Part 3, ANAND SURANA, CEO of ICEGEIN

 Part 1, discussed the context in which I met Anand Surana, the CEO of ICEGEIN

Part 2, covered how Anand started ICEGEIN.  We left off with a discussion of how RTLS/RFID providers should offer options aside from enterprise wide implementation.  The post hinted at a move by ICEGEIN that goes well beyond EMR partnerships and integration efforts.

Enterprise coverage is for broad needs to leverage and reinforce best practices, increase safety and effective communications, and collect data across the enterprise.  A medical facility may have more pressing, more specialized needs for a specific service, like tracing travel patterns, surgical set tracking, pharmaceutical tracking or area workflow.   Eventually, this information should be shared by electronic medical records, enterprise resource planning, material management information systems ,  asset management systems, or others.  Again, integrators can have great value here. 

Anand stated, “When we initially looked at RTLS, we considered a number of products, including UHF.  We balanced our considerations against the customers we were trying to reach. WiFi was pervasive.  But, we also work with 900MHz and have other technologies deployed as well.”

“You mentioned growth.  How are you growing ICEGEIN?” I asked.

Anand answered, “Overall, we have 11 deployments in hospitals and 38 deployments in other industries.  ICEGEIN is growing, but our growth is not solely about this company.”

“Please elaborate.”

“ICEGEIN is considered a vertical industry of the Surana Group.  The Surana Group purchased two businesses in the United States which indicates our direction: Trust RCM and Medical Management Strategies.”

Trust RCM and Medical Management Strategies expand U.S. capabilities in Physician Practice Management, Revenue Cycle, Coding, Denial Management, Accounts Receivable flow analysis, billing collection, contract credentialing, and management consulting.

Here is a quick example of the implications of the Trust RCM acquisition.  Trust RCM provides HCC solutions (Hierarchical Condition Coding).  HCC codes help insurance companies assess the risks associated with a beneficiary’s health condition.  Furthermore, insurance companies use the codes to project the resource needed to manage a beneficiary’s care in the following year.  A beneficiary with no known medical conditions should take less money to treat than someone with a chronic and potentially debilitating medical condition.

With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies face restrictions on dropping people from coverage. The accuracy and precision in this coding is even more crucial for profitability.

Enter the connector of many things great and small, the integrator.  ICEGEIN’s motto is “Get the right data to the right people in the right place at the right time.”  Automation and connectivity helps with data standardization which, in turn, helps accuracy and precision.   

ICEGEIN clearly has a path connected to a greater play in healthcare based on the financial implication of accurate and consistent patient information.  Connections to supply chain solution and/or electronic medical record providers are important.  Most all RFID/RTLS providers in the healthcare space are moving or have moved in this direction.  The connection to insurance companies is certainly a place these providers hope to be. The Surana Group’s acquisition of companies that specialize in bringing together hospital data with key information that insurance companies use – to me, this seems like a potentially significant market advantage for ICEGEIN.

Now, ICEGEIN has offices in Spain (Barcelona), United States (Baldwin, New York) and California (San Luis Obispo), and India (Chennai and Chochin). They have chosen to go with their own branding in the U.S. instead of rebranding through resellers, starting this year, 2014.  This should raise the company’s visibility, as well.  

In response to these potential synergies coming together Anand responded, “We are a very serious global technology partner.  Anything under the RFID/RTLS sun, we can solve. We have best in class talent pool.”

Nevertheless, it is easy to see how Anand’s vision of having a global IT company within the healthcare industry is a key play for the Surana Group.

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