How Tennessee Orthopedic Alliance Cut Authorization Delays by 83% with Infinx AI

In 2021, Tennessee Orthopedic Alliance (TOA), a multi-specialty orthopedic practice, faced significant challenges in managing their MRI and CT authorizations. The COVID-19 pandemic had exacerbated staffing shortages, leaving TOA two weeks behind in processing authorizations. This delay not only impacted internal operations but also led to frustrated patients, many of whom sought faster care elsewhere. With patient satisfaction dwindling, TOA recognized that they needed a solution to streamline their processes, reduce inefficiencies, and retain patients.

 

TOA Uses Infinx Platform to Speed Up Authorization and Patient Scheduling

To resolve these issues, TOA partnered with Infinx, a leader in healthcare automation solutions. The initial rollout involved manually entering authorization requests into Infinx’s Patient Access Plus platform. Even at this manual stage, the results were immediate—within one week, TOA’s authorization backlog was cleared, and the practice transitioned to same-day or next-day processing.

This was a game changer for TOA’s patient scheduling, allowing them to significantly reduce wait times and improve patient satisfaction. Previously, patients often waited two to three weeks before being scheduled. Now, TOA could schedule patients within two to three days of receiving an order, a drastic improvement that minimized patient abandonment and kept care on track.

 

Integration with EHR Further Boosts Productivity

The next phase of the transformation occurred when TOA integrated Infinx’s Patient Access Plus solution with its NextGen EHR system through an HL7 integration. This integration eliminated the need for manual data entry, drastically reducing the time it took for staff to enter a case from 3.5 minutes to just a few seconds.

With this improvement, TOA’s team was able to manage a growing patient volume without increasing the number of full-time employees (FTEs). The seven-member team that had been struggling to keep up with demand remained the same in size, even as the volume of authorizations and patient load increased. By automating these time-consuming tasks, TOA improved staff efficiency while maintaining operational stability.

 

Automation Lessens Workload and Improves Job Satisfaction at TOA

Initially, there were concerns among the staff that AI and automation would lead to job losses. These fears were common, as the rise of automation often raises questions about workforce reduction. However, as the team at TOA quickly realized, AI was a tool designed to enhance their capabilities, not replace them.

Samantha Tower, MRI Patient Services Supervisor, explained that while staff were still performing their core tasks, the most labor-intensive part—prior authorizations—was now handled by Infinx. This alleviated the team’s workload, making day-to-day operations more manageable. “My staff are a lot happier,” Tower noted. “They’re not spending hours waiting on hold with payers, and they’ve seen that AI helps, rather than threatens, their jobs.”

 

Data-Driven Insights Used to Reduce Denials

One of the most significant benefits TOA experienced from implementing AI was a sharp decline in authorization denials. Previously, TOA had struggled to track their denial rates across multiple portals, making it difficult to identify trends or areas for improvement. With Infinx, all data was consolidated into one platform, allowing Tower and her team to analyze denial patterns and address the root causes of rejections.

This data-driven approach not only reduced the overall denial rate but also empowered TOA to educate their physicians on best practices, further improving authorization success rates. As Tower pointed out, the ability to run reports and track denials has given her team the insight they needed to prevent issues before they arise.

 

“With Infinx, I have the capability of running the numbers and seeing the denial rate and the reasons for the denials and if we need to talk to the physicians and go from there. Before that, I had no way to track the information because we were using so many different portals, but now we have all of the information in one place.”
— Samantha Towler, MRI Patient Services Supervisor, Tennessee Orthopedic Alliance

 

Patient Volume and Revenue Increases Without Adding Staff

One of the most remarkable outcomes of TOA’s partnership with Infinx was the ability to handle increased patient and physician volumes without expanding their staff. Automation allowed TOA to maintain its existing team of seven, even as the practice grew, leading to significant savings in labor costs.

 

“The MRI department hasn’t really had a turnover, and I think I have partially some to credit to Infinx because my staff are a lot happier they’re not having to go to 15 different portals to do 1 authorization and then switch to a different portal.”
— Samantha Towler, MRI Patient Services Supervisor, Tennessee Orthopedic Alliance

 

Additionally, the increased efficiency contributed to higher patient satisfaction, reduced abandonment rates, and ultimately, increased revenue. By streamlining prior authorization workflows, TOA was able to focus more on patient care, ensuring that patients received the necessary authorizations in a timely manner, which also resulted in fewer complaints from physicians and nurses.

 

AI-Driven Success at Tennessee Orthopedic Alliance

Tennessee Orthopedic Alliance’s adoption of AI and automation through Infinx has transformed its operational efficiency, reduced denial rates, and allowed the practice to grow without adding staff.

By integrating Infinx with their EHR and automating repetitive tasks, TOA significantly improved its prior authorization workflows, reduced the burden on staff, and enhanced patient care. The success of this partnership highlights the value of AI and automation technology in healthcare settings where operational efficiency and patient satisfaction are paramount.

As TOA looks to the future, there are plans to expand these AI-driven solutions to other departments within the practice, including surgery scheduling. The long-term benefits of AI and automation are clear—better operational control, happier staff, and, most importantly, improved patient outcomes.

If your organization is seeking similar efficiency improvements, contact Infinx at www.infinx.com/request-a-demo to explore how AI can drive success for your practice.