A large U.S. county public-health department operating community clinics serving residents across the county. Frontlion’s in-person service platform is deployed at five of its public-health clinics, where patients arrive for medical services and are received, informed, and called by a single digital system. A Frontlion customer since June 9, 2021.
Government · Healthcare
How a Large County Public-Health Department Kept Its Clinics Open and Its Waiting Rooms Empty Through COVID
A large U.S. county public-health department deployed Frontlion's in-person service platform across five community clinics so patients could check in by phone and wait safely outside — keeping essential medical services running through the pandemic while limiting how many people sat together in a clinic.
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5
Public-health clinics on one platform
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5+
Years as a customer
Who They Are
Customer Snapshot
Clinics
5 community clinics
Customer Since
June 9, 2021
Check-In Method
Mobile queuing via SMS link
The Problem
The Challenge
During the COVID pandemic, a clinic waiting room became an acute risk: a crowded space where the most vulnerable residents sat close together. The department faced a hard dual mandate — clinics had to stay open to serve real medical needs that did not pause for the pandemic, while simultaneously safeguarding patients and staff from viral exposure inside those same clinics.
- Clinics had to stay open — essential medical needs did not pause for the pandemic
- Traditional waiting rooms concentrated vulnerable patients in a high-exposure space
- No contactless check-in — patients had to check in and then sit together in a shared room
- No daily operational data on services demanded, wait times, or clinician service times
The Decision
Why Frontlion?
Frontlion was configured to meet the pandemic mandate directly: mobile queuing to move the wait out of the waiting room, SMS communication to keep distanced patients informed in real time, and reporting to give clinic managers and county health administrators the visibility they needed to run essential services through a public-health emergency.
Mobile Queuing
Patients check in and wait safely outside — in their car or a nearby café — returning only when a nurse is ready.
SMS Status Updates
Each patient receives an SMS link with their wait status, turn timing, and a nurse-ready alert.
Daily Reporting
Daily reports on services requested, patient wait times, and clinician service times — sent to county administrators and clinic directors.
Safety by Design
Clinic occupancy controlled by limiting how many patients wait inside at once.
How It Works
The Solution
Frontlion deployed its in-person service platform across five of the department’s public-health clinics — configured specifically to keep clinics open while limiting the number of patients waiting together inside them.
Deployment
How the Rollout Worked
1
Mobile Check-In Configured
2
SMS Notification Loop
3
Daily Reporting Activated
Impact
Results
The department kept its clinics open and serving while taking the crowd out of the waiting room. Patients check in and wait somewhere safer — in their car or a nearby café — and the clinic keeps moving, with patients stepping back inside only when it is their turn. Clinic managers now rely on daily service metrics to run essential services by the numbers.
✓
Clinics Stayed Open
Essential medical services continued through the pandemic without interruption.
✓
Waiting Rooms Emptied
Patients wait in their car or nearby — the waiting room stopped being a viral exposure point.
✓
Daily Service Data
Clinic managers rely on daily reports of services demanded, wait times, and clinician service times.