Interviewed by Kathy Douglas, RN, MPH-HA
Snapshot
Key Takeaways
As Gameday Men’s Health continues to expand across the country, franchise owners are looking for technology that can keep pace with growth while remaining simple for staff to use every day. That balance is harder to find than it sounds. The software has to be sophisticated enough to handle multi-location operations, but simple enough that the front desk picks it up easily.
For Andy Ward, owner of three Gameday Men’s Health clinics in the Boston area, finding the right platform became a critical part of scaling efficiently. Managing clinics in Boston, Watertown, and Medford required software that could streamline workflows, improve visibility across locations, and reduce the friction created by disconnected systems.
After transitioning to Lobbie, Andy and his team found a platform that not only simplified daily operations but also made the clinics easier to manage as they continued to grow.
"Lobbie has made our clinics more organized, more efficient, and easier to manage as we continue to grow."
Specialty clinics work differently than general practices. Visit types, treatment cycles, and the financial model (often subscription or membership-based) all follow patterns that don’t fit a general medicine mold. Generic EMRs are built for the entire healthcare market, which means specialty clinics end up adapting their workflow to fit the software instead of the other way around. Day to day, that shows up as extra clicks, workarounds, and features the team will never use, all sitting on top of a system that still doesn’t quite match how the clinic actually runs.
Before implementing Lobbie, the clinics were using a traditional EMR along with several additional tools to manage forms, scheduling, communication, and patient information. While functional, the system was built for a broad healthcare audience rather than the specific workflow needs of a men's health practice.
As a result, the team encountered several challenges:
Over time, it became clear that the technology intended to support the business was beginning to slow it down. The team needed a platform that aligned more closely with how they actually operated.
"At some point, it became clear that our systems were slowing us down instead of helping us run more efficiently."
Why Lobbie Stood Out
During the evaluation process, Lobbie immediately stood out for its simplicity, usability, and modern approach. Unlike traditional EMRs that often feel cluttered and difficult to navigate, Lobbie presented a cleaner, more intuitive experience designed around the needs of the end user.
"Lobbie stood out because it felt modern, simple, and clearly built with the end user in mind."
A Cleaner Implementation, Less Disruptive
Implementation was straightforward and efficient. The clinics were able to transition quickly without major disruption, allowing staff to begin using the platform with minimal downtime. Once live, the team immediately benefited from having scheduling, patient information, charting, and operational workflows organized in a single system.
"The biggest impact has been having everything organized and easy to access in one place."
Today, Lobbie serves as the operational foundation across all three Gameday Men's Health locations. Staff can quickly access the information they need, patient workflows are easier to manage, and the clinics operate with greater efficiency and organization.
The benefits have been felt throughout the organization.
Improved Efficiency - With information centralized and easier to access, staff spend less time searching for data and more time focused on patient care.
Better Workflow Visibility - Scheduling, charting, and patient management are more streamlined, allowing teams to work faster and with greater confidence.
Enhanced User Experience - Staff report that Lobbie is significantly easier to use than their previous system, reducing frustration and improving daily productivity.
Responsive Support - One of the most valued aspects of the relationship has been Lobbie's responsiveness and willingness to help.
"The biggest thing for us is that Lobbie feels like it was built by a team that actually listens."
Gameday’s story is a pattern Lobbie sees regularly. Multi-location specialty practices in men’s health, MedSpa, dermatology, behavioral health, and similar niches tend to outgrow generic EMRs. The friction that was tolerable at one clinic adds up with every new site.
The right fit is an EMR built around how the business actually runs. That looks like:
Lobbie’s EMR is built around this profile. It brings together full electronic medical records (clinical charting, e-prescribing, controlled-substance logging, and pharmacy integration reaching 98% of U.S. pharmacies through ScriptSure) with the operational tools that specialty practices use every day: smart digital intake, self-scheduling, tele health, and payments.
For franchise owners and multi-location operators evaluating their own EMR situation, three lessons stand out from Gameday’s experience.
As Gameday Men's Health Boston continues to grow, Andy sees Lobbie as an important part of supporting future expansion. For clinics seeking a modern, practical alternative to traditional healthcare software, his recommendation is straightforward:
"Lobbie has been a huge upgrade for us. It's much easier to use than our previous EMR, the workflow feels cleaner, and the support has been far more responsive."
"For a growing clinic that needs something practical, modern, and easy for the team to actually use every day, Lobbie has been a great fit."
What EMR did Gameday Men’s Health use before switching to Lobbie?
Gameday Men’s Health Boston Area previously ran on a traditional EMR alongside several additional tools to manage forms, scheduling, communication, and patient information. The setup was functional but had been built for a broad healthcare audience rather than the specific workflow of a men’s health practice.
Can Lobbie support multi-location healthcare franchises?
Yes. Lobbie is built to run multi-clinic operations from a single platform. Scheduling, patient records, charting, and operational workflows are centralized across locations, which is what made it a fit for Gameday’s three-clinic operation in Boston, Watertown, and Medford.
Is Lobbie suitable for specialty practices like men’s health, MedSpa, or behavioral health?
Yes. Lobbie maintains over 2,000 specialty-specific intake templates and workflows, with conditional logic that adapts to how each specialty actually operates. Customer practices range from single clinics to multi-site health systems across more than 40 specialties.
How long does it typically take to implement Lobbie?
Lobbie is built for fast implementation. Gameday Men’s Health transitioned without major disruption to clinic operations and staff began using the platform with minimal downtime. Most practices go live within days to weeks rather than months.
Is Lobbie HIPAA-compliant?
Yes. Lobbie’s platform is built specifically for protected health information, with full encryption, audit trails, and BAA coverage. HIPAA compliance is in place by default across every location.
What did Andy Ward identify as the biggest impact of switching to Lobbie?
In his ownwords: “The biggest impact has been having everything organized and easy to access in one place.” The consolidation of scheduling, patient information, charting, and operational workflows into a single platform replaced what had previously been a patchwork of disconnected tools.
Does Lobbie support e-prescribing and controlled-substance tracking?
Yes. Lobbie’s EMR includes e-prescribing, controlled-substance tracking, laboratory management, and pharmacy integrations connecting to over 98% of U.S. pharmacies.
If your practice runs on a legacy EMR and a stack of disconnected tools, and the growing pains are starting to show, Andy’s story will sound familiar. Adding another tool to the mix rarely fixes what’s actually broken. Switching to a platform built around how specialty clinics run often does.
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Kathy Douglas, RN, MPH-HA
Kathy Douglas is a registered nurse, entrepreneur, filmmaker, and healthcare innovator with more than three decades of leadership in healthcare. Kathy holds a Master’s in Health Administration and is a graduate of Stanford University’s Business School Executive Program. She has dedicated her career to advancing healthcare transformation, workforce well-being, and human-centered care.
Andy Ward Bio
Andy Ward owns three Gameday Men’s Health locations in the greater Boston area: Boston, Watertown, and Medford. He spoke with the Lobbie Institute about his decision to switch from a legacy EMR to Lobbie across all three clinics.
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