When Stefanie Bruemmer, the IT director for Queens Long Island Medical Group (QLIMG) in suburban New York, decided it was time to replace the legacy Avaya PBX system with new technology, she was looking to cut costs and minimize the capital outlay for replacement hardware.

“I was looking to reduce monthly expenses,” Bruemmer explains. “Originally, we weren’t considering a VoIP solution.” However, after reviewing proposals for replacement equipment, Bruemmer realized a Level 3 Communications solution would save significant financial outlays, reduce monthly communications expenses and provide a variety of scaleable and flexible features for the 21-facility, physician-owned medical group.

“At first, I was a little concerned about the quality,” Bruemmer admits. But a pilot implementation at two of the medical group’s facilities, including the corporate headquarters in Garden City, N.Y. where she is based, convinced her that VoIP was highly reliable. Another key benefit was that Level 3’s system ran on an open architecture, so that she could add a PBX or other phone equipment from virtually any vendor in future years if she so desires.

“That’s what really sold it,” says Bruemmer, who successfully lobbied the purchase through her hospital group’s chief executive and chief financial officer. “We couldn’t find a reason not to buy Level 3.”

FULL SERVICE VOIP

QLIMG started its search for a replacement phone system in December 2003. The two pilot installations involving 120 Internet phones went live in mid-August. The entire installation is planned to be completed at all 21 of the company’s medical facilities on Oct. 29. Although still in its prototype phase, VoIP appears to be delivering clear benefits.

Unlike some other VoIP business customers, the medical group will use its system to communicate not just among internal staff, but for everyday interaction with thousands of outside customers In fact the various VoIP calling features allow the medical group to handle in-patient telephone calls more efficiently. Patient calls are seamlessly transferred among the different facilities. Previously, patients had to hang up and dial different facilities separately if a health care provider was on the move or a referral was made.