About Golden Gate Hand Therapy

Golden Gate Hand Therapy is a specialized private practice serving patients across San Francisco. Founded and owned by Melanie Johnke, the practice has grown to three locations over 15 years, each accepting different insurance plans to serve the diverse needs of Bay Area patients. As a hands-on practitioner, Melanie is deeply invested in both clinical excellence and the operational health of her small business.

The Challenge

In November 2024, Melanie faced the scenario many small practice owners dread: her skilled front office administrator announced she was moving away. What followed was a frustrating search for a replacement, candidates frequently didn't show up for interviews, and the financial reality was sobering.

"The margins have just become tighter and tighter," Melanie explains. For a private practitioner running a small business, the cost of a full-time administrative employee was becoming increasingly difficult to justify. Add to that the complexity of managing three locations, each accepting different insurances, and the scheduling logistics alone were overwhelming.

Beyond the cost, there was the daily friction: voicemails piling up, phone tag with patients, and the knowledge that many people trying to book appointments were calling outside office hours, when no one was available to answer.

"At this point, as a private practitioner, it's just becoming more and more unattainable to have that type of person." — Melanie Johnke, Owner

Why Solum Health

Melanie was introduced to Solum Health and their AI scheduling platform by Juan Pablo Montoya. The timing was serendipitous, she needed a solution, and AI scheduling sounded promising given her situation. Still, she approached it with healthy skepticism.

"I was a little skeptical of AI and thought, how can it really replace a real person?" Melanie recalls. But facing the reality of her hiring challenges and tightening margins, she decided to take the leap.

The Solution

The implementation process was thorough and hands-on. Solum's team walked Melanie through every aspect of her practice: how patients were scheduled, which insurances each of her three locations accepted, and the nuances of her workflow. Together, they developed and fine-tuned a script to ensure patient calls felt natural and user-friendly.

The complexity didn't stop there. During this same period, Melanie made two major transitions: relocating her practice after 15 years and switching her current EMR system to a new one. Either change alone would challenge most billing and scheduling systems, but Solum rose to the occasion.

"Solum got right involved and went right to town to figure out this very new, completely different system," Melanie says. The team worked through the quirks of the new EMR, built entirely new scheduling templates, and ensured the transition was seamless despite the upheaval.

The Results

The impact was immediate and tangible. Voicemails? Gone. Phone tag? Eliminated. Every call is now captured by the AI system, and Melanie discovered something she hadn't fully appreciated before: a significant number of patients prefer to schedule outside traditional office hours. Those calls, which previously went to voicemail (and often led to missed appointments), are now converted into bookings.

But the most telling measure of success isn't a metric, it's cupcakes.

"One of my patients brought cupcakes for AI Annie, not realizing it was AI Annie," Melanie laughs. "She brought cupcakes because Annie was so pleasant and nice."

Patient feedback has been consistently positive, with many expressing surprise at how natural and helpful the AI scheduling experience feels. Melanie regularly hears that it's one of the best AI scheduling systems patients have encountered.

"I've never had to take a voicemail. That has gone away, which is really a lovely thing, and not playing phone tag." — Melanie Johnke, Owner

And the bottom line? The cost savings are substantial. Solum's AI scheduling is significantly less expensive than a full-time front desk employee, making it not just a technological upgrade, but a financial lifeline for a small practice navigating today's healthcare economics.