At a glance
Reported outcomes from one eight-location practice.
These figures come from the customer case study supplied by AerPay. They are historical, customer-reported results, not a promise or forecast for another organization.
The customer
TLC Physical Therapy
TLC Physical Therapy is a multi-location New York City practice providing customized rehabilitation programs for patients ranging from athletes recovering from injuries to people seeking post-surgical rehabilitation. Its patient-centered focus extends into the administrative experience, including how patients check in, complete payments, receive receipts, and leave with clear next steps.
HiBridge, formerly Virtual Sally, was part of the front-office workflow described in the original case study. The current HiBridge name is used throughout this readable version.
The challenge
High processing costs and disconnected front-desk payment operations.
Processing fees
The case study reports more than $4,000 per month in processing costs, approximately $48,000 annually across eight locations.
Outdated transaction experience
Older terminals contributed to slower payment transactions and longer patient wait times.
Disjointed billing
Payments handled across separate locations created administrative strain and made centralized financial oversight more difficult.
Limited payment options
The existing environment did not provide the modern EMV chip and contactless payment options the practice wanted.
Labor-intensive coverage
The case study estimated a traditional full-time receptionist cost of $60,000 per year at each location, or $480,000 across eight locations.
The solution
Payment technology connected to the front-office workflow.
Ingenico Cloud Lane/7000 terminals
The deployed terminals supported EMV chip, NFC contactless, and swipe transactions, with built-in dual pricing configured for the practice's checkout process.
AerPay gateway integration
A centralized gateway supported payment management, reporting, analytics, and coordination with the broader front-office environment.
HiBridge kiosk
The browser-based kiosk provided the patient-facing check-in and checkout environment without requiring specialized software or device drivers.
Virtual receptionist support
Remote team members could guide patients through approved co-pay or balance workflows, assist with checkout, and support receipt or care-plan printing.
Centralized billing operations
Financial activity could be coordinated from a central location instead of requiring each office to function as a separate payment operation.
Scalable multi-location model
The combination of browser-based front-office technology, cloud payment tools, and remote staffing was designed to support additional locations.
How the patient journey worked
A more coordinated check-in and checkout experience.
- The patient arrives.The patient interacts with the HiBridge kiosk at the front desk.
- A live virtual receptionist is available.A real person can guide the interaction and support the approved front-office workflow.
- The payment is completed.The configured AerPay gateway and Ingenico terminal support the authorized payment transaction.
- Receipts and next steps are provided.The kiosk station can support printing receipts and practice-approved care-plan information.
- Activity is centralized.Payment reporting and billing coordination can be managed across the practice's locations.
Reported financial comparison
What the supplied case study reported.
Before
Traditional eight-location model
- Salary for 8 receptionists
- $480,000/year
- Processing fees
- $48,000/year
- Total reported expenses
- $528,000/year
After
Centralized virtual model
- Virtual receptionist coverage
- $240,000/year
- Processing fees
- $0 reported
- Upfront kiosks and terminals
- $20,000
- Reported Year 1 expenses
- $260,000
- Reported expenses after Year 1
- $240,000/year
The $0 processing-fee figure reflects the specific dual-pricing configuration described in the supplied case study. Payment pricing, equipment, legal requirements, patient disclosures, and actual savings vary by merchant, jurisdiction, transaction mix, staffing model, and contract.
Customer perspective
What TLC Physical Therapy reported.
“Implementation was very easy. It only took a few minutes to set up the kiosk with terminal and virtual assistant. With the savings we are realizing, our only regret is that we did not find this solution sooner.”
Jason LaMendola, Owner, TLC Physical Therapy
“Our virtual agent platform has allowed us to fully centralize our front office operations, saving the practice almost $500,000 a year in salary costs we would otherwise be using to pay full-time receptionists. Combined with our processing fees being covered, we are excited to expand to more locations next year.”
Jason LaMendola, Owner, TLC Physical Therapy
Conclusion
A centralized model built for growth.
The supplied case study describes a coordinated payment and front-office environment that reduced repetitive payment work, centralized billing, expanded payment options, and kept live virtual support available during the patient experience. TLC reported that the model helped position the practice to support continued growth without rebuilding a traditional front desk at every location.
The result came from the combined workflow. AerPay supplied the payment technology and merchant services. HiBridge supplied the front-office virtual receptionist and kiosk experience. TLC Physical Therapy supplied the operating model, patient workflow, and internal implementation decisions.
Read the original case study or explore the partnership.
Download the supplied three-page PDF, review AerPay's payment capabilities, or talk with HiBridge about connecting payment tasks to your virtual front desk.