2003 and Beyond
It's that time of year again. Time to reflect back on the year, looking at accomplishments and challenges and to make a plan for the year to come. Overall, I am extremely pleased with what we have accomplished this year and the progress we have made. The few disappointments I have are associated with projects related to increasing client communication, which I had hoped to complete in '03. They are all in progress and I expect them to be completed in January. Every year there are surprise projects brought on by industry changes and new business opportunities that we cannot ignore or predict and must respond to. This year was no different. The Compulink Team continues to get stronger with the addition of some very good people and the continual growth of our existing team.
Okay! First things first - how well did we take care of our existing clients? Our average response time did creep up 15 minutes from last year, primarily due to the heavy Version 8.0 rollout in the first quarter and the issues and training involved with HIPAA changes regarding electronic claim filing this year. Although our response time is averaging about an hour these last few months, we still have more work ahead of us. Due to a number of issues outside of our control, we are still in the process of moving clients to Version 8.0 and not everyone is submitting ANSI compatible claims. Even with this small creep in response time, it was not necessary for us to extend anyone's support contract due to response times exceeding our guaranteed average support response; a guarantee which I believe is unmatched in the industry.
Our internal KnowledgeBase was launched on Memorial Day of this year when we upgraded our Client Advantage internal software. The KnowledgeBase continues to grow daily with answers and tips that allow our techs to better serve your technical support needs. Our Customer Care Managers, Therese Kotanian and Lorraine Yoro, agreed to take on the KnowledgeBase project and incorporate EMC Support into the Customer Care department . They now have a year of experience with issues related to direct and clearing house Electronic Claims submission. This year was at times extremely painful due to all the roadblocks and issues which accompanied the new HIPAA guidelines, but Therese and Lorraine are busy documenting all of this information for the benefit of their entire team and our clients.
 Early next year you will begin receiving automatic e-mail communications from our Customer Care team regarding your issue statuses and resolution. You will also be receiving automated fixes for bugs that you have reported or program enhancement requests that have been incorporated into the product. This project, originally slated for completion in 2003, is now targeted for January 2004.
The complete rewrite and redesign of our 8.0 On-Line Help Manual has been completed and all 8.0 clients will be receiving this Help file via CBSMAIL before the end of the year. Ellen Kessler, who has been with Compulink for 16 years, has painstakingly gone through all of the old documentation and update notes from previous versions and incorporated all of this information into our new HTML On-Line Manual. Feedback from the clients who have seen this at the Continuing Education Seminars has been great and I'm sure your business will benefit immensely from this new resource. Great Job, Ellen!
Hello DOS clients! I did not push the issue in 2003 due to extra work load from HIPAA on top of our 8.0 roll-out, but I believe the time has come to put the DOS product and any associated technical support to rest. We will be holding our current Windows upgrade pricing until January 31 st '04 after which the upgrade price will increase $500. As of May 31 st , '04 , support for any DOS version of Advantage will cease. Most of you have already upgraded but there are a few remaining stragglers out there. Our inside sales team will be contacting you within the next few months to provide you with the minimum hardware requirements and to discuss the costs of upgrading to Advantage for Windows. We will recommend an appropriate number of days of on-site training given the size of your business and your business objectives.
 Hats off to our Training manager, Sheila O'Kane, and her team for all of their efforts in 2003. The attendance at our Continuing Education Seminars for the year hit record highs as we expanded the number of meetings. In 2004, we plan on adding even more CES days to promote the usage of our Electronic Medical Records and Crystal Reports. The number of Internet training hours continues to increase each month through our Webex classes and our 1-on-1 Webex product training. Due to increase demand for our Internet training option, we are currently in the process of expanding our existing staff.
This year, the Training department has added a very successful On-Site Implementation option for new sales as well as for existing clients who want to take their business to the next level and better utilize our product and all of its functionality. More and more large clients are budgeting annual training days to insure they receive a few days of on-site training each year to stay current with product changes as well as educate new staff who might not have participated in the initial staff training. To meet this demand, we are also in the process of increasing our field training staff.
Sheila is currently working with our Marketing Department to create self running tutorials available as CD's designed to run on your desktop, or as a video streamed from our website . She is shooting for the 2 nd or 3 rd Quarter 2004 for having these tutorials available, further enhancing our training and continuing education choices for your business.
Wide Area Network usage continues to grow very rapidly as clients with multiple locations connect their offices together to better streamline their practice. With a Wide Area Network, you may utilize one table set and all the efficiencies of centralized recall, insurance billing, appointment scheduling, appointment reminders, etc. Cole Galbraith and his IT team are here to assist and/or guide your business as you step up to the convenient world of WAN. Please feel free to contact our IT department to answer any of your questions in this area.
 HIPAA compliant electronic claims was definitely the Hot Topic this year. We have converted approximately 70% of our direct EMC clients over to the ANSI format at this time. Many thanks to Scott Shaver , his EMC team and our Customer Care group for keeping us ahead of the practice management software pack and our competition. From what I understand, the industry as a whole is somewhere between 30-40% converted over to ANSI. The biggest obstacle for us has been working and/or waiting on the Medicare/Medicaid claim processors as they change their system over to ANSI and then having to train our existing client base on the new procedures and more stringent claim editing requirements. Next year, we will be adding a number of authorization and eligibility connections for those of you who want to be on the cutting edge
As for the Sales Department, this will be a very good growth year thanks to our inside and outside teams, led by Sondra Carrube and Darla Shewmaker respectively. We added approximately 200 more client sites, bringing us to about 3100 installations worldwide. Many thanks to all of you who took the time to field a call from a prospect or who opened up your offices to demonstrate how our product is helping your business run more efficiently. We could not have done it without you. With the release of our 8.0 version and the great reception it has been receiving from our client base, we are pleased to have several former clients back on board. Welcome back!
We have added a marketing person to the team, Deborah Schisler, to help with sales literature, demo CDs, web site design, newsletters, client communication, and continuing education material. Debbie served as Compulink's sales manager several years ago and was very successful. She understands our products and marketplace very well and has been a major contributor since her return. You will see more and more of her efforts as we complete the e-mail client communication functionality in January.
 So where is the product heading after the very successful release of 8.0?
• The next version, 8.1, has been in development for about four months with a Beta release date during the first quarter of next year. Version 8.1 will include a lot of development tool upgrades to enable us to stay current and utilize the latest and greatest tool sets available as needed.
• We are replacing all of our internal reports with reports created with Crystal Reports, probably the most popular report writing engine available. (See “The Frog Prints” article below) You will be able to use these reports as is or, should you want to customize them, you may purchase the Crystal Report design engine for a nominal fee. Once you have learned Crystal, you too can create your own reports.
• The ability to interface directly with a Credit Card reader/service
• An enhanced G.L. Interface will be available to provide more data to 3 rd party accounting packages.
• For our Ophthalmic clients, we will be incorporating the VSP/Eyefinity, Vision Web, and DVI interfaces.
• Right behind version 8.1, will be 8.2 where we will be focusing primarily on Electronic Medical Record enhancements. Better integration with drawing and imaging along with more sophisticated tools and more customization capability for screens. With the addition of “Smart Fields”, you will have user defined logic and/or actions associated with medical records fields to make the EMR documentation go even faster. Early next year, we will be distributing our EMR plans for 8.2 and soliciting feedback from everyone via e-mail so that we may take in all your concerns and good ideas. This product is scheduled to go to beta 2 nd quarter next year.
Internally a lot of groundwork has been done this year at Compulink to become more efficient and provide you a higher quality of service. Starting next month, communication will increase dramatically. It will provide issue accountability for both Compulink and our clients to insure we are all communicating on the same page. We are continually focused on increasing efficiencies to make each person at Compulink more productive, just as we do with all of our Advantage products. In this way, all parties win. This is a long term partnership and we must communicate accurately and efficiently for continued success.
2003 was a very good year. A lot of important steps have been taken to assure continued success and growth, and many are yet in progress. I am very excited about our 2004 plans for client communication and product enhancements. The Practice Management Software world continues to evolve as new options, needs, and requirements arise as do the development tools we use to satisfy and solve those needs. I am very fortunate to be working with a great group of dedicated individuals who are not only up to this challenge, but who make meeting that challenge enjoyable and exciting as well. As always, we appreciate your business and your referrals which help us grow, enabling us to provide a better product for everyone. I wish all of you a great holiday season and a Happy New Year. |
HIPAA UPDATE
 Compulink Advantage Version 8.0 is capable of generating claims in the HIPAA Compliant ANSI format. The transition to HIPAA Compliant ANSI claims involves a rigorous testing process, which leads to approval from the carrier indicating that they will accept claims in the compliant format.
As of September 23, 2003 , The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a contingency plan to accept noncompliant electronic claims after the October 16, 2003 compliance deadline. This contingency plan will permit CMS to continue to accept and process claims in the electronic formats now in use, giving providers additional time to complete the testing process without interrupting their cash flow.
If you are submitting direct EMC claims through Compulink, we are working closely with these carriers to facilitate the transition to HIPAA compliant claims. As Compulink gains approval from the carriers, we will be contacting your office to setup the HIPAA Compliant ANSI format. We have received approval from over 40 carriers, with more granting approval each day.
Compulink is also working closely with WebMd Envoy to minimize delays in your clearing house claim submission and report retrieval as WebMD translates your claim files to the HIPAA compliant ANSI format.
If you are currently using a third party to submit electronic claims you will continue to create the necessary text file within the Advantage Software and pass this to your third party carrier who will then be responsible for converting the text file to the needed HIPAA Compliant ANSI format. If you are interested in a direct EMC setup with Compulink or the WebMD Envoy clearing house alternative please contact your sales representative for a quote.
The goal of Compulink, CMS, WebMD Envoy and the carriers is for an orderly transition to the HIPAA Compliant ANSI format while minimizing the financial impact on your business during this transition.
For additional information regarding HIPAA visit www.cms.gov .
|
 THE FROG PRINTS
Once upon a time, oh, say 1985, a frog was born who loved to work. The frog worked very hard and helped more and more people to manage their practices. As time went on the frog got better and better at helping people, but there was still one problem. “I'm so ugly.”, thought the frog. Everything the frog printed out didn't look as nice as the frog thought it should. While the information was where it belonged, it just wasn't pretty.
“If only I looked better”, said the frog, “then I could help even more people, because some of them won't even look at my work once they see how ugly I am.” And so it went on for years, until finally, one version, the frog woke up and found a magic Crystal . “With this Crystal I will be beautiful.”, cried the frog. And so he was.
 As of version 8.1 Compulink has begun the move away from internally generated reports and has implemented the use of Crystal Decisions report writer. Once you have version 8.1, there is nothing for you to do to get the new reports. They are just there, with the ability to print to the screen, or to a printer of your choice, or to export in a number of different formats.
Over a period of time all outputs will move to this new format. This makes the frog even more powerful than before, because it means that if you purchase a copy of Crystal Reports, you will be able to create your own reports, or to use ours as a model for modification. Crystal Reports is the standard of the report writing world and there are a number of books and classes available all around the country that can help you to create your own reports. And while learning Crystal is not trivial, Compulink has made a large effort to simplify the report writing process, including some pre-processing for certain report types that makes getting the information you need much easier than accessing the tables directly.
The methods we use are fully documented in the 8.1 version and will guide you if you want to create your own reports. We do recommend though, that you initially check and see what has already been created. A lot of work has gone into the rewriting of the reports so that they are even more useful than before. You may find that there is no need to create your own.
So once again, the frog is working for you, but now, at last, the frog prints.
|
| VERSION 8.0 UPDATE
Has your office updated to Advantage Version 8.0? Your Customer Care Team has already updated many clients and looks forward to assisting your office with this update as well.
In order to make this update as seamless as possible for you and your office, we are requiring that your staff participate in a FREE internet-based overview of Windows Advantage Version 8.0. The overview will last approximately one (1) hour and will be conducted via WebEx, providing you the opportunity to see many of the new features while simultaneously teleconferencing with a Specialist to answer questions you might have.
Have you gone through a version update with Compulink in the past and thought “I wish I would have known this/that before I updated?” These sessions are designed to take the surprise element out of the update process, making the transition to Advantage Version 8.0 less disruptive to your practice.
The schedule for the WebEx Advantage 8.0 Overview can be found at http://www.compulink-software.com/customer_care/training-web-ex.htm . Locate the date and time that is best for your office and click to register. Once you have registered for a session you will receive a confirmation and connection instructions via e-mail. You are welcome to register for more than one session and everyone in your office is encouraged to participate. Please note that each session will be limited to 10 registrants, so register early as registration will be cutoff three (3) hours prior to the start of the class.
To make the most of the WebEx Advantage 8.0 Overview we recommend a high-speed internet connection. Clients on dial-up connections have found the delay between the teleconference and what they are seeing on the screen greatly reduces the effectiveness of the overview.
Once you have participated in the Advantage Version 8.0 Overview and your office is ready to update, please contact your Customer Care team to schedule an update appointment. We will not transmit the 8.0 update files to your CBSMAIL until a representative from your office has participated in the WebEx Advantage Version 8.0 Overview and an appointment has been scheduled with a Support Specialist.
Your Customer Care Team looks forward to assisting you with the update to Advantage Version 8.0.
NOTE: ADVANTAGE VERSION 8.0 IS NOT SUPPORTED IN WINDOWS 9X.
Already on Advantage Version 8.0? You are welcome to participate in additional WebEx Advantage 8.0 Overviews as a refresher now that you are up and running version 8.0. Click on the link above to see the current WebEx Advantage 8.0 Overview schedule and register for a session. |
TRAINING IN THE 21ST CENTURY
 Remember when your only choice for training was to have a trainer come on site for a day or two? All you wanted was for some one from Compulink to spend a few hours with your new employee, teaching them the basics of the Compulink System. Unfortunately you had to purchase a whole day of training because at one time, that was the ONLY option.
Remember when training your staff meant having to pay for air fare, hotels, rental cars and happy meals for the trainer, not to mention the training fee?
Remember the last time anyone in your office received training from a Compulink professional trainer?
Have I got good news for you! Training in the 21st Century means that you have numerous affordable options for staff software training.
Advancements in technology have given us tools that enable us to offer cost effective educational opportunities like never before. With high-speed Internet connections and web based conferencing advancements, you can experience interactive software education without ever leaving your desk. Actually… if you are so inclined you can train without ever leaving home, while sitting in your jammies!
Here's how you can start taking advantage of all that is offered to you today .
 Go to www.compulink-software.com where it says, “What's New”. Click on the Internet training link. There you will find a list of classes offered each month. We are constantly updating this list so remember to check it often. To register, click on the class you wish to attend and fill out the registration information. Within minutes you will receive a confirmation of your registration via E-mail. Remember that you will need to have access to the Internet and the telephone at the same time during the class. These classes are best experienced if you have a high-speed Internet connection.
If you desire a private one-to-one approach you may purchase a block of Internet training time for $300.00 per 4-hour block. You may use this time in increments of no less than 1 hour at a time. During this time the trainer will be training you on your copy of the Compulink software. They will be able to simultaneously see what you are doing and then, if you wish, they will be able to take control of your computer and show you things as well. It's almost like magic. This is all done over a secure connection and is completely HIPPA compliant. To order a block or two for your office contact the Compulink training department at (800) 888-8075 or via e-mail training@compulink-software.com .
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TRAINING OVER THE INTERNET
You must register for a class no later than 3 hours prior to the start of the class.
To participate in full interactive training sessions, you must first setup the “Training Manager” on the computer you will be using during the training. This is a one-time, automated setup, which usually takes just a few minutes with a high-speed Internet connection. If you are using a dial up connection is can take several minutes and be very slow.
It is recommended that you setup the “Training Manager” prior to the day of your class. You may do this by going to https://compulink-softwaretraining.webex.com/ and clicking on “Set Up>Training Manager”.
When the time comes for your class you may use the link provided in your e-mail confirmation to access the class. It is best that you save your e-mail on your computer rather than print it out so that you can just click on the link provided. If you are going to type in the URL address remember that it must be entered exactly as show using upper and lowercase letters as indicated.
You may also access your class at https://compulink-softwaretraining.webex.com/ to locate your class. To join the class, just click on “Join Now”. (“Join Now” will not be displayed until the trainer has opened the class. This will be done about 5 minutes prior to the start time of the class. You may want to put this link in your favorites on your Internet browser for quicker access.
You will be asked for your registration ID and your e-mail address. Be sure to have this information ready.
Once you access the class on the Internet you will need to also access the telephone conference call. These instructions are provided in your confirmation e-mail as well as on a pop-up message that you will receive upon entering the class on the Internet.
Some firewalls may interfere with your ability to connect to the Training site. Check with your network administrator to insure your ability to connect to the training center. Compulink will not be able to assist you if your firewall is keeping you from connecting.
COMING SOON
Targeted for the end of March 2004 you will also be able to download recorded tutorials that you and your staff will be able to view over and over again in order to increase your knowledge of the Compulink System. More information on this will be sent to you via e-mail when they are released. Take a moment and contact Compulink to make sure we have your accurate e-mail address on file.
REGIONAL CONTINUING EDUCATION SEMINARS
At the beginning of the 2003 fiscal year we set a target goal to increase the number of continuing education seminars offered. By year-end we will have met that goal by having held thirty-two seminars as opposed to the eighteen held in 2002. The attendance has been great at all the seminars and the feedback has been very positive. I have been able to personally attend a number of these seminars and have enjoyed meeting many of you.
The most common request that I have received is to lengthen the seminars from a one-day to a two-day event. Your request has been heard. Next year some of the seminars will be offered as two-day events. You will be provided with an agenda as to what will be covered each day. You may choose to register for one or both days. You will be notified in advance of the seminars in your area via e-mail. Please make sure that Compulink has your current e-mail address on file so that you can receive these notifications and not miss the opportunity to participate.
I will soon be scheduling the seminars for next year. You will always be able to find a full schedule of seminars on our website www.compulink-software.com just click on the link for “Continuing Education” under the “What's New” section of the home page.
I am very excited about the direction that we are going in the area of client education, and look forward to another year of assisting you in your training needs. |
SYSTEM NETWORK PERFORMANCE
 Since the introduction of Advantage software version 8.0, the stability, reliability and performance of the network is more crucial than ever before. Today's sophisticated users are placing more and more demands on networks.
These networks deal with:
Graphics and Imaging
Large databases and File transfer
Client-Server computing
Heavy network traffic
Compulink's IT department is committed in assisting our client's with creating the most efficient Local and Wide Area networks possible. Such networks will increase productivity and minimize downtime which should translate to better consumer/client relations and profitability for our clients.
In this article we will explore some general guidelines and known issues related specifically to networking and Advantage software.
Accessing resources, running programs, and copying files are relatively straightforward tasks on a single computer. Local Area Networks (LANs) evolved to connecting Personal Computers (PCs) together, thus allow the sharing of such devices and information. Moving applications from central hosts such as mainframes to distributed servers, has generated new networking requirements.
The approach to computer communications in most organizations is changing rapidly in response to new technologies, evolving business requirements, and the need for "Instant" knowledge transfer.
Upgrade the network to 100mbps Network Cards, cables, and a switch
Don't scrimp on the network hardware. With the reduced costs of network cards, spending a few extra dollars per card and opting for the 100mbps flavor instead of the 10mbps version could mean a significant difference in the throughput of your network (10x), thus improving the response time of the Advantage software when accessing tables across the network. Additionally, if your network is using a simple hub, consider upgrading to a switch. A switch redirects packets directly to the correct recipient without broadcasting them to everyone on the network and clogging the pipes with unnecessary traffic -- traffic that reduces the available bandwidth for the real data that you are trying to pass across the network to the file server and back again.
For troubleshooting the network speed, launch the Advantage Software locally on the Server and check the performance. Timely response locally on the server and delayed response over the network could be an indication of network issues such as bottleneck or packet loss. There are many utilities on the market that can help you determine your network performance, and copying a large file across the network could also be a good place to start. Timing a “copy and paste” task over the network can reveal the true network speed.
Properly configure Anti-Virus software running on the workstation or file server
A virus detection software may cause processing delays if it is configured to check for changes to all files. This could include your database files, even though they are not really vehicles for viruses. If possible, configure such software to scan only executable files. To determine if your Anti-Virus software is contributing to performance issues, disable it temporarily and see if database performance improves.
Check the network cabling
Old networks connecting at 10 mbps and slower could still function when the cable ends (pin outs) are incorrect. For achieving the optimum network speed, use category 5 cabling and make sure your cable ends are correct. Switches do not function properly without correct cabling.
Do not use resource-intensive applications and screen savers on the file server
Be sure your file server is not running a resource-intensive application or screen saver. Whenever possible, choose "Blank Screen" as the screen saver on a file server. Using one of the more "active" screen savers can impede the performance of the server if its CPU time is being allocated to drawing images rather than file management.
Check the processor and memory in Windows Task Manager to determine which applications are using server resources. Copying the software to a workstation and successfully resolving the performance issue could indicate problems with the server processing or memory. Check Compulink's Multi-User Configuration Guide for the minimum system requirements to run Advantage software.
TCP/IP protocol
Compulink does not recommend using IPX or NetBUIE protocols. TCP/IP should be used wherever possible.
Known performance issues with Advantage software
When using Windows NT operating systems such as NT 4.0 Workstation/Server, 2000 and XP, Compulink's DOS Clipper application will spike the processor to 100%, causing performance issues. This is a Clipper application issue and is not limited to the Advantage DOS Software. Compulink does not recommend using NT operating Systems with the DOS application and suggests upgrading to the Windows version of Advantage software.
Wide Area Network (WAN)
Compulink Advantage Software requires Microsoft Windows 2000 Terminal Server Edition with Service Pack 4 to facilitate a remote connection. Recommended bandwidth per user (session) is 30 kbps for Terminal Server and 50 kbps for Citrix Metaframe. The general memory recommendation for servers running terminal services is a minimum of 128 MB of RAM, plus an extra 25 MB of memory per client session. These are only minimum system requirements . Enhancements to these requirements will boost performance depending on the number of workstations, overall system and network configuration. If in doubt, check with your Operating System documentation or computers systems consultant.
Compulink IT department is available to answer your questions regarding any network issues you might be experiencing. IT support staff can be reached between 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM PST at (800) 888-8075.
|
8.0 ONLINE MANUAL
 The 8.0 On-Line Manual has been over a year in the making and has been greatly anticipated by our clients. Some of you have had the opportunity to preview the manual at recent trade shows and regional Continuing Education Seminars so you know what an impact this tool will have on the overall product knowledge for your business.
The 8.0 On-Line Manual will prove to be a powerful tool in the day-to-day utilization of the software within your business. Every individual will have access to the Manual at their fingertips, providing them the information they need when they need it. The beauty of this tool is the ability to access the manual from anywhere within the software and be taken to the section that applies to that specific area. The contact sensitive help pointers necessary for this connection are in the final stages of integration with completion anticipated in the next couple of weeks. By the end of the month you can expect to receive a copy of the 8.0 On-Line Manual in your CBSMAIL. |
Back Row (L-R): Therese, Tim, Amal, Aaron, James, Charles, Steve, Dawn, Melissa, Denis
Front Row (L-R): Rachel, Stephanie, Lori, Yvette, Donna, Angie, Emma, Ann, Joy, Angelina
Not Pictured: Andy, Gina, John, Jose |
|
