When the tech person and the therapist choose your EMR (PIN #24)

Your EMR has perfect documentation. Your therapists love it.

But you have no idea which patients are profitable, where your scheduling gaps are, or why claims keep getting rejected.

Most practices think they have to choose: make therapists happy OR get the business intelligence they need to grow.

Ernie and Debbie Beltz proved that's wrong.

In the Spotlight 🔦 

Ernie Beltz loves technology. He hates paper, wants automation, and has tested 25-30 platforms over 10 years running Little Land, their Austin-based pediatric therapy practice.

His wife and business partner, Debbie Garcia-Beltz, does not love technology.

"I'm probably not as tech-savvy as I should be at this point in my life," Debbie admits. She spent most of her 24-year OT career writing reports manually, scoring tests by hand, and using Word documents.

This divide could have destroyed their practice. Instead, their partnership reveals something most healthcare practices miss entirely:

The clinical brain and the business brain need each other.

When Ernie chose systems alone, therapists hated them or costs spiraled out of control. When therapists chose alone, critical billing functions broke.

One therapist-selected system had a hidden setting that redirected insurance payments to patients instead of the practice. "We've still probably not gotten about 80% of that money," Ernie says.

Most practices treat technology decisions as either/or: either the system works beautifully for therapists, or it provides the business intelligence owners need to make strategic decisions.

That's why they waste years cycling through systems that fail.

Practices need both perspectives at the table. Not sequentially. Simultaneously.

The clinical brain evaluates: Can I actually use this while seeing 8-12 patients daily? 

The business brain evaluates: Will this help us grow while staying financially viable? 

But here's what makes this really work: When you find where clinical improvements naturally generate business intelligence, you stop choosing between therapist satisfaction and operational success.

Better clinical notes justify higher reimbursements. Automated reminders reduce no-shows while improving patient outcomes. Voice-to-text that therapists love generates more detailed documentation.

"Clinicians oftentimes believe decisions are based on the business need, not the patient need," Ernie explains. "They say 'is this about money in your pocket? Are you helping kids? Because you can't do both at the same time.'"

He pauses. "But you have to do both at the same time."

Every practice has this tension. The ones that thrive learn to leverage it.

Read the full playbook to learn the exact framework Ernie and Debbie use to learn how they balance their different perspectives:

Clinical Intelligence 💡

• Health systems deploying AI need strategic frameworks beyond just technology to ensure successful implementation.

• Physicians are increasingly embracing AI note-taking technology to reduce documentation burden and improve patient interaction time.

• Independent practices can compete with larger systems by adding a digital front door that meets patient expectations for convenience.

Indie Insider 🔎 

Most rehab practices waste $75K+ annually on admin work that AI could handle in minutes.

This week, we're offering one Practice Independence member a free workflow audit. We'll identify your 3-5 biggest time drains and give you a step-by-step automation roadmap—no fluff, just actionable solutions.

Because you're in our community, it's free. But weekly spots disappear fast.

Pulse Check ❤️

Thanks for joining us for another edition of Practice Independence — we’ll see you in 2 weeks!

Take care, Indie

PS: Ready to revolutionize your practice? Secure your spot on the waitlist.

Want to learn more about Indie Health?

Indie is on a mission to improve the quality of life for rehab providers and their patients by combining technology with world-class rehab therapy. 

Click here to join the waitlist. We have limited spots available!