Ither for Organizations
at BIFMC.

By Emily Smith · Last update: January 23, 2024

This examination demonstrates how a free medical clinic transformed volunteer management through Ither, a text-message application by Side Nerd Apps. Leadership included Clinic Medical Director David Peterseim, Office Manager Megan Ferronetti, and Executive Director Melissa Frank.

The Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic serves 120 patients weekly in Charleston County, South Carolina, supported by over 140 volunteers annually across medical providers, nurses, translators, administrative roles, and front desk positions.

The challenge

The clinic previously relied on paper-based hour logging. Dr. Peterseim observed that "when Mary had 'the book', she would spend three plus days to give Melissa at the end of the year the numbers once a year."

Tracking 140+ clinical and non-clinical volunteers proved challenging for volunteer recognition, program growth analysis, and grant proposals.

The solution: Ither for Organizations

The clinic partnered with Emily Smith to implement customized Ither tracking. Volunteers logged hours via text message with real-time digital tracking. Custom reporting included:

• Live Google Sheet of submissions
• Visual charts of total volunteer hours by month (by role) with monetary value
• Automated weekly Monday email summaries to managers and directors

Key benefits

1. Efficiency in data management. Real-time tracking replaced "medieval" methods, enhancing data accuracy.
2. Enhanced volunteer engagement. Personalized feedback made volunteers feel valued.
3. In-depth reporting capabilities. Quick detailed reports on hours and roles improved grant submissions.
4. Increased adoption. "Our volunteers have all embraced the technology and we have fully implemented the Ither platform!"

Results and impact

The clinic achieved significant transformation in volunteer management, improving operational efficiency, volunteer satisfaction, and data accuracy for grant reporting.

In their words

"Ither's impact is immediate... there's just no comparison of the value or the time commitment after this adoption." Dr. David Peterseim, Medical Director

"Ither truly recognizes and highlights the amazing work of our volunteers... It's significant and impactful." Megan Ferronetti, Clinic Manager

"With Ither, we can now pull data within seconds... We highly recommend Ither for anyone looking to streamline your data!" Melissa Frank, Executive Director

Why this is a Capture Work story

Nobody at BIFMC was trying to enroll in anything. The work — a clinic shift, a translation, a front-desk hour — had already happened. What the old system demanded was that someone go somewhere else afterward and describe it, on paper, into a book, that one person then spent three days reconciling once a year.

Ither didn't make that software easier to use. It removed the requirement to use it. See how the Capture Work family works →