A Sneak Peek: Looking Inside Some Of The Companies In The Industry

Net Health Systems, Inc.

Jim Smith, Director of Marketing, provided Today’s Wound Clinic with information highlighting Net Health Systems, Inc.

Website: www.woundexpert.com
Phone: (800) 411-6281, ext.70
Contact: Michael Bursich, Director of Sales
City: Pittsburgh
State: PA

Important Information:

  Since the company was founded in 1993, Net Health Systems, Inc. has combined operating excellence and innovation with a proven ability to meet and exceed client expectations.

  Net Health’s success in achieving sustainable, profitable organic growth is a result of customer-focused relationships, a ‘can do’ employee attitude, timely execution and alignment of new product development, and go-to-market initiatives.

Products and Services:

  Net Health Systems’ premier offering is the WoundExpert® software, secure Software as a Service (SaaS) offering. WoundExpert is a sophisticated, yet user-friendly wound healing documentation system supporting reimbursement, regulatory compliance and seamless integration with hospital electronic health record (EHR) systems.

  WoundExpert is a scalable, multi-tiered system dedicated to wound care management, which meets the requirements of new outpatient programs, and accommodates the care, services and reimbursement needs as patient volumes increase. As the needs of clients become more complex, Net Health Systems easily accommodate them without having to install new hardware and software requiring extensive retraining and resulting in lost productivity. As a result, clients spend more time on what is most important to them, their patients.

  The WoundExpert software is available in a scalable, three-tiered format from Outcomes Tracking (OT) – data collection and entry – to Point of Service (POS) – clinical documentation at the point of care – to Electronic Medical Record (EMR), providing a 100% paperless program, including electronic physician documentation and billing.

  Optional components can be integrated with WoundExpert configurations to support the unique needs of wound clinics, including:
    • Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)
    • Integration Services
    • Ostomy
    • Physical Therapy
    • Corporate Reporting

Reaching Clinicians:

  In addition to participating in 10 regional and national conferences each year, Net Health advertises in trade journals and hosts client conferences to showcase new feature functionality and highlight customer best practices.

  As the company develop new reports and enhance WoundExpert functionality – based on internal development goals and client requests across the U.S. –they inform clients via online messages as they log in to WoundExpert.

  In addition, system enhancements are also uploaded as quarterly update .pdf files to WoundExpert and referenced in their “ProgressNotes” newsletter. Every edition focuses on emerging issues spanning the chronic wound care continuum – reimbursement, interoperability, regulatory compliance – and includes contributions from industry thought leaders, clients and staff.

  Net Health Systems also advocate best practice approaches for implementing evidence-based medicine clinical workflow improvements through Association affiliation. Most recently, the July 2009 Baromedical Nursing Association newsletter, featured an article, “Benefits of Electronic Hyperbaric Documentation,” by Sheila Cougras, RN, BSN, CWCN, and Director of Quality for Net Health. Sheila’s article addresses the importance of documentation and seamless EHR interoperability across all care settings, including HBOT.

Challenges:

  Net Health System believes that Outpatient Wound Clinics in the United States need to have a dedicated workflow and decision-support system that makes data entry and decision making simple. With immediate access to wound healing, clinic flow, and productivity information, clinics can spend more time with patients.

  As regulatory and billing issues change, the company’s clients need a solution that includes compliance and updates. Net Health System’s market-driven product development and client support core business practices include:
    • Online feedback functionality serving enhancement requests and user support
    • Management-directed market research and client focus groups
    • User input gathered from our annual WoundExpert Client Conference
    • Clinical Advisory Board industry insight, trends and direction

Big Picture:

  Today, over 11,000 physicians, clinicians, and healthcare professionals across the U.S. use the companies software in 550 outpatient wound centers to improve patient care and facility performance. With outcomes data on 1,000,000 healed wounds, WoundExpert affords the largest independent source of comprehensive chronic wound benchmarking data in the industry. Coupled with our commitment to client services excellence we have sustained 97%+ client retention.

Comprehensive Healthcare Solutions, Inc.

Karin Roemers-Kleven, RN, CWS, FACCWS, President/CEO provided Today’s Wound Clinic with information highlighting Comprehensive Healthcare Solutions, Inc.

Phone: (800) 232-5070
Website: www.comprehensive-healthcare.com
Contact: Karin Roemers-Kleven, RN, CWS, FACCWS, President/CEO
City: Tacoma
State: WA

Important Information:

About:
  Comprehensive Healthcare Solutions, Inc. has been a nationwide wound management and consulting firm since 1997. The firm started on the East Coast. It quickly grew and reached across the United States as it developed wound and HBO programs in the Midwest as well as the West Coast where it moved its headquarters 6 years ago.

Offices:
&nbap; In addition, the firm has offices in New Jersey, Florida, and Pennsylvania to meet the needs of its national clients.

What Makes The Company Unique:

   “What makes Comprehensive unique is that it is a company of clinical and reimbursement experts who love to teach and inspire others. Comprehensive does not force a hospital into a lengthy relationship. It strives to teach hospital staff everything they need to know to run an effective wound and HBO program and then have Comprehensive bow out. By having been in the trenches of wound care, hyperbarics, and reimbursement (including myself as a wound care nurse) each expert who works with Comprehensive motivates and inspires staff new to wound care and HBO to become proficient in a relatively short period of time.”
  -Karin Roemers-Kleven, RN, CWS, FACCWS, President/CEO

Foundation:

   “Besides being different by being clinician/women owned, Comprehensive also distinguishes itself from other service providers by being privately held. Its focus is on the success of its clients. The company is not distracted by the gyrations of the stock market or investors. Service levels are high, personal attention is in tune with the client’s needs, and programs are implemented in a way that fits the hospital’s culture. Physicians receive peer training in wound care and HBO and have a resource to call when they meet an obstacle.”
  -Karin Roemers-Kleven, RN, CWS, FACCWS, President/CEO

Growth:

   “Another way that causes Comprehensive to be unique is that it does not rely on a sales force to develop new business. There are no slick sales reps. The firm has seen substantial growth over the years and has served numerous hospitals in 12 states. Through direct relationship building, word-of-mouth, and strong customer service the company has increased its portfolio. When a hospital wants to find out about Comprehensive they reach its President/CEO and develop a personal rapport from the start.”
  -Karin Roemers-Kleven, RN, CWS, FACCWS, President/CEO

Visible:

   “Comprehensive stays visible in the wound and hyperbaric community by being active participants in national organizations and events, helping advance knowledge of clinicians by supporting the SAWC, AAWM, and UHMS, authoring articles, sitting on committees and being involved in professional organizations to help set standards and improve care.”
  -Karin Roemers-Kleven, RN, CWS, FACCWS, President/CEO

Support:

   “When Comprehensive is asked to support a hospital that wants to develop its own HBO program Comprehensive can either bring the chambers and the staff that run them or consult and help it be a safe and well thought out program that exceeds safety standards from day 1. No matter what the hospital’s overall strategic plan is Comprehensive is there to teach, mentor, and ensure that safety and quality patient care is maintained all the time.”
  -Karin Roemers-Kleven, RN, CWS, FACCWS, President/CEO

Approach:

   “Comprehensive’s wound care programs are founded in the interdisciplinary, surgically driven approach that has demonstrated amputations can be prevented and chronic wounds can heal. While clinical experts encourage teams to have a product from each category of moist wound dressing available, our staff is not prescriptive to which product lines should be used. Management of the wound bed and biofilms, off loading, nutrition and glucose control are all the commons sense components of its clinical guidelines.”
  -Karin Roemers-Kleven, RN, CWS, FACCWS, President/CEO

Challenges:

   “The biggest challenge for a hospital to develop an outpatient wound and HBO program is not the idea itself but the execution of the strategic plan. Comprehensive helps its clients to stay focused and overcome obstacles so the program is a success from the start. By educating the hospital’s executive team and the clinic staff in how to reach patients with chronic wounds, how to serve more patients than imaginable and how to heal them in the shortest time possible, Comprehensive helps improve the lives of many patients.”
  -Karin Roemers-Kleven, RN, CWS, FACCWS, President/CEO

Wound Care Strategies, Inc.

Michael Hess, Chief Operating Officer, provided Today’s Wound Clinic with information highlighting Wound Care Strategies, Inc.

Website: www.woundcarestrategies.com
Phone: (717) 541-1165
Contact: Cathy Thomas Hess
City: Harrisburg
State: PA

Important Information:

About:
  Founded in 1995, Wound Care Strategies prides itself on the ability to fully integrate new or existing wound care departments with seamless process management techniques and strategies—from the blueprints up, or transition and upgrade an existing department.

  Furthermore, WCS also provides the industry's most proficient interoperable EMR solution, TriAssess® Premier Software. WCS delivers extremely personal, one-on-one partnerships using small expert teams, managed by Cathy Thomas Hess, renowned wound care pioneer.

  Clients can interface with knowledgeable professionals in all assessments, training, and support.

   “WCS cannot be matched in our caliber and efficiency of solution development, immediacy, flexibility, and on-going oversight,” said Patrick Colletti, President.

Products and Services:

  Interoperable Electronic Medical Record-TriAssess® Premier Software focuses on the outpatient and inpatient wound care practice with option modules addressing wound care, HBOT, ostomy, continence, skin, diabetes management, and vascular assessments.

  Clinical and Op/Ed consulting and strategies for fully integrated process that covers everything from staff-friendly compliance, training, education, maintenance, coding and service systems to broader needs like smart inpatient protocols to drive the outpatient business and ancillary services – even the ability to build an entire operation from the blueprints up, or transition an existing department.

  Clinical and Operational/Educational Consulting includes the following:
    • Chargemaster assistance
    • Compliance recommendations
   • Clinical and operational policies and procedures
    • Patient education materials
    • Workflow synchronization assistance
    • Documentation strategies necessary to support work performed
    • Documentation audits and compliance recommendations (review of debridement procedures)
    • Education in capturing the APCs for the facility and/or the E/M for the physician
    • Oversight of department’s MAC/FIs/LCDs

Reaching Clinicians:

  WCS encourages their facilities to publish their data in peer-reviewed journals focusing on research and clinical management strategies. The company also advertises in well-respected journals.

  Wound Care Strategies presents their EMR and clinical/operational strategies at trade shows and speaking engagements.

  In the arena of interactive projects the company conducts Webcasts and distribute Eblasts and Enewsletters. Providing education has been the cornerstone of the company’s business.

  WCS is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission. WCS’ web portal supplies educational courses to the healthcare community.

Challenges:

   “From a clinical perspective, staying abreast of coding, regulations, and government reform changes are part of daily tasks we undertake for our clients. From an Information Technology perspective, staying abreast of innovations and compliance standards are also a dynamic process in our Company.”
  -Cathy Thomas Hess, President and Founder

Partnerships:

   “The combined expertise of our team is leveraged to provide our clients with a solid foundation for successful outcomes. We seek to continue our valued relationships by continuing to provide an exceptional team whose performance exceeds expectations.

  Our clinical and IT support staff work directly with our clients using small, specialized teams for personalized, one-on-one interaction based on agreed goals, at a predictable cost.”
  -Patrick Colletti, President

Focused Software Solution:

   “Our focused software solution for the outpatient and inpatient wound care practice is TriAssess® Premier Software (TPS).

  TPS provides the intelligence to maintain clinical and regulatory requirements or accreditation standards. Customized modules and solutions meet our clients’ needs.

  Furthermore, TPS captures the clinical, functional, and financial outcomes necessary for our clients to manage their business. Clinical, operational, and management reports generated from the work in TPS, assists and supports department management at the press of a button. This allows managers more time with their staff and patients.”
  -Jeffrey C. Hatzfeld, Director, Information Technology

Sechrist Industries, Inc.

Monica Gutierrez, VP of Marketing and Customer Development provided Today’s Wound Clinic with information highlighting Sechrist Industries, Inc.

Website: www.SechristUSA.com
Phone: (714) 579-8400
Contact: Monica Gutierrez, VP Marketing & Customer Development
City: Anaheim
State: California

Important Information:

  About:
  Sechrist was founded over 30 years ago in 1973, by Ron Sechrist, a mechanical engineer with a passion for the research and development of new life-saving medical technologies. Sechrist is proud to continue the tradition of manufacturing all of their products in Southern, California. The company claims to be the only true manufacturer of hyperbaric chambers located in the United States.

Employees:
  Currently, Sechrist employs approximately 100 employees. Four of our employees are located worldwide to handle our international operations/business development; domestically, we have five business development representatives and five technical service representatives.

Product Lines:

  Sechrist Industries has two main product lines – hyperbaric oxygen chambers, hyperbaric ventilator, which only Sechrist manufactures—and hyperbaric accessories as well as our respiratory line, which consists of neonatal infant ventilators and air/gas mixers.

Categories of Products/Services:

  Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers and Accessories; Neonatal Infant Ventilators and Air/Gas Mixers.

Products Used In The Wound Care Clinic:

  All models of Sechrist Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers.

Reaching Clinicians:

  Sechrist Industries is attempting to reach clinicians in the following ways:
    a) Partnerships creating editorial content for magazines and journals. Sechrist is always reaching out to their industry editorial partners to provide input and content for their publications. The company is always open to utilizing their experience to reach out to others in the community.
    b) Advertising in magazines and journals—Sechrist currently advertises regularly in industry publications.
    c) Exhibiting at Trade Shows and Events —Sechrist attends over a dozen trade shows and conference worldwide.
    d) Interactive projects such as Webcasts, Eblasts, Enewsletters, etc.

What is the biggest challenge your company is facing with meeting your customer’s needs and how are you overcoming this challenge?

   “The biggest challenge that Sechrist faces is working with our clients to meet all the needs of perspective patients. The industry as a whole needs to work to increase awareness of the value of hyperbaric oxygen therapy and broaden the existing applicable use of hyperbarics to reach all patients who can benefit from this treatment. Increasing awareness will increase the use of hyperbarics, which will in turn continue to help both the patient and the hospital. As the community benefits from hyperbarics, capital expenditures to support the growth of clinics will increase and become more readily available.”
  -Monica Gutierrez, VP Marketing & Customer Development

How do you take advantage of educating clinicians about your products or services at SAWC?

   “Sechrist is extremely excited about once again participating in the 2010 SAWC events. These are an ideal forum for our team to meet with wound care clinicians to continue to educate them about the role of hyperbarics for their wound care patients as well as educate them about the use of hyperbarics for others in their community. We would like to invite everyone interested in learning more about this modality to visit out booth at both the Spring and Fall.”
  -Monica Gutierrez, VP Marketing & Customer Development

MedEfficiency, Inc.

Sarah Dollar, Marketing Manager, provided Today’s Wound Clinic with information highlighting MedEfficiency, Inc.

Website: www.MedEfficiency.com
Phone: (866) 357-7755
Contact: Nancy Zeller, VP of Sales
City: Wheat Ridge
State: Colorado

Important Information:

  About:
  MedEfficiency, Inc. is a medical products company that is focused on the development, manufacturing, and marketing of medical devices for treating chronic wounds and lower extremity fractures. MedEfficiency has developed innovative new products using advanced technology that will change the way these conditions are treated and result in improved clinical outcomes and more cost-effective treatments. MedEfficiency was established in January 2000 and has focused on the development of new and improved medical device products funded by the Small Business Innovative Research Grants from the National Institute of Health and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. In 2003 they introduced the MedE-Kast™ Total Contact Cast System, in 2007 introduced the TCC-EZ™ Total Contact Cast System, and in 2009 introduced the MedE-Kast™ Ultra Total Contact Cast System.

Products or Services:

  MedEfficiency, Inc. is a medical products company that specializes in total contact casting products for off-loading diabetic foot ulcers. A Total Contact Cast (TCC) has been a proven gold standard for healing these wounds in a timely manner. According to the company literature shows that patients in a TCC heal 89% of the time in approximately 43 days. Currently they have three total contact casting systems, the MedE-Kast™, the TCC-EZ™, and the MedE-Kast™ Ultra Total Contact Cast System. Each of our products is designed to be clinically effective (benefit to the patient), user-friendly (benefit for the physician), and cost-effective (benefit for the payer), allowing physicians and healthcare providers to offer the best care options with fewer hassles and better outcomes.

Reaching Clinicians:

  MedEfficiency is attempting to reach clinicians in the following ways:

  a) Advertising—
  MedEfficiency has advertised in Today’s Wound Clinic, Wounds, Ostomy Wound Management, and Podiatry Today.

  b) Exhibiting at Trade Shows and Events—
  MedEfficiency has exhibited at SAWC, DF Con, Diversified Clinical Services, National Healing, Diabetic Limb Salvage, Clinical Symposium on Advances in Skin & Wound Care, New Cardiovascular Horizons, and Desert Foot.

  c) Interactive Projects—
  MedEfficiency conducts training webcasts upon request for all of our total contact casting systems. They also have a monthly e-newsletter, which features case studies on total contact casting, articles from physicians using our TCC systems, as well as hints and tips on total contact casting.

  d) Other Projects—
  MedEfficiency is committed to helping clinics’ off-loading programs be as successful as possible. They offer several TCC training programs to support that goal, including: monthly TCC trainings at Diversified Clinical Services Problem Wound Management course, on-site trainings, and Preceptorships at the Diabetic Foot & Wound Center.

Challenges:

   “The biggest challenge MedEfficiency faces in meeting our customers’ needs is continuing education for total contact casting. To meet that need, MedEfficiency offers a wide array of TCC training options, from on-site to desktop. These options include training videos on MedEfficiency’s website and YouTube, training DVDs, webcasts, Preceptorships, on-site trainings, monthly trainings at Diversified Clinical Services, and hands-on workshops at various annual diabetic foot conferences.”
  -Sarah Dollar, Marketing Manager

SAWC

  MedEfficiency attends the SAWC Spring annually as an exhibitor offering hands-on TCC training at their booth as well as display literature and samples of their TCC products.

In The Wound Clinic

   “Total Contact Casting is the gold standard for off-loading diabetic foot ulcers. Five randomized control trials support that on average, 91% of patients heal in about 6 weeks when off-loading with a TCC. When these trials are compared with the published randomized control trials for several active wound treatments, TCC has better outcomes in terms of days to healing and percentage of wounds healed. TCC is a reimbursable procedure and is also a very cost-effective option when compared to active wound treatments. Despite the vast amount of data supporting TCC as the standard of care, it is underutilized due to perceived barriers such as time, ease of use, training, and cost. MedEfficiency has addressed these perceived barriers through our total contact casting systems. For example, the TCC-EZ has little to no learning curve and requires only about 2 minutes for the physician application time. So why should you TCC? Because evidence-based medicine supports total contact casting.” -Sarah Dollar, Marketing Manager