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The phone call is still one of the most important touchpoints in the patient journey. It is also one of the most broken.

In this episode of TouchPoints: Moments that Matter in Healthcare, Melissa Gilkes-Smith sits down with Mathieu Rihet, founder of Novoflow, to explore how AI voice agents are changing the way healthcare practices manage inquiry and scheduling.

This conversation focuses on Pillar 2 of the Nine Pillars of Patient Experience Framework: Inquiry and Scheduling. For many patients, the first real interaction with a practice happens when they call to ask a question, schedule an appointment, or figure out what to do next. When that experience includes long hold times, transfers, repeated explanations, or unclear next steps, trust erodes before care even begins.

Melissa and Mathieu discuss what AI voice agents actually do, how they differ from traditional phone trees or chatbots, and why 24/7 scheduling support may be more than just a convenience. It may be an access and equity issue for patients who cannot call during normal business hours.

They also have an honest conversation about the risks. AI is not automatically an improvement in patient experience. Poorly implemented technology can make care feel colder, faster, and less human. The episode explores what healthcare leaders need to consider before adopting AI, including workflow readiness, HIPAA compliance, staff communication, patient escalation pathways, EHR integration, and accountability when something goes wrong.

At the center of the conversation is one key question: does this technology help patients feel better served, or does it simply help the organization move faster?

This episode is for healthcare leaders, practice managers, patient experience professionals, call center teams, and anyone thinking seriously about how technology can support access without sacrificing empathy.

Connect with Mathieu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathieurihet/

Visit the Novaflow website: https://www.novoflow.io/

**A quick production note: I recorded this conversation using a backup microphone, so my audio may sound a little different than usual. The conversation was far too valuable not to share, so let’s get into it.

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The patient experience does not begin at check-in. It begins the moment someone hears your name.

In this episode of TouchPoints: Moments that Matter in Healthcare, Melissa Gilkes-Smith sits down with Ancil Lea, founder of Ancil Lea Consulting Co., to explore Initial Exposure, the first pillar of the Nine Pillars of Patient Experience Framework.

Before a patient ever calls your office, schedules an appointment, or walks through your door, they are already forming an opinion about your practice. They search your name, scan your reviews, visit your website, check your Google Business Profile, look at your social media, and decide whether your organization feels credible, accessible, and trustworthy.

Melissa and Ancil discuss why this early decision point matters so much in healthcare, where trust is fragile, and first impressions carry real weight. They explore what patients are actually looking for online, how to evaluate your website through the eyes of a first-time patient, why online reviews should be treated as operational data, and how inaccurate digital information can create friction before the patient journey even begins.

This conversation also examines the connection between branding and patient experience. Your brand is not just what you say about your practice. It is what patients consistently experience. When your digital presence promises compassion, convenience, or access, your operations have to deliver on that promise.

This episode is for healthcare leaders, practice managers, marketers, physicians, and anyone responsible for creating a patient experience that earns trust before the first phone call.

You can connect with Ancil Lea on LinkedIn, or visit his website, ancillea.com.

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A physician referral is more than a name passed from one office to another. It is an act of trust.

In this episode of TouchPoints: Moments that Matter in Healthcare, Melissa Gilkes-Smith sits down with Shayda Amaya, a healthcare business development leader with more than 20 years of experience across the healthcare continuum, to explore how physician liaison work shapes the patient journey before the patient ever schedules an appointment.

Together, they discuss why referral relationships are not simply a sales strategy, but a critical part of patient experience design. Shayda shares what strong physician liaison work actually looks like, how trust is built with referring providers, and why the referred patient’s experience becomes a direct reflection of the organization receiving the referral.

This conversation connects physician referral strategy to the first pillar of the Nine Pillars of Patient Experience Framework: Initial Exposure. For many specialty practices, surgical centers, and healthcare organizations, the patient’s first impression does not come from Google or social media. It comes from the confidence their physician has in making the referral.

Melissa and Shayda also discuss how organizations can reduce the burden on patients and caregivers by creating clearer, more reliable referral pathways, closing communication gaps, and treating the first referral as the beginning of a long-term relationship.

This episode is for healthcare leaders, physician liaisons, practice managers, marketers, and anyone responsible for building referral networks that are rooted in trust, access, communication, and patient-centered follow-through.