Like many other companies, American Healthcare Outsourcing Alternatives provides revenue cycle management services such as insurance follow-up, self-pay customer service, bad debt collection and receivables management, but with a key difference: nearly half of AHOA's employees are U.S. veterans and family members.
Fred Landrum served in the United States Air Force from 1970 to 1974, in the midst of the Vietnam War. Following his discharge, he became involved in healthcare. In 2009, Mr. Landrum moved to Columbus, Ga., and founded AHOA with the goal of supporting veterans returning to civilian life. "It was hard to get started. We just started calling on healthcare providers," he said. "We started with an ER follow-up program at Columbus Regional Healthcare. From there, we expanded that relationship."
AHOA's training program is approved by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Qualified veterans are able to receive a monthly check while working through the training program. "It is there to soften the blow," says Mr. Landrum. "If you come out of service after eight years making $35,000 a year as a sniper, that doesn't translate into many civilian occupations at the same pay. We want to support them and give them a chance to get promoted within the company."
AHOA reached out to the U.S. Army post Fort Benning, located just outside Columbus, Ga. The company then began to work with U.S. Army MWR, which provides various programs and assistance for veterans and their families, and held job fairs aimed at veteran outreach and job placement.
For some, AHOA has been a stepping stone to another position, while others have remained and grown with the company. "In Columbus, there is a lot of competition. Many people have gotten their experience here and then moved on to larger organizations," said Mr. Landrum. On the other hand, AHOA's call center manager is an Iraqi war veteran, and she has been with the company for nearly four years.
AHOA began in Georgia, but has already grown nationally. The company works with physician practices from Georgia to Massachusetts, as well as a number of large health systems. AHOA recently began a relationship with a large teaching hospital in Florida that enthusiastically supports the mission of putting veterans to work.
"With the rise in deductibles and co-pays, more and more financial risk is being shifted to providers," said Mr. Landrum. "On top of that we have ICD-10. The rate of denials could double or triple." With this outlook for healthcare, Mr. Landrum expects AHOA will have significant opportunity for business and expansion. Self-pay collections, denial management and customer service support will be in high demand as healthcare works to adjust to the changing payment landscape.
As the company grows, Mr. Landrum hopes its core mission – to help veterans – will only grow stronger. "I hope more and more providers will dedicate themselves to hiring veterans."