South Bend Orthopaedics Increased Surgical Volume and Coordinator Capacity

A growing orthopedic group replaced manual, fragmented workflows with a modern coordination system and increased surgical volume by 4.8 percent.

Summary

South Bend Orthopaedics (SBO) was growing in both surgeons and patient volume, but their surgical coordination process depended on paper folders, multiple calendars, and manual handoffs. By centralizing workflows in Surgimate, SBO increased surgical volume by 4.8 percent, reduced manual steps by 25 percent, and significantly increased surgeries scheduled per coordinator per month.

The Challenge

As SBO expanded, the scheduling team had to manage a complex manual process. Coordinators:

• Used several systems and paper packets to book each surgery
• Maintained multiple calendars and folders for each surgeon
• Created forms and letters by hand, slightly different for each physician
• Had no reliable way to track preventable cancellations

The EHR (athenahealth) could capture surgical orders, but everything after that point was manual. Scaling this process would have required more staff and more time, not better throughput.

The Solution

SBO implemented Surgimate to create a unified, trackable coordination workflow.

• All steps in the scheduling process are managed in one system
• Forms and letters are generated electronically with high accuracy
• Workloads and case status are visible across the team
• Surgeons submit CPT codes through the Surgimate App, speeding reimbursement

The result is a more reliable operation that can support growth without adding complexity.

What the Team Says

“I am a big fan of Surgimate. It was a good implementation.”

Juli Donohue, Clinical Manager

“I do not know how you could choose not to use Surgimate. We do not plan to stop growing.”

April Hersick, Clinical Director

Outcomes

• Coordinators spend less time on paperwork and more time educating and following up with patients
• New team members onboard more easily with a clear workflow
• SBO has enough visibility to anticipate staffing needs and support high-volume surgeons
• Process changes, such as centralizing clearance follow up, are easier to implement across the team

Key Results

• 4.8 percent increase in surgical volume
• 25 percent reduction in manual steps
• More surgeries scheduled per coordinator per month
• Improved visibility into coordinator workload and case status
• Faster reimbursement through CPT code submission via the Surgimate App

Practice Snapshot

• Organization: South Bend Orthopaedics
• Specialty: Orthopedics
• EHR: athenahealth