How Cardiovascular Logistics conquered local and AI search results
20,213%
average increase in new online reviews
4.91
average star rating across practices
Across the country, leading cardiology groups are rethinking how they connect with their patients, strengthen their reputations, and remain visible in the new GEO search landscape. Three such organizations, Capital Cardiology Associates (CCA) in New York, Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) in Louisiana and Mississippi, and Clearwater Cardiovascular Consultants (CCC) in Florida, are part of Cardiovascular Logistics (CVL), a physician-led, private equity–backed group comprised of 179 providers created to scale and support premier cardiovascular practices while preserving their clinical autonomy.
While each practice has its own unique history and community, they share a unifying mission: to provide compassionate, high-quality cardiovascular care while building patient trust.
The Problem
Prior to rater8, these groups faced challenges that limited their growth and visibility.
At CCA, a low average rating on Google hovered around 2.6 or 2.7 stars, painting an inaccurate picture of the typical patient experience. CCA’s Public Information Officer John Bulmer explained, “The patients who had negative experiences were the most intrinsically motivated to leave reviews.”
Over at CCC, patients often had trouble finding the practice online at all. “Before we brought on rater8, all of our listings were wrong,” recalled CCC’s IT Director, Deyoun Johnson.
For a smaller group competing with the large regional systems in the Tampa Bay metro area, strong online visibility and a robust reputation are critical.
“Our reputation is really all we have to stand on,” added CCC’s Director of Operations, Kathy Healey.
Meanwhile, the leadership team at CIS found that the lengthy surveys from their previous vendor were too daunting for patients to complete. “We definitely suffered with low response rates,” said Denise Broussard, Director of Quality at CIS.
Without consistent patient sentiment, the organization struggled to identify and address operational bottlenecks such as wait times, patient flow, and communication gaps.
The Solution
To overcome these challenges, the leadership teams at CCA, CIS, and CCC turned to rater8 to implement an integrated, scalable approach to healthcare reputation management and patient feedback. With rater8’s seamless implementation process, automated review requests were up and running in no time. Sent to patients immediately following their appointments, these user-friendly text and email requests dramatically increased response rates, granting each practice access to a steady stream of insights.
“rater8 just worked from the beginning. It was super easy to implement, and the support team was responsive,” shared Bulmer.
At CIS, the shift away from lengthy surveys produced immediate results. “The surveys are so easy for patients to answer,” explained Broussard. “Now that they see only 5 questions rather than 15, they don’t abandon the survey.” The higher response rates gave leadership a stronger, more accurate picture of patient sentiment and performance across the organization.
Beyond automation, the groups leaned on the rater8 Visibility Engine (raVE) to strengthen their online presence in both local and AI-generated search results. Verified patient reviews fed directly to Google and other healthcare review sites ensure that provider and location profiles stay active and trustworthy in the eyes of search engines and prospective patients.
“rater8’s automated AI responses to reviews have been amazing,” said Bulmer. “They help Google recognize the listings as active, and that activity builds trust with prospective patients who are looking for care.”
“I always envision someone in need of care looking online for help, not knowing anything, and seeing those search results,” Bulmer continued. “I want to see those stars, I want to see them high, and I want to know why. I want to put my trust in this place to take care of me or my loved one.”
The Results
More Reviews and Better Ratings
rater8’s impact is evident across all three organizations. As better reviews, higher ratings, and accurate listings made them more visible in local and AI-generated search results, CCA, CIS, and CCC each saw increased new patient acquisition.
Within the first year of using rater8, CCA’s Google rating climbed from the mid-2-star range to 4.8 stars, supported by a steady flow of glowing verified patient reviews.
CCC also maintains a 4.8 rating, a critical differentiator in their competitive Florida market. “Every little bit counts in our market,” noted CCC’s Director of Operations, Kathy Healey.
Local Search Visibility
With an optimized online image, including accurate provider and location listings and verified reviews across major healthcare directories, CCA, CIS, and CCC have significantly improved their visibility in local search.
CCA now dominates Google’s coveted 3-Pack for high-volume queries such as “best cardiologist Albany NY,” while CCC appears under searches like “best cardiologist near me Clearwater FL.” Prospective patients searching locally are more likely to see providers at the very top of results, translating directly into booked appointments and stronger patient acquisition.
Generative AI Visibility
In addition to dominating local search, CVL practices are also surfacing prominently in generative AI search results.
For instance, CCA physicians appear positively in Google AI Mode for queries such as “who is the best cardiologist in Albany NY?” Verified rater8 reviews also feed into Google’s AI Overviews and ChatGPT, giving prospective patients instant insight into bedside manner, expertise, and overall patient sentiment, without having to click through multiple pages.
Real-Time Operational Improvements
The consistent stream of patient feedback also empowers the groups to identify and address issues quickly. “If one patient has an issue, based on our volume, I know 15, 20, 25, 30 have that issue,” said Bulmer. “It allows us to scale these issues across all of our clinics, whether small or large, and tailor our messaging and tactics to each setting. I’m a huge fan of that — it’s like the heartbeat of what’s going on every day.”
At CCA, insights led to immediate action, from installing new signage and creating updated scripts to reconfiguring patient flow, at one point even removing doors to ease congestion.
CIS famously tackled wait times by installing live dashboards to track delays across clinics. “One of the things that was implemented was a live, real-time screen in some of our executive offices to show how long the wait times were in each clinic,” said Broussard. “And we were able to move the needle because of the leadership team that was actually focused on it.” These operational improvements had a direct, measurable impact on both patient satisfaction and retention.
Improved Employee Satisfaction
Inside the practices, patient feedback also became a valuable tool for staff recognition. CIS introduced a points-based reward program, with team members actively asking whether they had received call-outs from patients. “This program really, really pushes our staff to not only put their best foot forward, but to really try and give that lasting impression to patients,” said CIS’s Assistant Practice Administrator, Gwyneth Engeron.
CCA also rolled out a “Caught in the Act” initiative, where staff members who went above and beyond were recognized and entered into a drawing, with winners receiving a $300 bonus to reward their exceptional efforts.
Across all three organizations, employees are now more motivated and engaged, knowing that their efforts are being seen, recognized, and celebrated. This internal culture shift reinforces both patient and employee satisfaction, creating a cycle of continuous improvement from the inside out.
Indeed, as Cardiovascular Logistics continues to expand its network, rater8 has become a trusted partner in maintaining consistency, quality, and visibility by expanding their online footprint, regardless of ever-changing patient search behaviors.
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