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Contact: Jeff Bradford
the Bradford Group
615-312-7220

 

A Tale of Two PPMs

 

Doctor-Owned Physician Practice Management Company Proves

There Is Life After Phycor

 

Introducing New Universal Health Record System

 

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Sept., 2002 -- The nation's first—and largest—urology physician practice management company recently announced it is changing its name from  Urology Healthcare Group to CIMplify.

Big deal.

Not big news in itself, perhaps, but the tale behind this development is news indeed, because UHG’s metamorphosis into CIMplify confounds conventional wisdom. It’s what happens when a physician practice management company, or PPM, is successful. After the recent spectacular demise of Phycor, perhaps the most famous PPM of all time, “everybody knows” that the PPM concept is inherently flawed.

            “Everybody” was wrong. CIMplify is an example of what happens when doctors are owners rather that employees of a PPM. It also shows the benefits of focusing on the basics of information management and cash flow.

CIMplify has evolved into something that is not only better than the original idea, but more universally applicable to a variety of situations. The people behind CIMplify have created an elegant instrument to help any medical practice—not just urologists—better serve both its patients and its physicians. The new company, which has already begun acquiring clients, offers an a la carte menu of technology tools and administrative services to its physician practice clients. (See attached listing of products and services.)

 

            “CIMplify is translated as ‘Computerized Information Management made easy.’ But, when it comes to information management, we’ve learned that technology is just a vehicle, not the destination. The destination is control of information critical to a medical practice’s success, which is why we don’t just flip a switch and walk away. The real secret to CIMplify is depth of resources and commitment—which means ‘industrial strength’ IT solutions, staff that works side-by-side with practices and 24/7 technical support,” said Jeffrey Heyer, CIMplify’s Chief Information Officer.

            “Probably the most valuable lesson we learned through our ongoing work with UHG partners is that, when it comes to information technology, you must make a serious commitment in hardware, software and people. It’s not something you can do half-way in this business.”

This intense commitment to “industrial strength” information technology is what separates UHG, now CIMplify, from other PPMs, many with no overall IT strategy or IT resources like a 24/7 help desk, officials said. Nor, they added, was there a strong focus on improving accounts receivables, another hallmark of UHG/CIMplify.

“Providing superior information technology has been a central tenet of Urology Healthcare Group’s business model since its founding in March 1997,” said CIMplify President and CEO Stryker Warren. “We have proven that integrating state-of-the-art practice management software with central billing office functions improves cash collections as it enhances practice management. This success generated interest among non-equity practices—including those outside the specialty of urology—which led to the creation of CIMplify. It is quite apparent that providing quality management information and improving cash flow will be hallmarks of the successful physician practice management company (PPMC) of the future—and we are excited about taking advantage of these opportunities.

“We found that this level of commitment pays unexpected dividends, because it leads to an intense focus on the basics, like cash flow, where, if you’re observant enough, you find out where the money is really going. For instance, one of our practices has filed a lawsuit against an insurance company because our billings and collections staff noticed a pattern of claim denials and other contract violations. Thanks to the integrated IT system and central billing office function we had in place, we were also able to compile the extensive data and analysis needed to prove our case.”

Helping medical practices stand up to the often-questionable practices of health insurance companies is a key benefit CIMplify offers its customers.

“We are the physician’s advocate,” Warren said, “something that further differentiates our company from the traditional PPM, which you might characterize as the physician’s boss. The contest between physician practices and insurance companies is really not a fair fight right now. The insurance company has a distinct advantage. Someone has to be on the physician’s side, and we are what payors fear most – a company with advanced information technology and seasoned professionals who know how to play the game better than they do.”

Located at 720 Cool Springs Blvd in Franklin, Tenn., CIMplify may be reached toll-free at 888-812-5171 or via e-mail at info@cimplify.net.

 

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