Clear the Helipad
The economy's so far down the tubes, even health care's feeling financial pains. I scan news sites for blog-worthy developments as part of my morning routine, and I've noticed that a frightening number of articles reporting hospital layoffs are popping up where those happy little ditties about job security used to be. Other reports note slashed budgets and IT projects put on hold--at least until stimulus funds start flowing.
Well, today I had to do a double-take when I came across this story. MTBC, a billing and practice management company (and incidentally, also the initials for the Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Congress--thank you, Google), has its very own jet to shuttle executives across the country to meet with clients and research potential acquisitions. (Let's hope it's not banking on the stimulus to pay those gas bills.) It's not just an ordinary jet, either; the plane is tricked out in the company's signature purple and green.
MTBC's high-flying antics might prompt the flip of another bird from money-strapped competitors--and environmentalists, for that matter--but you have to give the company credit for taking its high-tech, high-performance image to the extreme. Those crafty little marketers even used the jet as the grand prize in a practice management knowledge quiz they distributed at a conference; the top scorer won a tour of New York City in the private plane. Even more shocking, however, were the abysmal scores medical staffers received on the quiz. No surprise to HIM professionals, I'm sure, but those doctors and nurses could use a nice refresher on billing, reimbursement and Medicare policies.
At any rate, this company seems to be all about the numbers; you can choose a 4 percent or 5 percent billing service, score a free EHR system or select 4-cent MT services, according to the company's Web site. In this economy, they might just have the right idea: sell it to them straight--and a quick fly-over before meeting the bigwigs couldn't hurt. I can't say whether their services are worth doling out the dollars, but as soon as hospitals' bottom lines start rising, I bet they'll be ready to snap up sales.