Stamford Health

Tamika Williams

Patient Access Authority

Tamika Williams is a healthcare operations leader with expertise in patient access, centralized scheduling and contact center management. At Stamford Health, she drives technology-enabled operational improvements that strengthen patient experience and access to care.

Leading Patient Access with Operational Discipline and Empathy

I have spent my entire career in the contact center industry. However, after 14 years in the telecom industry, I transitioned into healthcare, where I have spent the past decade overseeing patient access and experience.

Today, one of the most important parts of my role is working across patient access and consumer experience, because those two areas really go hand in hand. My focus is on ensuring patients have a seamless journey from the digital front door through every stage of their journey. Whether they are calling to book an appointment or for any other need, I want that experience to remain consistent from their first interaction through its completion.

I also evaluate technology that supports our omnichannel strategy, giving patients multiple ways to connect with their providers, whether they need to schedule or reschedule an appointment or request a prescription refill.

What motivates me most is caring about patient outcomes. The phone is often a patient's first point of contact, making every interaction an opportunity to help them feel hopeful and supported. As unexpected situations may arise, I empower my team to use sound judgment while following established policies.

“My focus is on ensuring patients have a seamless journey from the digital front door through every stage of their journey.”

Maintaining Consistency through Coaching and Accountability

I regularly share goals, expectations and feedback with my team, ensuring everyone understands how their work contributes to the organization's goals. One-onone conversations and team meetings help keep those expectations aligned.

Expectations around appointment availability and other key performance indicators are reinforced through oneon-one conversations, team meetings and a leadership approach grounded in accountability and a patient-first mindset. I also strive to maintain balanced leadership by setting clear standards while remaining supportive. Every call is monitored for quality assurance, allowing us to review conversations and evaluate how our teams use available tools. This continuous feedback helps staff adapt to each patient's needs and deliver compassionate service.

Adapting Technology to Meet Patient Needs

Technology continues to be one of the biggest areas of change in patient access. We have to stay current with emerging tools and evaluate which solutions best support our patients and our organization. My background in telecom gave me an appreciation for technology, while my experience in healthcare has reinforced the importance of adapting those innovations thoughtfully.

As new AI solutions and competitors continue to enter healthcare, it is important to keep evaluating new capabilities and ensure we continue meeting changing expectations.

Modernizing Scheduling for a Better Experience

One of our most impactful improvements has been replacing our legacy phone system with a cloud-based platform. The new system gives patients a more consistent experience through features such as skill-based routing and greater flexibility in how they connect with us.

Frequent callers can bypass prompts, while patients scheduling certain imaging services can request a callback at any time and receive follow-up within one business day. Expanding omnichannel access recognizes that patients have different communication preferences. We continue looking for additional ways to improve the overall patient experience.

Preparing for the Future of Patient Access

Looking ahead, one of the biggest priorities is reducing the time patients wait for an appointment for specialty and/ or imaging services. Patients often want an appointment within days, but that is not always possible.

Improving patient access requires operational discipline, empathetic and transparent leadership, along with consistent communication and support for my team.

Open communication, connecting individual contributions to organizational goals, equipping teams with the right resources and maintaining consistency all help build stronger teams and better patient experiences.