At a Glance
| Customer | Oceanstone Medical Clinic, a physician-led family practice in White Rock, BC |
|---|---|
| Product | Cortico automated reminders, with online booking and secure messaging |
| Outcomes | • No-shows drastically reduced, without outbound calls from staff • Test results and care updates delivered by secure message, with no phone tag • 981 manual phone calls eliminated in the opening month alone • Scaled appointment volume without adding administrative headcount |
Overview
Oceanstone Medical Clinic is a locally owned, physician-led family practice serving White Rock and Surrey, BC, dedicated to offering care that feels like home. The clinic provides comprehensive services including family medicine, preventive health, chronic disease management, and minor surgical procedures.
To expand access and convenience for the community, Oceanstone offers same-day appointments, 24/7 online booking, and patient health education initiatives.
Challenge: Preventing Administrative Fatigue
The physicians opening the new Oceanstone Medical Clinic had all previously worked at clinics with high phone volumes, manual scheduling, and paper-heavy workflows. In their new practice, they wanted to avoid the pressures they knew would lead to operational strain, staff burnout, and high no-show rates.
To support its growing patient base, Oceanstone needed a system that protects staff from administrative overwhelm.
Solution: Automated Reminders and Secure Messaging
During the pre-launch phase, Oceanstone partnered with Cortico to build digital-first workflows integrated directly with their EMR. Moving away from traditional, phone-reliant workflows from day one, they implemented an automated suite for online booking, automated email/SMS reminders, and secure two-way provider-patient messaging.
Patients book their appointments online, and ahead of each visit, the clinic sends email and SMS reminders along with automated appointment confirmations. Patients can also cancel digitally. After the visit, physicians and medical office assistants (MOAs) send test results and care updates by secure message, so patients receive them without making a phone call.
Impact: Reclaimed Capacity and Reduced No-Shows
Instead of sacrificing hundreds of staff hours to manual call lists and email follow-ups, Oceanstone pushed micro-tasks to Cortico’s automated, self-serve system.
1. Drastically Reduced No-Shows
Automated email and SMS reminders drastically reduced no-shows without requiring outbound calls from staff. Reminders go out automatically, so no one spends time on manual call lists.
3,289 automated reminders (2,312 email, 977 SMS) sent in the opening months.
2. Direct Care Updates Without Phone Tag
Physicians and MOAs deliver test results and care updates directly to patients via secure message, so patients get them without waiting for a callback.
1,080 secure messages sent in a single month (February 2026).
3. Fewer Calls at the Front Desk
Appointment confirmations and cancellations now happen through automated digital channels, so the front desk no longer has to handle those calls.
981 manual phone calls eliminated in the opening month alone, via 864 automated appointment confirmations and 117 digital cancellations.
Looking Ahead
For Oceanstone, automating repetitive outbound touchpoints (reminders, confirmations, and follow-up messages) reclaims capacity by freeing up physician and MOA time and creating a barrier against phone fatigue. With Cortico, Oceanstone has virtually eliminated no-shows and kept patient communication timely and reliable around the clock.
Automation has allowed the clinic to scale appointment volume without additional headcount. That capacity supports Oceanstone’s mission to provide patient-centered care in their community, built on compassion, respect, and integrity.
Getting Started with Cortico’s Appointment Reminders
Cortico sends automatic email and SMS reminders from the appointments already in your clinic’s EMR. Patients get an email 7 days, 2 days, and 1 day before the appointment, and an SMS about 90 minutes before.
Each reminder sent with Cortico carries a secure link where the patient can confirm or cancel. Canceled slots return to online booking so another patient can fill the booking.
