How Coastline Transformed Patient Access with Steer Health

Challenge

Complex scheduling, high no-show and cancellation rates, and long wait times were creating friction across the patient journey. These inefficiencies affected patient satisfaction while making it harder for Coastline to optimize provider and operating room utilization.

For a high-volume orthopedic practice, every cancelled slot and every hour on hold represents both a patient who waited longer for care and a provider or operating room running below capacity.

Implementation: A Strategy Built With the Care Team

Steer did not arrive with a fixed template. The team partnered with Dr. Farjoodi and Coastline's care staff to design a digital engagement strategy around the practice's actual orthopedic workflows, from routine evaluations through surgical coordination and postoperative follow-up. Online scheduling, the automated text, voice, chat, and email sequences, and the pre-surgical and recovery touchpoints were all configured to fit how Coastline's 13 providers work, then refined against the practice's own scheduling data as real patient behavior came in. The goal set with leadership was clear from the start: take administrative load off providers so they could spend more time face to face with patients.

“By leveraging technology and the Steer platform, we could offload that burden on our providers so they can focus on what's important and spending time with the patient face to face," said Dr. Payam Farjoodi.”

Solution

Coastline partnered with Steer Health to introduce an AI-powered digital patient engagement strategy across its orthopedic workflows.

Patients gained easier access to online scheduling, while automated text, voice, chat, and email communication supported appointment reminders, pre-surgical preparation, postoperative care, and follow-ups. AI-driven scheduling data and analytics also helped Coastline continuously refine appointment availability, communication, and resource allocation.

Why It Matters

For a high-volume orthopedic practice, better access means more than making appointments easier to book. With Steer Health, Coastline can:

• Reduce patient no-shows
• Lower last-minute cancellations
• Shift demand toward digital booking
• Reduce inbound call volume
• Improve patient satisfaction

The impact showed up across access and operations. The no-show rate dropped to 4.2%, inbound calls fell 72% as automated communication absorbed routine volume, and patient satisfaction reached 97%. Demand shifted toward digital booking, freeing front-desk staff from the phones and freeing providers to spend more time with patients rather than on administrative work, all measured across patient interactions from January to November 2024.