NextGen Healthcare, a provider of ambulatory-focused technology solutions, announced that its integrated NextGen Patient Experience Platform has been adopted by FPA Women’s Health, a mid-sized specialty medical group focused on women’s healthcare, to provide continuity of care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the practice’s inception in 1969, Family Planning Associates Medical Group, now FPA Women’s Health, has been providing the highest standard of medical care for women in a warm, caring environment. As the largest independent family planning service network in the United States, FPA Women’s Health, with multiple locations throughout Los Angeles County and other regions across California, offers all aspects of family planning — from pregnancy prevention to pregnancy termination — in a professional, state-of-the-art environment. With 25 clinics and more than 40 providers, FPA Women’s Health serves more than 150,000 patients a year.
Sixty percent of FPA Women’s Health patients are between the ages of 18 and 35 and gravitate toward technology for ease of use and efficiency. Since last March, the clinic’s telehealth appointments have tripled using NextGen Virtual Visits to as much as 10 percent of total patient visits. Remote care delivery has also provided new opportunities to expand FPA Women’s Health’s scope of services, including a behavioral health offering, even during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Individual assessments and therapy with a focus on women of reproductive age are now provided virtually. On average, more than 5,000 appointments are scheduled online each month by FPA patients.
“Telehealth and online scheduling were natural for us when we started to think about strategic ways to meet our patients where they are located to provide immediate access to care,” said Joni Chroman, chief operating officer for FPA Women’s Health. “We learned that integration with the NextGen Enterprise EHR for patient self-scheduling and virtual visits solutions lowered the risk of duplicative chart problems, which poses a significant patient risk. The women we serve are also looking for behavioral health services, and they want to do it safely from home.”
“The pandemic highlighted two big patient needs –convenience and safety,” said John Beck, chief solutions officer for NextGen Healthcare. “FPA Women’s Health prudently used this situation as an opportunity to leverage our integrated platform to provide a better patient experience, both in person and virtual, while bolstering their revenue collection for a sustainable future.”
