Frequently Asked Questions

I'm Richard Ross, and I help New Zealand healthcare practices with their admin work remotely. Things like booking appointments, managing patient records, following up on payments, and handling the daily admin that takes practitioners away from patient care.

Think of me as your admin support person, except I work from my Auckland office instead of yours.

I work with small to medium healthcare practices across New Zealand, including general practices, physiotherapy clinics, allied health providers (OT, speech therapy, podiatry), specialist practices, dental clinics, and psychology/counselling practices.

Most of my clients are practices with 1-10 practitioners who need reliable admin support but aren't ready for full-time in-house staff.

Virtual admin support works well if you're experiencing:

• Practitioners spending hours on admin after clinic hours
• Missed calls and appointment booking delays
• Inconsistent admin processes or frequent errors
• Staff overwhelmed by administrative workload
• Difficulty hiring or retaining local admin staff
• Growth plans but no space for additional office staff

If any of these sound familiar, a 30-minute consultation can help determine if virtual support would benefit your practice.

Completely remotely from Auckland. You don't need to find space for me in your practice or buy extra equipment. All I need is access to your practice management system and a way to communicate with you (email, phone, whatever works).

I have experience with the most common New Zealand healthcare practice management systems:

• Medtech Evolution (medical practices)
• Gensolve (physiotherapy and allied health)
• Best Practice Software (medical practices)
• Ezybook (appointment booking)
• Splose (practice management)

If you use a different system, I'm comfortable learning new platforms. Most practice management software has similar core functions, so I can typically get up to speed quickly.

Communication happens through whatever works best for your practice. Common methods include:

• Email for non-urgent matters and daily updates
• Phone calls for quick questions or time-sensitive issues
• Secure messaging within your practice management system
• Video calls for initial onboarding or monthly check-ins

I respond to messages within 4 business hours and provide weekly status updates so you always know what's happening with your admin tasks.

Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm NZ time. We can adjust this a bit if needed, but I don't do evenings or weekends as standard.

If you need after-hours coverage, let's talk about it during the consultation and see if we can work something out.

Usually 2 to 4 weeks, depending on how complex your practice is and what you need me to do.

First week, I'm learning your systems and how you like things done. Second week, I start with simple tasks while you keep an eye on things. By weeks 3 and 4, I'm taking on more and we're fine-tuning how we work together.

During this time, I stay in close contact with you or your practice manager to make sure I'm getting it right.

I handle a wide range of administrative tasks, including:

• Appointment scheduling and calendar management
• Patient phone enquiries and reception support
• Patient records management and data entry
• Invoice processing and payment follow-ups
• ACC claims coordination and documentation
• Referral management and follow-up
• Insurance verification and claims support
• Email management and patient communication
• Appointment reminders and recall management
• Basic reporting and administrative documentation

The exact mix of tasks depends on your practice's needs and your chosen service plan.

I handle admin only. That means I don't:

• Give clinical advice or make medical decisions
• Assess patient symptoms or do triage
• Handle prescriptions or medication questions
• Do your accounting or taxes
• Fix your computer problems
• Run your social media or marketing
• Deal with HR or legal stuff

These boundaries keep everyone safe and make sure I'm working within my expertise.

Yep. I can answer your practice phone, book appointments, take messages, and handle the usual patient questions using scripts we agree on together.

This works really well for when you're swamped, during lunch breaks, or when your receptionist is busy with people at the desk.

Yes, ACC coordination is something I handle regularly for physiotherapy and allied health practices. This includes managing ACC forms, tracking claim statuses, following up on outstanding claims, and coordinating documentation between your practice and ACC.

I'm familiar with common ACC processes and can help ensure claims are submitted correctly and followed up promptly.

Your practice calls get forwarded to me during agreed hours. I answer in your practice name, handle the call based on scripts we've set up together, and either book appointments directly into your system, take messages, or transfer urgent calls to you.

To the caller, it feels like they've reached your practice directly. They have no idea I'm working remotely.

Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm NZ time as standard. We can adjust the specific hours within that window to match your busiest times.

For example, if most of your calls come 9am to 3pm, we can focus coverage there. Or if you need lunch break coverage specifically, we can do that.

Yes, if you give me access to your practice management system. I can book appointments in real-time while the caller is on the phone, so they get instant confirmation.

If you prefer, I can take booking requests and you approve them later. Whatever works better for your practice.

Whatever you want me to say! We set up a greeting together during onboarding. Something like "Good morning, [Practice Name], this is Richard speaking, how can I help you?"

We also create scripts for common questions (fees, opening hours, how to find you, what to bring to appointments, etc.) so I'm giving consistent, accurate information.

I can handle most routine calls:

• Booking new appointments
• Rescheduling or canceling appointments
• General enquiries (hours, location, services, fees)
• Prescription refill requests (I take the message)
• ACC or insurance questions (basic info)
• Follow-up call requests
• Directions to your practice

For anything clinical, urgent, or sensitive, I take a detailed message and flag it for you immediately.

I don't handle:

• Clinical advice or symptom assessment
• Medical emergencies (I'd direct them to call 111)
• Test results or clinical information
• Prescription decisions
• Complaints requiring immediate attention

For these calls, I take detailed information and either transfer to you immediately (if agreed) or flag them as urgent for callback.

We agree on what counts as "urgent" during setup. For true medical emergencies, I direct people to call 111 immediately.

For urgent-but-not-emergency situations (like a patient in severe pain needing to be seen today), I either transfer the call to you right away or take detailed information and contact you immediately via your preferred method (text, call, etc.).

Not usually. Most modern phone systems can forward calls easily. Your phone provider can set up call forwarding so calls route to me during agreed hours and back to you outside those times.

Some practices use services like RingCentral or similar that make this even easier. We'll figure out what works best during onboarding.

If I'm on a call and another comes in, it goes to voicemail or back to your practice (depending on how we set it up). I then call them back as soon as I'm free.

If your practice gets high call volumes, we'd need to discuss whether virtual reception alone can handle it, or if you need additional coverage during peak times.

I work in English only. If a caller speaks another language, I'd politely let them know and arrange for them to call back when someone bilingual is available, or I'd take their number for callback.

I keep a call log that shows every call - who called, what they wanted, and what action was taken (appointment booked, message left, transferred, etc.).

You get this log daily (or more frequently if you prefer) so you always know what's happening with your phone line.

I'm honest and say "That's a great question - let me take your details and have someone from the practice call you back with that information." Then I flag it for you.

Better to admit I don't know than to give incorrect information.

Yes! This is actually really common. I can cover when:

• Your receptionist is on lunch or breaks
• Your reception is busy with walk-in patients
• Someone calls in sick
• You're short-staffed temporarily
• Your phone volume spikes during busy seasons

Calls get forwarded to me during these times only, and back to your desk the rest of the time.

Even with a receptionist, practices often need backup for:

• Lunch breaks (calls don't stop when your staff eat)
• When reception is helping walk-ins at the desk
• Peak call times when one person can't handle volume
• Sick leave or annual leave coverage
• Reducing interruptions so reception can focus on patients in front of them

Think of me as the safety net so calls don't go to voicemail.

It depends on how many hours you need and whether it's your only service or part of a broader admin package. Virtual reception can be standalone or bundled with other admin support.

A free consultation helps figure out your call volume and coverage needs, and I'll give you accurate pricing from there. Generally works out way cheaper than hiring additional reception staff.

Absolutely. We can start with limited hours (like lunch coverage only) for the first month to see how it works before expanding to more coverage.

This lets both of us make sure we're a good fit before making bigger commitments.

In my experience, patients don't usually notice or care who answers as long as their call is handled professionally and their needs are met. Most just want their appointment booked or their question answered.

If you're worried about it, we can start with a trial period and you can monitor feedback. Usually, practices find patients are happier because calls get answered instead of going to voicemail.

Usually 2 to 3 weeks from when we start. That includes:

• Setting up call forwarding with your phone provider
• Creating scripts and call handling procedures
• Getting me access to your booking system
• Practice calls so I understand your workflow

If you need it faster, let me know and we can see what's possible.

Very seriously. Here's how I protect your patient information:

• I follow the NZ Privacy Act 2020
• Secure, password-protected access to your systems
• I don't save patient data on my personal devices
• Encrypted communication
• Signed confidentiality agreement

Bottom line: your patient data stays between you and me. No offshore teams, no other staff, no one else gets access.

While HIPAA is US legislation and doesn't directly apply in New Zealand, I follow equivalent privacy standards under the NZ Privacy Act 2020. The practices I use for data protection meet or exceed HIPAA requirements, which is important if your practice sees international patients or works with overseas providers.

In the unlikely event of a security incident, I have clear protocols:

• Immediate notification to your practice
• Documentation of what occurred and what data may be affected
• Assistance with breach response and reporting if required
• Review and strengthening of security measures

Prevention is always the priority, which is why I maintain strict security practices and stay current with privacy requirements.

Absolutely. You have the right to audit work quality and verify security practices at any time. This includes reviewing access logs, checking how data is handled, and confirming compliance with your practice's privacy policies.

Regular check-ins and transparent communication are part of building trust, and I welcome questions about processes and security.

I offer three service levels depending on how much support you need:

• Essential: Core admin for smaller practices
• Comprehensive: Full admin for growing practices
• Premium: Everything, plus priority support

Exact pricing depends on your needs. A free consultation helps figure out which plan fits and gives you accurate numbers. Most practices find this costs 30-50% less than hiring someone in-house.

Check out the details at www.radminedge.co.nz/pages/service-plans

Nope. No long lock-ins. We work together with a 30-day notice period on either side, so you can make sure this actually works for you before committing long-term.

Fair for both of us.

Simple and transparent:

• You get a monthly invoice
• It shows what hours I worked and what I did
• You pay by bank transfer (or we can arrange something else)
• No hidden fees or surprise charges

You'll always know exactly what you're paying for.

Life happens, and practices change. If you need to pause service (for example, during a holiday closure or restructure), just provide notice as outlined in your agreement. If you need to cancel permanently, the same notice period applies.

I aim to make ending the relationship as professional and straightforward as starting it. No hard feelings, no complicated processes.

Yes, trial arrangements can be discussed during the initial consultation. This typically involves starting with a limited scope of tasks for the first month to ensure we're a good fit before expanding to full service.

Trials benefit both parties by allowing you to test the service and me to understand your practice properly before making longer commitments.

You work directly with me. No account managers, no passing you between different people, no explaining your practice over and over.

I keep my client list deliberately small so I can give everyone proper attention. When I'm full, I have a waitlist rather than diluting the quality of service.

For planned holidays, I'll let you know 4 to 6 weeks ahead. For short absences (a day or two), work just picks up when I'm back. For longer breaks, we'll talk beforehand about priorities and what can wait.

If I'm unexpectedly sick, I'll let you know ASAP and we'll figure out temporary arrangements if needed. Having everything documented helps minimize disruption.

Urgent matters are flagged immediately during working hours (8am-5pm NZST, Monday-Friday). What counts as "urgent" is defined during onboarding based on your practice's needs.

For true emergencies outside business hours, your practice should have internal protocols. Virtual admin support isn't a substitute for on-site emergency response capability.

Yes, within reason. If your practice has seasonal variations or temporary increased workload, support levels can be adjusted. This requires advance notice (typically 2-4 weeks) to ensure capacity is available.

Similarly, if your needs decrease, we can scale back with appropriate notice. Flexibility is one of the key advantages of virtual admin support.

I stay current through ongoing professional development, including updates on NZ Privacy Act requirements, practice management system changes, ACC process updates, and healthcare administration best practices.

Your practice benefits from this continuous learning without having to invest in training or professional development for admin staff.

Sometimes things just don't click, and that's fine. If we've given it a fair shot and it's not working for either of us, we can part ways professionally with the standard notice period.

I'd rather be upfront about a mismatch than keep going when it's not right for anyone.

Yes. I work with practices all over New Zealand. Your location doesn't matter as long as I can access your systems and we can communicate easily.

I've worked with practices in Wellington, Christchurch, and smaller towns across both islands.

Probably yes. I'm experienced with Medtech, Gensolve, Best Practice, Ezybook, and Splose, but I'm happy to learn new systems. Most practice software works pretty similarly once you understand the basics.

Let's talk about your specific system in the consultation and I'll tell you honestly if I can work with it.

Absolutely. Many practices use virtual admin support to complement existing staff rather than replace them. This works well for overflow support during busy periods, covering leave or sick days, handling specific tasks (like ACC claims or recall management), or providing backup when your team is focused on walk-in patients.

Clear communication and defined responsibilities ensure everyone knows who handles what.

From initial consultation to going live typically takes 2-4 weeks, depending on:

• Complexity of your practice and systems
• How quickly system access can be arranged
• Current capacity and other onboarding commitments

If you need support urgently, let me know during the consultation and we can discuss accelerated onboarding if capacity allows.

Nothing. I've got my own computer, phone, internet, and software. You just give me access to your practice system and we're good to go.

No need to buy extra equipment or set up an office space.

Basic guidance and process documentation, yes. Formal training programs, no. If I identify opportunities to improve workflows or suggest better ways to use your practice management system, I'm happy to share that knowledge with your team.

However, comprehensive staff training or change management isn't part of standard admin support. For major system implementations or practice-wide training, you'd need a specialist consultant.