Woodstream Wellness, an Ohio-based mental health practice, opened in 2021 with a commitment to patient care and a vision for growth. From the start, they chose Valant as their EHR system, a decision that contributed to their success. They’ve achieved remarkable growth, expanding by over 100% each year. Today, they have 53 providers across three locations, serving over 8,000 patients.
So what’s their secret?
A People-First Approach
At Woodstream Wellness, happy and supported staff are seen as the foundation for happy and engaged patients. They foster a close-knit, family-like atmosphere, prioritizing hiring people they know or who come highly recommended. They also encourage staff to explore different roles and promote from within. This creates a positive work environment and contributes to high retention rates.
As Provider Relations Manager Amanda Long puts it: “Everybody is here for a reason. Nobody is here by accident… We are a fantastic bunch of people, and we all care so deeply… We all bring something really special that has made Woodstream into what it is today.”
Valant: A Key Partner in Growth
Like many growing practices, Woodstream faced challenges. Their initial provider onboarding process lacked structure and resulted in training gaps. Recognizing this, they turned to Valant.
Woodstream leveraged Valant’s training tutorials to create workshops for providers, covering everything from documentation to appointment scheduling. This empowered providers and ensured consistent care across the practice.
“I’ve grown to love Valant because of its accessibility, especially now being in a provider management role, and onboarding new people,” says Long.
Another key factor in Woodstream’s success is Valant’s scalability. It can handle unlimited patient records, eliminating concerns about capacity limits. Valant’s seamless integration with a clearinghouse that can manage thousands of claims monthly makes billing efficient.
Reflecting on Woodstream’s experience with Valant, Practice Manager Jenni Parrett says, “As I got more into the role of managing things and learning the ins and outs of Valant and what it is worth, I truly do think it has been a key aspect of how easy it has been for us to grow.”
The Woodstream Guide to Growth
Woodstream offers the following advice to aspiring behavioral health practices:
- Invest in Your People: A happy and supported team translates to happy patients and a successful practice. Create a culture of collaboration, value individual contributions, and foster a family-like environment.
- Embrace Technology: Choose an EHR system that supports your growth and simplifies operations. Opt for a system that’s designed for behavioral health, can handle unlimited patient records, offers streamlined workflows, and provides insightful reporting.
- Prioritize Marketing and Referral Networks: Don’t solely rely on word-of-mouth. Proactively market your practice and cultivate relationships with local healthcare providers. “Market, market, market,” Parrett advises. “We didn’t do enough of that in the beginning.” Building the networks of referrals is part of that effort because “they’re the ones who are going to refer to you…which is marketing for yourself,” Parrett says.
A Future of Uncapped Growth
Woodstream Wellness is excited about their future. They plan to open a fourth location soon and aim to expand their compassionate care model to even more communities across Ohio.
With ambitious plans for continued growth, having a robust and scalable EHR system is essential. And this is where Valant plays a vital role, as Parrett explains: “As long as Valant has an unlimited number of patients it could have in the system, we’re good. We are solid.”
Valant’s capacity to support an unlimited patient volume provides Woodstream with the confidence and flexibility to grow without technological constraints. This, combined with a commitment to focus on serving only mental health practices, ensures that Woodstream has a reliable partner for their future. Long emphasizes this point, stating: “Valant is exactly what we need, and it’s exactly when we need it.”
