Two Richmond-region companies -- Owens & Minor and McKesson Medical-Surgical Solutions – are leaders in the hospital supply-chain revolution, applying state-of-the-art information technologies and logistics methodologies to the management of hospital supplies. A newcomer, Agility Healthcare Solutions, is pioneering the application of RFID technology to health care logistics.

Another local company, Payerpath, is an industry leader in applying information technology to the medical billing process, stripping out much of the labor-intensive paperwork and cost associated with billings and insurance reimbursements.

Health Management Corporation, a developer of disease management programs, helps insurance plans manage chronic diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, diabetes, depression and low-back pain.

And, then, there’s MedVirginia, a provider-sponsored regional health information organization, that is launching a health information exchange. By allowing the players in the fragmented health care system share patient data, MedVirginia hopes to manage costs and improve safety. Consolidating medication histories from multiple sources, for instance, can reduce advertse drug events.

Other innovators include:

RxEOB, a company that sells its pharmacy benefits management database to health plans.

CyMed, Inc., a provider of high-quality medical transcription services.

Health Informatics, Inc., a provider of clinical software and outsourced billing services.

SMA Informatics, develops data and analytical software for the healthcare sector.

Why are so many innovations coming out of the Richmond area? The region has first-class hospitals, excellent physicians and a highly rated medical school, observes Gene Winter, senior vice president of the Greater Richmond Partnership, the region’s economic development organization. Combine that with a steady flow of health care professionals coming out of Virginia Commonwealth University and a vibrant information technology sector, he says, and you get the collision of ideas and perspectives that stimulate creativity.

-- March 31, 2005