From breakdowns to breakthrough
Specializing in knee and shoulder surgeries, Paul Meli Orthopedics sees 40 to 50 patients daily, many covered by workers’ compensation. For more than fifteen years, Billing Director Michele Alonso has kept the practice’s financial operations running efficiently. However, their credit card processing system struggled to keep up with the clinic’s growing volume and complex billing needs.
“The old system wasn’t user-friendly and kept breaking down,” Michele said. “I had to enter payments manually. It was time-consuming and frustrating.”
Every time the hardware failed, Michele had to stop what she was doing, process payments manually, and then return to check patients in. It slowed down the workflow and added unnecessary stress.
After researching alternatives and getting recommendations from many other orthopedic offices — one platform kept coming up: Bridge Payments.
“I asked other orthos what they used, and they all said Bridge™ Payments. I figured if everyone in ortho is using it, it must be the right solution — and it was.”
How Bridge Payments “makes the doctor happy”
Bridge Payments — part of Practice Management Bridge® by Rectangle Health — didn’t just solve a hardware issue, it took friction out of the entire payment process and gave Michele’s team a system they could trust. “It never fails,” she said. It’s super easy to understand. Anybody could do it.”
That simplicity made a difference right away. “My front desk could be on the phone while she’s checking in a patient and she doesn’t have to think twice about collecting payment,” Michele said.
“It’s just like swipe, here’s your receipt, and in you go.” Patients noticed, too. “We’re getting the patients in faster, which makes the doctor happy. Patients consistently say how quick we are, that we’re so efficient.”
Bridge Payments also helped ease concerns internally. “Our doctor was nervous at first. He wanted to make sure the numbers would be accurate and easy to pull,” she said.
“But once he saw how simple the reporting was, he felt a lot better.”
Now, month-end is no longer a headache. “I just go into the transaction summary, choose the date range, and I have everything I need in two seconds.”
“The trusted solution for orthopedics”
Michele’s decision to switch to Bridge Payments was validated by other peers and practices.
“All the orthos I talked to used Bridge Payments. That told me you’re the trusted solution for orthopedics, she said.
For her, the value isn’t just in smoother payments, it’s in knowing she can trust the technology so her team can focus on patients instead of troubleshooting hardware or chasing down data.
And if something goes wrong, she doesn’t waste time tracking down help.
“The customer service is great,” she said. “If anything goes wrong, I get someone on the phone right away. No waiting, no being put on hold.”
“I’ve got patients, I need help fast and that makes a difference.”
Today, Michele’s office operates with the same discipline and attention to detail she’s always maintained — just with a payment process that’s simpler, faster, and far more dependable.