Since 1994, Interfaith Dental has provided affordable dental care for Tennessee residents facing poverty. Their two locations receive over 3,000 patients a year, all of which are dentally uninsured and experiencing poverty. It’s important for Interfaith Dental to have clear communication between their various offices and employees to ensure that everyone is on the same page. As a non-profit, they needed a meeting solution that was cost-effective and reliable so they could continue giving quality care to their patients at a low cost.
Before purchasing a Meeting Owl, Interfaith Dental was connecting their offices using video conferencing software on personal computers. This resulted in awkward crowding around a laptop screen, which wouldn’t have been possible to execute safely in a socially-distanced work environment. They also used a Catchbox, a padded microphone that can be thrown between participants.
Employees found it disruptive to toss around the Catchbox during meetings and it was hard to chime in on conversations naturally when there was only one microphone. Meetings with the Catchbox were also missing key elements of communication that are found in video-enabled meetings, such as body language and facial expressions.
Jeff McCormick, Chief Operating Officer of Interfaith Dental, was tasked with finding a new meeting room solution. Jeff had noticed that most room solutions cost thousands of dollars, something that wouldn’t be possible for a non-profit on a tight budget to afford. The CEO of Interfaith Dental recommended the Meeting Owl, and after seeing how affordable it was, Jeff decided to order one for the office.
Jeff was initially worried some employees would have a hard time starting meetings using the Meeting Owl:
“We have some doctors that aren’t tech people,” Jeff explains. However, after unboxing his Meeting Owl he realized how simple the setup was. Jeff often sees IT problems come in through help desk tickets and he says he hasn’t received one about the Meeting Owl. “People don’t ask me about the Owl a lot, which is a really good sign.” He added that there hadn’t been an employee training process for using the Meeting Owl because its implementation was so easy.
Currently, the Meeting Owl is used by Interfaith Dental for board meetings, staff meetings, and patient care conversations across locations. Jeff has also seen clinical residents using it to connect with other residents across the U.S. for national calls. “Everyone appreciates that it just works. You can walk in a room and it just starts working,” Jeff says, noting that he values the Meeting Owl's consistent audio and video quality.
Since Interfaith Dental started using the Meeting Owl, Jeff has noticed that the amount of meetings has increased. He attributes this to a new level of confidence that employees feel using the Meeting Owl.
The Meeting Owl being used during a staff meeting
Jeff has to remind staff that they no longer have to worry about standing right in front of the camera or speaking into the microphone — the Meeting Owl’s 360° panoramic camera captures all attendees in one shot, and the 360° microphone picks up voices from anywhere in the room.
Jeff admits that having in-person meetings is always optimal, but the Meeting Owl has been able to eliminate the hassles and expenses that come with travel while enabling meetings that feel natural. “People really value not having to travel for meetings, but they still want a solution that simulates face-to-face conversation.”
Jeff remembers when meetings with remote employees would happen through a phone call, and he believes that the video component of conversations helps to increase engagement and decrease miscommunication.
The mission of Interfaith Dental is to build a healthier community through accessible dental care, and seamless meetings are crucial to supporting that mission. Jeff hopes to put a Meeting Owl in every conference room so all meetings can run smoothly and Interfaith Dental can continue to provide excellent care for Tennessee residents.
“Before, people wouldn't join meetings because they were worried the technology would get in the way. Now, they’re confident that they can partake in meetings remotely, and I’ve seen attendance and participation increase.”