Fully HIPAA Compliant Medical Answering Service
Centratel provides several HIPAA compliant message delivery systems including 100% encrypted secure messaging, allowing us to send messages between devices in a format that is not readable by anyone but the intended recipient thus assuring not only compliance with Privacy Rules & Regulations, but providing the peace of mind that comes from knowing confidential information will remain confidential.
Numbers don’t lie.
40 years of experience.
99.99% Accuracy in message processing.
1300
Clients
10K
Daily calls
2M+
Dispatched calls
Our Medical answering service covers all 50 States
Our medical telephone answering service caters to a broad range of medical clinics. For each medical office we serve, we customize our communication approach to ensure that every call is addressed with the utmost accuracy, promptly responded to, and handled with genuine compassion and understanding.
Doctors
Physicians
Family Practice
Medical Clinics
Primary Care
Internal Medicine
OBGYN
Pediatrics
Ophthalmology
Urology
Orthopedics
Dentists
Fill out the form to get in touch with us. Our operators have processed millions of medical-related calls over the years, so whatever your medical speciality, we are here for you!
Cost Savings
By outsourcing your call handling to our medical answering service, medical clinics will save on hiring, training, and managing in house receptionists. This cost saving can be redirected to providing high quality patient care.
Seasonal Scale-Up
Medical clinics can experience an increase in call volumes during cold and flu season and other health emergencies. We’re able to adjust our services according to your requirements, whether that involves managing an increase in patient inquiries or providing additional support during a healthcare crisis.
Business Continuity
Health concerns or emergencies don’t adhere to a typical 9-5 timetable. Our medical answering service is available 24 hours 7 days a week, ensuring your patients can always reach a human voice, regardless of the hour.
Specialized Industry Expertise
We’re not just any answering service; we’re a dedicated partner with 40 years of experience. Our team undergoes rigorous training, ensuring every call is handled with utmost professionalism. We recognize the need for sensitivity for all medical concerns requiring efficient, accurate responses.
How Phone Calls Are Processed by an Answering Service
Incoming Call
The operator answers the phone call with, “Answering for [Your clinic’s name]. How may I help you?” or with “Thank you for calling [Your clinic’s name], this is [operator’s name]”
Screen for Urgency
Based on a pre-determined list of emergencies provided by your office, the operator determines the urgency of the call.
Message
The operator takes all the pertinent information such as patient name, phone number, and what the call is regarding. The operator informs the caller they should hear back within 15 minutes.
Notify On-Call
The answering service agent dispatches the urgent message via a secure text message or places a direct call to the on-call physician.
Enhance healthcare customer satisfaction with our medical answering service solutions. We aim to improve patient outcomes and stabilize your healthcare business through quality 24/7 customer service.
24/7 Live Answering Service
Offer uninterrupted client support with our professional 24/7 live answering service, including emergency response, after-hours answering, and overflow support. Our operators are available around the clock to provide you with the assurance that your customers will always have a reliable line of communication.
HIPAA-Compliant Messaging
Safeguard patient privacy with our HIPAA-compliant messaging system. Rest assured that sensitive medical information is handled securely, ensuring strict adherence to HIPAA regulations and maintaining confidentiality at all times.
Call Recording
Every call for your medical office is recorded, offering easy resolution through call-TSR dialogue reviews. Receive full conversations as WAV files for quick access and analysis. This can be a valuable tool for your medical office.
Call Screening
Using predetermined screening criteria we will handle all of your calls. Allowing for fewer interruptions by filtering between non-urgent inquiries and urgent issues. Our commitment ensures you’re promptly notified about urgent calls and never miss what truly matters.
Online Message Portal
Centratel’s online message access feature allows you to retrieve and manage messages from anywhere, at any time, eliminating the need for phone calls or staff inquiries. Say goodbye to missed messages and hello to a more efficient, responsive, and productive way of managing your medical practice.
US-Owned and Operated
For 40 years, Centratel has been proudly owned and operated exclusively within the United States. We stand by this commitment by refraining from outsourcing calls internationally. We steer clear of utilizing AI technology for call handling, thereby guaranteeing authentic human engagement.
Monthly Billing Cycle
Centratel’s billing process encompasses the entire month, resulting in 12 statements per year. In contrast, many competitors employ a 28-day billing cycle, yielding an additional 13th statement each year. Centratel’s monthly billing cycle provides transparency and consistency for your medical business.
No Long Term Contracts
We are committed to delivering top-notch medical solutions tailored to your needs by eliminating long-term contracts. We are confident in the service we offer and provide you with the flexibility and freedom to evaluate our services on an ongoing basis.
“Our clients are people who want flawless performance from their answering service. They realize communication with their customers (and among their own staff) must be superb whether it is on-premise or off-premise; during office hours or after-hours.”
“You guys are awesome, we just love you!”
J.B., manager, medical clinic, Bend, Oregon
“The operators are very courteous and efficient. Centratel is the best answering service we’ve had.”
D.B., physician, skin cancer medical clinic, Sherman Oaks, CA
30-Day Free Trial
We are so confident in the service we provide that we offer a free trial. Experience the difference!
Taking the Next Step
For more specifics on cost, to start the onboarding process, or to just talk to us, fill out this form with your basic information and if it’s during regular working hours (M-F 8am to 8pm EST or 5am to 5pm PST), we’ll get back to you within minutes. Or, during the above hours, you can simply call us at 800-664-7159 or send us an email to inquiry@centratel.com.
(And note: for a quick orientation on how we operate, take a moment to review one or more of the key points listed below.)
For more specifics on cost, to start the onboarding process, or to just talk to us, fill out this form with your basic information and if it’s during regular working hours (M-F 8am to 8pm EST or 5am to 5pm PST), we’ll get back to you within minutes. Or, during the above hours, you can simply call us at 800-664-7159 or send us an email to inquiry@centratel.com.
(And note: for a quick orientation on how we operate, take a moment to review one or more of the key points listed on the right.)
Why Choose Centratel
BY SAM CARPENTER
July 1, 2024
1.CENTRATEL’S UNIQUE 30-DAY FREE TRIAL
Why is this important? Because it will provide you a truly accurate estimate of cost (we bill monthly), it will demonstrate our quality, and it gives both sides of this equation—you and Centratel—the necessary time to refine and perfect operational details.
Here’s a testimonial from a new medical client that had just finished their 30-day trial: “Of course, I love the cost as it is close to the amount I was allowed by the president of the company. I told him that if we did not continue with Centratel, I would resign as the Director of Customer Service, and I meant it. It’s a great fit. We have had NOT ONE complaint from a patient or in-house which, as you know, we received daily with our former answering service. I love you, Centratel, and the price. I’m ready to sign whatever documents you require. Thanks for the great service, and the free month! To a great partnership! -KB, Phoenix“
2.STATISTICALLY, THE BEST IN THE U.S.?
Answering service quality is 100% dependent on human action and reaction, and in the course of a single day a multitude of human decisions are made by the people who process the calls: Telephone Service Representatives, or TSRs. (Some answering services refer to them as “agents.” Others, “operators.”)
Like any other answering service, at Centratel we’re dealing with real live human beings and so human errors occur. But within this labor intensive service industry that is historically known for marginal quality, Centratel’s error rate is light years ahead of established standards. Our most recent Customer Reported Error Rate (April through June, 2024) was 1 customer-reported error for every 6,491 message transactions processed. That statistic is unmatched.
There’s no artificial intelligence manipulation, we do not offshore calls, and we were founded and have always operated within the United States. (Note that since early 2020, the COVID six-foot social distancing mandate drove thousands of small-to-medium sized answering services out of business. Large, foreign-owned multi-nationals, often disguised by the name of the local answering services they acquired, now thoroughly dominate the industry. Hence, an even further decline in general service quality. See this analysis.)
3.CUSTOMER SERVICE EXTRAORDINAIRE
Your concerns and requests will be instantly acted upon. It’s a work ethic that stands out in stark contrast from the general quality decline in human-to-human business-customer communications. You’ve seen it yourself, all around. At Centratel you will know the customer service people you’re working with by name, appreciating their special listening abilities as well as their take-action-now compartments, ie. see the testimonial in point #1 above. ‘Nuff said!
4.GETTING STARTED: IT’S SIMPLE AND FAST
Getting your new Centratel answering service 30-day free trial started is accomplished within 24-48 hours. From the start, your “onboarding” customer service representative will be with you every step of the way, listening carefully to your concerns, answering questions, and offering suggestions.
5.NEW TO USING AN ANSWERING SERVICE?
A majority of our current answering service accounts switched to us from another service because of quality problems. However, if you have not used a service before, you are not familiar with the options, benefits, and pitfalls. As noted, our 30-day free trial provides you—and us—plenty of time to precisely refine your desired message-taking and delivery protocols; to get things exactly the way you want them to be without any financial risk, undue pressure, or obligation.
6.PRICING
Starting at $89 per month, our rates rank in the mid-range of the industry. We’ll bill you based on the number of calls we handle per month, not on total minutes/seconds expended. (Be careful here as you shop for an answering service: the time-billing formula naturally induces caller/agent conversations to drag out, thus increasing client cost.)
7.ACCURATELY COMPARING ANSWERING SERVICE PRICING IS COMPLICATED
It’s apples and oranges. There isn’t an industry standard for billing, and each answering service has its own formula. Also, as noted above, some services charge by “time” while others charge by “work units.” Others combine the two. At Centratel, we charge for the work we do, not by the time we spend. The raw truth is that the only reliable way to determine monthly cost for a new service is to use that service for a solid month. Most answering services offer a 7-day free trial or no trial at all.
8.BEWARE: MONTHLY OR 28-DAY BILLING?
Important! At Centratel, we use a “monthly” billing cycle in which invoices are compiled from the first day of a month to the last day of that month. When soliciting quotes from other services, be sure to ask if the base-rate charges are billed monthly or on a “28-day billing cycle.” There is no good reason for a 28-day billing cycle! It’s bait-and-switch: customers billed on a 28-day cycle actually receive thirteen billings per year and therefore the overall cost is higher.
9.NO CONTRACT AND SIMPLE TERMS OF SERVICE
We do not require a yearly contract for service because we believe you should have the opportunity to evaluate us real-time, without restraint. Our terms of service are simple and straight-forward.
10.VALUABLE FREE GIFT FOR CONTACTING US
If you take the time to discuss answering service with us, on the same day we will ship you a hardcover copy of Sam Carpenter’s bestselling book, Work The System: The Simple Mechanics of Making More and Working Less, now in its 4th edition…but soon to be released in a 5th edition (August 2024). We’ll send you a copy of this 5th edition, too, when it’s released. (Sam is the founder and President of Centratel. December 1st 2024 marks his fortieth year of ownership.)