Stamford Health uses VoiceOver PRO to save pathologists up to four hours per day, cut costs equal to 5+ staff, and turn their Epic Beaker transition into a success story.

Introduction

Stamford Health, a leading healthcare provider in Connecticut, operates a busy anatomic pathology practice. Stamford Pathology Group processes approximately 33,000 surgical accessions, 20,000 gynecologic cytologies, and 5,000 non-GYN cytologies each year. With just five pathologists and four pathology assistants (PAs), the team must balance high case volumes with the need for accuracy, compliance, and timely results.

To meet these challenges, Stamford Health implemented VoiceOver PRO, Voicebrook’s industry-leading structured reporting solution for pathology. The results have been transformative, delivering measurable improvements across efficiency, accuracy, compliance, and cost savings—all while enhancing physician work-life balance and patient care.

Challenges Before VoiceOver PRO

Prior to adopting VoiceOver PRO, Stamford's pathology workflows relied heavily on transcription and manual entry, which introduced delays, additional staffing needs, and the risk of error. With growing case volumes and increasing compliance requirements, the laboratory sought a solution that could:

• Eliminate transcription bottlenecks
• Standardize reporting and reduce errors
• Improve efficiency for pathologists, PAs, and support staff
• Support compliance with CAP synoptic reporting and accreditation standards
• Integrate seamlessly with the hospital’s AP system and support future AP/LIS changes if needed.

Solution: VoiceOver PRO

VoiceOver PRO was introduced to Stamford Health’s pathology lab as a fully customizable, voice-driven reporting platform.

Dr. Robert Babkowski, Chair, Department of Pathology at Stamford Health, describes the impact:

“PRO was by far one of the smartest decisions we've made as an organization. Frankly, it completely changed our workflow.”

The system enabled pathologists to work directly in their reports—without relying on transcriptionists—while streamlining case review and improving data accuracy. Custom templates and voice commands allowed each physician to tailor the platform to their practice style.

Dr. Elgida Volpicelli, a pathologist at Stamford Health, emphasizes how this flexibility supports efficiency:

“A lot of times I’ll dictate the top line diagnosis, then say ‘go to micro, insert actinic keratosis,’ and a canned description populates in my report. That makes me much faster—not having to look at the screen or type it myself.”

Measurable Outcomes

Efficiency Gains

• Up to 4 hours saved daily per pathologist by eliminating transcription and streamlining reporting.
• 60% faster completion of CAP eCP checklists compared to manual keyboard entry.
• Faster case processing enabled greater daily volume per pathologist and PA.
• PAs could focus more on complex cases.

Dr. Volpicelli notes:

“PRO saves me at least two hours [per day]… not only efficient, it’s more accurate and allows you to have control over your reports, beginning to end.”

Compliance & Accreditation

• 100% compliance with CAP synoptic reporting.
• Successful completion of cancer program and breast center accreditations using PRO.

Dr. Babkowski underscores the importance:

“We are able to demonstrate that we are compliant with CAP synoptic reporting 100% of the time.”

Cost Savings & Staffing Optimization

By eliminating the need for transcriptionists and reducing administrative strain, Stamford Health avoided significant staffing increases:

The savings from VoiceOver PRO is equivalent to hiring two additional pathologists, one PA, and two secretaries.

“VoiceOver pays for itself multiple times over every year.” -Dr. Robert Babkowski

Accuracy & Quality

• Standardized reporting reduced follow-up calls from clinicians about unclear reports.
• Prior medical history inclusion improved diagnostic accuracy.
• Advanced speech recognition in VoiceOver PRO minimized errors compared to manual typing.

Dr. Volpicelli highlights the accuracy advantage:

“VoiceOver PRO is faster, it’s more accurate, and the responsibility is with the doctor beginning to end. Patients would appreciate that as well.”

Work-Life Balance & Flexibility

VoiceOver PRO allowed physicians to work when and how they preferred, freed from transcription staff schedules.

Dr. Babkowski explains: “I can be looking at a complicated case at 7 AM or 7 PM—untethered to anyone else’s schedule.”

Epic Integration

When Stamford Health prepared to migrate its anatomic pathology operations from Meditech to Epic Beaker, leadership anticipated a challenging transition. Like many institutions, they recognized that enterprise EHR systems are not always optimized for the unique needs of anatomic pathology, particularly around structured reporting and CAP eCP checklist completion.

Dr. Babkowski recalls: “We were very anxious about the move to Epic Beaker because nearby hospitals have had challenging experiences.”

For Stamford Health, VoiceOver PRO provided the bridge from one LIS to another, protecting the laboratory from any workflow struggles. PRO preserved the lab’s existing templates, voice commands, and workflows, ensuring continuity as the team adjusted to Epic. This significantly reduced the learning curve and minimized disruption.

“The Epic and VoiceOver combination is an obvious winner. It allowed us to transition without losing efficiency.” — Dr. Robert Babkowski

Dr. Volpicelli highlights how VoiceOver PRO created consistency between systems:

“We didn’t struggle as much with the Epic transition because we had Voicebrook. The templates stayed the same, the commands stayed the same. It made that transition very easy, very fast to learn, and overall, a great experience.”

The benefits extended beyond ease of transition:

• 60% faster CAP checklist completion compared to Epic’s keyboard entry
• Reduced likelihood of data entry errors through Voicebrook's voice-driven capture
• Standardized report formats carried over seamlessly from Stamford's previous LIS

Support also played a critical role in the Epic transition. Voicebrook provided both on-site and remote assistance during the Epic go-live, ensuring that the pathology staff could quickly adapt to the new environment.

“If it wasn’t for Voicebrook, our Epic transition would have been a lot more difficult. The support we got was terrific.” — Dr. Robert Babkowski

“Voicebrook support would log into the computer with us remotely, and it was fantastic. They were able to troubleshoot a lot of things. Voicebrook’s support team was the best we’ve had through this process.” — Dr. Elgida Volpicelli

Today, Stamford Health reports that the Epic + VoiceOver PRO combination delivers a faster, more reliable workflow than they anticipated, bringing together the strengths of enterprise integration and specialty-focused reporting.

“We are thrilled with Epic and VoiceOver. The combination is magnificent.” — Dr. Robert Babkowski

Results: A Sustainable Pathology Practice

With VoiceOver PRO, Stamford Health’s pathology lab achieved:

• Significant daily time savings (up to 4 hours per pathologist per day, according to Dr. Babkowski)
• 60% faster checklist completion
• 100% CAP synoptic compliance
• Cost avoidance equivalent to 5+ additional staff members
• Improved accuracy and clarity of reports
• Flexible scheduling and improved work-life balance

Dr. Volpicelli summarizes the impact:

“It just changes your life entirely. VoiceOver PRO makes you faster, makes you better, and overall, translates into better patient care.”

Conclusion

Stamford Health’s adoption of VoiceOver PRO demonstrates how a well-designed, voice-driven structured reporting solution can transform pathology operations. By delivering measurable improvements in efficiency, compliance, accuracy, and cost savings—while also improving physician satisfaction and patient care—VoiceOver PRO has become an indispensable tool in Stamford Health’s pathology practice.

As Dr. Babkowski states: 

“As far as I’m concerned, you’ve got a customer for life.”