MediConnect Global Newsletter for the Legal Community

January 2008

Welcome to the first issue of Connections in 2008!

This issue provides a number of informative articles and updates that should be useful. From a new Whitepaper on Medical Retrival to an invitation to join MediConnect for a Seminar and Ski Day, it's all here.

Take a look, be aware of what services we offer, and feel free to "Talk Back" regarding your perspectives and ideas on how MediConnect works for you.

We are looking forward to a great year together.

Sincerely,

William Donahoo

MediConnect Chief Marketing Officer
Talk Back to William

A MediConnect White Paper

One of the most difficult tasks legal professionals face when working on malpractice, product liability, personal injury, workers compensation, or other medical-related legal cases is collecting, organizing and analyzing their clients' personal medical records, according to a new white paper published by MediConnect Global. (www.mediconnect.net)

According to Strategies and Best Practices in Medical Record Retrieval, co-written by Thomas A. Schultz, a partner for Hodes, Restaino, Milman & Skikos of Newport Beach, Calif., law firms must use patient medical records more than they ever have in the past in litigation and settlements.

"Initially it doesn't seem like it would be that difficult to obtain medical records for clients," said Schultz. "But, there are so many things to remember and sequences to go through that one little mistake can delay record retrieval significantly and delay litigation in important cases. This white paper walks legal professionals through the most critical and strategic steps to obtaining client medical records-and ultimately saves them time and costs."

The white paper outlines 14 strategic ways law firms can improve the medical record retrieval process, making it easier to build and win profitable cases.

Strategies and Best Practices in Medical Record Retrieval is available immediately at the MediConnect Global web site.

Download the White Paper NOW

Talk Back

Specialized Coaching: Your Account Manager

Did you know every person who orders records from MediConnect Global has an assigned Account Manager? Your account manager is available by calling 800-489-8549.

The MediConnect Account Management team is trained and experienced in many different legal practice areas and are focused exclusively on the business of medical record retrieval. Whether you obtain records for personal injury, medical malpractice, defective products or drugs, the account management team can give you coaching and advice from personal experience with proven processes that work.

MediConnect account managers are a valuable resource. We encourage you to stay in contact and if you need anything from ordering trends to retrieval status, custom reports, questions about methods of record delivery, understanding site provider fee thresholds, ways you can correspond directly with our call center on specific requests, and how to read our call center "in process" note give them a call - they are "standing by."

Talk Back

In This Issue

New White Paper

Account Manager Coaching

New Blog

Upcoming Events

Seminar & Ski Day

Legal Firm Saves Time & Money

Value of Value-Added Services

Partner Spotlight - Needles

Account Manager Spotlight

VIOXX Plaintiff Litigation

50% OFF

Standard Affidavit Certification

for VIOXX Records Requested Before March 1, 2008

Call your Account

Manager for Details

800.489.8549

Visit the New MediConnect BLOG

Recently, MediConnect launched a medical record retrieval blog (visit the blog now here).

The purpose of the blog is to take some of the mystery out of our processes, provide strategic litigation support for law firms using medical records, help increase new policies for insurers, and basically share our expertise and perspectives on what we feel can best help our clients.

Posts will be written by executives and staff members and will provide information, tips, techniques, and services. We encourage you and all our clients to add comments to provide fresh perspectives and further enrich information for all readers.

If you have suggestions for blog posts, or any other feedback, please Talk Back.

Upcoming EVENTS

Please visit us at an event near you to learn in person how medical record retrieval can benefit your firm. If you are already a client, please stop by so we can meet and thank you!

Click here for a complete list of upcoming events.

AAJ Winter Conference

January 26 - 29

San Juan, PR BOOTH 610

www.legaltechshow.com

Seminar & Ski Day

Chicago, IL BOOTH 116

www.abanet.org

ATLA - NJ Boardwalk Seminar

May 1 - 2

Atlantic City, NJ BOOTH 92

www.atlanj.org

Suggest a Conference or Tradeshow for MediConnect to Attend

Annual Winter Seminar & Ski Day

February 21 and 22, 2008 - Salt Lake City

MediConnect is pleased to offer a comprehensive seminar with customized break-out sessions designed to cover all aspects of medical record retrieval including best practices, proven strategies and an overview of the best way to utilize MediConnect's unique retrieval services.

The seminar and ski day is designed for attorneys and paralegals who use medical records for case reviews, trial preparation and litigation - not to mention also like to ski (or have always wanted to try).

$249 Registration Fee per person covers meals, seminar and meetings as well as a two-day ski pass and ski rental for Snowbird or Alta. For more information or to reserve your spot, contact Cherise Benson at 801.545.3741 or email ski2008@mediconnect.net.

Download Seminar PDF here.

Legal Firm Saves Time, Decreases Costs

Goodrich & Goodrich, P.C., a small personal injury law firm with a large reputation for quality legal expertise, had a costly issue - it was taking an inordinate amount of time and resources for its in-house staff to obtain medical records for its medical related cases.

The Pittsburgh, Penn. based law firm began using RapidRetrieve™ in July to streamline its resources, save time, and save costs in obtaining the hundreds of medical records needed for its personal injury cases each month.

"The medical records we use on a daily basis would literally take us from two to six months to get from healthcare providers on our own," Stephani Machen, paralegal at Goodrich & Goodrich. "It was necessary, but tedious work that distracted our staff from their primary responsibilities. MediConnect's system removes this burden, allowing us to receive a steady stream of digitized records, each usually coming in only two to four weeks after our order.

"We pass the fees of obtaining medical records on to our clients' cases," said Machen. "We would normally have to spend a lot of time cutting hundreds of checks to medical providers. Now we just pay MediConnect once for all of the invoices, and then we associate the itemized bill to the right cases. It makes it a lot easier to code and keep a running tab of all our costs and case expenses."

The Value of Value-Added Services

MediConnect Global is well known for its many medical record retrieval services, which are designed to make life easier and litigation prep faster.

Listed below are a few of those services. Please contact your account manager for more information on how to use and/or order them.

Affidavit/Certification. MediConnect can obtain signature affidavits and certifications in medical records cases that require provider certification of a complete patient record released to MediConnect.

Bates/Page Stamping. Customized Bates/Page Stamping allows you to Bate stamp your medical records for easy systematic reference in your cases.

Indexing. Indexing relieves your staff of essential, but often tedious, manual organizational work. MediConnect's indexing service separates and labels all sections of a medical record by category and chronological sequence. For example, sections could include admission, diagnostic testing, fetal monitor strips, MRI reports, pathology reports, laboratory, etc. The indexing service includes a hyperlinked table of contents.

Searchable Text. MediConnect converts scanned images of records into searchable text using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology. You can use Adobe Acrobat reader to rapidly search scanned records to quickly find key information.

Talk Back

Partner Spotlight: Needles

Needles and MediConnect have been integration partners since 2000 and together have seamlessly integrated MediConnect's patented medical record retrieval process into the Needles case management software.

Medical record retrieval has never been so easy. With just a click of a button record requests are sent to MediConnect. When the records have been retrieved by MediConnect they are sent directly to the Needles case management software and associated with the respective Case.

Needles software is 90% customizable and easily adapts to a firm's unique processes and work flow. Needles is proven to provide the ability to increase caseload without increasing staff, manage deadlines, track Statutes of Limitations, check for conflicts, share case information, increase productivity, improve client relations and reduce malpractice claims.

To learn more about the MediConnect / Needles value proposition click here.

Talk Back

Account Manager Spotlight: Sabrina Pearson

Legal Team Account Manager

Sabrina Pearson is a Senior Account Manager on MediConnect's legal Account Management team. She has been at MediConnect since 2006 and is responsible for managing key legal accounts including insurance property and casualty.

Sabrina brings to MediConnect previous experience as a legal assistant and as a paralegal which helps her provide added insight and expertise in medical record retrieval stratagies and successful best practices.

Tobacco litigation, Vioxx Class Action, Product Liability, Personal Injury and various Mass Tort cases are some of the practice areas that Sabrina helps legal clients with daily. Sabrina and the rest of the Account Management team are dedicated to providing you with the best service possible and ensuring that MediConnect exceeds your expectations.