Patients still call even when the line says you’re closed.
Phone Problem Playbook
Lunch-Hour Coverage Blueprint
Stop closing phones mid-day. Katie absorbs peaks while your human team actually eats and resets.
When to run this playbook
Voicemails balloon between noon and 2PM.
Staff rush interactions to get back to the desk.
Caller journey (high-level)
01
Schedule auto-forward
Forward phones to Katie for 90 minutes so humans can rotate breaks without guilt.
02
Offer callbacks
Katie books a promised callback window and emails/Slack summaries to the right teammate.
03
Escalate urgent symptoms
Anything clinically urgent still rings the nurse line with context.
Triage categories & actions
| Category | Example calls | Notification | Target callback | Caller messaging |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency | Chest pain, stroke, trauma. | 911 / ER | Immediate | Call 911 or go to the ER now. |
| Urgent clinical | Worsening postop pain, severe symptoms. | On-call provider | < 15 min | Provider calls back within 15 minutes. |
| Routine clinical | Refills, mild symptoms, referrals. | Daytime team | Next business day | Care team follows up on the next business day. |
| Non-clinical / admin | Scheduling, billing, paperwork. | Admin queue | Next business day | Front desk follows up when the office reopens. |