July 28, 2010 - ApolloMD held its first People Power Day on July 24, 2010. A group of thirty employees, friends, and family member gathered at MedShare in Decatur, Georgia to sort and package medical supplies for international relief.

Read more about ApolloMD's experience at MedShare

April 23, 2010 - ApolloMD is excited to announce that the group has been named a Pacesetter by the Atlanta Business Chronicle.  The award recognizes private companies headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia who achieved more than 50% growth during 2008 and 2009.  The fifty finalists were evaluated according to a growth index formula, taking into account revenue increase, headcount, and average revenue index scores.  ApolloMD was ranked twelfth, up one spot from thirteenth in 2009. 

“We are honored to be recognized as one of Atlanta’s top private companies.  In these difficult times, ApolloMD has maintained strong growth due largely to our efficiency-based physician compensation model,” said Chris Krubert, ApolloMD CEO.  “By helping hospitals to “do more with less” we have managed to expand our client base as health-care facilities across the nation strive to increase efficiency and sustainability.” 

Last year, ApolloMD expanded its service offerings to include Radiology, bringing the group to a three-specialty practice.  Currently the group partners with hospitals and health systems in thirteen states to provide Emergency Medicine, Anesthesia, and Radiology Services, and the team looks forward to continued growth throughout 2010.

March 15, 2010 - Today the Georgia Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the emergency treatment liability provisions in the state’s 2005 tort reform legislation.  The law, known as the ER Statute, was passed as a part of the General Assembly’s 2005 tort reform package and increased malpractice protection for emergency providers. The statute was upheld through a 4-3 vote on Monday in Gliemmo v. Cousineau.

The law recognizes the difficulty of hospitals and emergency physicians in treating patients in the trauma setting with limited information, incomplete patient history, and other complicating factors.  The statute provides increased liability protections so that a lawsuit can only be brought against a provider of emergency medicine when the claimant can prove by clear and convincing evidence that gross negligence caused the alleged harm. 

Senate Bill 3, which included the ER Statute, was authored by Sen. Preston Smith who joined ApolloMD in 2008 to manage the ValorMD professional liability insurance division and provide counsel for risk management, claims, and quality improvement for its insured physicians.  In 2010, the Georgia Society for Ambulatory Surgery Centers (GSASC) named Smith Legislator of the Year as a result of his patient advocacy and numerous healthcare reforms.

  "In upholding the ER Statute, the Supreme Court stood up for Georgia’s emergency providers and affirmed the difficult work performed every day in our trauma centers and emergency departments," says Sen. Smith. "This is very good news for patients, hospitals, and physicians and providers of emergency care throughout Georgia."

Read the Full Article from Insurance Journal

March 5, 2010 - The Georgia Society of Ambulatory Surgery Centers (GSASC) has named Sen. Prestor Smith (R-Rome) Legislator of the Year for his outstanding patient advocacy and work to reform Georgia's healthcare system.

Sen. Smith joined ApolloMD in 2008 as Senior Vice President of ApolloMD affiliate ValorMD, a leading provider of professional liability insurance. As Senior Vice President, Smith is responsible for overseeing ValorMD operations and providing counsel for risk management, claims and quality improvement for its insured physicians. In addition to his work for ValorMD, Smith serves as a State Senator in the Georgia General Assembly where he is Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee as well as a member of Appropriations, Health and Human Services and other influential committees.

Sen. Smith's contributions to healthcare reform are numerous. In 2005, Sen. Smith was the chief sponsor and principal author of the statewide reforms to Georgia's medical liability laws. Designated as the first act of the 2005 legislative session, Governor Perdue signed the bill into law with Sen. Smith at Atlanta's Northside Hospital in February of that year. The sweeping reforms to Georgia's medical liability laws have been the single biggest factor in the increased availability and affordability of healthcare in the state. Since its passage, Georgia has seen an increase in market competition for professional liability insurance, driving down the physicians' cost of insurance resulting in a greater number of doctors staying in Georgia at lower costs to patient care.

“Health care and health insurance must become more consumer-driven if we want to bring down costs and improve patient care,” said Smith.  “My goal is to pass legislation that reforms Georgia’s health care system so that at the end of the 2010 Legislative Session, we have the tools to expand access to affordable health care that encourage more options in the market."

Since the 2005 reforms, Sen. Smith has introduced extensive health care reform legislation that addresses all aspects of current health care challenges. He hopes to establish legislative oversight of CMO and Medicaid in order to optimize the services provided by Medicaid and PeachCare, Georgia's program for uninsured children. Smith's proposed plan promotes legislative measures to boost competition among health insurance providers and to require transparency regarding health insurance claims. In addition, Smith aims to extend health care coverage to dependents up to the age 25 and improve access to affordable group health plans for small businesses.

Read the Full Press Release from SenatePress.Net

January 20, 2010 - In the wake of the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti, ApolloMD physicians have sprung into action and are among the American volunteers traveling to Port-au-Prince to offer aid. With the capital city demolished, including the collapse of several major hospitals, international aid is crucial, and ApolloMD physicians are committed to doing everything they can to help.

Click here to read more about ApolloMD physicians' involvement in Haiti relief efforts

January 19, 2010 - After being named regional Entrepreneurs of the Year by Ernst & Young in 2009, ApolloMD CEO Dr. Chris Krubert and President Chris Durham attended the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum in Palm Springs, California.  At the forum, entrepreneurs and leaders of growing companies from around the nation gathered to share innovations and strategies for not only making ends meet, but growing companies, during tough economic times. 

While in Palm Springs, Krubert and Durham were asked to sit down with Ernst & Young’s Tanya Valle to discuss ApolloMD’s business model, plans for growth in 2010, and strategies for satisfying the ever-changing demands of a challenging healthcare marketplace. Krubert and Durham emphasize that ApolloMD’s success is due to the organization’s focus on an efficiency-based business model.  In a healthcare marketplace where cost has suddenly become not only relevant, but crucial, ApolloMD offers a high quality service with relatively low cost, due to the group’s economies of scale and lean operations. 

Watch the full interview from Ernst & Young

August 12, 2009 - ApolloMD is excited to announce that Mylissa Graber, MD, Vice President of Clinical Operations in Florida, has been elected to serve as 2009 – 2010 President for The Florida College of Emergency Physicians (FCEP).

“Mylissa will bring much to our specialty with her energy, ideas, and professionalism,” said ApolloMD CEO Chris Krubert.  “We congratulate her on her new very important and impressive role.” 

Dr. Graber joined ApolloMD in 2007, when ApolloMD partnered with Tenet Healthcare to run six of their EDs in South Florida. In addition to her role as Vice President, Clinical Operations, Dr. Graber serves as Emergency Department Medical Director at Good Samaritan Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Read the full press release from Florida College of Emergency Physicians

ATLANTA, Georgia, June 26, 2009 – ApolloMD Incorporated, a leader in the field of clinical outsourcing, announced today that Christopher Durham, Esq., ApolloMD President and Founder and Christopher Krubert, MD, Chief Executive Officer of ApolloMD, were awarded the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) 2009 Award in the Health Sciences category in the Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee regions.

According to Ernst & Young, the award, which celebrates its 23rd anniversary this year, was created to honor leaders and visionaries who create, build, and grow market-leading, dynamic businesses.  Durham and Krubert were selected by an independent panel of judges, and the award was presented at a gala event at the InterContinental Hotel Buckhead in Atlanta on June 25, 2009.

“I am honored to receive the Entrepreneur of the Year award along with Dr. Krubert and to share this honor with ApolloMD’s corporate team, physicians, and midlevel providers,” said Christopher Durham.  “The group has certainly come a long way from a single Emergency Medicine contract in Cobb County over a decade ago; each team member has had a hand in our journey to becoming the fourth largest, and fastest growing company in the industry.”

Dr. Christopher Krubert remarked, “ApolloMD’s growth and success are attributed to a highly efficient and cost effective operating model.  Due to our lean structure, we are poised to be at the forefront of controlling healthcare costs.  In these difficult times for Americans, ApolloMD, thanks to our dedicated team of physicians and our outstanding hospital partners, remains committed to providing top quality care at a reasonable cost.”

As recipients of the Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee region award, Durham and Krubert are now eligible for consideration for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) 2009 Award national program.  Winners will be announced at the annual awards gala, to be held in Palm Springs, California on November 14, 2009. 

About Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) Awards Program
Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) Award is the world's most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The award makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) award celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 135 cities in 50 countries.

About ApolloMD
ApolloMD is a physician-owned and operated multispecialty group based in Atlanta, Georgia.  Specializing in larger volume facilities, ApolloMD provides emergency medicine, anesthesia, and radiology services to hospitals, teaching facilities, and top tier health systems nationwide.  Each department under contract has experienced increased success through the use of the ApolloMD model.  With our core group of over 750 Medical Directors, Board Certified Physicians and Mid-Level Practitioners, ApolloMD joins forces with hospitals every day, treating more than 2,500,000 patients per year while managing patient volume, streamlining throughput time, and deepening customer satisfaction.

(Atlanta, GA) February 9, 2009 - ApolloMD is excited to announce the implementation of Anoto Forms Solution digital pen and paper technology within the emergency department of Baptist Pensacola Hospital, winner of the 2003 Malcolm Baldrige Award.

Constantly seeking ways to increase efficiency in our partner EDs, ApolloMD had searched for an accurate, efficient alternative to traditional paper and EMR charting systems, both of which can be detrimental to physician productivity. We found just that with Anoto Forms Solution's digital pen. With Anoto's technology, handwritten text and drawings are digitally captured, transferred and processed - all through the pen and paper chart process that physicians are accustomed to. As a physician fills out a chart, the data are captured and immediately available in the computer system. In addition to near 100% accuracy, the time savings are monumental, as the information no longer needs to be manually entered in the computer. Anoto technology allows ApolloMD physicians to quickly and cost effectively document cases, protecting patient information while refining the chart flow process.

"The key to the success of ApolloMD is our commitment to clinical quality and patient satisfaction," said Daniel Bassett, ApolloMD CTO. "Anoto has allowed us to add digital pen and paper technology, resulting in much higher efficiency and throughput levels for our physicians compared to a traditional Electronic Medical Records system. With the renewed focus on reducing health care cost, the Anoto pen solution provides a cost effective way to digitize medical records while maintaining physician efficiency."

Anoto's digital pen is one of the many value-added services ApolloMD provides to our partner hospitals. We are excited about the improvements in efficiency it can bring to the ED and are currently in the process of implementing it at several of our other client facilities.

(ATLANTA, GA) September 1, 2008 - ApolloMD is excited to announce that Senator Preston Smith (R-52) has been appointed Senior Vice President to head the operations of ApolloMD affiliate ValorMD, a leading provider of professional liability insurance, effective immediately.

Prior to joining ValorMD, Sen. Smith served as a partner with the Rome, Georgia law firm of Cox Byington, P.C. He has practiced in an array of healthcare related areas including healthcare law, medical malpractice defense, litigation, and physician practice contracts and business organization. In addition to leading ValorMD, Sen. Smith will continue to serve as State Senator in the Georgia General Assembly, representing Northwest Georgia's 52nd District. Currently entering into his fourth legislative term, Sen. Smith serves as the Chairman of the Senate judiciary committee. He also serves on the appropriations committee and health and human services committee.

"We are thrilled to have Preston join ValorMD," says ApolloMD CEO Dr. Chris Krubert. "We formed ValorMD to combat the skyrocketing insurance rates being given for high-risk specialties like emergency medicine. Preston's track record speaks highly to his commitment to improving patient care in Georgia by bettering the availability and affordability of healthcare in the state. His experience and expertise coincide quite well with the underlying mission of ValorMDs, and we are honored to have him join our team."

Sen. Smith's contributions to healthcare reform are numerous. In 2005, Sen. Smith was the chief sponsor and principal author of the statewide reforms to Georgia's medical liability laws. Designated as the first act of the 2005 legislative session, Governor Perdue signed the bill into law with Sen. Smith at Atlanta's Northside Hospital in February of that year. The sweeping reforms to Georgia's medical liability laws have been the single biggest factor in the increased availability and affordability of healthcare in the state. Since its passage, Georgia has seen an increase in market competition for professional liability insurance, driving down the physicians' cost of insurance resulting in a greater number of doctors staying in Georgia at lower costs to patient care.

ATLANTA, GA - (January 4, 2008) - ApolloMD is proud to announce that Press Ganey has awarded two of its three prestigious Compass Awards in the category of Emergency Department - More Than 30,000 Visits Annually to ApolloMD Emergency Departments. The Compass Award acknowledges health care facilities whose satisfaction scores have shown the greatest improvement over the past two years. The ApolloMD 2008 Compass recipients include West Georgia Health System in LaGrange, GA and WellStar Douglas Hospital in Douglas, GA.

Additionally, for the second consecutive year, Press Ganey awarded ApolloMD Emergency Department at Baptist Gulf Breeze Hospital in Gulf Breeze, FL the coveted Summit Award, which recognizes hospitals that have ranked in the 95th percentile or above in the Press Ganey database for a minimum of three consecutive years.

CORAL SPRINGS, FL - (September 12, 2007) - ApolloMD has signed a Letter of Intent to provide board-certified emergency department physicians, ER staffing and management services to six Tenet hospitals in South Florida.

Effective September 1, 2007, ApolloMD is the sole staffing and management services provider for the emergency centers at St. Mary's Medical Center and Good Samaritan Medical Centers in West Palm Beach and Palmetto General Hospital in Hialeah. On October 1, 2007, the remaining hospitals will transition that include West Boca Medical Center in Boca Raton, Hialeah Hospital in Hialeah and Coral Gables Hospital in Coral Gables.

"Partnering with a highly reputable system such as Tenet was a key factor in coming to South Florida," said Christopher Krubert, Chief Executive Officer of ApolloMD. "We are thrilled to be serving the respective communities assisting Tenet in providing the best possible emergency care to the citizens of South Florida."

August 15, 2007 - ApolloMD has formed a strategic alliance with The Doug Williams Group, a Miami-based management consulting firm whose focus is to help companies achieve tangible outcomes through practical tools and strong implementation assistance. Founded on integrity, the firm's first priority is to exceed clients' expectations with responsive, personalized service.

The Doug Williams Group's extensive list of services include:

Assessments and Surveys

Continuous improvement through unique, customized survey and reporting tools, coupled with facilitated performance improvement working sessions. Educational Programs Improved job skills through interactive, outcome-oriented workshops, coupled with individual coaching.

Human Resources

Effective talent selection, performance management, and H.R. policy administration through stand-alone or fully integrated, outsourced solutions. Individual and Team Coaching Strengthened leadership skills for individuals and teams through encouraging and objective assistance.

Leadership Team Facilitation

Clearer direction through a system of customer-driven goals, statistics-based performance measures, and prioritized improvement initiatives.

Performance Improvement Team Facilitation

Tangible results through structured methods for process analysis, measurement of process performance, identification of problems, and implementation of impactful improvement action steps.

www.thedougwilliamsgroup.com

August 2, 2007 - The Atlanta Business Chronicle has named ApolloMD #2 in the category of the top ten Physician Group Practices, second only to The Emory Clinic.

In the past eight months, ApolloMD has experienced a growth rate of 60%, partnering with 18 facilities and recruiting more than 150 new physician partners. As our reputation as a top-quality provider has grown, ApolloMD has opened new offices in North Carolina and South Florida, and our services have expanded to include Anesthesia.

Throughout this period of remarkable growth, we have continued to provide premium services to each of our partner hospitals, maintaining our commitment to top quality and patient satisfaction and operating under a lean structure which has allowed us to remain debt-free. Our impressive size, stability, and service have rendered ApolloMD one of the Top Physician Group Practices in Atlanta.

Seth Glickman, MD, MBA

Named Scientific Consultant on Clinical Quality for ApolloMD
July 2, 2007 - Dr. Glickman will serve as ApolloMD's Scientific Consultant on Clinical Quality effective immediately. In this role, he will be responsible for designing and directing studies on quality of patient care in the emergency department. This work will assist the development of new systems for delivering the highest quality of care for patients at ApolloMD's client hospitals.

A graduate of University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Dr. Glickman trained in Emergency Medicine at The University of Chicago and holds an MBA from Duke's Fuqua Business School. He currently serves as an assistant professor at Duke University and will be leading the alliance between ApolloMD and the Duke Clinical Research Institute.

"We are very excited to have Seth join the ApolloMD team," said ApolloMD CEO Dr. Chris Krubert. "His knowledge and experience are a fine match for ApolloMD as we continue in our endeavors to further clinical quality across our 38 client hospitals."

Dr. Glickman's contributions to the area of clinical quality have been numerous. He has been the lead author in many prestigious peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of the American Medical Association and Science. His research on improving healthcare quality has been featured in the Wall St. Journal, Washington Post, Forbes magazine, and other prominent news publications.

Christopher Krubert, MD, MBA

Appointed Chief Executive Officer of ApolloMD
January 1, 2007 - Christopher Krubert, MD, MBA will serve as ApolloMD's Chief Executive Officer effective February 1, 2007. Dr. Krubert will succeed Dr. Gerald Bortolazzo, ApolloMD co-founder, who, after a thirty year career in Emergency Medicine, will now serve as the company's Chairman of the Board.

"Dr. Krubert is an excellent physician and leader with a proven track record of success," says Dr. Bortolazzo. "I am confident that he will continue to lead ApolloMD in its mission to provide affordable emergency care to all Americans."

Dr. Krubert joined ApolloMD in 2003 as a physician partner. In 2005, he was named Chief Development Officer, where he helped cultivate ApolloMD to one of largest emergency medicine groups in the southeast. Dr. Krubert received his MBA from the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business and attended the University of Chicago, where he received his MD and Emergency Medicine training. He lectures nationally on the areas of quality and leadership and is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at Duke University Medical Center, serves as an expert advisor for Urgent Matters, Heartscape Technologies, Radiant Ventures, and sits on the board for MedEx International.

April 4, 2006 - The Hospital of Choice Award is given annually to hospitals and other health care facilities that provide superior customer service to patients and their families. The AAHCP's stated goal is to help consumers make educated decisions about the quality of health care. Hospitals that receive this award exhibit high performance in patient satisfaction, professional ethics, standards of conduct, patient rights, performance improvement, staff development, systems of communication and patient education. This is the second time CMC-Union has received this award.

"All of us should be very proud to be honored alongside some of the nation's most prestigious healthcare facilities, such as Johns Hopkins University Hospital, Duke University Medical Center, and the Mayo Clinic," says John Roberts, president and chief executive officer of CMC - Union. "This award truly recognizes our commitment to service excellence and is a tribute to our excellent employees and physicians."

ApolloMD has been proud to provide Emergency Physicians Services to CMC - Union since January 1, 2006.

Pay for Performance in Emergency Medicine

Urgent Matters - April 2006
To gain perspective on the issue of Pay-for-Performance (P4P) in emergency departments, Urgent Matters spoke with Christopher Krubert, MD, MBA, a Physician Partner at ApolloMD. Dr. Krubert has extensive experience practicing in numerous emergency departments, as well as consulting in the area of clinical and operational quality, which allows him to bring a unique perspective to this concept.

ApolloMD has attained an exceptional level of achievement at Baptist Health Care of Pensacola, Florida and Gulf Breeze, as both hospitals consistently place in the top 10% nationwide in Press Ganey's patient satisfaction rankings for the ED. When comparing Baptist to hospitals of similar size, according to Press Ganey, they currently rank in the 95th percentile among hospitals with greater than 40,000 patient visits per year. Gulf Breeze has been especially impressive, scoring in the 99th percentile in five of six quarters with ApolloMD. Even more noteworthy is that in 2003, Baptist Hospital was the recipient of the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the highest honor an American business can receive for quality and performance excellence. Baptist was only the third health care organization to earn this esteemed award. ApolloMD has provided services as the hospitals for nearly two years under the direction of our medical director, Dr. Michael Dolister, and we will continue to seek improvement in quality patient care.