A-Life Medical, Inc. and Leading Cleveland Radiology Group Enters Into Exclusive Agreement for Extensive Computer-Assisted Coding Services
SAN DIEGO … April 22, 2010 … A-Life Medical, Inc., the pioneer and leading provider of computer-assisted coding (CAC) products and services to the healthcare industry, announced today the forging of an exclusive agreement with the oldest and largest independently owned radiology group in Ohio, Cleveland-based Drs. Hill & Thomas Co.
Under the agreement, A-Life Medical will provide exclusive CAC services that directly address radiology procedures. A-Life’s CAC offerings are provided through its Actus® Application Suite, a computerized coding and workflow management product that leverages A-Life’s proprietary and patented Natural Language Processing (NLP) technology, LifeCode®. The combination of Actus® and LifeCode® can increase coder productivity by up to 300 percent through improved coding workflow efficiencies, code consistency and traceability for compliance. A-Life’s LifeCode® technology significantly improves physician and hospital reimbursement by automating the medical coding process.
After exploring other coding alternatives in recent years, Drs. Hill & Thomas Co. chose to align exclusively with A-Life after realizing firsthand the extensive benefits of LifeCode® and the Actus® product, including rich feature functionality and high accuracy levels, which allowed for enhanced coding efficiency and productivity.
“After witnessing the power of A-Life’s NLP capability, we determined that this NLP solution affords us many advantages. The LifeCode® engine has continually demonstrated its efficiency, accuracy and compliancy. Those features allow our physicians to focus solely on the delivery of high-quality radiology services, with the confidence that A-Life’s efficient, labor-saving solution is capturing pertinent diagnosis and procedural information, thereby supporting procurement of the full and proper reimbursement to which the physicians are entitled,” explained Jeffrey A. Kampman, chief financial officer at Drs. Hill & Thomas Co.
“We look forward to a long-standing partnership with Drs. Hill & Thomas Co. This new, exclusive agreement was forged based on A-Life’s proven and unparalleled capabilities in the marketplace, which allow physician practices to significantly reduce coding costs, thereby enhancing overall business office efficiency. This is a result of the strength of our NLP technology, LifeCode® which is capable of reading and translating medical codes similar to that of a human in merely seconds,” added David Byrd, vice president of business development.
About Drs. Hill & Thomas Co.
Drs. Hill & Thomas Co., of Cleveland, is the oldest and largest independently owned radiology group in Ohio. The practice was formed in 1908, thirteen years after the discovery of x-ray. Drs. Walter C. Hill and George F. Thomas saw the great potential of x-ray as a medical diagnosis tool and founded this organization of radiologists. At the time, few clinicians used this new medium in their practices. The Hill & Thomas name and reputation became widely known in the medical community as families such as the Firestones of Akron and the Henry Fords of Detroit relied on their expertise. Even baseball legend Babe Ruth called on Hill & Thomas when he was in need of x-ray. Over the years, the practice has grown from two physicians to more than twenty full-time board-certified radiologists.
About A-Life Medical, Inc.
San Diego-based A-Life Medical, Inc. is the pioneer and leading provider of computer-assisted coding products and services for the healthcare industry. Using its proprietary and patented Natural Language Processing (NLP) technology, LifeCode®, A-Life deciphers electronic transcribed patient encounters via the Internet through its data center, which are then appropriately coded for reimbursement purposes.
A-Life’s solutions address medical coding needs within the physician and hospital sectors. The company processes more than five million transactions monthly, has thousands of users and provides coding services to more than 40,000 physicians nationwide. Its customers include medical billing companies, physician groups, university medical centers and hospitals. For more information, please visit www.alifemedical.com.