I’m looking to talk to one or two multi provider practices that are using FreePBX. If you’re willing, please PM me.
Thanks.
You may get PMs, but if you have questions go ahead and just ask 'em here.
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Thanks, It’s less questions and more - need someone willing to talk about their experiences with the phone system in a multi-provider, hopefully IVR using setup.
My management wants to talk others who use it before making the plunge.
FreePBX is not designed to be a multi-tenant system, and depending on how strict the partitioning needs to be, you will find yourself investing a moderate to massive amount of time trying to make your round peg fit the square hole.
For multi-tenant built into the system I recommend another application, like FusionPBX/FreeSwitch.
https://www.fusionpbx.com/
Aww - I’m not looking for a multi-tenant.
I’m looking for a multi-provider medical office - i.e. not a single doctor, but at least 3 doctors in the practice. A single doctor practice will generally only have one to two other staff, so they would have zero complex phone requirements. A multi-provider practice will likely have more staff, etc.
But since I know JB will call me out.
I’m specifically looking to talk to practice owners where the FreePBX system is using:
IVR
ACDs
Huntgroups
call forwarding
parking
work from home
I operate a three provider system for a single practice.
How it will work for you depends on what your specific requirements lay in. For example, does each doctor have a specific number for their inbound calls, or all the calls handled by a receptionist? If the former, how do you want to handle unanswered/not timely calls? Do you want the Doctors to answer their own calls?
IVRs are easy. FreePBX does these out-of-the box.
“Huntgroups” is a concept that has been transcended in this system. A call comes into the PBX and is handled by one of a number of handlers, each of which can cascade a one or more subsequent processes. These include Ring Groups (where a bumch of phones ring when get a call) or Queues (where people wait for the “next available agent”) or a couple other things.
Call Forwarding can be handled at the extension or the PBX, depending on the phone you are using and how you want to handle it.
Parking - this is where the “multi-tenant” part starts to show up. If you want to part a call in a parking lot, there are several approaches that may or may not work with your practitioners and their support staff.
WFH - is handled through a subsystem called “DISA” for dialing in. If you’d rather have extensions at the remote locations, this is handled through a gamut of solutions including establishing phone-level VPNs, to network level VPN, to simply allowing the provider’s IP address to come through the Firewall. Adaptive Firewall is a solution of last resort (think of it as a solution for the doc calling in from McDonalds).
Trying to save $5 a month and yet maintaining HPPA compliance, then IMHO blending 2+ doctors/dentists/anyoneneedingHPPA identities is just plain cheap and fraught with downline ‘gotchas’ 
Just being rigorously HPPA compliant on a well protected host is hard enough when using VOIP with vmail/email/fax/ . . .
(the penalties are quite severe if you ever get caught F’ingUp )
Thank you,
Please understand - I am in no way trying to blend anything.
I’m looking for a medical office that has like 20 people in it, not 2 or 3. A multi provider practice doesn’t mean multiple companies.
Then what does a ‘multi provider’ mean in ‘your talk’?
Medical is the key here, a provider is a doctor or RN or PA - someone who can bill for their time.
So I’m looking for someone who supports a medical office that is multi-provider - and I say that not because I actually care if they have more than one doc/pa/rn, etc, but I’m looking for a client who uses all of the a fore mentioned features in their system.
This is tantamount to when you’re looking at a new car, and you’re looking at a Lexus ABC - you might want to talk to other Lexus ABC buyers and ask them what they think? what are the issues? Why did you pick that over another, etc.
I’m looking for a reference in the medical space for FreePBX,
You need to look into your industry for a wider forum specifically VOIP and HPPA compliance,
FreePBX is not exempt from any such higher authority, generally you can only allow secure SIP signalling and secure media (SRDP) on any shared networks, but you also have to have your fax machine in a locked room.
We have PBXact running for our hospital and 3 rural health clinics with 12 providers.
It all depends on how you segment and set up the system.
Chris
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and if you poorly ‘segment’ you can be in a world of trouble with HPPA, parking lots, voicemail forwarding and more can ‘leak’ to your detriment and liability
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I do not have time/interest in talking on he phone, but for what it is worth we have used blends of Avaya/FreePBX/PBXact for single clinics - to large health systems. I concur with @cynjut’s assessment of functionality. It is all there, documented, and working well as long as you have the time to learn and properly setup the system. There are 10’s of thousands of systems that use the functionality you describe on a daily basis.
Depending on what the internal (provider) and external (HIPAA) requirements are, unless you are expert, I recommend partnering with a system provider to ensure you have the support necessary to be successful. Avaya is nice and has very mature products at a higher cost. Sangoma offers PBXact with support and expertise to help answer questions, get you setup and supported at a lower cost.
In any event, I recommend talking to Sangoma anyway. As the product owners, they are the most knowledgeable on the services you are interested in and if this is a road you desire to go down, they can help you understand the differences between FreePBX and PBXact.
He requires someone that will let his incompetent management call and bother them with inane questions for basic information that we all know is not “complex” at all.
If I’m understanding the question, isn’t this more for getting referrals from other users using this in medical practices? I understand the concern with HIPAA. And HIPAA is more about having policies and procedures in place to protect patient health information (PHI).
Sounds like there are several references in this thread that can vouch for using PBXact/FreePBX in a medical setting.
Chris
Thanks, yes, that is exactly what this thread is about.
Are you needing any additional information? Or just need a list of practices that are using it and general setup?
Chris
I manage many systems (in the range of 75) so if you have any questions, feel free to PM me.
We build fully managed custom cloud hosted and on premise SIP based pbx’s. We have many medical clients from Family practice to specialists like ortho’s and cardiologists. Freepbx is just the GUI management interface to the underlying core product known as ASTERISK. Asterisk is a robust and proven product used worldwide by millions.
Having said that, It IS possible to create an unworkable IVR, but that would be because YOU did not think it thru. Any phone system can be setup WRONG. If not planned out with a good call flow callers will be unhappy. If that happens it is NOT the phone systems fault.
We can give you some well planned out IVR’s to call and listen to in the medical community. But I don’t see where to contact you by DM, please advise.