Spruce works well with both in-person and virtual assistants. In this article we will share some of the ways in which Spruce may be used as a collaboration tool, along with how to get an assistant set up on Spruce. Spruce enables you to work seamlessly with your entire care team even if they are not located within your physical location. With all internal communication living inside secure, cloud-based software, you are able to discuss patient information (including PHI) together with your team, quickly and efficiently. Anyone using Spruce, regardless of where they are, can make and receive calls from your Spruce number.
Inviting your virtual assistant to Spruce as a teammate
You can invite your domestic or international teammate to join you on Spruce from your settings, under 'Teammates'. If your virtual assistant doesn't have a US-based, 10-digit phone number, they can still create a Spruce account. To do this, you will need to update your organization’s two-factor authentication settings. Navigate to Settings > Organization Preferences > Two-Factor Authentication. You will see three options – SMS Only, Email Only, and Email or SMS:
- Update your organization's 2FA method is to 'SMS or Email' or 'Email only'. Review instructions in our article on Two-Factor Authentication on Spruce.
- When you go to invite the teammate, deselect 'Require phone number verification (recommended)'.
Note: if your teammate creates their account without a US-based, 10-digit phone number and they want to place / receive calls using your Spruce number, they'll need to download the Spruce mobile app and ensure they have 'softphone' selected as their mobile calling preference. You can read more about mobile softphones here.
Making and Receiving calls using the Spruce number
For your virtual assistant to make calls to patients using your same Spruce number, you will have a few options to choose from. Please note: calls can not be placed via Spruce on the web at this time, however, that feature is currently being developed.
Today, you can make calls from the Spruce mobile app via Android or iOS, using a Spruce desk phone, or as we describe below, using another phone system that allows for web based calling.
Option 1: Using Mobile Softphones
If your organization has mobile softphones enabled, then your international VAs can make calls over the internet on their mobile devices, even if they don't have a cell phone number connected to their Spruce account or their cell phone number doesn’t match the number associated with their Spruce account. You can read more about mobile softphones here.
Option 2: Making a call from any phone (not connected to Spruce)
With this setup, your assistant will call using any US-based phone number and still show your Spruce number (your business number) as their caller ID to the patient, regardless of what phone you or your staff call from.
Note: If your international VA created an account without a phone number and needs to place calls without a cell phone, they need to add a US-based, 10-digit phone number to their account (e.g., Google Voice) and then can place calls using the below steps.
How to make a call from any US-based phone number with Spruce caller ID:
- Open the web version of Spruce and then open the patient conversation for whom you'd like to call (or create a new conversation).
- Click on the phone icon in the upper right.
- If the phone number in the box in section two is not the phone number you will be making the call from (e.g. a US-based web phone number or a US-based landline phone number) then tap on the number and enter the number of the phone you will be calling from.
- Next you will open up your other phone system and dial the number that is bolded in section three. The patients will see the caller ID of the Spruce number in section one.
Option 3: Using a Spruce desk phone
Spruce is compatible with a Spruce purchased VoIP desk phone (learn more here). This is a great option for virtual assistants not working at your location or even abroad. You can purchase a desk phone through Spruce (they must be on the Communicator plan) and then you can ship it to your virtual assistant. If your assistant lives within the US, you may ship the phone directly to them. If your assistant is based internationally, you must ship the phone to your office, then mail it on your own to the assistant. We do not ship out of the country at this time.
Option 4: Using Google Voice or Another Web-Based VoIP Provider
Watch this video on how to make Spruce calls using Google Voice
Using Spruce as virtual assistant in multiple practices
If you or your virtual assistant work in more than one office that uses Spruce, please see this article on Using Spruce in Multiple Spruce Organizations.