Interview with Nathan Barz, CEO of DocVA

Nathan Barz is the Founder and CEO of DocVA, the most trusted virtual medical assistant agency for healthcare practices seeking premium support, flexible staffing, and hands-on client service. For healthcare organizations, growth is rarely driven by marketing alone. It depends on whether the practice can respond quickly to patient demand, maintain consistent communication, and keep administrative workflows moving without overloading the in-house team. In this interview for Siana Marketing, Barz shares how virtual medical assistants help practices turn patient interest into better access, stronger follow-through, and a more reliable patient experience.

Q: What is the core operational problem many healthcare practices are facing today?

Nathan Barz: Many practices are not short on patient demand. They are short on administrative capacity. The front office is often responsible for calls, scheduling, insurance verification, prior authorizations, billing support, documentation, reminders, and patient follow-up, all while trying to support providers and maintain a positive patient experience.

When those responsibilities stack up, growth becomes harder. New patient inquiries may go unanswered. Follow-up can be delayed. Staff members can feel stretched thin, and patients may experience friction before they ever reach the exam room. Even a strong marketing strategy can underperform if the practice does not have the operational support to handle the opportunities it creates.

Q: How does virtual support help practices protect the patient experience?

Nathan Barz: The best virtual medical assistants are not separate from the practice. They become part of the practice’s workflow. A dedicated assistant can support phone coverage, appointment scheduling, patient communication, insurance tasks, documentation, billing coordination, and other repeatable administrative needs.

That consistency matters. Patients want timely answers, clear next steps, and a sense that the practice is organized and attentive. When a virtual assistant is trained on the practice’s systems, standards, and communication style, they help the in-office team stay focused while keeping the patient journey moving smoothly.

Q: What makes DocVA different from a general virtual assistant provider?

Nathan Barz: DocVA is built specifically for healthcare. Our assistants have experience supporting U.S. medical clinics, facilities, and hospitals, and many bring clinical or specialized administrative backgrounds. That includes licensed RNs, USRN and PHRN dual license holders, Registered Pharmacists, certified billers and coders, prior authorization specialists, and experienced medical scribes.

We also use a dedicated staffing model. Practices work with the same assistant day to day, which helps build familiarity, accountability, and trust. We start with a discovery call, provide qualified candidate options, support the interview process, help establish a clear start date, and remain involved after placement to make sure the relationship is working.

Q: Where do marketing and staffing connect when a practice is trying to grow?

Nathan Barz: Marketing creates visibility and brings patient interest into the practice. Staffing determines how well that interest is handled. If someone calls after seeing an ad, reading reviews, or visiting the website, the practice needs to respond quickly and guide that person toward the next step.

That is why operational support is part of the growth equation. Better staffing helps practices capture more inquiries, reduce missed opportunities, and maintain consistent follow-up. For a marketing partner like Siana Marketing, this matters because campaign performance is not only about generating leads. It is also about helping practices create the systems needed to convert interest into appointments and long-term patient relationships.

Q: What practical takeaway would you give a practice considering virtual medical assistant support?

Nathan Barz: Start by identifying the bottleneck that is creating the most pressure or costing the most opportunity. It might be missed calls, slow scheduling, delayed insurance verification, inconsistent patient follow-up, or too much administrative work falling on clinical staff.

Then look for a partner that understands healthcare workflows and provides support beyond simply filling a seat. The right virtual assistant should add capacity, improve consistency, and help the practice respond faster without sacrificing quality. Virtual support is most effective when it is treated as part of the practice’s larger growth system, not just a short-term staffing fix.

DocVA provides dedicated virtual medical assistants who help healthcare practices manage scheduling, phone coverage, documentation, billing, prior authorizations, and patient follow-up. With an embedded staffing model and experienced healthcare support professionals, DocVA helps practices reduce administrative pressure, improve responsiveness, and deliver a stronger patient experience.