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The True Cost of Readiness

Emergency care is unlike any other form of medical care because of the responsibility to be prepared for the unknown at all times. Our freestanding emergency centers (FEC) must be ready for any injury or illness that comes through their door – something that requires a great deal of preparation and planning. This characteristic of emergency medical care may be undervalued and underappreciated by patients, because, often times, they do not understand all of the factors that are needed to provide emergency care.

So what does it take to provide emergency services? 

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Understanding Balance Billing

For too long Texas health insurance providers have controlled the healthcare narrative, attempting to vilify healthcare providers while they slowly reduce coverage for consumers and shrink their networks. On one issue in particular, predatory underpayment, health insurance providers have been unchecked by regulation, and Texas consumers are paying the price.

The term insurance providers like to use when referring to predatory underpayment is balance billing, which means passing along the difference between the total cost of care and what is covered by insurance to patients.

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Member Highlight: Dr. Richard Parker

Since childhood, I have always had a strong interest in the biological and life sciences. Due to personal experiences with several sports injuries as an adolescent, I developed a deep sense of compassion for the sick and injured, and greatly admire healthcare providers who dedicate their lives to caring for their patients. During my undergraduate studies at Brown University, I majored in Biology and knew that pursuing a career in medicine was the right choice.

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Sponsor Highlight: Presidio Health

The rapidly growing Freestanding Emergency Center and Urgent Care market demands a fresh approach to providing excellent patient care, and starts when your customer walks through the front door. Presidio understands this requirement for excellence and has built an integrated technology platform of services that manage each unique patient experience from arrival to final bill payment, including bed-side, mobile registration and discharge payment capture with convenient payment options from credit card, eCheck and financing, payment plan program options. In addition to our concierge patient services, our revenue management technologies and services dramatically improve clinical documentation, physician productivity and facility revenue capture. By maintaining a consistent “flow” of all revenue processes, we facilitate efficient and effective operations that maximize efficiency and profits.

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Sponsor Highlight: Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care

In response to the rapid growth of stand-alone emergency department (ED) services, the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care (SCPC) is now offering certification for Freestanding ED Cardiac Care to facilities that want to implement best practices of care and guidelines for the treatment of individuals who present with the signs and symptoms of heart attacks or other cardiovascular concerns.

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Member Highlight: Winnie King, MD, PhD

When I graduated from Hood College in Frederick, Maryland with a degree in psychology, I had no idea I would eventually become an emergency medicine physician. As a teenager, I developed an interest in how the mind operates and influences our body. It seemed a natural progression to pursue a post-graduate degree and become a psychotherapist. However, with urging from my parents, I took the MCAT and found myself in medical school with the revised plan to become a psychiatrist.

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Freestanding Emergency Centers: A Free-Market Solution to Emergency Healthcare Services

Freestanding emergency centers (FECs) could transform emergency healthcare services in the United States. Due to overcrowded waiting rooms, long wait times, inefficient processes and below-average customer service, emergency room visits are often unpleasant; however, with the use of FECs, that can change. State officials should consider this private-sector alternative to help resolve some of these widespread hospital emergency room inefficiencies.

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XtreMed Set to Dominate Medical Imaging Industry with Independent Bank’s Big Boost

HOUSTON – April 20, 2016 – XtreMed, a turnkey medical imaging provider, today announced a new financial relationship with Texas-based Independent Bank to expand its share in the freestanding emergency room market.

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Member Highlight: Dr. Nathaniel Greenwood

After spending four years fulfilling my commitment to the Navy on the island of Guam, it was time to head back to the states. I heard good things about the physician climate in Texas, so I started my job search here when I returned. I ended up taking a job in Abilene at an extremely busy and understaffed trauma center.

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Sponsor Highlight: Republic E.M.S.


Established in early 2008, Republic E.M.S. has become one of the most reliable, fastest growing, and highly sought after private ambulance services in Texas. We pride ourselves in being a premier ground ambulance service solely dedicated to catering to the needs of freestanding emergency centers throughout Texas and abroad.

Focusing on integrity and outstanding performance, each of our units are MICU-ready, equipped with state of the art diagnostic tools and highly-trained medics.

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Five Keys for Turning Risk and Insurance into a Growth Asset

By David G. Hampton

Trend setting Freestanding Emergency Centers have the opportunity to turn what is commonly thought of as an expense into a growth asset.

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TAFEC Membership Meeting Recap

Thank you to each TAFEC member who attended our most recent Membership Meeting, which took place on Wednesday, March 2, 2016 at the Hyatt Regency in Austin, Texas. Before kicking off the meeting, attendees enjoyed lunch on the Zilker Terrace at the hotel.

Topics covered during the TAFEC Membership Meeting included the following:

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Sponsor Highlight: XtreMed Enterprise

As an emergency doctor, your investment in the growth of FECs enabled you to escape the hospital emergency room’s bureaucratic red tape regime so you could freely practice your passion and take control of your career. The new-found freedom allowed you to perfect your profession while your patients benefit from your specialty.

At XtreMed, your RADIOLOGY NEEDS are our EMERGENCY and a turn-key project, free of headaches, is our specialty.

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Member Highlight: Dr. Jeff Thompson

I've been involved in Emergency Medicine since my 9-1-1 dispatcher days at Texas A&M. After residency I moved to Beaumont to work and helped start an independent ER physicians group in 2007. As a small group owner in Beaumont, I am always looking for growth avenues, but hospital options are somewhat limited.

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Sponsor Highlight: Lab SCS

Laboratory Consulting & Services

LabCheck is a full-service laboratory consultancy firm. We are a team of expert laboratory consultants bringing together over 30 years of clinical and research laboratory bench work, operations, management, and consultation, and over 7 years of direct laboratory work and consultation for and with Freestanding Emergency Centers (FEC).

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Sponsor Highlight: Intermedix

Intermedix is an organization that at its core exists to serve those who save lives. We first and foremost aim to optimize our partners’ operations and maximize their financial success so they can focus on delivering the highest quality of care.

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Member Highlight: Luis Chapa, Edward Wright, and Erasmo Adrian Reyes

Doctors Luis Chapa, Edward Wright, and Erasmo Adrian Reyes trained and completed their Emergency Medicine residency together at the Texas A&M Health Science Center Christus Spohn Emergency Medicine Residency program. After completing their training, these three physicians moved to the San Antonio area in 2010-2011 and began working side-by-side as staff physicians in several of the health systems throughout the city.

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FEC Physician Saves Man From Heart Attack on Flight

On Thursday, Nov. 12, Dr. Brent Wyatt, Medical Director of Complete Care’s Brooks City Base facility, helped to save a man who went into cardiac arrest on a flight from Orlando to San Antonio.

Dr. Wyatt and several other medical professionals were on the plane, returning home from a medical convention. An older man was late to the plane and rushed to board at the last minute, finding his seat a few rows behind Dr. Wyatt. Shortly thereafter, as the plane was taxiing to the runway for takeoff, the man slumped forward in his seat and was unresponsive.

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Member Highlight: John Hamilton


John B. Hamilton, MD, FACEP Premier ER Plus, Waco, Texas

Dr. John Hamilton completed his emergency medicine residency at Loma Linda University Medical Center and is board-certified in emergency medicine.

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Community Familiarization Tours: Amarillo

The Texas Association of Freestanding Emergency Centers (TAFEC) has launched a familiarization tour campaign to educate communities across the state. A familiarization tour is a visit inside an operational freestanding emergency center (FEC) to highlight the services provided at these facilities. The FEC industry is expanding rapidly across the state and our goal is to raise awareness about what freestanding emergency centers are, and how they can benefit the communities in which they operate.

Because the industry is so new, there exists confusion and misconceptions about freestanding emergency centers with the general public – most notably the way they differ from other emergency care options. We are focusing our efforts to educate communities across the state of Texas so citizens have a better understanding of the quality of care provided at FEC facilities and feel empowered to make the best decision regarding their emergency care.

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