Your patients call at 2 AM.
We answer like your own staff.
A medical answering service answers your practice's phone 24/7 with protocols built for clinical urgency: triaging patient calls, paging the on-call provider, scheduling appointments, and protecting patient privacy. ProTel has supported physicians, hospice agencies, hospitals, and trauma and consult lines since 1998 — with live agents, AI, or hybrid coverage.
Proposal within 1 business day · Live within 3 business days
Built for the calls you can't afford to miss
On-call, handled
You dictate exactly how urgent calls reach the on-call provider — page, text, mobile relay, or secure email — and manage your call schedule through our online portal.
Privacy at the core
Our protocols are built for patient privacy and clinical sensitivity, from oncology practices to hospice on-call lines.
Your scheduling software
Agents schedule and change appointments and set up new patient records directly in the systems your office already uses.
Live agents, AI, or the best of both.
ProTel is one of the few answering services offering every coverage model — from 100% human to full AI to a hybrid that escalates seamlessly from AI to a real agent.
100% Live Agents
Every call answered by a trained ProTel agent at our Mississippi call center.
- The human touch, every call
- Complex & sensitive calls handled with care
- Trusted since 1998
AI + Live Agent
AI answers instantly and handles routine calls; anything nuanced escalates to a real agent mid-call.
- Zero hold time, ever
- Human judgment when it matters
- Lower cost per routine call
AI Receptionist
A natural-voice AI agent that answers, schedules, and takes messages around the clock.
- Answers on the first ring
- Unlimited simultaneous calls
- Most affordable 24/7 coverage
Live within 3 business days
Tell us how your office works
A quick consultation captures your greeting, escalation rules, on-call schedule, and the software you use. Your proposal arrives within one business day.
We build your protocol
Agents train on your account — or we configure your AI/hybrid flows — so every call is handled exactly the way you would handle it.
Forward your line
Once the signed contract and account details are in, we're typically ready for you to forward within 3 business days. That's it — you're covered 24/7/365.
“We are a busy oncology practice so it is necessary that our messages be relayed efficiently with the utmost accuracy. ProTel has provided outstanding service to us for 16 years.”
— Kim Ward, Chief Operating Officer, Jackson Oncology Associates, PLLCFrequently asked questions
Do you answer for hospice and home health agencies?
Yes. ProTel supports home health and hospice agencies, physicians, hospitals, trauma and consult lines, DME companies, and community health centers with protocols built for clinical urgency and patient privacy.
Can my providers manage their on-call schedule online?
Yes. Every account includes a secure login to our online portal where you can manage your call schedule and view, print, or email your messages.
Should a medical practice use AI answering?
Many practices use a hybrid model: AI instantly answers routine calls like hours and directions, while anything clinical or urgent escalates immediately to a live ProTel agent who follows your paging protocol. Practices that prefer an all-human experience can stay 100% live-agent.
How fast can our practice go live?
On average, once we receive the signed contract and account information needed for programming, we are ready for you to forward your lines within 3 business days.
Never let a call go unanswered again.
Personal service from people — and technology — that take your business personally.
Proposal within 1 business day · Live within 3 business days of signup