By Stephen Babcock

When patients have an injury and get referred to a physical therapy practice overseen by the The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics, they’re often booked for about 4-6 visits.

But life happens, and executive director Denny Tritinger says physical therapists see a lot of cancellations.

“Something happens and they can’t make their appointment,” Tritinger said. “With that, we need a way to let others who want to get into our practice know that an appointment is available.”

Like many providers, the Centers used robocalls to let people know about an opening, but those often fall on deaf ears. And when a patient cancels, that means lost money.

“If we can fill that revenue slot, then there’s a way of reducing costs,” Tritinger said.

So, in a bid for increased efficiency, they’re switching to an app.

Baltimore-based Everseat is set to be used in the “supergroup” of 27 orthopedic groups that came together in 2014 to form a single entity in Maryland, Virginia and D.C.

Everseat’s system allows providers to post openings when there are cancellations. In turn, patients can check the startup’s mobile app to see if cancellations are posted, and scoop them up if it matches their schedule. The startup closed a $2.28 million investment round in March.

Everseat CEO Jeff Peres noted that the system could also be useful for a junior physician or physical therapist who has openings.

“If you can fill in some of his or her open slots from Everseat,” he said, “it helps to build a base of patients.”

Peres described the The Centers and their 130 specialists as an “anchor tenant” for the startup in the mid-Atlantic area.

“They’re a leader in their marketplace,” Peres said.

With the large client onboard, Peres said the company’s “hub-and-spoke” strategy is to then find other practices like dentists, optometrists and chiropractors to grow the number of users in the same geographic region. Last December, the startup signed on Mercy Medical Center.

Meanwhile, the company itself is moving to a new location. Everseat’s 24 employees (including two who came onboard in June) will move from the company’s current space in Mt. Washington to the newly renovated Mill No. 1 near Druid Hill Park in August.

The month of May, Peres said, was “our best month ever.”

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