Customer Success Spotlight
Mountains Community Hospital
Company
Mountains Community Hospital
Employees
101-250
Locations
7
Since high-quality medical care began merging with the newest technological innovations — from AI-driven devices to Intelligent Automation and large-scale-data communication — there’s been a revolution in how healthcare views these advancements. According to Forbes, 80% of healthcare providers plan to increase investment in technology and digital solutions over the next five years.
Mountains Community Hospital, founded in 1951, always put technology first. Rooted in the small-town feel of California’s San Bernadino Mountains, they aim to provide high-quality, lifesaving healthcare with the technology to match. The 20-bed long-term care facility also offers two operating rooms, an emergency room, and a free-to-the-public health clinic.
In a fast-paced environment where efficiency can mean life or death, an upgraded communications system that matched their technology-forward approach to health care became critical. That’s where Nextiva stepped in.
We spoke with Patrick Miller, IT Manager and Information Security Officer at Mountains Community Hospital, about overcoming critical communication challenges.
Existing communications systems: Group Paging, Push to Talk
“
The Nextiva Professional Service team was doing the work that needed to be done, and I didn’t have to babysit — the team took care of everything.”
Patrick Miller, IT manager and information security officer at mountains community hospital
Where Nextiva hits the mark
As a critical care facility in a small town — cost was an issue when searching for a new service provider. But, Nextiva hit the mark there as well.
“We dropped our phone bill to more than half what we were paying before,” said Miller. “Once you start talking to your CFO about price drops, they’re like, ‘Why aren’t we doing it now?’”
The Nextiva Professional Service team was doing the work that needed to be done, and I didn’t have to babysit — the team took care of everything.
Patrick Miller
IT manager and information security officer at mountains community hospital
Even when it came down to installing several fax bridges at the last minute, Miller found cost savings he didn’t expect. Each fax line was $15 less than it was with the previous provider — even after the installation costs.
Another important initiative for the hospital was ensuring each patient room had access to a phone line. Since most patients don’t have data drops in their rooms, they needed an option that didn’t require building physical infrastructure.
The team at Nextiva worked with Miller to find a solution. They could install devices alongside the phone lines to patch them into the larger NextOS portal.
The new devices could put phone lines where they hadn’t been before, including at each workstation. The additional lines paired with the “Receive from Anywhere” function allowed nurses to move from place to place within the hospital and ensured IT could take calls from anywhere.
The freedom to move around the hospital footprint and still answer calls made all the difference in the world.
Nextiva’s Amazing Service promise
From developing a new communications plan to installing the software and devices, Miller expected a heavy lift for his staff during implementation. But Nextiva’s professional service team helped every step of the way.
“Our project manager made sure everything went smoothly,” he said of the implementation process. “ Whether we had a question about set-up or hit a snag with a new feature, she never hesitated to jump in, roll up her sleeves, and get to work right there with us.
The Nextiva team came on-site several times to oversee installation and training. That allowed the staff to train on the software and learn about new features with expert guidance. For a hospital staff without time to spare, in-person training helped prepare them before they hit the floor.
Communication to rely on
Hospitals rely on their communication systems day in and day out — across all platforms. Nextiva turned an unreliable system into a technology-forward powerhouse for Mountains Community Hospital.
Ring groups, sometimes called hunt groups, became a highlight for hospital staff, allowing phone calls to move from one group to the next and guarantee an answer. “We don’t want patients to feel like nobody’s answering the phone and it’s going straight to voicemail.”
Next came faxes. When the Nextiva project manager learned of the need for fax lines, she developed a plan to install several fax bridges, and the old numbers rolled over within a few minutes of installation.
Not only was Nextiva able to help them with reliable phone communications, but they hand-picked features and devices to amplify the existing technology already at work.
HIPAA-Compliant Features
For any healthcare provider, meeting the standards of HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) is a critical requirement. HIPAA is a federal law that requires the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information. At Mountain Community Hospital, there’s no decision made without HIPAA in mind.
Nextiva implemented a HIPAA-compliant phone system, and provided tools to allow patients new ways to reach out to their care providers, like text messaging. It’s another feature that brings the hospital into a new age of technological advancement and ensures no patient is left behind.
The bottom line — Mountains Community Hospital needed reliable, easy-to-use technology that allowed them to be available to their patients 24/7. Working with Nextiva enabled the hospital staff to regain trust in the communication system and provide immediate care.
“Nextiva has made my job a lot easier,” Miller continues. “Because I know that as long as my network stays up, my phone lines are good.”
Results
01
Employees can work from anywhere using the NextivaONE App
02
Providing cloud communications to 120 employees across the country
03
Deploying HIPAA-compliant voice, video, and fax for all users
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