When some of the MedFORCE team went to do a site visit to McKesson Medimart in preparation for their go live with MedFORCE we were told in no uncertain terms how much they disliked dealing with their “pink sheets”; a paper intensive process that will become automated and paperless when they implement MedFORCE document scanning, workflow and electronic forms. They even found Cheryl’s pink notepad offensive. Upon returning for a follow up visit we hatched a little surprise. The staff distributed a memo to everyone except the boss to wear pink and we showed up wearing these shirts:

Esther, Randi (McKesson), Gerra, and Cheryl wearing "No Pink Sheets" shirts!

We’re all very excited for an automated, paperless and pink-sheet-free future!

Esther Apter and her daughter Miriam ran in the ING Marathon in Miami last Friday to raise money for Team Lifeline, an organizations that helps families and children with terminal illnesses. They completed the half marathon in two hours and fifteen minutes! We’re really proud. While they reached the finish line they have not yet reached their fundraising goal, please help them reach their fundraising finish line by donating.  Here they are with their medals:

Esther and Miriam at the finish line!

There have been so many natural disasters and sad stories lately and I felt helpless to do anything other than be sad for the people that were affected. Then my daughter Miriam got a job with Nechama – a disaster relief organization. Miriam suggested that I take some time to help with the cleanup. I thought it was a great idea and decided to go and sponsor some employees for an almost three day trip. I offered it to everyone in the company and asked them to write a brief description of why they wanted to come and do the work and I would chose two based on their motivation. Dianna and Krista were chosen to join me on the trip and off we went.

When we arrived we were asked to help a single mom in a bad living situation, with one day to move her and her daughter’s stuff from her previous dwelling to a new apartment. The woman was not actually affected by the tornado; however, she was somewhat handicapped from an accident and really could not do this on her own. A group of volunteers helped her pack up her belongings and furniture and move it all to the new apartment. She was so grateful and said she could not have done it without us. Hopefully she and her daughter can now start building their lives.

The second and third day we were taken to a site of a house that had been severely damaged by the tornado and needed to be torn down. From what I understand there are only two ways to get the debris removed and the property cleaned up. Either pay a demolition crew (if you can afford it) or move the debris to the front of the property, I think it has to be no further than 12ft from the road, and then the town removes it. The owner of the house could not afford the demolition crew and was not able to tear down the house and move the debris to the appropriate location. So for the first time in my life I got destructive and worked on demolishing this house. It was tedious hard work in 100 degree weather and much of the work was in the sun! We pulled off siding, sledged hammered through walls, demolished a fire place brick by brick, bought down walls and took everything we tore off the house to the appropriate location where it will eventually be removed by the town.

While it did not make me less sad for all the devastation and heartache the people affected have to go through, and we only got through demolishing half of the house, we did what we could and every little bit helps…

Seeing the devastation and working with Nechama and other volunteers who devote time to helping others made me feel that there are truly good and awesome people in this world and I was honored to be amongst them. We at MedFORCE have always taken pride in our high level of ethics in how we conduct our business and it makes me so proud that we were able to add this experience to some of our employees and allocate some money and resources to help people who need our help. I can’t image a more powerful team building exercise than working together out in the hot sun, getting filthy, sweating and using muscles I did not even know I had helping other people as a volunteer! Dianna, Krista and I are now bonded for life!!! I am so proud of them and how hard they worked! We at MedFORCE are happy to feel we have truly made a difference… a small one, but a difference none the less…

The reason why I wanted to go to Alabama and help with the disaster relief is because I admire people who do this kind of work, it’s a real eye opener.  This will be the second time I’ve been able to participate in a project of this nature.  Last December I joined a group of students that were sent to New Orleans to help rebuild a house that was destroyed in hurricane Katrina in 2005.  It was sad but an eye opener to see how a person can go through such a disaster and still have hope and remain positive about life.  I learned a great deal from those people that I met in New Orleans.

Ever since that trip I wanted to do this type of work again and I’m glad that I have the opportunity to do so with MedFORCE Technologies.

Being from tornado country myself, I have been very blessed to have never lost my home to a tornado.  I have always been fascinated with tornadoes, but I hate seeing the destruction they cause.  Whenever I see that homes/towns have been destroyed, it absolutely breaks my heart.  There is so much I want to do to help, but sometimes sending money or supplies, just doesn’t seem like enough.  I have always thought it would be great to help hands on, in a recovery effort.   With the economic times, it’s hard to take time off work to do something like that.  When Esther announced that she was doing the MedFORCE Disaster Relief and sending two employees, I knew I had to be one of them.  I have read the stories and seen the pictures of destruction, but nothing compares to hearing and seeing it in person.

I am excited to go down, get my hands dirty and help, in a small way, get people’s lives back together again.  I think it will be an amazing experience in so many ways and I can’t wait to tell everyone about it once I return.  Alabama here I come!

Esther Apter was recently interviewed by HME News TV on creating a visual workplace with business process management.

Tom: Hi Gerra, how are you doing?

MedFORCE: Doing awesome. You’ve been a customer of ours for quite a long while.  How long have you actually been with MedFORCE?

Tom: Since 2004

MedFORCE: So you’re using the document imaging and you’re scanning your documents into MedFORCE, correct?

Tom: Yes

MedFORCE: Do you also do the auto filing?

Tom: Yes we do.

MedFORCE: You do the auto filing, and you have a good success rate with that?

Tom: Yes we do.

MedFORCE: And I believe you’re also using our WorkFLOW product.

Tom: That’s correct

MedFORCE: You were one of our first WorkFLOW customers that worked with us and we took a lot of your brain power to create some features.  How has everything worked for you?

Tom: It’s worked well, we typically it on item groups that require a lot of steps and aren’t as frequent as some of our more common items and items that require more documentation.

MedFORCE: Anything you would like to say to someone who is thinking of going with MedFORCE and WorkFLOW?

Tom: I think it’s probably superior to most any other product that’s similar to MedFORCE out there.

MedFORCE: What about the personnel?  What do you get from support?

Tom: Support is awesome.  Support questions are typically answered right away and we always have a good response.

MedFORCE: How does your staff feel about MedFORCE.

Tom: They hate me, but they love MedFORCE

MedFORCE: How has your business changed since you implemented MedFORCE?

Tom: It’s a lot more organized, it’s easier to find the information, I can work from home and find information in a chart, just like I can as if I was at work.

MedFORCE: And, how is WorkFLOW in what you’re using it for?

Tom: Oh, it’s amazing, it’s tremendously easier, more economical and storage issues have been greatly minimized.

MedFORCE: Great, thanks

Like many of you, I make New Year’s resolutions, and I try to stick to them, but it’s never easy. I wish there was some software program that could make me lean. Quick and easy. Something simple.

Rice Home Medical has been serving west central Minnesota for more than 20 years using CareCentric® billing software.  They too, had dreams of being leaner. Tons of paperwork and the management of it were getting out of control. The excess had to stop, for the health of the company and all involved. For them, software was the quick fix they were looking for.

What was the magic recipe for Rice Home Medical? Click here for the case study. And to learn more about Rice Home Medical and how they did it, visit us at Spring Medtrade in Las Vegas April 13 & 14, booth #2021, at the Sands Expo and Convention Center.

This may sound cliché, but I do get a warm, fuzzy feeling when a client of ours comes back later and adds to what they already have. The Home Health Store, a second generation family-owned business with 18 employees in the greater Houston area using Brightree™ billing software, was looking to modernize by cutting down on paper processes and simplifying an increasingly cumbersome sales order process.

Our initial software installation was successful. The paper clutter started to shrink, so The Home Health Store wanted to become even more efficient. Subsequently, adding WorkFLOW software into the mix was a tremendous help.

How can you do what The Home Health Store did? Click here for a case study. And to learn more about The Home Health Store and how they did it, visit us at Spring Medtrade in Las Vegas April 13 & 14, booth #2021, at the Sands Expo and Convention Center.