From Call Center to Access Hub: Baystate Health’s CCaaS Transformation

By Molly Siegel, MPH, Senior Associate, Patient Access Collaborative

For Baystate Health, transitioning from a legacy telephony system to a cloud-based Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) platform wasn’t simply a technology upgrade. It was a redefinition of access — a shift from being perceived as “just a call center” to becoming the true front door to care.

Michelle Baillargeon, Neuroscience Manager and Contact Center Quality & Patient Experience Data Team Manager, led the effort and reflects on the lessons learned, the wins achieved, and the promise ahead.

Preparing for Change

Like many health systems, Baystate discovered that preparing for a CCaaS transition requires more than flipping a switch. Michelle is candid about the lessons learned along the way: “We learned the hard way that old or outdated build data from our previous system carried over and created confusion.” Her takeaway is simple — success depends on laying a clean foundation.

One key to success was User Acceptance Testing (UAT). “This was a major undertaking for our team—we created our own test plan, which allowed us to understand how the system truly worked before go-live and informed the development of our training materials.”

Training with Intention

Beyond technology, Michelle knew adoption hinged on how well staff were prepared. “The standard training content provided wasn’t user-friendly for our agents. We had to rebuild the materials to make them digestible and aligned with our workflows and terminology.” By tailoring training to their own culture and processes, Baystate gave agents the tools to succeed and the confidence to embrace change.

Navigating the Early Months

The first months after go-live tested the team’s resilience. “There were integration gaps, and agents were definitely feeling burnout as they adjusted,” Michelle recalls. Her response was to focus on listening and continuous improvement: “We had to keep listening, tweaking workflows, and making sure people felt part of the process.” That commitment to collaboration set the stage for long-term success.

Operational Wins

Moving to the cloud also delivered measurable operational improvements.

• Automated User Management with SCIM: By integrating with Active Directory, Genesys Cloud accounts are now automatically created, updated, or removed — eliminating the need for manual updates at the department level.
  
  
• Enhanced SMS Capabilities: Primary Care patients now use SMS more widely, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Text communication has quickly become a patient favorite.
  
  
• Referral Outreach Efficiency: With Genesys Cloud campaigns, Baystate reaches patients by phone or text within 24 hours of a referral — accelerating specialty access and improving responsiveness.
  
  

Seeing the Results

One year later, the results are clear. “We’re seeing reduced wait times, better navigation to the right level of care, and more first-contact resolution.” For Michelle, these improvements reflect more than operational efficiency — they represent a patient experience that is smoother, faster, and more connected.

Empowering the Team

Equally important, the technology has elevated staff engagement. “Once staff could see real-time patient context and dashboards, it really changed morale. Gamification and engagement tools gave them a new sense of ownership.” By equipping agents with the right tools, Baystate transformed the role of access staff into one that is proactive, empowered, and central to care delivery.

Looking Forward

Michelle’s advice to peers is direct: “Make sure you’re not just adding another silo. The value of CCaaS is in connecting communication with clinical data.” With an eye toward the future, she is energized by what’s on the horizon: “Predictive analytics, automation, equity-driven design — those are the things that will take access from reactive to proactive.”

Her reflection captures the heart of the journey: When access works, everything else works.

At PAC, we’re inspired by leaders like Michelle who turn access challenges into opportunities for transformation. What wins, challenges, or lessons have you learned in your own CCaaS journey? Share your story on PAC Engage.