Benevis LLC is a leading provider of dental practice management services. Its supported practices handle more than 1.2 million patient visits annually, a large share of them Medicaid patients, and rely on a central call center for scheduling and routine patient interactions. Managing that call volume efficiently, without degrading the patient experience, is central to its operations.

Benevis faced mounting challenges in managing high call volume, particularly for Medicaid patients. With more than 1.2 million patient visits a year depending on a call center, inefficiencies in scheduling led to long wait times, frustrated patients and rising operational costs.

The volume itself was the constraint. Every routine call about an appointment consumed live agent time that could otherwise go to complex cases, and patients waiting in a queue for a simple reschedule were the ones most likely to be dissatisfied.

Benevis needed a solution that could automate routine interactions without sacrificing the patient experience, and it needed to do so within the data security and compliance requirements of a healthcare provider. It also needed evidence, before committing, that automation would actually pay off.

IntelePeer, a full-stack conversational AI provider, partnered with Benevis to introduce SmartAgent, an AI-driven automation solution for the call center.

The engagement began with an intent study to identify where automation would have the most effect. The study found that 61% of calls were about appointments, an ideal use case for AI-driven automation; that only 13% of calls required a live agent, meaning most interactions could be automated; and that AI had the potential to deliver more than $1 million in annual savings while improving patient service.

IntelePeer designed a phased implementation, starting with AI-automated appointment scheduling. SmartAgent provides real-time scheduling, rescheduling and confirmation capabilities, which reduces the burden on live agents and improves efficiency. The AI integrated with Benevis' existing systems, leaving room for future automation expansion, and the deployment was built to maintain data security and compliance.

The document notes that it is an excerpt of a case study led by Neha Mittal and Munir Mandviwalla for the Institute for Business and Information Technology (IBIT) at Temple University, accepted for publication by Ivey Publishing.

• 61% of calls were about appointments, identified as the first automation target
• Only 13% of calls required a live agent, so most interactions could be automated
• Automation handled most routine inquiries, letting live agents focus on complex cases
• Appointment scheduling automation cut patient wait times and saved hundreds of thousands of dollars
• SmartAgent integrated with existing systems, enabling future automation expansion