Implementation Timeline
What happens in the week between signup and launch, and what your practice needs to provide.
athenahealth · Implementation
About one week from signup to launch
An athenahealth practice is typically live about a week after signing up. That week is not spent waiting on a long integration project: the athenahealth connection usually takes one to three days, and the rest is carrier registration for patient text messages, which runs in parallel while we build your call flows.
Below is what happens in that week, what we need from you, and what you can expect on launch day.
Days one to three: connection, number, and call flows
We connect MedReception AI to your athenahealth account and set up your phone number. At the same time we build your call flows from the way your practice actually runs: providers and locations, office hours, which visit types exist and how long they take, and who should receive which calls.
- athenahealth connection, usually complete in one to three days
- Your MedReception AI phone number, ready once the connection is in place
- Scripts for scheduling, new patients, refills, results, and billing questions
- Escalation rules for urgent and clinical calls, set by you
Within a day of receiving credentials: compliance paperwork
Once we have the credentials we need, the compliance paperwork, including your Business Associate Agreement, is handled within a day. MedReception AI's HIPAA compliance is verified by Compliancy Group.
About five days: texting registration
Patient text messages, such as confirmations, need your number registered with the mobile carriers before they can be sent. That registration takes about five days and is the step that sets the one week timeline. Calls do not wait on it.
Launch, and what happens after
On launch day calls start reaching the AI on the schedule you choose: all day, overflow only, or after hours first. Some practices keep tuning their scripts for a while after launch as they see real calls come in. That tuning is optional, not part of going live.
Adding a location or a provider later is a change to your call flows, not a new project.
Frequently asked questions
- What do we need to provide before setup starts?
- Your provider and location list, office hours, the visit types you book and how long each takes, how you want urgent and clinical calls handled, and the athenahealth access the connection needs.
- Do our staff need training?
- Very little. Staff keep working in athenahealth; what changes is that calls arrive as transfers or structured summaries instead of rings and voicemails.
- Can we start with after-hours calls only?
- Yes. Many practices launch with after hours or overflow and add daytime coverage once they are comfortable.
- Can we add locations later?
- Yes. A new location or provider is added to your existing call flows.
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