Frequently Asked Questions

Most practices can go live within days, not months. Unlike building an internal triage team which requires hiring, training, and ramping up over 3-6 months, PCTS already has trained RN staff ready to handle your calls. We focus on protocol alignment using Schmitt-Thompson Protocols, your practice's Standard Operating Procedures, and workflow setup, then you're operational.

Implementation is straightforward: we start with a discovery call to understand your practice's Standard Operating Procedures and workflows. Then we configure our systems to match your escalation procedures, documentation requirements, and preferred communication methods including HippoChat, our secure healthcare messaging platform. We conduct a brief training period with your staff on the handoff process, and provide training content for encounter and nursing note management. Then you're live.

Our RNs are trained across multiple specialties including pediatrics, OB/GYN, internal medicine, and more. During implementation, we align our Schmitt-Thompson Protocols to your practice's specific Standard Operating Procedures and escalation criteria. Your patients receive consistent, specialty-aware triage that matches your clinical standards.

We follow your defined escalation protocols precisely. When a call meets your criteria for provider escalation, we contact your on-call provider using your preferred method—phone, secure text, or HippoChat—with a complete clinical summary. You maintain full control over escalation thresholds and procedures.

This is where PCTS shines. Internal teams with zero slack capacity fall behind during surges, creating a backlog that compounds (the "snowball effect"). PCTS maintains redundant staffing specifically to handle predictable surges—holidays, flu season, COVID waves. You get consistent response times even during peak demand. Our average callback time is two to three minutes company-wide, and twelve to fifteen minutes even during surge periods.

PCTS provides coverage on all major holidays and is positioned to support practices on non-standard holidays and other office closures as well.

You pay only for calls handled. Unlike internal staffing where you pay nurses even during slow periods, our model eliminates idle time costs. This typically results in approximately 40% lower total cost compared to building and maintaining an internal triage operation.

We offer flexible arrangements based on your practice size and needs. Contact us to discuss the right structure for your organization—we're focused on making the economics work for practices of all sizes.

PCTS maintains full HIPAA compliance with encrypted communications, secure documentation systems, audit trails, and regular compliance training for all staff. We are SOC 2 Type 2 certified, and we can provide documentation of our security posture and BAA for your records.

We provide clean documentation that can be integrated into your existing EHR workflow. Depending on your system, this can range from secure message delivery to direct EHR integration. We'll work with your team to find the most efficient documentation flow.