When a pet needs emergency care at 4 AM, every minute matters. But before East Carolina Animal Emergency (ECAE) opened, many pet owners spent those minutes making long, anxious drives through the dark—hoping they’d reach help in time. Now that ECAE is up and running, they finally have help close to home.
“People are really finding out that we’re there and that they don’t have to drive an hour to two hours away for care,” practice manager Carissa Henry said.
ECAE is open from 8 PM to 8 AM, giving the region much-needed overnight coverage. In just a few months, their caseload has climbed steadily, and the team has already handled a wide range of overnight emergencies. Keeping up with that growth meant putting dependable workflows in place from day one—especially for a team still building routines and processes.
Leaving Paper (and Missed Treatments) Behind
Henry knew they needed something better than the paper processes she’d used in the past. Paper charts had always made her uneasy, especially during busy ER nights when treatments and updates move quickly.
“We had paper copies of everything, and I just was never a fan of it—treatments get lost, something gets missed,” she said.
Starting a brand-new overnight ER was her chance to leave those old frustrations behind. And with team members in varied roles and experience levels, she wanted a system that kept everyone aligned and made it harder for anything to slip through the cracks.
Why Instinct EMR Was the Easy Choice
As the hospital began evaluating PIMS options, Henry had a strong sense of what would work best for the team.
“I’ve had other systems I’ve worked with, but Instinct has been my favorite,” she said.
From her experience in ER medicine, she knew the team needed software that matched the fast-moving rhythm of overnight care and kept information accessible without slowing anyone down.
“Instinct helps make things run smoothly. There’s always somewhere for assistants or technicians to find information prior to having to ask the doctor, especially if they’re busy,” Henry said. “There’s always a flow.”
For a new hospital setting up its workflow from scratch, having software that supported that flow from day one was essential.
Clear Communication on Every Case
Overnights depend on constant communication between techs juggling treatments, assistants helping with procedures, and doctors moving from one critical patient to the next. Instinct EMR supports that rhythm by making every task, treatment, and note visible in real time. Team members can see who completed what, reducing confusion during handoffs and busy shifts.
Henry noticed the difference right away.
“There’s nobody questioning each other—did so-and-so do this? Did this person do this?” she said. “As long as they’re completing everything and signing in under their login, the flow is just much easier.”
That built-in visibility and accountability keep cases moving smoothly without constant check-ins or interruptions.
Discharges Without the Do-Over
Tools like pre-made treatments and editable charts quickly became part of ECAE’s nightly rhythm, helping the team stay organized and shave time off repetitive tasks.
“I absolutely love the fact that we can do pre-made treatments, estimates, charts, and discharges,” Henry said. “I also like that new feature where we can change our charts and everything around as they are being completed.”
That flexibility has been especially helpful for discharges. In the past, updating instructions for a new patient or changing details often meant starting from scratch.
“Now I don’t have to go back and type up a whole new discharge,” she said. “It can be changed as it’s being done in real time.”
That small shift saves valuable minutes on every case, and that’s time the team can put back into patient care.
Lab Results, Exactly Where They Belong
For Henry, Instinct EMR’s seamless IDEXX lab integration is another standout feature. Results go exactly where they belong without any extra steps.
“Once we run the labs in-house, it is directly to that patient’s chart,” she said. “There’s no figuring out which patient this goes to. That’s probably one of the best features we have.”
She remembers the old workflow of copying, pasting, screenshotting, and hoping everything matched.
“I’ve played that game before,” Henry said. “It’s not fun.”
Now, results appear instantly and are attached to the right patient every time.
The One-Stop Shop They Needed
As a new practice manager overseeing communication, billing, scheduling, and daily operations, Henry needed software that supported her workload instead of adding to it. Instinct EMR gives her that support.
“I don’t have any trouble getting to invoices, finding out information about clients or patients,” she said. “I don’t need to log into one software to log into another. It’s all right there.”
She especially appreciates Instinct EMR’s built-in communication tools.
“I love the send tab,” Henry said. “We can send emails directly from the software, text owners directly from the software. It is just a one-stop shop.”
Easy to Teach, Easy to Learn
Because some ECAE team members are newer to emergency medicine, Henry pays close attention to how easily people learn the system. That’s why having software that felt intuitive from the start was so important to her.
“If it’s user-friendly, it is much easier to train,” she said.
That ease has made onboarding smoother for everyone. New assistants and technicians can follow the flow of a case, see exactly what needs to be done, and learn how an overnight ER operates without feeling overwhelmed. For a new hospital finding its footing, that confidence makes a difference.
Help When Questions Come Up
During the overnight rush, questions don’t wait until morning. Henry wanted a system that gave her team quick answers, especially during those early months. She found that in Instinct’s support team.
“Being able to connect with somebody or just bring up a chat and be like, ‘How do I do this?’ That’s been nice,” she said.
With support just a message away, the team doesn’t lose momentum. They can get answers fast, stay confident with the software, and keep their attention on the patients who need them.
Ready for the Future
Five months in, ECAE has found its stride and is preparing for even busier nights ahead. Instinct EMR helps the team feel ready for whatever comes through the door.
“We’ve gotten busier,” Henry said. “We know there’s always the opportunity for it to be like a disaster—everybody frazzled.”
But after years in high-volume ERs, Henry knows the difference a reliable system makes, and Instinct EMR keeps the team steady when nights get hectic.
“Once we log into Instinct, it’s all there,” she said
With Instinct EMR continuing to evolve and add new features—like IDEXX PACS integration—Henry feels confident the system will grow with them:
“I’ve worked with other software, and Instinct is by far my favorite.”
Thanks to Carissa Henry for sharing her experience and to the entire ECAE team for the care they provide to pets and families in eastern North Carolina!
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