A new San Marcos startup is hoping to streamline the way doctors throughout the nation—and eventually the world—go to work.
ProCial launched a system that allows doctors and practice management companies—such as the San Marcos–based Centrix Group—to expedite the process of credentialing
Before doctors are allowed to begin practicing their field of medicine at a given facility, they must go through the process known as credentialing, which essentially ensures their licenses and other pertinent documents are up to date.
Gary McIntosh, a practice manager with the Centrix Group, estimated that about 75 percent of his clients struggle with the credentialing process.
“Some of these doctors have documents that they put in a box in the attic, and they haven’t looked at it in a few years,” McIntosh said. “They haven’t really kept up with it. When they go to move or take a new position, digging up these documents can become quite a cumbersome feat.”
ProCial Marketing Manager Art Trevethan said the SafetyBox, a feature that encrypts the doctor’s credentials with twice the level of security as required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, makes ProCial’s service unique.
“The only people we allow into the system are verified as licensed medical professionals,” he said.
Trevethan said the service will be of particular use to “locums,” a term used to describe doctors who take assignments at facilities for relatively short periods of time. Each time a locum moves to a new facility to begin practicing, they must be credentialed.
“Their pain is every time I want to work, I have to pull this sheath of paper out,” Trevethan said. “I’ve got to deliver it. I’ve got to make copies before I can start earning my daily wage, before I can start making money and before I can start caring for the patients who need that specific type of specialty.”
The growth of the medical sector from Georgetown to San Antonio attracted ProCial to the area in the first place, Trevethan said. According to the city of Kyle, medical space in the city has more than doubled since 2009. In San Marcos, much of the medical sector growth has been driven by Central Texas Medical Center, which has added specialty clinics under the Live Oak Health Partners name to its range of medical offerings.
Trevethan conceded that Austin is historically associated with startups in Central Texas, but many of those companies have specialized in social applications. He said a company like his, that is looking to shore up the IT infrastructure of an industry, would be best served near institutions like Texas State University, which has gained national acclaim for its health administration programs.
“We see south Central Texas with the medical facilities that are available, with the wealth of knowledge that we have in this area and with the specialty of some of the schools, this is the place to be for [growth] to happen,” Trevethan said.
Medical professionals interested in utilizing ProCial’s services can find more information at www.procial.com or by calling 512-535-0322. Sign-up for the company’s services is currently free.
