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MARLA WIEDERHOLD

Director of Operations – Michigan Evaluation Group (M.E.G),

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In a recent interview, we spoke to Marla Wiederhold, the Director of Operations – Professional Services for Medlogix’s Michigan-based subsidiary, Michigan Evaluation Group (M.E.G), about understanding and addressing clients’ needs for Independent Medical Exams (IMES).

What is your role with M.E.G.?

I have been with M.E.G. since its inception in 1999. My role as the Director of Operations, first and foremost, is to ensure that all teams including Scheduling, Records, Accounting, Clinic, Sales, and Quality Assurance function efficiently and seamlessly to best serve and support our customers and physicians.

What is the advantage of your on-site clinic for your regional clients?

We have a variety of physicians that perform IMEs at our main office location and clinic. By having multiple physicians scheduled at our clinic, we are able to offer our customers volume appointment dates and times to choose from, as well as availability of various medical specialties in one centrally located facility in the southeast Michigan region. We schedule IMEs all throughout Michigan and we have a strong regional presence in other Midwestern states as well.

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Who do you work with during the IME process?

M.E.G. is a medicolegal consulting company servicing workers’ compensation, auto no-fault, disability, and liability claims. We work with insurance carriers, law firms, TPAs, school districts, municipalities, and employers to help them adjudicate their claims. Our physicians provide a detailed and unbiased picture of the examinee’s medical status upon evaluation or file review.

What are ways you help adjusters make their jobs easier?

We are very cognizant that our customers are handling high volumes of claims. We try to make every step of the IME process as easy for them as possible. We learn their preferences, service expectations, and tailor our solutions according to their needs.

Why can claims sometimes be a challenge to manage?

Claims may range from a simple single injury that needs to be addressed or multiple injuries, which require the expert opinion of several different specialists. The complexity and volume of the medical records also play a role in the complexity of a claim.

We had a recent conversation with a senior claims manager from a major insurance carrier about catastrophic claim files, each of which can include many thousands of pages. We asked why they refer these types of complex claims to us so often. The claims manager said,

“We trust you with those files, and we know you'll handle them appropriately. We trust you 100% based on your history with us, and how M.E.G. has helped us before.”

What makes your physician network unique?

Our physicians have long term experience performing Independent Medical Evaluations. They are all board certified. These are full-time actively practicing physicians – who are experts in their chosen specialties. These doctors are loyal to M.E.G. because they genuinely like working with us. I'm extremely proud of the relationships that we've developed with our doctors.

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How does the experience of your staff help your carrier clients?

A majority of our team members have been with us for more than five years, with some as many as 10 or 25 years.  Their prior work experience from different industries - including healthcare, law, insurance, and retail - guarantees that we are able to provide the best service consistently.

Our QA team has fostered really strong relationships with our doctors and works with them closely. They make sure every question is addressed for each claim. That ensures the best quality, polished reports are generated and submitted to our customers in a timely manner.

The company tagline is, “Expect Exceptional.” What does that mean to you?

We process IME referrals as best as we can for our customers. We offer a comprehensive panel of physicians, locations, and provide our customers the highest level of service possible.