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A successful orthodontist for more than 17 years, Dr. Darrel Kemp has seen technology transform his industry from X-ray film and paper files to digital everything. Five years ago, he migrated from an outdated UNIX®-based practice management system to a Microsoft® Windows® platform using an HP Server and HP PCs. Recently, a planned upgrade to his practice management software necessitated a hardware refresh. Guiding Dr. Kemp every step of the way was HP Preferred Partner MSI Systems Integrated Ltd-The ITeam. Having served Dr. Kemp since the original migration five years ago, The ITeam brought technical expertise and a deep understanding of the doctor's technology needs. A powerful, reliable infrastructure is essential both for excellent patient care and for the business efficiencies that increase profitability. The ITeam recommended HP Compaq 6000 Pro Business PCs backed by an HP ProLiant ML350 G6 Server. With this powerful solution in place, Kemp Orthodontics stands ready to meet the challenging demands of a busy and burgeoning practice. "The biggest advantage to us of the HP solution is making the day run smoothly and stress-free for us and for the patients," Dr. Kemp says. "To develop and maintain a high-performance technology infrastructure, we rely on The ITeam." Practice management technology transforms industry Kemp Orthodontics, located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is a thriving practice that employs some 16 persons including technicians, dental assistants and administrative staff. Also located in Calgary, The ITeam provides complete managed services-including proactive monitoring, remedial repair and infrastructure upgrades-to free its customers from the burden of technology management. Kemp Orthodontics uses Dolphin Management practice management software from Dolphin Imaging & Management Solutions, a provider of imaging, diagnostic and case presentation software for dental specialty professionals. Dolphin products integrate with digital X-ray units, CBCT systems, telephonic solutions and web-enabled applications to provide a high degree of practice automation. When Kemp Orthodontics first implemented Windows, The ITeam guided the practice's move from antiquated clone PCs to a powerful HP infrastructure able to support the Dolphin solution. The ITeam migrated data from the old UNIX system and has served as Dr. Kemp's liaison with Dolphin ever since.
Practice management technology has transformed the orthodontics industry. Kemp Orthodontics relies on the system for automated billing and scheduling, fingertip access to patient data and images, staff communication, and many other critical functions. "If the system went down, it would be chaotic and hard to function," Dr. Kemp says. "We'd have to manually track who's coming in, their medical histories and their treatment plan. I wouldn't be able to see their digital X-rays onscreen. Then whatever happened during that visit, we'd have to write on slips of paper and enter later into the system." The ITeam understood that any practice management platform Dr. Kemp adopted would have to be powerful and reliable. "They needed a lot of horsepower and memory," recalls James Wagner, ITeam sales manager. "They needed reliable uptime because when the server's down, their day-to-day operations suffer." The ITeam chose the HP ProLiant ML350 G6 Server for its excellent reliability, price-performance and value. The device is a new-generation server with greater memory capacity and more HDD expandability. It combines the latest Intel® Xeon® processors with QPI technology, best-in-class availability features and unsurpassed flexibility. "It's an ideal server for growing businesses like Dr. Kemp's," Wagner says. "It's quiet, expandable, economical, and provides advanced RAID protection to maximize uptime." The HP StorageWorks tape drive and HP ProCurve switches implemented five years ago continue to support the back-office solution. To equip clinical and administrative staff, The ITeam recommended the HP Compaq 6000 Pro Business PC. Designed as a business foundation technology, the HP device combines proven technology with customizable productivity, security and manageability features. Support for dual independent displays, which requires an optional card, eases multi-tasking. Of particular advantage to Kemp Orthodontics is the device's product lifecycle, which enables standardization on a single software image across the entire platform, regardless of model or configuration. "It keeps the same chipset, which enhances the device's serviceability, which in turn delivers a cost benefit to the doctor," explains Wagner.
Virtually every Kemp Orthodontics employee-and even patients-rely on the HP PCs every day. The practice is in the process of replacing their older printers with the HP 6000 Pros. Six devices sit by exam chairs, where the doctor and his assistants can review patient histories and treatment plans, view digital X-rays and enter notes. "Every time a patient comes in, I look to see what we did at the last appointment, what braces the patient has and what I plan to do next," Dr. Kemp says. "I can show patients digital photos of how their teeth used to be and how they've changed." Additional devices are located throughout the office. Receptionists use them for scheduling and for working with patient data. Administrators use them for billing and business management. When the waiting room gets crowded, receptionists alert clinical staff in the back to the need for time efficiency. "Thanks to the link between the front office and the back, assistants know when the patients arrive, how many patients are waiting, how long they've been waiting," Dr. Kemp says. "We can adjust our pace to keep things running smoothly." Dr. Kemp is also developing an interactive website where patients may log in, review their data and dental photos; make or change appointments; and track referrals. Those who wish may receive email reminders of upcoming appointments. Efficient workflows make everyone's life easier. They also enhance the practice's profitability. Since automating practice management, Kemp Orthodontics estimates it has been able to see approximately 20 more patients a day. That means more revenue packed into every hour. Dr. Kemp estimates that his practice revenue has nearly doubled over the past five years, thanks in large part to the efficiencies made possible by the practice management system. Without this infrastructure, he adds, he'd have to hire two additional staff persons to pull charts, file charts and telephone patients to remind them of upcoming appointments. Dr. Kemp's practice is so full that increasing his patient load is not a goal. However, keeping up with technology is. He relies on The ITeam to provide HP Care Pack Service enhanced with one-hour response time. HP quality alongside best-practice infrastructure development and maintenance from The ITeam meet Dr. Kemp's efficiency goals for worry-free business operations.
"Five years ago, we transformed our practice management system to keep up with changing technology," Dr. Kemp says. "This current implementation makes our system even more powerful. The HP and ITeam relationship makes us efficient today and ready for tomorrow." |
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