SaaS Stack for Healthcare Practices: Scheduling, CRM, Communication, and Compliance
Small healthcare practices — therapy offices, dental clinics, wellness centers — need patient scheduling, relationship management, team communication, and HIPAA-conscious tooling. Here's the exact stack with verified pricing and compliance notes for every tool.
Important: Compliance Disclaimer
This guide covers general-purpose SaaS tools, not dedicated EHR/EMR systems. If your practice handles protected health information (PHI), you must use tools with HIPAA compliance and sign Business Associate Agreements (BAAs). Always verify compliance with your legal advisor before adopting any tool for PHI-related workflows.
Recommended Stack
| Need | Tool | Plan | Price | HIPAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduling | Calendly | Standard | $12/user/mo | No |
| Patient CRM | HubSpot CRM | Free Tools | $0 | No (Enterprise only) |
| Team Communication | Slack | Pro | $8.75/user/mo | Enterprise Grid only |
| Internal Docs | Notion | Free | $0 | Enterprise only |
| Patient Email | Brevo | Free | $0 | No |
| Total (solo practitioner) | $20.75/mo | |||
Why These Tools
Calendly Standard ($12/user/mo) for Patient Scheduling
Calendly handles appointment booking with buffer times between appointments, reminder emails, and calendar sync. Standard gives unlimited event types and workflows. For healthcare, set up different event types for initial consultations, follow-ups, and telehealth sessions. Alternative: Acuity Scheduling (from Squarespace) offers intake forms and HIPAA compliance on their higher tiers.
HubSpot CRM Free ($0) for Patient Relationships
Track patient contacts, appointment history, and communication logs. HubSpot CRM Free gives unlimited contacts, a deal pipeline (use for patient journey stages), and email tracking. Use this for non-PHI data only — demographics, appointment scheduling, and general communication. For HIPAA-compliant CRM, HubSpot requires Enterprise pricing.
Slack Pro ($8.75/user/mo) for Team Communication
Slack Pro gives unlimited message history and unlimited integrations, which matters for healthcare teams that need to search past conversations. Free limits you to 90-day history. For HIPAA-compliant messaging, Slack Enterprise Grid is required — but for general team coordination (non-PHI), Pro is sufficient. Alternative: Discord Free for teams comfortable with its interface.
Brevo Free ($0) for Patient Communication
Send appointment reminders, health tips newsletters, and practice updates. Brevo Free supports 100,000 contacts and 300 emails/day. Use for general communications only — not for transmitting PHI.
HIPAA Compliance Guide
| Tool | HIPAA-Eligible Plan | BAA Available |
|---|---|---|
| HubSpot CRM | Enterprise only (custom pricing) | Yes (Enterprise) |
| Notion | Enterprise only (custom pricing) | Yes (Enterprise) |
| Slack | Enterprise Grid only (custom pricing) | Yes (Enterprise Grid) |
| Zoom | Business ($13.33/user/mo) and above | Yes (Business+) |
Budget Tiers
| Tier | Stack | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| $0 Starter | HubSpot Free + Calendly Free + Notion Free + Slack Free + Brevo Free | $0/mo |
| Solo Practitioner | HubSpot Free + Calendly Standard ($12) + Notion Free + Slack Pro ($8.75) + Brevo Free | $20.75/mo |
| Small Practice (5 staff) | HubSpot Free + Calendly Standard ($60) + Notion Plus ($60) + Slack Pro ($43.75) + Brevo Free | $163.75/mo |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use these tools for PHI?
Not on the plans listed here. HIPAA compliance requires enterprise-tier plans with signed BAAs. The tools above are recommended for non-PHI workflows: scheduling, general communication, marketing emails, and internal procedures. For clinical workflows involving PHI, use dedicated EHR/EMR software.
What about telehealth?
Zoom for Healthcare (Business plan at $13.33/user/mo and above) offers HIPAA compliance with a signed BAA. This can be added to the stack for telehealth consultations. Doxy.me also offers a free HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform.
Should I use a healthcare-specific CRM instead?
If you handle significant patient volume (100+ patients/month) or need PHI in your CRM, yes. Dedicated healthcare CRMs like Kareo, PatientPop, or DrChrono integrate with EHR systems. For small practices managing referrals and general patient relationships, HubSpot Free handles the non-clinical side well.