Staffing chaos? Solved, by VAs who stay.
Ask Velma places HIPAA-trained virtual medical assistants: receptionists, scribes, prior authorization specialists and care coordinators for rheumatology, gastroenterology, primary care, behavioral health, pediatric, dermatology, fertility and urgent care practices. The phones get answered. The charts get closed. You get your evenings back.
"Kim is FANTASTIC. Thank you!"
PediatricianSix roles. One rate. Zero staffing drama.
Every Ask Velma assistant trains for one healthcare role, then gets matched to your practice, your EHR and your hours.
Virtual Receptionist
Phones answered as their first job, no-shows recovered politely.
- Calls, scheduling and recalls
- Insurance verification
- No-show recovery
Live Medical Scribe
You talk to patients. Notes closed before you leave the room.
- Real-time documentation
- Any EHR, Epic to eCW
- Same-day notes
Prior Auth Specialist
On hold with payers so nobody in your office ever is again.
- Portals and follow-ups daily
- Peer-to-peer scheduling
- Denial tracking
Patient Care Coordinator
Referrals, reminders, follow-ups. Every patient feels like the only one.
- Referral management
- Pre-visit preparation
- Post-visit follow-up
Virtual Admin Assistant
The inbox, the faxes, the credentialing paperwork. Handled.
- Inbox and fax triage
- Records requests
- Credentialing support
Billing Support Specialist
The follow-up and verification work your billing team never gets to.
- Eligibility and benefits verification
- Claim status follow-up
- AR aging reports
Trained in your specialty's workflows, not just "healthcare."
RheumatologyOur deepest specialty
GastroenterologyProcedures and prep
Primary and Internal MedicineClinic, concierge, housecalls
Behavioral and Mental HealthTherapy and psychiatry
PediatricsClinic and hospital rounds
Dermatology and AestheticsMedical and cosmetic
OBGYN and FertilityCycles and coordination
Urgent CareVolume and walk-insSee what a VA saves your practice this year.
Compare an Ask Velma virtual assistant against your local in-house hire, with the fully loaded hourly cost you enter; recruiting and turnover costs not included. The Velma side uses the real rate card: $10 for the first 90 days, $10.50 after.
vs. one full-time in-house hire, before recruiting fees and turnover costs.
Book a Discovery CallUnlock the Full Staffing AuditEvery seat, your specialty, your state, turnover and revenue at risk. Free with a work email.Three weeks from first call to first shift.
Tell Velma everything
A 30-minute discovery call about your bottlenecks, hours, EHR and specialty. You leave with a staffing plan, a flat quote and the MSA the same day.
Week 1Pick your people
Within five to seven days of signing, we shortlist two or three candidates from our 1-in-20 vetting funnel. Watch their video introductions, interview your favorites, choose your fit.
Days 5-7 after signingGo live, backed up
BAA in place, coordination contact named, time tracking live. If it is ever not a fit, we begin sourcing a replacement immediately, at no fee.
About week 3Interview real candidates before you pay a dollar.
No black box. After your discovery call and signed agreement, we match candidates to your specification within five to seven days. You watch their video introductions, interview your favorites, and choose who joins your team. The people below are current placements, so you can see the caliber before your call.
Current placement
Current placement
Current placement
Current placement
Current placement
Current placementDoctors keep score. So do we.
A Texas multi-specialty group has grown to 78 Velma VAs across reception, verification, billing and care coordination, added team by team since 2024.
Two Texas gastroenterology groups run 22 Velma VAs across procedure scheduling, prep calls, prior auth and billing follow-up.
The first Velma VAs ever placed, in April 2024, are still with the same Texas practices today, past their second anniversary.
The comparison your office manager will ask for.
| What matters | Ask Velma | Other agencies | In-house hire |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you pay for | Tracked hours plus 11 covered days | Monthly subscriptions common | Salary, whatever the volume |
| True hourly cost | $10-10.50, all-in | Varies, often plus setup or recruiting fees | $27+ an hour, fully loaded |
| Setup and recruiting fees | None | Common | About 20% of salary |
| Healthcare-only talent | Always, 1-in-20 vetted | Mixed pools | Varies |
| HIPAA training through Accountable, certificate on file, and a BAA | Included, day one | Sometimes | You build it |
| What the hourly rate covers | Contractor rate, wellness subsidy, HIPAA training, coordination support | Varies by provider | Salary, payroll taxes, benefits, PTO, workers' comp |
| Meet candidates before paying | Yes, with video intros | Rarely | N/A |
| Backup coverage and replacement | Replacement sourcing at no fee | Varies | Re-hire cycle |
| Cancellation | No cancellation fees | Lock-ins common | Severance risk |
Ask Velma anything.
Are your virtual medical assistants HIPAA compliant?
Patient data stays in your systems; Ask Velma keeps no copies of PHI. Our contractors access PHI only inside systems you provision, under a BAA. Contractors complete HIPAA training through Accountable before placement, with a dated certificate on file, a BAA is in place from day one, and the work happens inside your systems under your policies. You own your systems, your policies and your oversight; we confirm and document compliance with them at defined checkpoints.
How fast can my VA start?
Discovery call to signed MSA usually happens the same week. Candidate profiles arrive five to seven days after signing, and your chosen VA starts about a week after that. Most practices go from first call to a working VA inside three weeks.
Do they know my EHR and phone system?
Tebra/Kareo, Epic, eClinicalWorks, Athenahealth, AdvancedMD and most other systems, plus your VoIP. EHR orientation for your system happens before the first shift; your team covers practice-specific workflows.
What does the hourly rate include?
$10 per hour for your first 90 days and $10.50 after covers the contractor's above-market rate, a wellness subsidy, HIPAA training, ongoing skill development, and your named Ask Velma coordination contact. No setup, recruiting or cancellation fees.
Is there an hours minimum?
Engagements start at 32 hours per week, billed bi-weekly by ACH or card. The dedicated near-full-time seat is what lets your VA master your workflows and stay.
What if the fit is not right?
Tell your coordination contact and we begin sourcing a replacement immediately, at no fee. We staff for long-term fit, so it rarely comes up.
Go on. Ask Velma.
One free 30-minute discovery call. You leave with a staffing plan and a flat quote, whether or not you proceed.
Book a Discovery Call