Q2 2026 Newsletter
From the CEO: the Future of Reporting
By Curt Hill
As you may recall from an earlier edition of this newsletter, I announced that PMRG was beginning the work to build a data warehouse so that we could store all the data from the disparate systems we work in one place, making reporting easier and more comprehensive. After about three months of exploring this option, and taking the first steps in building it, we determined that it was far too costly to pursue this option. As any nimble company would, we have pivoted! We are now working on how we can employ AI to make the building of our reports, which has been an unduly manual process, into something that is more automated using the tools that are becoming more and more available.
Our first step is going to be creating an executive summary of the reports we are currently building. This would be a high-level document that we could send you via email as it would contain no confidential information, and, how we’re envisioning it, would contain a link to the full report that is currently housed in Box.com.
The next step will be using AI tools to replace many of the manual processes that are currently in place. Doing this will make us more resilient in an ever-changing landscape, and less dependent on any one person. This is a big project! We have hired a certified project manager who is well versed in AI tools to manage this project.
At this time, we don’t know how long this project will take – we are going slow so as to ensure everything is fully documented. We hope to roll out a beta test of the executive summary this summary. If you’re interested in being part of the beta test, would you let me know? Your feedback is important in developing a document that is really useful!
Did You Know PMRG Has a Referral Program?
If you have colleagues that you think could use our expertise, your referral is the best possible endorsement of our work. To find out more about how our referral program, click here: Our Clients.
Enhancing Patient Access & Experience in Today’s Ophthalmology Practice
By Jana Holt
In a December 2025 article, I introduced key strategic priorities for ophthalmology practice administrators. This series expands on those pillars with practical, actionable guidance to strengthen operations, improve patient satisfaction, and support sustainable growth.
In today’s competitive healthcare environment, patient experience is a major differentiator. From routine exams to complex surgical care, patients expect convenience, efficiency, and clear communication at every stage. Practices that prioritize access and experience improve satisfaction, retention, referrals, and overall growth.
Three areas have the greatest impact: appointment access and scheduling efficiency, streamlined onboarding and check-in, and effective use of patient feedback. Focusing on these areas reduces friction, improves throughput, and creates a more consistent, patient-centered experience.
1. Optimize Appointment Availability and Scheduling Efficiency
Timely access to care is a key driver of patient satisfaction, especially in ophthalmology, where delays can affect both experience and clinical outcomes.
Evaluating access requires more than surface-level metrics. Practices should analyze provider templates and workflows to identify inefficiencies. Key reports include the next available appointment, new vs. established patient lag time, template utilization, no-show trends, and call center metrics (hold times, abandonment rates). Core KPIs include days to next available appointment, no-show rate, same-day fill rate, and scheduling conversion rate.
Improvement opportunities include rebalancing templates, reserving urgent slots, adopting modified open-access scheduling, and standardizing protocols across centralized scheduling teams.
When managed well, improved access increases patient capture, continuity of care, and procedural volume.
2. Streamline Patient Onboarding and Check-In Processes
The patient experience begins before the visit. Inefficient onboarding and check-in create delays, frustration, and administrative burden.
Ophthalmology adds complexity due to diagnostics, imaging, and detailed histories—making efficient front-end workflows essential. Common pain points include paper forms, duplicate data entry, delayed insurance verification, and long front desk wait times.
Improvements include digital pre-registration, online forms, automated reminders, real-time insurance verification, and mobile or kiosk check-in.
Key reports include wait times, registration accuracy, front desk throughput, and verification turnaround. KPIs include check-in time, patient cycle time, error rate, and staffing efficiency.
Streamlining these processes improves both patient experience and operational performance while supporting the revenue cycle.
3. Gather and Act on Patient Feedback
Patient feedback is only valuable when it leads to action.
Because ophthalmology patients interact with multiple touchpoints, feedback should capture the full care journey. Effective strategies include post-visit surveys, Net Promoter Score (NPS), online review monitoring, and real-time feedback collection.
Surveys should be brief, timely, and focused on access, communication, wait times, and overall satisfaction. Key metrics include response rates, satisfaction scores, NPS trends, and complaint categories. Core KPIs include overall satisfaction, likelihood to recommend, resolution time, and retention.
Identifying trends allows leadership to prioritize high-impact improvements. Assigning ownership and ensuring follow-up drives meaningful change. Communicating improvements back to patients and staff reinforces a culture of continuous improvement.
Moving from Access to Experience
Improving access and experience requires a coordinated approach, not isolated fixes. Aligning scheduling, front-end operations, and patient engagement is essential.
Regular reporting, clear accountability, and continuous monitoring enable timely adjustments and sustained performance. Practices that proactively manage these areas are better positioned to improve satisfaction, retention, and long-term growth.
PMRG partners with practices to assess workflows, identify bottlenecks, and implement tailored solutions. Through consulting, benchmarking, and operational support, PMRG helps build sustainable processes that enhance access, efficiency, and patient experience.
Ultimately, practices that make care easier to access—and the experience smoother to navigate—will stand out in an increasingly competitive market.
Employee Spotlight:
Stephanie Mantel
This month we’re featuring PMRG Call Center Representative Stephanie Mantel.
Stephanie has worked at PMRG for the past seven years. Although her career started in Information Technology, she ultimately decided to focus on Administrative Customer Service, which led her to PMRG. Stephanie appreciates the ability to work from home that PMRG offers, which helps her keep a better balance with her home and work responsibilities.
“I truly feel blessed that a company recognizes their employees hard work and efforts,” Stephanie says.
Outside of work, Stephanie has been married to her husband for 23 years. She has one daughter, Tamaryllis, and four grandchildren. Stephanie and her husband enjoy going to Chicago White Sox games when they can. She also enjoys cooking, going to the gym and going on cruises with her step mom.
We’re grateful for Stephanie’s continued hard work and dedication to PMRG!