CEO Answers Frequently Asked Questions

• Why was Best Vein Care created? As a cardiovascular surgeon since 1991, I became very familiar with the regulatory agencies related to the hospital setting. The Joint Commission and CMS have always been leaders in improving the quality of patient care and they have made a significant impact throughout the years. When I started my vein practice six years ago, I found that there were no standards applicable to the venous community and to the specialists who provide treatment for venous disease.

  Quality excellence was a non-negotiable aspect of my training at Mayo and I embraced the belief that every patient has the right to the highest quality of care. This philosophy naturally integrated into my cardiovascular and vein practice and eventually became the premise upon which Best Vein Care was created.

• Who are the founders of Best Vein Care and what is its corporate structure? Six physician colleagues, who share the philosophy that all patient’s have the right to the highest quality of care and who recognize the need for the establishment of standards in the venous community, were the founders of Best Vein Care and they have provided the financial resources to support its launch.

  To ensure that the purposes of Best Vein Care are fulfilled without influence from the governing board, two layers of protection have been threaded throughout the rating and recognition processes, which include the Advisory Board and the Physician Quality Committee.

  Founding Members

  C. Duane Randleman, Jr., MD, CEO	John K. Harlan, MD, CFO
  Stanley K. Lochridge, MD	John Richardson, MD
  John Casterline, MD	Parvez Sultan, MD

• Why for profit rather than not-for-profit? As with any new venture, capital investment is required. In determining the business model for Best Vein Care, we found that many organizations were born in a for profit environment.

  Dr. Ernest Codman, a Boston surgeon, began a journey to improve quality care in the hospital setting by opening the End Result Hospital in the early 1900’s. Dr. Codman’s core belief was that “a surgeon never really knows how poor a surgeon he is....the object of having standards is to be sure to raise them”. With this philosophy, Dr. Codman founded the American College of Surgeons, which later became the not-for-profit organization now known as The Joint Commission (JCAHO).

  A similar birth occurred in the early 1960’s with the American Group Practice Association, who in 1979 became the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). Founded by six members, that included the American Group Practice Association (Now the AMA.), the Federated Ambulatory Surgery Association (Now the ASC Foundation), the Group Health Association of American (Now the Medical Group Management Association) and the National Association of Community Health Centers, the AAAHC is a nationally recognized not-for-profit company promoting quality care in the ambulatory center environment.

  Because Best Vein Care operates in a for-profit environment, intentional mechanisms were established to ensure that the recognition process is conducted without financial influence. Any party having any financial interest, financial investment or monetary compensation is excluded from the selection process. Because of this intentional safeguard, recognition by Best Vein Care cannot be purchased and, ultimately, the value of our mission remains strong in a for-profit environment.

• How were the initiatives for establishing and elevating quality of care in the venous community formulated? From our foundational belief, we began to strategize about what we could do to improve quality through partnering with stakeholders (vein specialists), selecting priority areas, developing measures and collecting/analyzing data.

  The initiatives identified through this strategic process including the following:

  • * Support of Standard Measures
  • * Promote & Create Collaborations and Partnerships
  • * Provide Information for Patients to Assist Them in Making Choices
  • * Establish Standards
  • * Voluntary Participation in Following Regulatory Framework
  • * Recognition for Performance
• What is the role of the Advisory Board and who are its members? To promote our goals for quality improvement, we formed an independent Advisory Board composed of vein specialists from multi-disciplinary training backgrounds who practice in varying locations throughout the United States.

  Sharing a patient-centered philosophy and dedication to the venous community, this unique collaborative offers years of experience and expertise. Although their service is advisory in nature, they were instrumental in refining the quality criteria and vein-specific measurements, which ultimately established our Standards of Excellence.

  The members serving on the Advisory Board in this on-going capacity have been issued two shares of Best Vein Care stock for performing the functions associated with this role; however, they have no role in the evaluation or selection process.

  Advisory Members

  James D. Albert, MD	Albert Vein Institute	Colorado Springs, CO
  John A. Chuback, MD	Cosmetic Vein Center	Ridgewood, NJ
  Hurley W. Knott, MD	Physician Quality Advisor	CHS, Nashville, TN
  Michael P. Krusch, MD	Carolina Vein & Laser Specialists	Winston-Salem, NC
  Joseph Magnant, MD	Vein Specialists at Royal Palm	Fort Myers, FL
  Kenneth L. Todd, III, MD	Southeast Vein & Laser Center	Dothan, AL

  
  

  Administrative Members

  Stanley K. Lochridge, MD	Varicosity Vein Center	Birmingham, AL
  Duane Randleman, Jr., MD	CEO/Board Chairman (ex-officio)	Best Vein Care

• What is the role of the Physician Quality Committee and who are its members? The role of the Physician Quality Committee is to provide oversight of the recognition process through the review and confirmation of application results, which include the validation of a provider’s professional credentials (Phase I), the evaluation of the vein center’s self-assessment (Phase II) and the Site Visit and assignment of value points (Phase III).

  The results of the Center of Excellence Application are presented to the Physician Quality Committee for their review and recommendation (accountability and action). Because final approval for recognition rests with the Physician Quality Committee, a mechanism to ensure the purity of the process was intentionally implemented. Members of the Physician Quality Committee have no financial interest or investment in Best Vein Care nor do they receive monetary compensation for their service.

  The Physician Quality Committee is composed of well-respected physicians, who are actively practicing in the venous community and who participate in organizations committed to the advancement of the specialty, such as the American College of Phlebology, the American Venous Forum and the International Vein Congress.

  Members of the Physician Quality Committee Appointment Process Currently Underway

• What is Best Vein Care’s Mission & Vision? Our mission is to become the leading authoritative resource for evaluating vein centers & vein care physicians; thereby, providing an invaluable asset that will enable patients to make informed vein care choices.

  Best Vein Care’s vision is to:

  • * Enable patients to make informed choices regarding their healthcare by selecting vein specialists and vein centers that meet or exceed the Standards of Excellence.
    
    
  • * Provide an avenue for vein specialists to provide the highest achievable level of care, which are reflected within the quality standards established by a peer-based Advisory Board.
    
    
  • * Establish a Data Bank to empower Best Vein Care in such a way that, as an organized body, our strong position & patient result data will be used to negotiate pay for performance & improved reimbursement.
    
    
  • * Promote the sharing of information through a website which presents an educational forum for Patients & Referring Physicians.
    
    
  • * Provide a resource for reaching out to other providers in the medical community through a “Physician to Physician” link to increase the knowledge of the Primary Care Physicians.
    
    
  • * Be a valuable tool for educating referring physicians on the treatment of venous disease.
    
    
  • * Provide a remarkable venue for directing vein care patients to vein specialists.
    
    
• What are the costs of participating with Best Vein Care? There is a one-time charge for the verification and evaluation process, which consists of a $400 application fee and a $1,200 site visit fee.

   

• What value do I receive as a Best Vein Care participant? First and foremost, recognition as a Center of Excellence will differentiate you from all other vein specialists in your area.

  Best Vein Care offers the following for participating physicians:

  * Advertisement and promotion of your new distinction as a Center of Excellence to patients through your local newspaper and to referring physicians through an announcement letter from Best Vein Care. (Upon initial recognition and annually thereafter.)

  * A strong venue and excellent resource to build or sustain your practice by directing vein patients to you. (Patients may locate you in our dual listing under Vein Specialist and Vein Center.)

  * A unique registry that provides an invaluable educational resource drawing both patients and referring physicians to the site. (The average time a consumer is spending on the Best Vein Care website is eight minutes.)

  * A Best Vein Care Center of Excellence Award that you may display in your office for internal advertising and promotion. (Free-Standing Award)

  * The rights to a branded logo for external advertising and promotion of the services you provide in your community. (Our logo reflects a patient-focus philosophy and a commitment to quality excellence.)

  * A venous data bank based upon best practice that will collect and analyze data from Best Vein Care subscribers to improve care and position the venous community for the Pay-For-Performance initiatives. (Data bank coming soon.)

  * A positive networking environment for all vein specialists.

• What is the Physician Quality Committee

  The role of the Physician Quality Committee is to provide oversight of the recognition process through the review and confirmation of application results, which include the validation of a provider’s professional credentials (Phase I), the evaluation of the vein center’s self-assessment (Phase II) and the Site Visit and assignment of value points (Phase III).

  The results of the Center of Excellence Application are presented to the Physician Quality Committee for their review and recommendation (accountability and action). Because final approval for recognition rests with the Physician Quality Committee, a mechanism to ensure the purity of the process was intentionally implemented. Members of the Physician Quality Committee have no financial interest or investment in Best Vein Care nor do they receive monetary compensation for their service.

  The Physician Quality Committee is composed of well-respected physicians, who are actively practicing in the venous community and who participate in organizations committed to the advancement of the specialty, such as the American College of Phlebology, the American Venous Forum and the International Vein Congress.

  Members of the Physician Quality Committee, whose organization will be complete in January 2010, includes the following members:

  Clint Hayes, MD                        General Surgery                                    Denison, TX
  Julian Javier, MD                        Interventional Cardiology                      Naples, FL
  Andrew Jones, MD                        General Surgery                                 Bend, OR
  Edward Mackay, MD                        Vascular Surgery                            St. Petersburg, FL
  Constantino Pena, MD            Interventional Radiologist                        Miami, FL
  Steven Roth, MD                        Vascular Surgery                                  Evans, GA
  Thomas Wright, MD                        Internal Medicine                              St. Peters, MO