RE: Covering solo practice while out of town - technology any help?

June 22, 2006

When I go on my own in the next 9-months, I'm going to try to use the Vonage business account.

It's an internet/VOIP phone service.It has phonemail that allows forwarding the message to an e-mail account or accessing online.

Also, has Simulring -- can ring multiple phone #'s at once to find you.

I don't have stock in the company (yet), but I just hooked it up in my home and it seems to work fine so far -- 4-days.

If it's still working well later, I'll likely try to use it in my new office.

Also, calls to Canada are free...and another cool feature is that if you go to a place that has high speed access, you can plug the little Vonage box and a phone into the high speed access and your "home" # will ring wherever you are...just like the phone was hooked up at home.

================================================http://www.vonage.com/features.php?feature=phone_adapter

Take It On the Road

Your Phone Adapter makes a great travel companion. You can use it anywhere in the world where you have a high-speed Internet connection. Take it anywhere overseas and you won't pay international dialing rates when you call back home. The same is true when you travel to other area codes in the US for both business and residential Vonage accounts.

For example, let's say that you live in Chicago and take your Phone Adapter on a trip to Hong Kong. With Vonage you can call your next-door neighbor from Hong Kong and it's priced like a local domestic call. This is also true when your neighbor calls you. So it's very convenient for people dialing you, and it's extra easy on your wallet too.

Included Phone Adapter Available When You Sign Up Through Vonage

Easy Setup

Get Top Quality Equipment to Make Top Quality Calls

Goes With You When You Travel

===========================================

Cool.

See cut/paste info below.

There are other VOIP services out there, so Vonage (which has had customer service issues) isn't the only choice.

Locke

http://www.vonage.com/features.php?feature=voicemail

Now Voicemail Goes Beyond Your Phone

Get Your Messages by Phone, Web, or Email

Stay on top of your messages in more ways than you ever thought possible. Vonage Voicemail gives you total control over your voicemail by phone, through email, and online.

Vonage Voicemail allows you to:

1. Play Back Your Messages Online & by Email

Now you can check your voicemails without checking your phone. Access your voicemails through your Web Account and even play them back through your computer. We can also send you an email notifying you every time you receive voicemail and attach the actual message. You'll be able to forward voicemails to others as an email attachment or even save them to your PC's hard drive. Most of the popular media player formats are supported.

2. Access Your Voicemail Box From Anywhere

Check your voicemails by phone with several access numbers across the US, UK, and Canada. Also, you can check your voicemail from any computer with Internet access by logging into your Web Account.

3. Customize Your Voicemail Controls

Turns these features on or off anytime you want. Activate email notification at the touch of a button. Record Scheduled Greetings for different hours of the day and different days of the year. Choose a new PIN for voicemail access whenever you want.

Now Your Important Calls Can Follow You

To Any Number You Want

Vonage Call Forwarding is now available to ring up to 6 numbers. You can send incoming calls to any phone number you choose in the US (including Puerto Rico) and Canada. And even with this advanced functionality, it's still included with every Vonage calling plan.

You're in Control

With the click of your mouse you can determine how you want your Call Forwarding configured. Control the number of times your Vonage phone rings before forwarding to another number. Control how long Call Forwarding attempts to ring a destination number. Control which voicemail picks up the forwarded call if you have more than one voicemail system. And now you can control how many numbers you would like to ring, all from your Web Account.

With SimulRingSM We Can Reach You Anywhere

Activate Vonage SimulRingSM and your incoming calls can ring your Vonage number plus up to 5 other numbers in the US (including Puerto Rico) and Canada regardless of phone service provider. Since the numbers ring simultaneously, you can ensure that you are answering your important calls as quickly as possible even if you're on the move.

No Extra Charges For Call Forwarding

Call Forwarding and SimulRingSM are both included at no additional cost with all Vonage accounts. However, remember that forwarded calls are treated as an outgoing call. Therefore, if you are not enrolled in one of our unlimited plans, overage charges apply to forwarded calls that exceed your calling plan's monthly allotted minutes.

-----Original Message-----From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of pom2hnlSent: Wednesday, June 21, 2006 4:32 PMTo: Subject: Covering solo practice while out of town - technology any help?Question for the group - any strategies for covering/screening callsfrom patients while out of town?Currently I use local phone service (Qwest) to forward a message tomy cell phone that I have had a Voice Mail left on the businessphone after hours. No indication of content, just a call from anonsense number. That tells me to call the Voice Mail retrievalnumber, enter code, and listen to the message. Anything needingreply before next office hours I return, otherwise save it for mysole employee to answer.I'll be out of town in the San Islands, north of Seattle, for aweek. Phone reaches up there, but is relayed by British Columbiacell service, so not only a roaming call, it is an InternationalCall to just access my Voice Mail, much less talk to a patient.I had tried an Answering Service, which was to screen calls forappts and refills, passing along only those who asked to speak tothe doctor. They couldn't handle even that, and my volume of callsis so low that the cost was too high. Never even close to maximumcall volume for the month, even counting ones they should not havelet through. One advantage, they sent us a confirmatory email oneach call, so we had a "record" of the call time, subject, etc.Is there any phone-to-email or phone-to-web access service, so thatI could access calls from Internet service and not just callforwarding?Any ideas appreciated, thanks !Dave Pomeroy MDBellevue WAdrdave@...www.brainhealthnw.comsolo AD/HD medicine since August 2005SOAPware, Instant Medical History, Motion Tablet PC, Medfusion,Appointment Quest... and most of the time they interface togetherjust fine.

June 22, 2006

When I go on my own in the next 9-months, I'm going to try to use the Vonage business account.

It's an internet/VOIP phone service.It has phonemail that allows forwarding the message to an e-mail account or accessing online.

Also, has Simulring -- can ring multiple phone #'s at once to find you.

I don't have stock in the company (yet), but I just hooked it up in my home and it seems to work fine so far -- 4-days.

If it's still working well later, I'll likely try to use it in my new office.

Also, calls to Canada are free...and another cool feature is that if you go to a place that has high speed access, you can plug the little Vonage box and a phone into the high speed access and your "home" # will ring wherever you are...just like the phone was hooked up at home.

================================================http://www.vonage.com/features.php?feature=phone_adapter

Take It On the Road

Your Phone Adapter makes a great travel companion. You can use it anywhere in the world where you have a high-speed Internet connection. Take it anywhere overseas and you won't pay international dialing rates when you call back home. The same is true when you travel to other area codes in the US for both business and residential Vonage accounts.

For example, let's say that you live in Chicago and take your Phone Adapter on a trip to Hong Kong. With Vonage you can call your next-door neighbor from Hong Kong and it's priced like a local domestic call. This is also true when your neighbor calls you. So it's very convenient for people dialing you, and it's extra easy on your wallet too.

Included Phone Adapter Available When You Sign Up Through Vonage

Easy Setup

Get Top Quality Equipment to Make Top Quality Calls

Goes With You When You Travel

===========================================

Cool.

See cut/paste info below.

There are other VOIP services out there, so Vonage (which has had customer service issues) isn't the only choice.

Locke

http://www.vonage.com/features.php?feature=voicemail

Now Voicemail Goes Beyond Your Phone

Get Your Messages by Phone, Web, or Email

Stay on top of your messages in more ways than you ever thought possible. Vonage Voicemail gives you total control over your voicemail by phone, through email, and online.

Vonage Voicemail allows you to:

1. Play Back Your Messages Online & by Email

Now you can check your voicemails without checking your phone. Access your voicemails through your Web Account and even play them back through your computer. We can also send you an email notifying you every time you receive voicemail and attach the actual message. You'll be able to forward voicemails to others as an email attachment or even save them to your PC's hard drive. Most of the popular media player formats are supported.

2. Access Your Voicemail Box From Anywhere

Check your voicemails by phone with several access numbers across the US, UK, and Canada. Also, you can check your voicemail from any computer with Internet access by logging into your Web Account.

3. Customize Your Voicemail Controls

Turns these features on or off anytime you want. Activate email notification at the touch of a button. Record Scheduled Greetings for different hours of the day and different days of the year. Choose a new PIN for voicemail access whenever you want.

Now Your Important Calls Can Follow You

To Any Number You Want

Vonage Call Forwarding is now available to ring up to 6 numbers. You can send incoming calls to any phone number you choose in the US (including Puerto Rico) and Canada. And even with this advanced functionality, it's still included with every Vonage calling plan.

You're in Control

With the click of your mouse you can determine how you want your Call Forwarding configured. Control the number of times your Vonage phone rings before forwarding to another number. Control how long Call Forwarding attempts to ring a destination number. Control which voicemail picks up the forwarded call if you have more than one voicemail system. And now you can control how many numbers you would like to ring, all from your Web Account.

With SimulRingSM We Can Reach You Anywhere

Activate Vonage SimulRingSM and your incoming calls can ring your Vonage number plus up to 5 other numbers in the US (including Puerto Rico) and Canada regardless of phone service provider. Since the numbers ring simultaneously, you can ensure that you are answering your important calls as quickly as possible even if you're on the move.

No Extra Charges For Call Forwarding

Call Forwarding and SimulRingSM are both included at no additional cost with all Vonage accounts. However, remember that forwarded calls are treated as an outgoing call. Therefore, if you are not enrolled in one of our unlimited plans, overage charges apply to forwarded calls that exceed your calling plan's monthly allotted minutes.

-----Original Message-----From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of pom2hnlSent: Wednesday, June 21, 2006 4:32 PMTo: Subject: Covering solo practice while out of town - technology any help?Question for the group - any strategies for covering/screening callsfrom patients while out of town?Currently I use local phone service (Qwest) to forward a message tomy cell phone that I have had a Voice Mail left on the businessphone after hours. No indication of content, just a call from anonsense number. That tells me to call the Voice Mail retrievalnumber, enter code, and listen to the message. Anything needingreply before next office hours I return, otherwise save it for mysole employee to answer.I'll be out of town in the San Islands, north of Seattle, for aweek. Phone reaches up there, but is relayed by British Columbiacell service, so not only a roaming call, it is an InternationalCall to just access my Voice Mail, much less talk to a patient.I had tried an Answering Service, which was to screen calls forappts and refills, passing along only those who asked to speak tothe doctor. They couldn't handle even that, and my volume of callsis so low that the cost was too high. Never even close to maximumcall volume for the month, even counting ones they should not havelet through. One advantage, they sent us a confirmatory email oneach call, so we had a "record" of the call time, subject, etc.Is there any phone-to-email or phone-to-web access service, so thatI could access calls from Internet service and not just callforwarding?Any ideas appreciated, thanks !Dave Pomeroy MDBellevue WAdrdave@...www.brainhealthnw.comsolo AD/HD medicine since August 2005SOAPware, Instant Medical History, Motion Tablet PC, Medfusion,Appointment Quest... and most of the time they interface togetherjust fine.

June 22, 2006

i haven't tried it, but someone here mentioned onebox, which i believe is web-based. they are a reseller of the service. LLpom2hnl wrote: Question for the group - any strategies for covering/screening calls from patients while out of town? Currently I use local phone service (Qwest) to forward a message to my cell phone that I have had a Voice Mail left on the business phone after hours. No indication of content, just a call from a nonsense number. That tells me to call the Voice Mail retrieval

number, enter code, and listen to the message. Anything needing reply before next office hours I return, otherwise save it for my sole employee to answer. I'll be out of town in the San Islands, north of Seattle, for a week. Phone reaches up there, but is relayed by British Columbia cell service, so not only a roaming call, it is an International Call to just access my Voice Mail, much less talk to a patient. I had tried an Answering Service, which was to screen calls for appts and refills, passing along only those who asked to speak to the doctor. They couldn't handle even that, and my volume of calls is so low that the cost was too high. Never even close to maximum call volume for the month, even counting ones they should not have let through. One advantage, they sent us a confirmatory email on each call, so we had a "record" of the call time, subject, etc. Is there any phone-to-email or

phone-to-web access service, so that I could access calls from Internet service and not just call forwarding? Any ideas appreciated, thanks !Dave Pomeroy MDBellevue WAdrdavebrainhealthnwwww.brainhealthnw.comsolo AD/HD medicine since August 2005SOAPware, Instant Medical History, Motion Tablet PC, Medfusion, Appointment Quest... and most of the time they interface together just fine.

Ring'em or ping'em. Make PC-to-phone calls as low as 1¢/min with Yahoo! Messenger with Voice.

June 22, 2006

i haven't tried it, but someone here mentioned onebox, which i believe is web-based. they are a reseller of the service. LLpom2hnl wrote: Question for the group - any strategies for covering/screening calls from patients while out of town? Currently I use local phone service (Qwest) to forward a message to my cell phone that I have had a Voice Mail left on the business phone after hours. No indication of content, just a call from a nonsense number. That tells me to call the Voice Mail retrieval

number, enter code, and listen to the message. Anything needing reply before next office hours I return, otherwise save it for my sole employee to answer. I'll be out of town in the San Islands, north of Seattle, for a week. Phone reaches up there, but is relayed by British Columbia cell service, so not only a roaming call, it is an International Call to just access my Voice Mail, much less talk to a patient. I had tried an Answering Service, which was to screen calls for appts and refills, passing along only those who asked to speak to the doctor. They couldn't handle even that, and my volume of calls is so low that the cost was too high. Never even close to maximum call volume for the month, even counting ones they should not have let through. One advantage, they sent us a confirmatory email on each call, so we had a "record" of the call time, subject, etc. Is there any phone-to-email or

phone-to-web access service, so that I could access calls from Internet service and not just call forwarding? Any ideas appreciated, thanks !Dave Pomeroy MDBellevue WAdrdavebrainhealthnwwww.brainhealthnw.comsolo AD/HD medicine since August 2005SOAPware, Instant Medical History, Motion Tablet PC, Medfusion, Appointment Quest... and most of the time they interface together just fine.

Ring'em or ping'em. Make PC-to-phone calls as low as 1¢/min with Yahoo! Messenger with Voice.

June 22, 2006

When I’ve been out of my cell phone

coverage (like on a boat), I have been able to use internet access for emails –

which I do regularly with my pts anyway. The message on my office AM tells

them to leave a message to be picked up when I return (date given), send me an

email to xxx@... for more urgent needs, or

leave a message on my cell phone to be picked up on (date). I take care of

controlled substance refills prior to my intended absence, and my pts know they

can go to the ER with my blessing if needed. My MA is usually in town while I

am away, and checks the AM daily, and shoots me an email if needed.

A. Eads, M.D.

Pinnacle Family Medicine, PLLC

phone fax

P.O.

Box 7275

Woodland

Park, CO 80863

From:

[mailto: ] On

Behalf Of pom2hnl

Sent: Wednesday, June 21, 2006

5:32 PM

To:

Subject:

Covering solo practice while out of town - technology any help?

Question for the group - any strategies for

covering/screening calls

from patients while out of town?

Currently I use local phone service (Qwest) to forward a message to

my cell phone that I have had a Voice Mail left on the business

phone after hours. No indication of content, just a call from a

nonsense number. That tells me to call the Voice Mail retrieval

number, enter code, and listen to the message. Anything needing

reply before next office hours I return, otherwise save it for my

sole employee to answer.

I'll be out of town in the San Islands, north of Seattle, for a

week. Phone reaches up there, but is relayed by British Columbia

cell service, so not only a roaming call, it is an International

Call to just access my Voice Mail, much less talk to a patient.

I had tried an Answering Service, which was to screen calls for

appts and refills, passing along only those who asked to speak to

the doctor. They couldn't handle even that, and my volume of calls

is so low that the cost was too high. Never even close to maximum

call volume for the month, even counting ones they should not have

let through. One advantage, they sent us a confirmatory email on

each call, so we had a " record " of the call time, subject, etc.

Is there any phone-to-email or phone-to-web access service, so that

I could access calls from Internet service and not just call

forwarding?

Any ideas appreciated, thanks !

Dave Pomeroy MD

Bellevue WA

drdavebrainhealthnw

www.brainhealthnw.com

solo AD/HD medicine since August 2005

SOAPware, Instant Medical History, Motion Tablet PC, Medfusion,

Appointment Quest... and most of the time they interface together

just fine.

June 22, 2006

Dave, check into VOIP phone service. I use Sunrocket and I can access

voicemail from their website, forward calls to pager or cell phone (or both, in

sequence), and/or ask to notification of incoming emails by phone, pager, cell.

Very versatile.

-------------- Original message ----------------------

> i haven't tried it, but someone here mentioned onebox, which i believe is

> web-based. they are a reseller of the service.

> LL

>

> pom2hnl wrote:

> Question for the group - any strategies for covering/screening calls

> from patients while out of town?

>

> Currently I use local phone service (Qwest) to forward a message to

> my cell phone that I have had a Voice Mail left on the business

> phone after hours. No indication of content, just a call from a

> nonsense number. That tells me to call the Voice Mail retrieval

> number, enter code, and listen to the message. Anything needing

> reply before next office hours I return, otherwise save it for my

> sole employee to answer.

>

> I'll be out of town in the San Islands, north of Seattle, for a

> week. Phone reaches up there, but is relayed by British Columbia

> cell service, so not only a roaming call, it is an International

> Call to just access my Voice Mail, much less talk to a patient.

>

> I had tried an Answering Service, which was to screen calls for

> appts and refills, passing along only those who asked to speak to

> the doctor. They couldn't handle even that, and my volume of calls

> is so low that the cost was too high. Never even close to maximum

> call volume for the month, even counting ones they should not have

> let through. One advantage, they sent us a confirmatory email on

> each call, so we had a " record " of the call time, subject, etc.

>

> Is there any phone-to-email or phone-to-web access service, so that

> I could access calls from Internet service and not just call

> forwarding?

>

> Any ideas appreciated, thanks !

>

> Dave Pomeroy MD

> Bellevue WA

> drdave@...

> www.brainhealthnw.com

> solo AD/HD medicine since August 2005

> SOAPware, Instant Medical History, Motion Tablet PC, Medfusion,

> Appointment Quest... and most of the time they interface together

> just fine.

>

> ---------------------------------

> Ring'em or ping'em. Make PC-to-phone calls as low as 1¢/min with Yahoo!

Messenger with Voice.

i haven't tried it, but someone here mentioned onebox, which i believe is web-based. they are a reseller of the service. LLpom2hnl wrote: Question for the group - any strategies for covering/screening calls from patients while out of town? Currently I use local phone service (Qwest) to forward a message to my cell phone that I have had a Voice Mail left on the business phone after hours. No indication of content, just a call from a nonsense number. That tells me to call the Voice Mail retrieval

number, enter code, and listen to the message. Anything needing reply before next office hours I return, otherwise save it for my sole employee to answer. I'll be out of town in the San Islands, north of Seattle, for a week. Phone reaches up there, but is relayed by British Columbia cell service, so not only a roaming call, it is an International Call to just access my Voice Mail, much less talk to a patient. I had tried an Answering Service, which was to screen calls for appts and refills, passing along only those who asked to speak to the doctor. They couldn't handle even that, and my volume of calls is so low that the cost was too high. Never even close to maximum call volume for the month, even counting ones they should not have let through. One advantage, they sent us a confirmatory email on each call, so we had a "record" of the call time, subject, etc. Is there any phone-to-email or

phone-to-web access service, so that I could access calls from Internet service and not just call forwarding? Any ideas appreciated, thanks !Dave Pomeroy MDBellevue WAdrdavebrainhealthnwwww.brainhealthnw.comsolo AD/HD medicine since August 2005SOAPware, Instant Medical History, Motion Tablet PC, Medfusion, Appointment Quest... and most of the time they interface together just fine.

Ring'em or ping'em. Make PC-to-phone calls as low as 1¢/min with Yahoo! Messenger with Voice.

June 22, 2006

There is also a service available through your local phone service provider called remote call forwarding. From any phone, I can forward all my office calls to come to any other phone. I use it when I go places my cell phone doesn't get service. Be careful with this. Once I had a patient call at three in the morning to cancel her appointment. She thought she was going to leave a message on my machine. The poor thing was mortified to have awakened me. LOL.

Covering solo practice while out of town - technology any help?

Question for the group - any strategies for covering/screening calls from patients while out of town? Currently I use local phone service (Qwest) to forward a message to my cell phone that I have had a Voice Mail left on the business phone after hours. No indication of content, just a call from a nonsense number. That tells me to call the Voice Mail retrieval number, enter code, and listen to the message. Anything needing reply before next office hours I return, otherwise save it for my sole employee to answer. I'll be out of town in the San Islands, north of Seattle, for a week. Phone reaches up there, but is relayed by British Columbia cell service, so not only a roaming call, it is an International Call to just access my Voice Mail, much less talk to a patient. I had tried an Answering Service, which was to screen calls for appts and refills, passing along only those who asked to speak to the doctor. They couldn't handle even that, and my volume of calls is so low that the cost was too high. Never even close to maximum call volume for the month, even counting ones they should not have let through. One advantage, they sent us a confirmatory email on each call, so we had a "record" of the call time, subject, etc. Is there any phone-to-email or phone-to-web access service, so that I could access calls from Internet service and not just call forwarding? Any ideas appreciated, thanks !Dave Pomeroy MDBellevue WAdrdavebrainhealthnwwww.brainhealthnw.comsolo AD/HD medicine since August 2005SOAPware, Instant Medical History, Motion Tablet PC, Medfusion, Appointment Quest... and most of the time they interface together just fine.

No virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG Free Edition.Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.9.2/372 - Release Date: 6/21/06

June 22, 2006

Some of the docs on the list are using Onebox. Contact

Clemensen scott@... and/or Rob rlsmd13@...

The system they use allows you to route incoming calls/faxes/emails in

interesting ways.

Another thought: the international roaming charges may be onerous but

worth the cost given your low volume of calls.

Gordon

At 10:32 PM 6/21/2006, you wrote:

i haven't tried it, but someone

here mentioned onebox, which i believe is web-based. they are a

reseller of the service.

LL

pom2hnl wrote:

Question for the group - any strategies for covering/screening calls