We’re Y2K Ready For You

By Lawrence J. Harms, MBA, Clinic Administrator

By now you are probably tired of hearing about the “Y2K” problem, in which some older computers and machines with computer chips may not recognize or accurately process years past 1999. We want to assure you that Seattle Orthopaedic & Fracture Clinic, P.S. has taken this issue seriously and have done all we can to make sure that we will be completely ready to serve you on January 3 (Monday), 2000, should you need our services.

Our project actually started well over a year ago when we inventoried all the computers, machines, medical instruments and other devices and processes, to determine which ones would or could be affected by Y2K. We then proceeded to contact our equipment manufacturers, software vendors and other suppliers to provide information or certifications that their product is compliant.

One example of action we have taken is with our patient accounting system. We have installed the latest software update and have received written confirmation from the vendor that it is Y2K compliant. This means we can continue to schedule appointments into the new year and bill your insurance company timely, as well as insuring access to your medical records when needed.

As mentioned elsewhere in this newsletter, we recently replaced our entire telephone system with a state of the art system which also assures Y2K compliance. We wanted to be sure you could continue to communicate with us as efficiently as possible. Finally, there were a variety of other tasks, such as checking our facsimile machines, x-ray machines, and other medical equipment. We also checked with Swedish Medical Center, our landlord, to make sure that our building’s systems will be able to function normally after December 31st. We are still checking with some outside suppliers and vendors, but are confident that we will be able to see and treat patients without any problems.

Dr. Preston Phillips recently had an opportunity to show his dedication to his patients and his practice by making a house call – to Juneau, Alaska! In August of 1998 he had operated on his patient, Mrs. Florence Hansen, who had to be in a special “halo,” or neck brace, until her surgery fully healed. Although she was able to return to her home in Juneau from Swedish Medical Center, Dr. Phillips did not feel she should attempt to fly back down to our office for a follow-up examinations. Dr. Phillips felt the only alternative was to travel to Juneau to see her. But there was no reimbursement for travel or lodging, so Mrs. Hansen’s family graciously agreed to pay and arrange that for Dr. Phillips, who spent the better part of a weekend in Juneau in October and December. Writes Mrs. Hansen, ‘...Dr. Phillips brought early Christmas joy by informing us that he had consulted with his family and was going to make two “house calls” to Juneau, Alaska! My husband and I were overjoyed and excited to think that Dr. Phillips would even consider taking the time from his very busy schedule to fly the extra hundreds of miles to care for an insignificant grandma.!”

SOFC Announces New Phone System

We are pleased to announce that we recently installed a new telephone system. Our old system had been installed for over 12 years and was beginning to fail and was not Y2K compliant. Our new system is a state of the art Norstar system from Nortel, and was installed by Williams Communications. It takes advantage of new digital technology and we are confident that its features will allow patients to communicate with us more easily and efficiently. Many of our staff now have “direct in-ward dial,” or DID, numbers now, coupled with voice mail, so that you can reach them directly, without having to go through our switch board and be transferred. If you have called us recently, you may not have noticed much change, but we do want to alert you to several important new numbers which will begin appearing on directory listings as soon as we can change them:

Appointments: 206-373-8300
Cast Appointments: 206-373-8355
X-Ray: 206-373-8337
Bookkeeping: 206-373-8348
The old numbers will still work for a time, and you will always be able to reach us on our main clinic number of 206-292-7550, which has not changed. If you experience difficulties in your telephone communications with us, please call Larry Harms, Clinic Administrator, at 206-373-8359.

WE OFFER A FULL RANGE OF ORTHOPAEDIC SERVICES: