How a 100-provider FQHC tackled a seven-figure coordination problem and automated thousands of monthly outbound referrals
Aunt Martha's Health & Wellness deployed Linear Health to reduce 20 FTEs of manual care coordination to just 2, automate outbound referral coordination end-to-end, and achieve 3:1 ROI within 90 days.
Aunt Martha's Health & Wellness
FQHC
~100 providers, 20 clinics
Chicago metropolitan area
Two coordination crises, one breaking point
Aunt Martha's is one of the largest FQHCs in the Chicago region, serving a diverse, predominantly Medicaid patient population across 20 clinics. With over 100 providers, the organization faced two distinct coordination crises consuming resources at an unsustainable rate:
Problem 1: Outbound Referral Coordination
12 FTEs manually handling ~6,500 outbound referrals/month from PCPs to external specialists -- faxing packets, calling to confirm receipt, chasing consult notes, tracking status.
Problem 2: Care Gap Closure
8 FTEs processing ~30,000 patients/month across 5 MCO payer lists (Aetna, BCBS, CountyCare, Meridian, Molina) -- calling patients, scheduling appointments, closing gaps before deadlines.
20 full-time employees were dedicated to care coordination: 12 FTEs handling outbound referrals from PCPs to specialists, and 8 FTEs processing MCO files for care gap closure. Together, this team represented a seven-figure annual payroll commitment.
Care gaps went unaddressed for weeks
Staff couldn't process MCO files fast enough to identify and act on them before the next reporting cycle.
Billing discrepancies caused false flags
Coordinators wasted time chasing care gaps that didn't actually exist.
Referral leakage was significant
Patients referred to specialty care or flagged for preventive screenings were falling through the cracks.
Payer quality metrics were at risk
The ability to close care gaps on time directly impacted reimbursement rates and contract renewals.
Staff burnout was accelerating
Coordinators spent their days on repetitive data entry rather than complex care coordination.
Two problems, two targeted solutions
Integrated directly with athenahealth, replacing manual workflows end to end.
Solution for Outbound Referral Coordination
End-to-End Referral Automation
~6,500 outbound referrals per month from PCPs to external specialists are now processed automatically. Linear's AI handles specialty matching using a custom CMS-verified provider database, generates and delivers fax packets, follows up with specialist clinics via AI voice agent, and tracks status in real-time.
Automated Patient Outreach & Scheduling
Patients are contacted within minutes of referral receipt via SMS, email, and voice AI, with multi-language support critical for Aunt Martha's diverse patient population. Patients can self-schedule or be booked by AI based on provider availability, location, and insurance.
Result: 12 FTEs → 1 FTE overseeing automated workflows
Solution for Care Gap Closure
MCO File Ingestion & Gap Identification
Linear Health's AI ingests multiple MCO payer files in bulk (Aetna, BCBS, CountyCare, Meridian, Molina), automatically cross-referencing care gap data against patient records in athenahealth. The system validates each gap, identifies billing discrepancies causing false flags, and surfaces only actionable care gaps.
Automated Gap Closure Outreach
~30,000 patients/month are processed automatically. The system contacts patients via their preferred channel, schedules appointments for preventive screenings and follow-ups, and tracks closure status in real-time against payer deadlines.
Result: 8 FTEs → 1 FTE overseeing automated workflows
Shared Infrastructure
Payer Portal Integration
Linear Health operates across athenahealth and multiple payer portals simultaneously, eliminating the need for staff to log into separate systems to track referral status, authorization approvals, or care gap closures.
Measurable impact
Operational transformation within 90 days of deployment
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Care coordination staff | 20 FTEs | 2 FTEs |
| Annual coordination cost | Seven-figure payroll | Fraction of previous cost |
| Monthly referrals processed | Thousands (manual) | Thousands (automated) |
| Time to patient contact | Days to weeks | Minutes |
| Care gap identification | Manual, batch monthly | Automated, continuous |
| False flag resolution | Manual investigation | Automated detection |
| Referral completion rate | Inconsistent tracking | 95% |
| No-show rate reduction | Baseline | 40% reduction |
| Coordinator workload | 100% manual | 60-80% reduction |
| EHR integration | Manual data entry | Bi-directional sync |
What the customer says
"Linear Health automated our referral operations end to end. We process thousands of referrals every month across Athena and multiple payer portals without manual work. Patients choose their specialists, appointments get confirmed, consult notes come back, and nothing falls through the cracks."
Audrey Pennington
COO, Aunt Martha's Health & Wellness
"Our coordinators used to spend their entire day processing MCO files and chasing care gaps manually. Now the system handles it automatically and they can focus on the patients who actually need human attention. It's completely changed how our team operates day to day."
Veronica Garcia
Director of Operations, Aunt Martha's Health & Wellness
Linear Health Platform
Integrated with athenahealth