News flash: 'Great cash item, retention tool'

PALM CITY, Fla. - Connectyx CEO Ronn Schuman believes his company's upgraded MedFlash medical record storage system has "the sizzle" to cook up some major business for HME providers. Until recently, MedFlash was a simple flash drive (a device slightly smaller than a cigarette lighter) that contained a person's healthcare information (prescriptions and allergies, for example). The device, which caters to the baby boomers' desire to manage their own healthcare information, hangs on a keychain and the information can be downloaded to a computer in an emergency or during a routine doctor's visit. The upgrade enhances that device, which retails for $34.95, by creating an online portal where the person's health and wellness information is stored and easily retrieved by healthcare professionals. The flash drive now not only stores healthcare information but also acts as a launching tool for the online portal, which Schumann expected to be up and running by early April. "It's a great cash item and customer retention tool, and quite a few HMEs display it next to their cash register," Schumann said. "What you can do is this: If you sit down with your customer and spend 15 or 20 minutes to build their personal health profile (online), you'll make a customer for life, and you'll also find other healthcare opportunities that you may be able to help them with." In February, Connectyx signed an agreement with United Drugs, which now sells MedFlash in its more than 1,000 independent pharmacies nationally, and other deals are in the works, Schuman said. Invacare Supply Group (ISG) and Attentus Medical Sales (as of March 25, 2008) distribute MedFlash. Connectyx, which went public in March, also offers MRN Management, a product that helps providers eliminate denials and increase cash flow. HME