Leaders from Ozarks Healthcare describe how their rural system is improving patient access through MEDITECH portal tools, including a new self-scheduling feature that quickly increased appointment volume and convenience for patients. They also highlight “virtual rounding,” where a remote specialist conducts visits via video while patients remain in the clinic, expanding access to care without requiring onsite presence. Overall, the conversation emphasizes using technology to streamline workflows, empower patients, and extend services despite rural constraints, with future plans for broader scheduling options and on-demand virtual care.

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Links for this episode:

Ozarks Healthcare | Healthcare in West Plains, Missouri

Priscilla A Frase, MD | LinkedIn

Brenda Cotter | LinkedIn

Patient Empowerment | MEDITECH

Aditya Bansod discusses operational AI in healthcare – technology that automates the processes between a patient seeking care and receiving it. Rather than just generating insights, this approach streamlines workflows like scheduling, communication, and intake, integrating directly with systems like MEDITECH to reduce administrative burden and improve access, especially for resource-constrained hospitals. A key example is fax automation: AI can read, classify, and route large volumes of incoming documents, eliminating manual work and delays. This allows staff to shift to patient-facing roles and supports broader improvements like automated calls, scheduling, and no-show recovery – ultimately making care more efficient and accessible.

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Links for this episode:

Luma | Operational AI for Healthcare

Aditya Bansod | LinkedIn

Leaders from two hospitals shared their experiences implementing MEDITECH as a Service (MaaS), highlighting why they chose it to streamline systems and support limited IT teams. Both emphasized strong governance with cross-functional committees, plus blended training approaches (online, in-person, and at-the-elbow) to prepare staff for a completely new system. At go-live, they reduced patient volumes and relied on internal teams and super users for support, avoiding external consultants. Key lessons included improving timing of training and increasing provider support, while ongoing optimization is managed through structured governance processes that prioritize requests based on impact and feasibility.

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Links for this episode:

MaaS Summit - 2026 Inspire Conference

Huggins Hospital

Bingham Memorial Hospital | Critical Access Hospital in Blackfoot, Idaho

MEDITECH as a Service (MaaS) | MEDITECH