VGM Group
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Axis Integrated
Mental Health
Axis Mental Health, a Colorado-based clinic, leveraged RingCentral's AI Receptionist to significantly reduce missed calls and increase new patient intakes by 60%, which translates to an additional $1.7M in revenue.
Region
Americas
Company size
1–19
Industry
Healthcare
Products used
New patient intakes increased by 60%—from an average of 20 to 32 per week, and this translates to an additional $1.7M in revenue.
Liesel Perez
Cofounder
25%
increase in revenue
$1.7M
additional revenue
60%
new-patient weekly intakes
Fighting the mental health crisis
Colorado, a state celebrated for its progressive spirit, is actively addressing significant mental health challenges that are now placing it among the lowest states for both adult and youth mental well-being. Finding mental health support there can be a confusing and disjointed experience for residents. Axis Integrated Mental Health, co-founded by Liesl and Christopher Perez, is on a mission to change this. With three clinics across Colorado, Axis provides comprehensive outpatient psychiatric care and therapy and adheres to a holistic, integrative approach.
A key component of Axis's commitment to comprehensive care, and a vital aspect of addressing Colorado's mental health crisis, lies in their understanding of timely access. The availability of immediate support during a mental health crisis, especially after regular business hours, can be the difference between life and death. As Liesl emphasizes, the act of reaching out for help often requires immense courage. If that courage is met with an unanswered phone or a voicemail, the individual may feel unheard, and ultimately, abandon their pursuit of help. This is particularly dangerous as many mental health crises, such as severe anxiety, panic attacks, suicidal ideation, or psychotic episodes, do not adhere to a 9-to-5 schedule. Therefore, answering calls 24/7 is not just a matter of good practice, but a lifesaving necessity.
Explore AI Receptionist
Transitioning from inefficient systems to AI
Before adopting RingCentral's AI Receptionist (AIR), Axis struggled with a disjointed system of traditional IVR, external call centers, and remote virtual assistants. "We were using IVR, call centers, and virtual assistants working remotely across the country," Perez explains. "It was getting way too complicated to manage all of them." This complex, inefficient setup led to Axis missing up to 50% of incoming calls.
Beyond that, the team was spending time on calls that were easily answered with a visit to their website. Perez even personally answered calls to experience the problem firsthand, quickly realizing that "by the seventh repetitive call, automation felt less like an option and more like a necessity." Patients frequently expressed their frustration directly to her about the difficulty of reaching the clinic. Liesl immediately recognized the potential of AI Receptionist, noting that their AI Receptionist, Charlotte, "never has a bad day. It doesn't matter how many people yell at her, she's always pleasant."
Seamless implementation and immediate impact
Implementing RingCentral's AI Receptionist was a smooth process for Axis. Alexis Gonzalez, a mental health clinical supervisor, shared that “the initial setup was rather easy. We focused on creating rules based on the existing call history.” Alexis recalls that the process took her about one day, "and that was just from monitoring the call history from AIR and inputting rules based on common questions." To ensure accuracy, Axis also created custom pronunciation guides for provider names, enabling their AI Receptionist, Charlotte, to correctly understand caller requests.
Axis has seen dramatic improvements in call handling since adopting RingCentral's AI Receptionist. "Its ability to handle multiple calls simultaneously has substantially reduced our missed calls, a vast improvement over the previous IVR system," explains Liesl. With the AI Receptionist providing 24/7 coverage, Liesl aims to ensure that support is always available, even during off-hours or in the middle of the night when crises often occur.
RingCentral's AI Receptionist now handles multiple calls simultaneously, which has substantially reduced our missed calls, a vast improvement over the previous IVR system. Our team can now focus on patients who are truly in crisis instead of spending time on routine scheduling and insurance questions.
Liesl Perez
,
Cofounder
Streamlining operations and expanding reach
The addition of texting capabilities has been particularly impactful. "After implementing the texting feature, we were able to send out links and text messages which has been a really big help." Approximately 75% of incoming calls are routine inquiries at Axis, such as appointment scheduling or insurance questions. Now, AIR can automatically text patients links to self-service options, drastically reducing call times. "What used to be a 10-15 minute call for my team is now AI answering the call and then initiating a text. The patient can now easily schedule their appointment or check insurance, and they’re done,” Liesl says. This boost in efficiency has coincided with significant business growth, as "new patient intakes increased by 60%—from an average of 20 to 32 per week, and this translates to an additional $1.7M in revenue”.
Beyond that, Liesl emphasizes the qualitative benefits: "People who are really in crisis, they need to talk to somebody. People who need to reschedule don't really need to talk to a person. So the AI has made it possible for us to be there more for people who really need someone to talk to."
Boosting team satisfaction and productivity
The positive impact of implementing AI Receptionist can also be seen in an uplift in Axis team morale. Liesl observed a significant transformation, stating, "Prior to implementing AI Receptionist, we had a lot of employee dissatisfaction. In fact, I almost lost many members on my team." By offloading routine calls with RingCentral, the Axis team can now dedicate their time to more meaningful and engaging tasks. As team member Katy McAllister eloquently puts it, "I feel like I'm getting so much time back to work on other things. It's not a replacement; it's like being used to support." This strategic shift has not only alleviated frustrations but has also empowered the team, allowing them to focus on more fulfilling aspects of their work.
Prior to implementing AI Receptionist, we had a lot of employee dissatisfaction. In fact, I almost lost many members on my team.
Liesl Perez
,
Cofounder
Leading the way with AI-driven tools in mental healthcare
With nine years of experience in the generative AI industry before co-founding Axis, Liesl Perez views AI as indispensable for any modern business, especially in the evolving landscape of mental healthcare. Her vision for growth extends beyond her current three clinics, with AI Receptionist and other AI tools serving as critical enablers. From marketing to patient intake, AI is woven into various aspects of their operations. As Liesl underscores, "We have AI pretty much in everything."
Axis Integrated Mental Health's success with RingCentral AI Receptionist demonstrates the transformative power of intelligent automation in healthcare. This initial triumph sets the stage for future collaborations, as Axis Integrated Mental Health intends to continue partnering with RingCentral to integrate more advanced AI tools, such as RingSense for conversational intelligence, across its business to drive ongoing innovation and even greater impact.
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