Jill Shook

Jill Shook is an ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist and helps other SLPs start their own private practices. She extensively evaluated fifteen different EHRs—and even created a guide—before choosing SimplePractice.

Before SimplePractice

After a couple years in practice, I needed help with billing. I started using a billing company that my friend recommended, but they required me to do everything on paper. Insurance would send me a paper EOB, and I would have to fax the company a copy of it. They would bill it, and then the EOB would get sent back to me, and it was just this whole process that took a lot of time.

Once I realized how much time and energy this was taking I thought, ‘I’m paying you guys 10% of every claim to not do very much at all.’ I decided I needed to do this on my own! Billing was the primary reason I needed an EHR, but I also wanted something that allowed me to manage my paperwork online instead of keeping paper files like the dark ages. In hindsight, I wish I had started storing my notes and appointments electronically years ago.

 

Choosing an EHR

I basically typed in ‘EHRs for SLPs’ in Google and then went through all of the EHRs that I could find, which was not very many. At the time, the only EHR that marketed to SLPs charged $150/month and that was completely out of my price range.

I created a chart that compares 15 EHRs on features like billing, additional fees, an online client portal, credit card integration, and any additional benefits. I noticed immediately that some of the EHRs were too expensive, so then I realized I had to decide what my budget was. Because my main goal was to save money and time.

Why SimplePractice

SimplePractice has better features than any other program that I looked at, and it’s available at a reasonable price. Really the only other EHR that came close was way too expensive for a solo practitioner to afford. I transitioned over from four different systems, and SimplePractice handles all of it. The transition felt like a relief.

SimplePractice has features that others don’t provide, like: 

• Client portal – It adds an extra level of professionalism that I wish I had used from the beginning.
• Paperless intakes – Other programs charged additional fees to have paperless-intake capabilities. It’s pretty amazing that SimplePractice includes them. 
• Reminders – Also, using automated appointment reminders seems so much more professional than me having to text my clients.
• Billing – Billing in SimplePractice seemed very simple to me, and the ability to add in your own CPT codes provided flexibility that other systems didn’t have. 
• Customization – I can customize forms, reminders, and messages, so I always recommend SimplePractice to therapists struggling with the limitations of their current EHR.