Blog

NMHS Improves Patient Access and Reduces Call Center Burden

April 30, 2026

By Shawn Boorom

Fast Facts:
Customer Snapshot

Organization
North Mississippi Health Services (NMHS)

Industry:
Nonprofit, community health system

Headquarters
Tupelo, Mississippi (NMHS)

Scale

1,004-bed regional referral center
7,500+ employees
Serves more than 730,000 people across 24 counties in Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee

Technology Environment
Epic MyChart patient portal

Solution Implemented
Automated Patient Portal Support with IVR and intelligent call routing from Impulse Strategic Solutions.

Key Outcomes

Average support call time reduced from ~10 minutes to under 3 minutes
24/7 patient access to portal assistance
Reduced call center workload through automated resolution
Over 50% of issues resolved automatically through self-service automation

Challenge

North Mississippi Health Services relies heavily on its Epic MyChart patient portal to help patients manage appointments, view test results, request prescription refills, and communicate with care teams.

As portal usage increased, so did the number of support calls. Many patients contacted the help desk for routine issues such as password resets, login assistance, or navigating the portal.

At the same time, the legacy IVR system supporting automated services was approaching end-of-life, creating an urgent need to modernize the platform while maintaining uninterrupted support for patients.

“As patient portal adoption continues to grow, we knew we needed a scalable way to support patients without adding additional strain to our support teams.”

— Rachael Hill, MBA, RN, CDH-E, CHCIO, CPHIMS, Director of Clinical Systems Operations / CNIO

NMHS needed a solution that could provide round-the-clock support, automate common requests, and integrate seamlessly with Epic MyChart.

Solution

NMHS partnered with Impulse Strategic Solutions to deploy an automated patient portal support system powered by intelligent IVR technology.

The platform allows patients to quickly resolve common issues through automated self-service while still providing the option to connect with a live support agent when necessary.

Key capabilities include:

24/7 automated patient assistance
Intent recognition to understand caller requests
Integration with Epic MyChart
Intelligent routing to the appropriate department
Multilingual support for diverse patient populations

“Our goal was not just to replace legacy technology. We wanted to create a smarter, more scalable way for patients to access help when they need it.”

— Rachael Hill, MBA, RN, CDH-E, CHCIO, CPHIMS, Director of Clinical Systems Operations / CNIO

Impact

By automating routine portal support requests, NMHS significantly improved both patient access and operational efficiency.

Average support call times dropped from approximately 10 minutes to less than 3 minutes, allowing patients to resolve issues quickly while freeing staff to focus on more complex needs.

More than 50% of support requests are now resolved through automated self-service, reducing call center volume and lowering operational costs.

Patients can also access assistance 24 hours a day, including evenings and early mornings when support demand is often highest.

“Automation allows us to meet patients where they are. They can get help quickly and easily, while our staff can focus on the situations that truly require human support.”

— Rachael Hill, MBA, RN, CDH-E, CHCIO, CPHIMS, Director of Clinical Systems Operations / CNIO

Looking Ahead

By modernizing patient portal support, North Mississippi Health Services has built a scalable foundation for its expanding digital front door strategy. The automated platform allows the organization to support growing patient demand while continuing to improve access, efficiency, and the overall patient experience.

Reliable. Transparent. Healthcare-first.

Let us show you what that means for your organization.

Our approach to managed IT solutions for healthcare is built on decades of provider-side experience — not guesswork. Whether you need a reliable support desk, a PACS migration, or a trusted IT partner who understands clinical environments, we’re here.

Scott Collins, CEO & Co-Founder

Scott Collins is a healthcare IT entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience building service organizations that put people first. He co-founded Impulse in 2014 with a clear belief: that the best managed IT solutions for healthcare are built on clinical fluency, genuine service culture, and the kind of transparency that earns long-term trust. As CEO, he leads Impulse’s vision and growth — and stays as close to the work today as he did on day one.

Shawn Boorom, Co-Founder & COO

Shawn Boorom has spent his career at the intersection of healthcare operations and IT service delivery, building teams and processes that hold up under real clinical pressure. His approach is collaborative by design — working directly with frontline staff, internal stakeholders, and clients to close the gap between strategy and execution. At Impulse, that translates into operations built on accountability, continuous improvement, and a service culture clients can count on every day.