Business phone system for physician practices in North Dakota

How many physician practices operate in North Dakota

North Dakota had 166 physician practices in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns (NAICS 621111, Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists)). They employed 5,263 people in mid-March and reported $557.8 million in annual payroll. That is the 51st highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Physician practices make up 0.65% of the 25,402 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) North Dakota has 20.8 physician practices, 65.4% below the national rate of 60.2. The average establishment has 31.7 employees against 13.2 nationally. Payroll per employee is $105,977, in line with the U.S. figure of $105,652.

Where physician practices in North Dakota are concentrated

Census published medical practice counts for 8 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of North Dakota. The largest is Fargo, ND-MN, with 56 establishments (a multi-state area; its count covers every state it spans). Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 33% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Team sizes at physician practices in North Dakota

39.4% of North Dakota's physician practices with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 52.7% nationally. 58.2% had fewer than ten. At that size the phone is shared, so routing (who rings, when, and what happens after hours) matters more than the number of desk phones.

Calls a medical practice in North Dakota has to catch

Physician offices field a steady stream of scheduling, prescription refill and test-result calls, and the same few staff members usually answer all of them. Routing calls to the right person and capturing clear messages keeps the waiting room and the phone lines moving.

A few of the calls that come in to physician practices in North Dakota:

• A patient calls to request a prescription refill.
• A pharmacy calls to clarify a medication order.
• A patient calls asking whether lab results have arrived.

Business texting for physician practices

Practices typically text appointment reminders, arrival instructions and requests to call the office, keeping clinical details for secure channels.

Texting from a local number in North Dakota requires carrier registration (10DLC), a one-time $49 fee on Callata.

Callata vs. per-seat pricing for physician practices in North Dakota

Physician practices in North Dakota average 31.7 employees, so the comparison uses a 32-person team. On a per-user plan that headcount sets the bill: $798.40 a month on Ooma Office Pro or $960.00 on RingCentral RingEX Core at list price (checked September 28, 2026). Callata comes to $639.00 a month for 32 users ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), below both.

Over a year, that is $3,852 less than RingCentral for a medical practice in North Dakota of that size. Annual contracts lower some competitors' prices, so compare the plan you would actually sign.

Area codes in North Dakota

North Dakota has 1 geographic area code in service according to NANPA. Callata includes up to 3 local numbers, so a medical practice can hold a number in more than one of them.

How Callata works for physician practices in North Dakota

For $99 a month, Callata puts a team of up to 5 on one plan ($20 for each person after that): up to 3 local numbers, unlimited inbound calls, a pooled allowance of 1,500 outbound US and Canada minutes per user, browser and cell calling, voicemail transcription with urgency triage, recorded calls with AI summaries and business-hours routing, with E911 on every number.

Porting a number you already use in North Dakota is free, and business texting is available once the carrier registration (10DLC) is approved; the registration carries a one-time $49 fee. Which specific numbers are open in a given area code depends on carrier inventory at the time you sign up.

AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.

Practices that handle protected health information should review their own privacy obligations before recording calls, enabling AI summaries or texting appointment details, and keep clinical conversations out of text messages unless their policies allow it.