The Challenge: Scaling a High-Acuity ER from Paper Records to 24/7 Operations
Keys Animal ER in Ramrod Key, Florida, underwent a rapid transformation from a single-doctor, paper-based practice into a 24/7 emergency and general practice hybrid hospital serving the Florida Keys. The hospital now manages highly variable demand driven by seasonal population shifts and tourism.
“It’s a very unique hospital in the sense that we’re the only ER for 135 miles,” said William Vanatti, Practice Manager. “Turning a one-doctor practice into the only ER in the Keys with 10 doctors or so has been a challenge.”
At peak season, appointment books stretch out for weeks and hospitalized caseloads rise significantly. During slower months, volumes drop sharply, but emergency care remains constant. This unpredictability has made consistency and scalability a major operational challenge.
The team needed a system that could replace paper records, reduce clinical risk, and support both emergency and general practice workflows without slowing down care delivery. Instinct EMR was the solution.
Instinct EMR is a PIMS that combines medical excellence with complete practice management, so you can run your practice with all-in-one trusted software. Book a free, no-pressure demo today.
The Solution: A Unified Clinical & Financial System With Instinct EMR
From day one of ownership, Keys Animal ER went live on Instinct EMR, making it both a software transition and an operational rebuild. The decision was driven by the need for a single system that could unify treatment planning, medical records, and billing, particularly in high-pressure emergency environments where fragmentation increases risk.
“There was really no other thing that I could find that was an EMR and a treatment plan,” said Fayth Vanatti, DVM, owner of Keys Animal ER. “Instinct kind of does both in one system and you don’t have to flip between the two.”
By building workflows around treatment plans rather than isolated records, the hospital standardized how care is documented, charges are captured, and teams communicate across shifts.
Despite the complexity of opening its doors and launching Instinct EMR at the same time, the Keys Animal ER team adapted quickly. Even with the learning curve, the system’s structure helped the team shift into digital workflows faster than expected. Most team members became comfortable within a few weeks, despite varying levels of prior experience with veterinary software.
“I’ve heard from my staff and technicians multiple times that this is super easy to get used to and it’s not hard to learn,” said Dr. Vanatti. “This one’s super easy to pick up.”
Dr. Vanatti noted that the Standards of Care has been beneficial for their younger staff members, providing a helpful resource for their daily work. They use the platform to generate client handouts and anticipate that this function will become increasingly critical as legal requirements for providing drug information to clients become stricter in the coming years.
Read: Introducing Instinct’s New AI Features for Clinical Insights at the Point of Care
Blog: Why a Veterinary AI Scribe Beats a Voice Memo & ChatGPT
The Result: Faster Documentation, Better Charge Capture, & Operational Control
One of the most immediate improvements came from documentation efficiency. With ScribbleVet, Instinct’s AI veterinary scribe, integrated into their workflow, clinicians significantly reduced their medical record backlog while improving accuracy.
“By the end of the week, I’d be about 40 records behind,” said Dr. Vanatti. “I’m currently only five behind, which is amazing.”
Beyond documentation speed, the hospital saw major gains in charge capture accuracy. Digital treatment plans ensured that everything done for the patient was consistently documented and billed appropriately, reducing missed charges common in paper-based systems. This structure improved both clinical accountability and financial clarity across a fast-moving ER environment.
Instinct EMR unites medical records and practice management in one modern system. Finally, a PIMS that’s as thoughtful and thorough as the care you provide. Book a demo.
Bonus: A System That Continuously Evolves With the Practice
A key differentiator for Keys Animal ER has been Instinct’s responsiveness to feedback. The team regularly submits suggestions and sees meaningful product changes over time, reinforcing a sense of partnership in the platform’s evolution.
“Everything I’ve asked for from Instinct I’ve gotten—it’s just taken time,” William said. “If you’re the one doing the job day in and day out, submit a ticket… the more tickets that get submitted, the higher priority it’s going to be.”
This continuous feedback loop has helped the hospital refine workflows and improve day-to-day efficiency.
New: How Instinct EMR Automations Help Veterinary Practices Streamline the Visit
Conclusion: A Foundation for Growth in a High-Pressure ER Environment
For Keys Animal ER, Instinct EMR became the operational backbone of a rapidly scaling emergency hospital, supporting everything from treatment planning and documentation to invoicing and communication.
By unifying clinical and financial workflows in a single platform, the hospital reduced friction, improved accuracy, and created a system capable of handling both the intensity of emergency medicine and the variability of seasonal demand.
“It’s all in one place,” William said, “and everything is customizable. You don’t have to use it the way it was originally intended—you can make it work for how your hospital actually runs.”
Thank you to William Vanatti and Dr. Fayth Vanatti for sharing their experience with Instinct EMR and ScribbleVet!
Interested in seeing Instinct EMR in action? Request a demo here!
