After Merger, Ohio Ambulance Service Consolidates Billing Offices in 30 Days With ZOLL Data Systems/ZirMed Solution

LOUISVILLE, KY and BROOMFIELD, CO, Jan 13 (MARKET
WIRE) --
Not long ago, Pickaway Plains Ambulance Service faced an urgent care
situation of its own: seamlessly incorporating the business operations of
Health Pro Ambulance, a company it acquired in one of the largest
ambulance service mergers ever in the state of Ohio.

The challenge was significant. The combined firms would operate 38
ambulances and 20 wheelchair vehicles from four stations across
south-central Ohio, with a total service run of 65,000 transports per
year. Pickaway Plains, a family-owned operation founded in 1989, was well
known for its reliability and performance; it was concerned that the new
company, one-third larger and employing over 200 people, would be as
efficient as before.

"While we had already been using an automated business management system
for about three years, Health Pro was still doing everything by paper,"
said Sherri Cook, director of operations for Pickaway Plains. "Our goal
was to consolidate all our dispatch, scheduling, planning and billing at
our Circleville headquarters. We would be going from three billing offices
to one."

Cook was confident that the company's automated systems could handle the
increased workload. In April 2005 it had chosen ZOLL Data Systems'
RescueNet information management system, a fully integrated solution. As
for its claims clearinghouse, Pickaway Plains selected ZirMed, a leading
revenue cycle management provider. "We decided on ZirMed due to the user
friendliness and the fact that it had every one of our payers in its
system," Cook explained.

RescueNet and ZirMed combine to create an end-to-end business solution
that allows fire, EMS, air rescue and ambulance services to operate with
significantly increased efficiency and profitability. From dispatch,
real-time GPS vehicle mapping and crew/equipment scheduling to insurance
claims submission, electronic remittance and more, the two systems offer a
fully integrated, best-in-class management platform.

"Once we received state approval for our merger, we moved quickly to
integrate Health Pro and Pickaway Plains. The power of ZirMed and
RescueNet really showed at this point. In less than 30 days we had our
systems combined and our dispatch and billing people fully trained. It was
easier than we could have hoped," Cook stated.

Ease of use, however, was just one of the advantages the new Pickaway
Plains-Health Pro Ambulance experienced. "Paper-based claim submissions
don't give you a way to determine if a claim meets all the qualifications
of the insurance company. You might send in a claim and wait for 30 to 60
days, only to be told that a diagnosis code isn't valid," said Cook. "With
ZirMed we see rejections within 24 hours. The error message -- written in
English! -- allows us to fix the problem and resend the claim."

Cook also commented that ZirMed allows her billing staff to analyze claim
rejections in order to uncover common mistakes. "We can not only train our
staff to overcome common errors, but also point out how much money is at
stake. When you can tell billing clerks that 27 rejections in the past
month have delayed $30,000 in income, it gets their attention."

RescueNet has shown its own benefits. When dispatch receives a call, a
billing record is automatically created that remains consistent all the
way through billing in ZirMed. By comparing the automated record with the
crews' completed trip sheets, management can determine which crews are
behind in their submissions.

"Before RescueNet was rolled out, we had over 3,000 outstanding trip
sheets. Now we have less than 200 at any given time," Cook stated.
"Nearly every part of our operations has become more efficient with ZirMed
and RescueNet. As you can see, I'm a big fan of both services."

About ZirMed:

Founded in 1999, ZirMed is a nationally recognized leader in delivering
revenue cycle management solutions to healthcare providers. ZirMed enables
healthcare providers to leverage the power of technology to cure
administrative burdens and increase cash flow. ZirMed solutions include
eligibility verification, credit/debit card processing, check processing,
claims management, coding compliancy and reimbursement management,
electronic remittance advice, patient statements, patient e-commerce
solutions, provider credentialing, and lock box services. ZirMed solutions
are designed to complement provider workflow and to provide innovative,
creative and flexible solutions for healthcare's most pressing
administrative challenges. For more information about ZirMed, visit
www.zirmed.com.

About ZOLL Data Systems:

ZOLL Data Systems, Inc. (ZDS) of Broomfield, Colorado develops, markets,
and sells the RescueNet(R) suite -- computer-aided dispatch, billing,
field data collection, crew scheduling, records management, and mobile
data software for the fire and emergency medical services (EMS) market.
RescueNet is the only fully integrated information management system that
allows fire and EMS organizations to manage critical information for
maximum performance. ZDS is a wholly owned subsidiary of ZOLL Medical
Corporation. For more information, visit www.zolldata.com.

ZIRMED CONTACT:
Jim Lacy
CFO
ZirMed
502.779.4302
Email Contact

MEDIA CONTACT:
Bret Coons
S&S Public Relations
847-415-9316
Email Contact

ZOLL DATA CONTACT:
Deborah McLain
ZOLL Data Systems
(303) 801-1706
Email Contact

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