With other local options for in-person physical therapy limited by the pandemic, Atlantic Rehabilitation used BetterPT to help patients find what they needed
As the COVID-19 virus began to arise in communities throughout New Jersey, Atlantic Health System worked quickly to adapt and implement new methods in order to continue to deliver safe, exceptional care to patients.
While the health system was able to deploy telemedicine alternatives for many situations, there were many settings that still relied on in-person care – rehabilitation services being one of them.
“As the pandemic began to take root, we were fortunate to be able to offer many services remotely, with our very versatile staff pivoting to providing therapy via telemedicine,” said Daniel Whelan, Director of outpatient rehabilitation services for Atlantic Health System. “At the same time, we were cognizant of the fact that there were some services that absolutely needed to be provided in person, and even more so, that there was a strong demand for in-person services.
The team at Atlantic Rehabilitation, which includes 17 outpatient locations throughout New Jersey, worked diligently to implement practices and protocols to continue to safely provide in-person rehabilitation, such as limiting the number of patients in its facilities at one time, strict social distancing and masking, and deep cleaning of all spaces and equipment.
But while these gargantuan efforts made it possible to hold in-person rehab services, the challenge remained of letting people know that they were available. That’s when Better PT’s value took on a whole new dimension.
Atlantic Rehabilitation had first implemented Better PT more than a year ago, following a successful pilot test in 2018. BetterPT had proven incredibly effective in linking patients seeking PT services with Atlantic Rehabilitation’s locations throughout northern and central New Jersey.
“BetterPT has been a great resource for our department,” said Stefanie Colton, manager of business development for Atlantic Rehabilitation. “It has allowed us to reach new patients who can benefit from our services, who wouldn’t otherwise have known about us. In fact, each month BetterPT has led 10 times the number of new patients to our doors than we initially estimated.”
This proved especially helpful as the pandemic led many rehabilitation providers to shut down services, leaving patients searching for in-person services. For those who had the Better PT app, a listing of providers, including Atlantic Rehabilitation, who were still up and running with in-person services, was right in the palm of their hand.
BetterPT is a technology company focused on increasing patient access to health care services and improving the patient experience. Their BetterScheduling product gives patients the convenience of online scheduling for both in-person and telehealth sessions, removing the burden of scheduling, rescheduling and intake from your office staff.
“The PT industry, and healthcare industry as a whole, continue to struggle with implementing revolutionary digital solutions that have transformed most other sectors in the twenty-first century,” said Greg Peters, CEO of BetterPT. “Through our integrated healthcare platform, we’re able to help physical therapy clinics centralize and better manage their scheduling, while also increasing patients’ access to care and saving valuable time for everyone involved.”
“While COVID continues to affect our communities, we are still seeing a very strong demand for in-person PT, and we remain prepared to continue providing these services to patients, in addition to those who prefer telemedicine services,” Whelan said.
Learn more about how Atlantic Rehabilitation is using Better PT >
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About BetterPT
BetterPT™ is a technology company, committed to facilitating access to global healthcare services and improving the patient experience by connecting the three stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem: patients, providers, and payers. With an interoperable, HIPAA compliant application and EMR compatibility, BetterPT enables patients to access preventive care through in-office, virtual, and on-demand appointments. Its unique marketplace model provides an entry-point for patients seeking physical therapy care. To learn more, visit www.betterpt.com, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
About Atlantic Health System
Atlantic Health System is at the forefront of medicine, setting standards for quality health care in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the New York metropolitan area. Powered by a workforce of more than 17,000 team members and 4,800 affiliated physicians dedicated to building healthier communities, Atlantic Health System serves more than half of the state of New Jersey including 11 counties and 4.9 million people. The not-for-profit system offers more than 400 sites of care, including seven hospitals: Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, NJ, Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ, Newton Medical Center in Newton NJ, Chilton Medical Center in Pompton Plains, NJ, Hackettstown Medical Center in Hackettstown, NJ, Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, NJ, and Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute in Madison, NJ.
Atlantic Medical Group, comprised of 1,000 physicians and advanced practice providers, represents one of the largest multi-specialty practices in New Jersey and joins Atlantic Accountable Care Organization and Optimus Healthcare Partners as part of Atlantic Alliance, a Clinically Integrated Network of more than 2,500 health care providers throughout northern and central NJ.
Atlantic Health System provides care for the full continuum of health care needs through 16 urgent care centers, Atlantic Visiting Nurse and Atlantic Anywhere Virtual Visits. Facilitating the connection between these services on both land and air is the transportation fleet of Atlantic Mobile Health.
Atlantic Health System leads the Healthcare Transformation Consortium, a partnership of seven regional hospitals and health systems dedicated to improving access and affordability and is a founding member of the PIER Consortium – Partners in Innovation, Education, and Research – a streamlined clinical trial system that will expand access to groundbreaking research across seven health systems in New Jersey.
Atlantic Health System has a medical school affiliation with Thomas Jefferson University and is home to the regional campus of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Morristown and Overlook Medical Centers and is the official health care partner of the New York Jets.