Doximity — Implementation Playbook (DSO)

Executive Summary

Doximity's Scheduling Operations (DSO) platform centralizes provider scheduling, credentialing workflows, and call-center management across multi-location healthcare networks. For DSOs and group practices managing 50+ providers across multiple sites, it eliminates fragmented systems, reduces administrative overhead, and standardizes scheduling compliance at scale. Expect full deployment across all locations within 16 weeks, with measurable efficiency gains (15-25% reduction in scheduling labor) emerging by week 8.

Pre-Implementation Checklist (Weeks 1-2)

Technical Requirements

Infrastructure Assessment:

• Confirm network bandwidth supports concurrent users (minimum 5 Mbps per 50 users)
• Audit EHR integration compatibility (Epic, Cerner, Athena, eClinicalWorks supported; proprietary systems require custom API work)
• Verify single sign-on (SSO) capability—coordinate with IT for SAML/Azure AD configuration
• Document current data structure: provider credentialing formats, specialty codes, facility identifiers

Hardware & Access:

• Allocate dedicated scheduling workstations or tablet devices for on-call coordinators
• Ensure mobile app compatibility across iOS/Android for field staff
• Test VPN/remote access if scheduling team includes remote coordinators

Stakeholder Alignment

Identify Core Sponsors:

• Chief Medical Officer or Physician Champion (clinical credibility)
• VP of Operations (budget owner)
• IT Director (technical accountability)
• Director of Credentialing (workflow expertise)

Conduct Kickoff Sessions:

• Schedule 60-minute sessions with each department (scheduling, HR, credentialing, facility managers)
• Document current pain points: manual spreadsheets, missed compliance deadlines, provider disputes
• Establish shared definition of "success" (e.g., "zero schedule gaps caused by credential lapses")
• Define governance: who approves master schedule changes? Who resolves conflicts?

Create Steering Committee:

• Monthly 30-minute reviews through week 16
• Escalation path for deployment blockers
• Executive sponsor with budget sign-off authority

Baseline Metrics to Capture

Operational Metrics (establish week 1):

• Current scheduling labor hours/week (interview 3-5 coordinators)
• Average time to fill an open shift (days)
• Percentage of shifts filled by external agencies vs. internal staff
• Compliance audit findings: expired licenses, missing CPR certifications

Financial Metrics:

• Current software spend on fragmented tools (standalone scheduling, credentialing databases)
• Agency staffing spend as % of payroll
• Overtime costs attributable to scheduling inefficiency

Quality Metrics:

• Provider satisfaction with schedule visibility (pre-survey sample: 20 providers)
• Last-minute cancellations/call-outs (count for 2 weeks)
• Schedule variance vs. approved master schedule

Pilot Wave (Weeks 3-6)

Location Selection Criteria

Choose 1-2 pilot sites representing diversity:

• Facility Type: Include both primary care (high volume, frequent changes) and specialty (lower volume, stricter credentialing)
• Volume: Start with 15-30 providers; avoids overwhelming support team
• Digital Maturity: Select sites with existing EHR adoption and staff comfort with change
• Leadership: Require site director buy-in and availability for weekly sync calls
• Geography: Avoid time-zone complexity in wave 1

Anti-Pattern: Avoid selecting the "most problematic" location first—you need early wins to build momentum.

Configuration and Setup

Pre-Go-Live (Weeks 3-4):

1. Data Migration & Validation

   • Extract provider roster with complete credentials (license #, expiration dates, DEA, board certifications)
   • Map specialty/department codes to Doximity taxonomy
   • Validate data quality: remove duplicates, fill missing fields
   • Load test data; iterate with pilot site manager

2. Master Schedule Architecture

   • Define shift templates (AM/PM/overnight, duration, required specialties)
   • Build credential rules: "Pediatric shifts require board certification in Peds"
   • Set compliance thresholds: "Alert if provider CPR lapses within 30 days"
   • Configure auto-fill logic (junior > senior seniority? Preference-based?)

3. Integration Testing

   • Sync provider availability from EHR to Doximity
   • Validate that schedule changes in Doximity flow back to EHR
   • Test credential alerts: manually expire a test provider's license, confirm system blocks assignment

4. User Environment Preparation

   • Create role-based access: Schedulers (full edit), Providers (view-only + request swap), Admins (reports)
   • Design dashboard for each user type
   • Customize notification preferences (SMS/email for urgent shifts)

Go-Live Week (Week 5):

• Soft launch: Schedulers only, read-only mode for 2-3 days
• Full launch with huddle: 30-minute orientation for all pilot users
• Dedicated support resource (Doximity CSM + your IT point-person) on-site or available via Slack

Training Approach

Role-Specific Training (2 hours per group):

Create Cheat Sheets:

• One-page "Top 5 Tasks" for schedulers (assign shift, mark unavailable, generate compliance report)
• Print and post at scheduling desk
• Mobile-friendly reference on internal wiki

Scaled Rollout (Weeks 7-16)

Wave Planning

Wave 2 (Weeks 7-10): Scale to 3-4 sites

• Select sites with minimal pilot dependencies
• Reuse pilot configuration; customize only critical differences
• Compress timeline to 4 weeks (you've learned setup patterns)

Wave 3 (Weeks 11-14): Deploy to remaining 50%+ sites

• Identify "champion" site leader at each location (peer-to-peer influence)
• Decentralize training: pilot site champions lead local sessions
• Run final sites in parallel 2-week windows

Wave 4 (Week 15-16): Cleanup & Optimization

• Migrate holdout departments (credentialing backlog, late adopters)
• Retire legacy scheduling tools
• Conduct lessons-learned session

Change Management

Communication Cadence:

• Weekly: 15-min all-hands standup (highlight wins: "Site A filled 98% of shifts this week")
• Bi-weekly: Department-specific office hours (Schedulers, then Providers, then Leadership)
• Monthly: Steering committee review; adjust roadmap if needed

Address Resistance:

• Identify power users in each location who feel threatened; offer them advanced roles (audit reviewer, training mentor)
• Share early wins quantitatively: "Scheduling labor hours down 18% week 4 vs. baseline"
• Create feedback channel: anonymous survey week 8 to surface persistent friction

Support Infrastructure

Escalation Path:

1. Tier 1 (Hours 0-2): On-site IT liaison or designated power user
2. Tier 2 (Hours 2-24): Doximity CSM (email/Slack SLA: 4 hours)
3. Tier 3 (Hours 24+): Doximity engineering for data/integration issues

Knowledge Base:

• Record weekly 10-minute demo videos (e.g., "How to Handle a Call-Out")
• Maintain FAQ wiki with screenshots
• Designate 1 site per wave as "documentation lead"—they write procedures for their peers

ROI Tracking

Key Metrics to Measure

Labor Efficiency:

• Scheduling