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Case Study:

Fixing the Frontline

Upstream’s Tier 1 Turnaround with New Charter
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Description 

Upstream Rehabilitation is the largest outpatient physical therapy provider in the United States, with over 1,200 locations spanning across 28 states. Founded in 2004, the company has grown significantly, expanding through acquisitions and mergers to offer specialized physical therapy services. Upstream is home to well-known regional brands like BenchMark Physical Therapy, Results Physiotherapy, and Drayer Physical Therapy.  

Their mission is simple: to help people achieve their optimal health. They do this by offering a mix of expert care, innovative treatment options, and a strong focus on utilizing technology to make every aspect of their service more efficient. Whether it’s through expanding their network or enhancing the patient experience, Upstream’s use of technology plays a crucial role in their success. 

Problem

With Upstream’s rapid expansion—especially during and after their 2018 merger with Drayer Physical Therapy—the company faced a growing complexity in managing their IT infrastructure. Every new acquisition added more data, systems, and processes to their already sprawling tech ecosystem. Integrating this tech while keeping everything running smoothly proved to be a massive challenge.  

“Each one of the entities had their own Tier 1 support,” said a chief strategy officer with New Charter Technologies, Upstream’s IT partner. “They each had their own support desk procedures, different applications… and so as they brought them into the portfolio, they never really optimized any of the support. You had multiple brands having different support experiences. Some of them were really bad.”  

At the same time, their Tier 1 Service Desk team was struggling with staffing turnover, which led to delays and inefficiencies. It’s tough to keep up with a growing business when your internal support systems aren’t keeping pace. And as if that wasn’t enough, cybersecurity became a constant concern. Healthcare organizations are prime targets for cyber threats, and Upstream knew they needed to ramp up their security efforts to protect both their patients and their business. 

Solution

To address these challenges, Upstream decided to partner with a New Charter Technologies company, a move that would end up transforming their IT operations. By outsourcing their Tier 1 Service Desk to New Charter, Upstream was able to see immediate improvements. New Charter’s expertise and experience in managing service desks for large organizations allowed Upstream to improve service desk metrics almost overnight. 

“We convinced them that a dedicated model would be best,” said the CSO. “Organizations with over 1,000 employees really hit that break-even point where it makes sense to have a dedicated team solving problems. So, we gave them one number to call for support. We were able to ingest all the standard operating procedures, the processes, into one system to provide them a consistent support solution.”  

But the improvements didn’t stop there. Once the service desk was under control, the IT team turned their attention inward—using technology to untangle internal processes and make life a whole lot easier behind the scenes.

By automating repetitive tasks, clinicians could focus more on patient care, and the backend staff could spend more time on value-added tasks. Additionally, by integrating data systems across their network, Upstream was able to make faster, more informed decisions—whether it was improving the patient experience or boosting clinical outcomes. 

“We were able to put them [Upstream IT staff] into a tiered network where they were able to sharpen one another… it made the whole thing a stronger solution,” said the CSO. “We also had standing monthly meetings with a team lead on our side that was really just embedded in their organization.” 

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Results

The results of these efforts were clear—and quick. First off, the partnership with New Charter paid off in spades. Service desk efficiency improved right away, and that efficiency ripple-effect was felt across the organization.  

“We brought the average call time way down,” said the CSO. 

Clinicians and back-office associates didn’t even notice the outsourcing change because New Charter’s team integrated so seamlessly into Upstream’s operations. On top of that, Upstream was able to make better use of their data.  

With access to real-time data, leadership could make quicker, more accurate decisions that improved both patient care and clinician performance. And as the company continued to expand—adding over 150 new clinics and acquiring more brands—Upstream’s streamlined IT systems kept everything running smoothly, without skipping a beat. 

Conclusion

Upstream Rehabilitation’s story shows how people, process, and technology can work together to create real growth. By teaming up with New Charter and embracing digital transformation, they tackled their IT challenges head-on and set themselves up for the future.  

Not only have they streamlined their operations, but they’ve also improved the way they care for patients. With their tech in place, they’re ready for whatever comes next—whether that means opening more clinics, acquiring new brands, or making advances in patient care. Upstream is a great example of how the right partnerships and technology can drive growth and, ultimately, make healthcare better for everyone. 

We do this for a living… it made the whole thing a stronger solution,” said the CSO. That strength, rooted in experience, collaboration, and the right technology, helped Upstream not just keep up, but stay ahead. 

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