American Ramp (amRAMP®) recently announced the opening of its Chicago operations. Under the leadership of Mike Cleary, a former executive at PepsiCo and Quaker Oats, American Ramp will provide Chicago-area residents, businesses, special event planners and healthcare providers with temporary and permanent ramps.

"I’ve seen first-hand the look of relief and joy on the faces of wheelchair-bound people who are able to move more freely simply because a ramp has been installed," said Mike Cleary, president, amRAMP Chicago. "Whether it’s installing a ramp for temporary use during recuperation from surgery or modifying a home so an elderly relative can live independently, ramps are becoming more and more relevant to our aging population."

As the U.S. population ages and the healthcare industry continues to improve patients’ chances for living longer, there is an increased need for products that can assist disabled persons in their daily lives. Consider:

• the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population is in the 85+ age group, according to a Harris Survey. In 1998, 1.8% of the population was over 85 years of age and it is projected that by 2010, 21.1% of the population will be over 85.
• About 50% of the over 85 population has substantial disabilities (e.g. such as being unable to climb stairs).
• There are 16.3 million people who are non-ambulatory in the U.S., according to the Wall Street Journal (2000).
• One in 200 people in the U.S. uses a wheelchair, according to the Boston Globe (June 2002).
• 32.5 million homes are owned by people over age 65.
• Eighty-six percent of persons age 65 or older who own a home feel they want to remain in their homes and never move, according to a NY Times survey.
• Only four percent of this population’s homes currently have ramps.

Prior to joining amRAMP, Cleary was vice president of purchasing at PepsiCo and Quaker Oats for 17 years. He has also worked as a commodity trader for Continental Grain Co. Cleary is a University of Illinois graduate.

Running a successful medical practice is a lot of work, and complying with the complex requirements of government agencies and the insurance industry makes it even more of a challenge. As medical professionals are asked to provide better documentation with limited resources, they need a system in place that can provide this information quickly, accurately and efficiently.

American Medical Software (AMS), headquartered in Edwardsville, IL, provides a number of products designed to help physicians streamline the financial aspects of their practices. Their Medical Management System provides the tools needed for doctors to track revenue, while their Electronic Patient Charts System ensures patients’ quality of care while also saving employees time pulling and re-filing charts. The Appointment Scheduling Module enables doctors to maximize patient loads, while improving efficiency and time management.

"Back in 1984, our president, W. David Scott, was a computer programmer designing customized programs for a variety of businesses," explained AMS Marketing Director Bob Bridgman about how the company got its start. "A physician approached him about writing a billing program to help him run his office more efficiently, and David realized that there was a big need for this type of product in the medical arena."

Since that time, AMS has helped hundreds of practices become more efficient. "What our products do primarily is eliminate duplication and a lot of human error, especially on the medical records side," said Bridgman. "It also saves employees a tremendous amount of time in pulling charts and re-filing, and in looking for charts that have been misfiled."

The software also provides for better tracking of patients, and ensures that insurance claims are filed in a timely manner. "Using the old way, physicians would send claims out, wait six weeks, and then have them returned because something was inaccurate. Then they’d have to resubmit them," said Bridgman. "Now, because everything is done electronically, claims bounce back immediately if they are inaccurate and the problem can be fixed right away."

The company’s three main products can be bought separately, or as an integrated system under the title Practice Management Plus. This AMS system also includes a Handheld Pocket PC Module that allows physicians to enter notes, write prescriptions, and create an electronic charge encounter from wherever they see a patient.

"I have used AMS software for more than 10 years, and their program is quite powerful," said Dr. Colathur Palani of Riverside, IL. "I have recommended the program to two of my colleagues in the Chicago area and they still use the software and are happy with it. Though I have mostly used the Medical Management System, I now have a palm PC and can’t wait to use the software for coding purposes."

Even more important to some clients than the software is the training that comes along with it. "We provide 90 days of technical support, and also assign a trainer specifically to each practice for web training," explained Bridgman. "During this training, we learn what makes each practice unique and tailor the product to meet their needs. We have a lot of ability to customize this software and to tweak it to do what they want it to do."

The company also provides clients on an annual support contract with any updates they need as changes are made in the medical field. "We stay up-to-date on changes in HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) regulations, Medicare requirements, etc.," said Bridgman. "As we get these changes from the government or other agencies, we incorporate them into the software and our clients can go out to the web site and download the updates."

All of the company’s software has built-in security to ensure patient confidentiality, and also has audit tracking in place so that owners can see who has been using the system and what files they have accessed. "If a patient wanted to know who was looking at his records, the audit trail would identify who accessed those records and why," said Bridgman.

Despite the large number of features each product offers, Bridgman says that AMS software is still affordable, especially for small clinic environments. "We feel that we are the best value on the market," he said. "When you look at the number of features, the ease of day-to-day use, the reliability and the level of reporting to track revenue sources, you can see that it’s more than a basic billing system. We have listened to our clients over the past 20 years and continually made the product better. And the level of support we offer gives them even more bang for their buck."

"It’s really rewarding for us to watch as the practices we serve grow and improve," he added. "We’re proud of what we do, and we take our clients seriously. We’re driven by their success."

Did you know that hearing loss is the third-most common chronic health condition after hypertension and arthritis? Most often people associate hearing loss only with old age but that is not always the case. In the U.S., it is estimated that more than 28 million people have hearing loss, and 65 percent of them are younger than 65. The breakdown by age shows that 18 percent of baby-boomers (ages 45-64) and 29 percent of people older than 65 have hearing loss. Approximately 6 million people aged 18-44 are affected. Another 2 million affected are children younger than 18. Hearing loss occurs in every age group.

Audiology Clinic Manager Carrie Cunniffe explains to a young client the results of a test that measures the effectiveness of her digital hearing aids.

"Hearing is essential for every aspect of human life" says Gloria Wong, audiologist at Chicago Hearing Society, a division of Anixter Center.

"An untreated hearing loss gradually erodes the quality of life," says Wong. "It affects family relationships, job or school performance, and socializing." Unfortunately, many adults suffer needlessly because their hearing loss is not identified. In fact, only 14 percent of physicians routinely screen for hearing loss. It is therefore realistic for people to assume that if they obtained a "clean bill of health" that it included hearing.

"Often the individual with hearing loss is the last to recognize his or her problem," Wong explains. Usually, others will notice it when often have to repeat what they have said because the person with hearing loss requests them to do so. Also, people with hearing loss often respond inappropriately when they can’t hear others, perhaps by losing their temper or becoming agitated. Often, an individual with normal hearing will notice that the TV is turned up quite loud or that his or her companion doesn’t hear well at the movies or follow conversations at social gatherings. In fact, says Wong, "These kinds of incidents often continue for years before any action is taken, in part, because people say, ‘my doctor would have told me if there was a problem.’"