Growing with Technology Awards

Arkansas Physician Management Inc.

Operational Excellence
Second Runner-Up

URL: N/A
Location: Little Rock, Ark.
Employees: 175
Executive Sponsor: Terrah Yvonne Patton, Lead System Coordinator
Cisco Products: PIX 501, 515E firewall; 2800 series router; Aironet 1200 series wireless access point; 1720, 2500, and 2610xm frame relay switches

Physicians often note that they were trained to practice medicine, not run a small business such as a medical office. Companies like Arkansas Physician Management Inc. diminish the administrative headaches physicians face by offering a hosted service for physicians, including billing, supply ordering, and even staff training for some 70 physicians throughout the state. By setting up a virtual private network, APMI can offer secure access for users and comply with government privacy regulations such as HIPAA. In addition, for two clinics, it has deployed an electronic medical records (EMR) system, similar to the EHR system Grand Prize winner Suncoast Medical Clinic uses. The EMR system allows patients to communicate with doctors without taking up valuable appointment slots, as well as let patients update information. That way, physicians can avoid potential transcription errors on patient information.