, Clinics Manage Appointments as Vaccine Arrives at Facilities
Healthcare providers, wellness centers, clinics and other medical facilities from coast to coast are turning to Appointment-Plus online appointment calendar software to automate, streamline and improve the way they schedule vaccinations and manage customer information. It offers such functionality as online customer self-scheduling, automated e-mail and text message reminders, and robust record-keeping and reporting capabilities.
Scottsdale, AZ - September 14, 2010 - Individuals throughout the country are beginning to schedule their flu shots as vaccine shipments arrive at healthcare facilities, wellness centers, clinics and other locations that administer the vital immunization. Thanks to online flu-shot appointment calendar software from Appointment-Plus, providers are improving the way they schedule their vaccinations and manage their customer and patient information.
The 2009-2010 flu season exposed the need many healthcare facilities have for efficient online scheduling software. The sudden and, for the most part, unexpected rush for flu-shot vaccinations overwhelmed providers and their support staff, as many experienced long lines, vaccine shortages and customer and patient frustration. Facilities that previously conducted in-person, “no-appointment necessary” vaccination clinics or scheduled their vaccinations in the more traditional way—over the phone with appointments marked in a paper appointment book, Google Calendar or spreadsheet—began looking for scheduling solutions to automate, improve and streamline their vaccinations processes. They found the answer in Appointment-Plus online appointment calendar software.
“Proper scheduling of flu-shot vaccinations can be a frustrating and time-consuming task for wellness centers, clinics and other healthcare providers,” says Bob La Loggia, president and founder of StormSource Software, the developer of Appointment-Plus. “Our software helps these facilities better manage this important service while giving their customers and patients the convenience of booking their appointments online.”
A leader in flu-shot scheduling software since 2001, Appointment-Plus offers such functionality as online customer and patient self-scheduling, whereby individuals can book their own vaccinations at their own convenience, 24 hours a day; automated e-mail and text message reminders sent prior to a scheduled appointment; online payment options; robust record-keeping and reporting; and e-marketing capabilities.
Practitioners and facilities that offer online customer and patient self-scheduling can add a button to their Web site where individuals can securely and quickly access the online scheduler. This popular feature can have an immediate and positive effect on scheduling procedures, as it will reduce the number of phone calls and in-person registrations, thereby freeing up staff time for other tasks.
Appointment-Plus is also ideal for managing the more traditional call-in and in-person appointments, as it provides more functionality than a paper appointment book or an electronic calendar such as those offered by Google or Microsoft Outlook.
The versatility of Appointment-Plus enables it to fit seamlessly into most facility scheduling operations, regardless of size. From single-site health clinics in the Pacific Northwest to county health departments in New England encompassing numerous offices, facilities large and small that utilize the online appointment software run more efficiently and successfully. Clients that currently utilize Appointment-Plus online appointment calendar software include Horizon Wellness Group, Hicksville, NY; Westport Weston Health District, Westport, Conn.; and Weymouth Health Department, Weymouth, Mass.
As a Web-based scheduling application, Appointment-Plus doesn’t require costly hardware or program installations. Administrators and staff access their scheduler securely and easily through any Internet connection, a tremendous benefit for practitioners and staff who manage their schedules from their phones, PDAs and other mobile devices when at home, on the road and other sites outside the office or facility.
Pricing starts at $39 per month (based on 500 appointments per month) with no long-term contracts, along with free set-up assistance with a dedicated coach.
“Having a proven, efficient scheduling procedure can mean the difference between a well-run flu-shot campaign and one riddled with problems,” La Loggia continues. “As many flu-shot providers have discovered, Appointment-Plus is the perfect partner for scheduling and managing their vaccination appointments.”
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