Chris Conway started Premium Asset Recovery Corp. (PARC) in 1997. The firm’s mission is to provide smart, profitable solutions with the highest level of customer service while respecting and maintaining excellent patient relationships. The firm focuses exclusively on healthcare debt buying and offers services nationwide. For more information on PARC, please click HERE.

Excerpts from a conversation with Chris Conway, CEO and Founder

Chris Conway has spent over 31 years in collections and receivables management, including 10 years as General Manager of a hospital-owned collection agency. Chris understands the intricacies involved with increasing recoveries while maintaining a high satisfaction level with senior executives, physicians and patients. Chris has run several private companies and sold one company to a publicly traded organization. Chris’s company provides liquidity at any stage in the accounts receivables lifecycle while primarily focusing on late-stage receivables.

Mr. Conway became involved in EDPMA when his company exhibited at two Solutions Summit conferences. He found the conference and exhibit hall attracted many senior level people in emergency medicine. Chris said the networking events with EDPMA, as compared with other associations in healthcare, were always topflight. Mr. Conway also attended several conference sessions (as exhibitors are welcome to attend the conference) and he found the content to be relevant, timely and focused on the needs of the ED practice. Plus, as the conference is a reasonable size, it’s easy to find people and continue important conversations.

Mr. Conway highlighted that EDPMA’s focus on state and federal advocacy and, in particular, taking into account the needs of independent practices, is a key reason why PARC became a member. Chris said that EDPMA “gives a voice and a presence to the small and mid-sized independent practices that he doesn’t see elsewhere.” Chris said that EDPMA “creates a coalition of like-minded professionals in advocacy.” He has found many of his clients are EDPMA members and that was another reason his company joined. He realized the importance of being “in the know” about what is happening in advocacy and what his clients (and prospects) are focusing on regarding the challenges faced on the legislative and regulatory front at both the state and federal levels. Mr. Conway said that “one of the challenges in emergency medicine is the increasing need for self-pay and the decrease in reimbursement.” He finds this troubling and is concerned about the long-term affordability and quality of healthcare.

Mr. Conway plans to exhibit again at the upcoming Solutions Summit from September 26-29 in Fort Worth, TX. He looks forward to reconnecting, in person, with colleagues, clients and prospects. And he knows the conference sessions will be timely and informative.

CompMed is a medical billing and practice management company founded in 1993. Mr. Stearns started the company with six employees focusing on one medical specialty. Almost 30 years later, it has over 200 employees, operates in almost every state and supports over 25 specialties. CompMed focuses on these core principles: hard work; providing quality education and training for employees, and maintaining cutting-edge technology and ongoing, face-to-face client engagement and communications. All of CompMed’s operations are based in the U.S. For more information, please click HERE.

Excerpts from a conversation with Mike Stearns, CPA, MBA, President and Owner

Mike Stearns has worked in healthcare for over 30 years. Early on, he worked for an anesthesiology group practice and quickly saw the opportunity for a billing and practice management firm working as a separate entity supporting independent group practices. Over time, Mike expanded the firm from one specialty to many, adding emergency medicine, hospitalists, geriatrician groups and more.

Mr. Stearns heard about EDPMA through a member at a healthcare event. He then took an interest in learning about the association and spent some time doing research. Mike decided to have his company join EPDMA last year and encouraged many of his employees, particularly the coding staff, to add their names (and emails) to EDPMA’s distribution list so they receive EDPMA’s weekly ED newsletter, monthly Advocacy and Membership newsletters, News and Action Alerts directly. (Direct employees are welcome to receive EDPMA’s benefits directly, there is no need to join separately.) This information enables many people in the company to stay on top of what is happening in emergency medicine and use this knowledge to help guide their clients.

Mr. Stearns is especially interested in the legislative and regulatory issues impacting emergency medicine at the state and federal levels. He knows that the providers expect them to know what is happening with current legislation, reimbursement changes and other issues. Mike said, “EDPMA is the best at providing information on key legislative and regulatory issues on emergency medicine.” And further, “EDPMA is unique in its ability to stay on top of the issues, to explain the issues clearly and provide tools to take action.” Mike said EDPMA’s focus on emergency medicine legislation and regulation was a key reason why his company joined the association.

Another important benefit in being a EDPMA member, according to Mr. Stearns, “is the networking opportunities, the chance to talk to potential clients, experts in the field and learn what is top-of-mind in emergency medicine.” As the owner and President, Mike enjoys talking with his clients, is accessible and wants to learn about their needs and concerns. While he looks forward to getting back to in-person events, he also said that the EDPMA webinars have provided information on “hot topics” and has found these to be a productive use of his time.