What does Alta Pediatrics do?

We are an occupational speech and sensory integration therapy practice. We were founded in 2020 and now have two locations: one in the Scotch Plains area of New York and our newest location in Florham Park, NJ. We also provide on-site services for private and public schools.

Our company’s creation was a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our founder, Kimberly Hurley, was in a corporate practice at the time and was let go along with most of the company’s therapy staff. That experience led her to rethink her career and the treatment experience she wanted to offer. In such a large practice, many of the goals prioritized the patient throughput over patient experience. The sheer number of patients that the staff were expected to handle hindered their ability to offer comprehensive care. Kimberly decided to open a home-based practice where she could refocus on the patient experience by offering at-home treatment. We’ve grown since then, but prioritizing the patient’s experience has always been at the core of Atla.

Why do you use Fusion?

Growth brings challenges. Building awareness, deciding the best locations for offices, and so on. The most urgent issue was managing the revenue necessary to keep the practice afloat. Billing, invoicing, and collection processes can be painful and complex, not just for patients but for practices as well. Once we decided to become a cash-pay provider, we knew we needed the right tools and technology to ensure a seamless patient journey, and Fusion helped us do that.

We’ve used Fusion to digitize our scheduling and intake forms in the pre-appointment process. The patient portal encourages patients to keep a payment method on file and, to date, close to 90% have done so. The portal also makes appointment reminders and invoicing simple to send and track. It’s helped increase our operational efficiency and simplify the patient’s experience.

How does Fusion help your mission?

Our mission is to put the patient experience front and center. These days, patients expect a smooth digital experience with your practice. Fusion helps us achieve that. It helps us streamline processes in the front and back office, things like making sure patients have the forms they need when they need them, and sending timely appointment reminders. Our patient care coordinator can manage the high volume of these kinds of tasks efficiently with Fusion, so we can give each patient the experience they deserve. It has really helped us elevate the patient journey.

Any advice for U.S. providers who are considering opening their own practice?

Building awareness has been key to our growth and expansion. And when you are just starting out, it’s important to be cost-conscious and do things efficiently. For example, get the word out by reaching out to local organizations. Is there a local chamber of commerce you could leverage? Are there other providers that you can network with to begin building those community-based relationships? When we started, we connected with people through social media communities like local moms’ groups. Once that awareness is solidified, you will start to see organic growth.

The next thing would be building the retargeting tools and trackers needed to nurture those who show interest in your practice. Focus on bringing those potential patients back to your website with retargeting on social media and newsletter sign-ups through content marketing. This is something we are actively working on, and it ultimately drives the flywheel cycle in that patient journey, improves conversions, drives new patient acquisition, and improves your practice’s reputation.

Lastly, I would just say go for it! There are so many benefits to opening your own practice once you work through—and embrace—the growing pains. You’ll create the type of environment where you can deliver the patient experience that you want to deliver, and of course, the ability to manage your own schedule is fantastic. Invest in the proper tools and technologies so you can execute on your vision. We did it, so can you!