Q3 2026 Newsletter
From the CEO:
Redundancy and Resilience
by Curt Hill
As most of you know, the Midwest was recently hit by severe weather—dramatic thunderstorms, tornado warnings, heavy rain, strong winds—that impacted our staff in the area. This led to extended power outages—upwards of three days for some people—loss of access to the internet, and damage from falling trees. And, we know we are moving into hurricane season, which can severely impact Florida and the eastern seaboard, where we have many staff located.
When COVID hit, like most everyone else in the country, we closed our office and sent people home. Like most everyone else, we didn’t anticipate we’d be out of the office as long as we were. We took that as an opportunity to hire the best people we could find all over the country. This geographical distribution gave us an immediate boost to our resilience and redundancy.
In light of what just recently occurred in the Midwest, and a future that predictably will have more extreme weather events, we are looking to take our commitment to resilience and redundancy in handling your accounts to the next level. Making sure we don’t miss a beat in taking care of you is of paramount importance to us here at PMRG. More to come on this!
Reporting
The work we’ve been doing on improving the reports we provide you, and in having them done more quickly and efficiently, is moving along nicely. We recently ran a test of having one of our standard monthly reports run entirely automatically, and it worked! This is a major step. Before the year end, we are hoping that we will have an executive summary of the Monthly Production Report ready to roll out and have our monthly Invoice Reconciliation Report ready to be run automatically. The team working on the project are very excited about the progress they’re making.
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, visit: Our Clients Page.
Leveraging Technology & Data Analytics in Today's Ophthalmology Practice
By Jana Holt
In our December 2025 article, I introduced a set of strategic priorities for ophthalmology practice administrators to focus on in the year ahead. Throughout this year, each article has taken a deeper dive into these pillars, providing practical guidance and actionable strategies to support successful implementation.
Technology has become an essential part of nearly every aspect of ophthalmology practice management. From scheduling and patient communication to administrative workflows and performance reporting, the right technology can improve efficiency, reduce staff burden, and enhance the patient experience.
However, simply adding more technology does not necessarily create a better practice. The real opportunity lies in maximizing existing systems, strategically automating repetitive processes, and using data to make more informed decisions.
Three areas deserve particular attention: expanding patient engagement technology, evaluating AI and automation opportunities, and strengthening cybersecurity.
1. Expand Patient Engagement Technology
The traditional patient portal is no longer the only way practices can use technology to engage patients. Today's platforms can support communication throughout the patient journey—from scheduling and appointment reminders to follow-up and recall.
This is particularly important in ophthalmology, where many patients require ongoing care. Glaucoma monitoring, retinal disease management, routine examinations, and post-operative care all depend on patients returning at appropriate intervals. When follow-up relies heavily on manual staff outreach, opportunities for care can be missed.
Practices should evaluate how effectively their current technology supports automated reminders and recalls, online scheduling, digital forms, two-way texting, and patient education. The goal is not to add technology simply because it is available, but to identify areas where communication breaks down or staff spend significant time on repetitive outreach.
When used effectively, patient engagement technology can improve access and continuity of care while reducing the administrative workload required to keep patients connected to the practice.
2. Evaluate AI and Automation Opportunities
Artificial intelligence continues to receive significant attention in healthcare, but practice administrators should approach AI with a practical question: Where can technology eliminate repetitive work without compromising quality or the patient experience?
Many ophthalmology practices have high-volume administrative workflows involving predictable, repeatable tasks. Scheduling, insurance verification, prior authorizations, patient reminders, documentation support, and certain revenue cycle functions may all present opportunities for automation.
Begin by identifying the tasks that consume the most staff time, create bottlenecks, or frequently result in delays. In some cases, the solution may be better utilization of technology the practice already owns rather than purchasing something new.
Any new solution should be evaluated based on its ability to integrate with existing systems, protect patient information, reduce workload, and produce measurable improvements. Establishing baseline performance before implementation also allows leadership to determine whether the technology is delivering the expected return.
AI and automation should not simply be viewed as tools to replace staff. Their greatest value may be in allowing employees to spend less time on repetitive administrative work and more time on activities requiring judgment, problem-solving, and direct patient interaction.
3. Strengthen Cybersecurity and Data Protection
As practices become increasingly dependent on technology, cybersecurity must evolve alongside it.
Ophthalmology practices maintain sensitive patient and financial information across electronic health records, practice management systems, imaging platforms, patient engagement tools, and other connected technologies. Each system creates another potential point of vulnerability.
Cybersecurity therefore cannot be viewed solely as an IT responsibility. Practice leadership should work closely with its IT provider to regularly assess security controls, HIPAA compliance, employee access, system vulnerabilities, data backups, and incident response plans.
Important areas to review include multi-factor authentication, password and access policies, employee cybersecurity training, software updates, vendor security, and backup and disaster recovery procedures. Staff education on phishing, suspicious links, password security, and appropriate handling of patient information should also be an ongoing priority.
A strong cybersecurity program does more than satisfy compliance requirements. It protects patient trust, supports business continuity, and reduces the operational and financial risk associated with a security incident.
Moving from Technology Adoption to Technology Strategy
Leveraging technology and data analytics requires more than purchasing new software. Practices should regularly evaluate whether existing technology is being fully utilized, whether new tools solve clearly defined operational problems, and whether results can be measured.
A practical starting point is to create a technology inventory identifying each major system, its purpose, cost, utilization, and integration with other systems. This can help leadership identify overlapping solutions, unused capabilities, workflow gaps, and opportunities for automation.
Technology decisions should also be supported by data. Establishing baseline performance and monitoring defined KPIs afterward allows leadership to determine whether an investment is actually improving efficiency, patient engagement, or financial performance.
PMRG is your strategic partner in evaluating how technology and data can better support your practice. Through technology assessments, workflow analysis, performance benchmarking, and ongoing operational support, PMRG can help identify opportunities to maximize existing systems, implement meaningful automation, strengthen patient engagement, and use data to guide decision-making. The goal is not to have the most technology. The goal is to make technology work harder for the practice.
Employee Spotlight: Michelle Develder
This quarter we’d like to introduce you to team lead Michelle Develder. Michelle has been with PMRG for 12 years and is a certified COPC Medical Biller. Over the years, she’s had the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally, and she’s excited to continue that growth in her new role as a team lead. One of the things Michelle appreciates most about working at PMRG is feeling valued and appreciated for the work she does. She also really loves the family feel of the company.
“After 12 years, the relationships I’ve built with my coworkers and the feeling of being part of a team are what make this such a special place to work,” she says. “I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given and excited to see what the next chapter brings!”
Michelle is a proud mom of three girls and her oldest just graduated high school. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family, traveling, going to concerts, and making new memories. Some of her favorite places she’s traveled to are Arizona and California; she’s always looking forward to her next adventure.
A fun fact about Michelle is that she’s a huge Phish fan.
“I’ve seen my favorite band over 60 times and counting!” she says. “Live music, dancing, and being surrounded by good people are some of my favorite things.”
We’re grateful for the energy Michelle brings to PMRG, and glad to have her as part of our team!