athenaOne®: “The backbone of what keeps private practice running and thriving”

Shawna Joseph knew exactly what she was looking for when Advantage Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Clinic's team approached her about the CEO role eleven years ago. With 22 years of healthcare administration experience, Joseph had a clear understanding of which partnerships would enable success.

One condition was non-negotiable: the Oregon orthopedic practice would need to implement athenaOne.

"I won't run a practice that isn't already either on athenaOne or, if I come on board, the deal will be that they will go on athenaOne," Joseph says.

The Advantage Orthopedic team had already been exploring athenaOne, so Joseph's expertise and the platform's capabilities were a natural fit.

Building financial momentum together

Joseph's leadership combined with athenaOne's robust financial workflows created immediate impact. Advantage Orthopedics had been operating with 60 days outstanding, a common challenge for specialty practices managing complex billing cycles. Through Joseph's strategic implementation of athenaOne's clean claims processing and specialty-focused billing capabilities, they transformed their revenue cycle. Within 15 months, days outstanding dropped to 20.

"That's huge," Joseph says. "It makes me look good!"

They quickly established the financial foundation that allowed Advantage Orthopedics to grow and thrive as an independent practice. athenaOne's orthopedic-specific workflows proved particularly valuable, with Joseph saying, "I feel like athenahealth does a really great job of carving out specialties and recognizing them," Joseph notes, describing how the system seamlessly handles surgical billing, clinic visits, and quality metrics like MIPS.

Transforming patient experience through operational excellence

Joseph started her career as a nurse, so she understands how operational efficiency directly impacts patient care. This is part of why athenaOne is Joseph’s preferred system, as the streamlined workflows help providers create patient experiences that build lasting relationships.

"When we can spend a little bit more time with them, which we can because we are using athenaOne, it allows them to get educated," Joseph explains.

This approach is particularly essential in orthopedics, where patients arrive dealing with injury and uncertainty about treatment options. Joseph says, "When you're able to educate them on what's going on, the anxiousness goes down. And then they're more present in the moment to hear what you have to say."

Advantage Ortho also leverages athenaOne's interoperability capabilities to create smooth patient experiences. Whether coordinating with their local hospital system, pulling imaging from a university hospital, or managing orders for physical therapy and diagnostic services, the integration works flawlessly.

"All of the communication is just seamless to all of the locations. We've never had a problem," Joseph says.

Strategic efficiency that enables leadership

Joseph's operational expertise, supported by athenaOne's efficiency, has created space for her to connect with her team. Her monthly close process, once a three-day ordeal, now takes 20 minutes. This efficiency enables something she values deeply as a leader, which is accessibility to her team.

"athenaOne allows me to have the time to have an open-door policy at all times, and they use it," Joseph says. "I don't ever feel panicked, like I need to cut them off or I have so much other things to do."

Joseph also has time to look ahead. She embraces innovation and appreciates the work athenaOne does to stay ahead of the curve, saying, “I’m always impressed with athenahealth’s knowledge and abilities to stay with what’s happening in the future of medicine.”

She also recognizes the important balance of prioritizing humanity in medicine, and feels athenahealth keeps that top of mind, particularly in AI innovation: “I really love the healthy relationship that athenahealth presents when it comes to AI [...] You don’t want to lose that personal touch when you’re dealing with people, but why wouldn’t you use AI? Because it does help you.”

Her recent implementation of AI-powered phone systems eliminated patient hold times entirely, an achievement she celebrated by posting notices throughout the practice that say, “Nobody ever has to wait on hold again!”

The foundation for independent success

For Joseph, the partnership with athenahealth represents the strategic foundation that enables independent practices to compete and thrive. She says, “athenaOne is the backbone of what keeps private practice going and thriving, allowing you to stay in that business model that does allow you to make change immediately."

When asked what she'd tell another orthopedic practice considering athenaOne, her response reflects both confidence in her strategic approach and trust in the platform: "Do it. You won't regret it. It'll be the best decision you ever made."

After 22 years of healthcare leadership, Joseph's partnership with athenaOne continues to enable the patient-centered, financially sustainable independent practice model she champions.

Are you ready to learn more about how athenaOne can help your independent, patient-centered practice thrive? Get in touch to learn more.