Heidi Team
It reduces the brain drain dramatically. I’m usually done and ready to leave by 5:00. It’s a win for everyone—providers, patients, and the organization. We’re giving time back to clinicians while improving care for our community."
Laticia Hollingsworth, PA-C
Clinic: San Luis Valley Health Medical Center (SLVRMC)
Location: Alamosa, Colorado
Specialty: Family medicine and multi-specialty care
Documentation backlogs are spilling into evenings and weekends, contributing to burnout from the mental load and repetitive charting. Clinicians feel growing frustration with dictation tools that sound unprofessional, and many still face barriers to adoption due to manual EMR workflows.
San Luis Valley Health (SLVRMC) serves communities across southern Colorado and northern New Mexico—a vast, rural region where access to care and clinician bandwidth are constant challenges.
With a mix of family medicine, specialty clinics, and hospital-based services, SLVRMC clinicians manage complex caseloads that demand both efficiency and empathy.
“We’re a rural community, so access matters. The less time we spend documenting, the more patients we can see and the more care we can provide.” — Laticia Hollingsworth
Before adopting Heidi, clinicians at SLVRMC relied on a combination of typing and dictation tools that were time-consuming and cognitively draining.
Providers often stayed late finishing notes, balancing patient care with administrative load.
“Most of the time, I typed notes right after the patient left. But if I got behind, I’d jot things down and do it at the end of the day. That’s not always accurate.”
SLVRMC trialed DAX before Heidi, but the results were disappointing.
“It made me sound like a kindergartner. It really didn’t make us sound intelligent, and it was expensive.”
Without automation, clinicians carried a heavy mental load, remembering patient details hours later.
“That cognitive burden is so much less with Heidi. I don’t have to remember and then dictate it later. It’s all there.”
In early 2024, San Luis Valley Health began exploring AI documentation tools to improve provider satisfaction and reduce burnout. After a clinician-led trial of Heidi’s free version, the leadership team approved a wider rollout.
Laticia Hollingsworth, PA-C, became one of the first users at SLVRMC and quickly emerged as the clinic’s top user and internal champion, helping to train others and refine workflows for the organization.
“We tested everything—DAX, other AI scribes—but Heidi was the one that worked. It sounded professional, it was affordable, and it fit right into how we already practiced.”
The SLVRMC team adopted Heidi with minimal onboarding, integrating it into daily workflows across primary and specialty care.
Before the session: Laticia opens Heidi on a dedicated phone, records a short preface summarizing the reason for the visit.
During the session: The phone sits quietly on the counter as Heidi listens in, capturing key clinical dialogue.
After the session: On the walk back to her office, Laticia dictates exam details and any diagnostic impressions. She then reviews and pastes the structured note directly into MEDITECH Expanse.
“I carry a phone in airplane mode, use Heidi to capture the visit, and then dictate the exam on the way back to my office. It’s that simple.”
Clinicians now complete documentation during or immediately after visits, without staying late.
“I just spent an hour doing notes this morning—that was a day and a half worth of patients. I finished it all while watching TV.”
By saving time per encounter, Laticia shifted from 30-minute to 20-minute appointments, allowing more patients to be seen without sacrificing care quality.
“I switched to 20-minute appointments instead of 30—and I’ve definitely added more access for patients.”
“The brain drain is dramatically reduced. I’m done by 5:00 now. That never used to happen.”
“Heidi creates notes that sound intelligent and polished—it reflects how we actually practice.”
“It’s become a part of our day-to-day. For those using it, it’s life-changing.”
| Category | Before Heidi | After Heidi |
|---|---|---|
| Average appointment length | 30 minutes | 20 minutes |
| End-of-day documentation | 1-2 hours | Completed during work day |
| Note quality | Inconsistent | Structured, professional |
| Cognitive Load | High | Significantly reduced |
| Patient access | Limited | Increased throughput |
San Luis Valley Health’s partnership with Heidi has become a model for how rural and regional health systems can harness AI to improve both clinician wellbeing and patient access.
By empowering clinicians to document in real time, SLVRMC has reduced after-hours work, improved accuracy, and increased appointment availability—all without disrupting existing workflows or adding administrative complexity.
“You just need to try it. Spend half a day—it will change your life.”
