The total healthcare solution…

When you have a medical need, you select a doctor or medical professional that you trust and who looks after you with caring ser-vice. If you’re a doctor or medical group, who can you turn to when you have a business need?

The answer to that question is what drives Patti Mueller and the professional staff at eMD Solutions. Every day, Patti and her staff find ways to solve their medical clients’ billing and collections challenges while making sure physicians receive the kind of special treatment they would expect to receive from their own staff.

“We are a full service ‘plus’ medical practice management company,” says Mueller. “The “plus” is that we go above and beyond what other companies include in their services. We become an integral part of the physician’s team.”

In addition to medical practice management consulting services, eMD provides computer systems and software support, including electronic medical records software. These systems help physicians become more efficient in their practice, allowing them to see more patients as well as providing the physician with access to patient medical records, even when they’re not at the office.

It would appear that Mrs. Mueller and her staff are right on target, based on comments from their clients.

“Patti and her staff truly have our best interest at heart. Many things I thought we could do, we now realize, they do faster, more efficiently, and with much less hassle for me,” explains Dr. Fred Diegmann.

“Today’s environment calls for a marriage of trust between healthcare and reimbursement. Without trust and a great relationship between the two, a healthcare provider will have their bottom line adversely impacted. eMD has been the perfect partner for our Home Healthcare practice. They are always up-to-date with the rules and regulation changes that occur every year. Without their help, we would not be in a financial position to do what we do with the community,” says Alicia Porter, RN, BC, Director of Home Healthcare – Thomas Hospital.

Dr. Dylan Wells, Medical Park OB/GYN, P.C., points out that “eMD Solutions, Inc. consistently delivers on its promise of customer satisfaction, efficiency, and reliability. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable from top to bottom. They would be highly recom-mended to any practice interested in improving office scheduling, patient flow, and reimbursement issues.”

Playing the essential role of making the business of medicine successful for physicians sounds exactly like what the doctor would order for a business partner.

For more information about eMD Solutions, call (251) 621-6466 or email Patti Mueller at pmueller@emdsolutionsinc.com.

Where business is based on trust…

Larry Ezell and Jerry Anderson began Air Specialty in 1993. First, the two were friends, and then they became business partners.

Today, Air Specialty designs, installs, and services a variety of commercial and residential air conditioning and heating systems. The businesses they do major commercial jobs for know they can trust Air Specialty like they would an old friend. In fact, some of the professional relationships that Air Specialty has developed over the years have evolved into personal friendships.

Air Specialty has worked with Roberts Electrical Contractors on various jobs, involving hospitals, restaurants, and other medical facilities according to Bobby Young of Roberts.

“Air Specialty is competitively priced and honest,” said Young. “They’re also very competent and knowledgeable. Larry and I are good personal friends.”

The work that Air Specialty has completed for Johnny Mann, Vice President and Property Manager for Compass Bank, along the Gulf Coast has involved large jobs. “Air Specialty is run in a professional manner, and they do a fantastic job, I would recommend them to anyone.” explains Mann.

It’s easy to see why you can trust Air Specialty for your air and heating needs. For more information on Air Specialty Inc.’s services, visit the website at www.air-specialty.com; email them at info@air-specialty.com; or call, toll-free, at 1-877-649-6622 or locally at (251) 649-0701.

It’s a matter of convenience…

With five offices in Mobile, Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, Bay Minette, and Montgomery, Gulf Coast Office Products (GCOP) has been serving the office supply needs of the Gulf Coast region for the last 10 years. To understand the success of GCOP and the reason it has doubled in size since 2006, you have to start with the people who keep it running smoothly.

The company was founded by Mark Wright, who has 26 years experience in the office products industry. Mark is joined by Vice President and salesman Lane Harper, who has over 20 years experience, and Mark’s brother, John Wright.

Superior customer service begins with a knowledgeable sales staff and a wide variety of products. The Mobile office, with its 8 em-ployees, was established with the purchase of Azalea City Office Supply. The Mobile office has an experienced sales and design staff, including Manager Mike Skipper, who has 18 years experience; Ray Madden, who has over 30 years experience; Fred Lang-worthy, who has over 30 years experience; and Wilbur Massey, who has 25 years experience. GCOP offers the customer service that bigger retail office supply stores can’t because of their size according to Mark Wright. Also, GCOP’s competitive pricing is its best kept secret.

Customer service and sales professionals, with an average of fifteen years in the industry, can help decide which equipment and supplies will best fit your needs. GCOP’s staff provides information about office design to help maximize comfort and function. Its customer service representatives resolve any issues that may arise, and when you hang up the phone, you know that a resolution will be reached. The GCOP drivers complete the circle of customer service, ensuring that at the final “hand off,” the customer is satisfied with the delivered product. “Customers trust us to do it right for them,” said Mark Wright.

The company’s product line is “a mile wide and a mile deep,” putting them head and shoulders above the competition. Complete furniture lines from Lazy Boy and Knoll furniture to everyday office supplies give new meaning to one-stop shopping and conven-ience. From ceiling chandeliers to floor mats, GCOP has it all. Its printing services can provide your business with letterhead and envelopes as well as ad specialty items to help promote your business.

GCOP also offers a variety of services for your successful business. It can help organize important paperwork into a management system that stores and ships forms whenever necessary. It also provides monthly purchase management reports, an on-line cata-log, and weekly specials e-mailed to you to save time.

“It’s all about our relationship with our employees and our customers that make the difference,” said Wright.
When it comes to your office supply needs, look no farther than GCOP for superior customer service and experienced sales staff. For you, their customer, “It’s a matter of convenience.”

For information on how GCOP can help your business run more efficiently, call them today at (251) 476-7100 or visit GCOP on the web at www.gcop.com.

Celebration Broadcast

The 2007 Children’s Miracle Network Celebration broadcast will be televised Sunday, June 3 on Fox 10 and The CW (WBPG-TV) from 9 am to 6 pm with live segments from USA Children’s & Women’s Hospital. Local families will share their personal stories about the care their children have received at USA Children’s & Women’s Hospital.

Viewers will also learn more about USA Children’s & Women’s Hospital and meet the health care professionals and generous sup-porters who are all part of the hospital’s family. During the broadcast, viewers can call (215) 415-1150 or toll-free 1-866-590-5437 to pledge a tax-deductible gift.

Children’s Miracle Network, the alliance of premier hospitals for children, is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children by raising funds for 170 children’s hospitals across North America, including USA Children’s & Women’s Hospital. These non-profit hospitals provide the finest care, research, and community outreach, serving millions of children with diseases and injuries of every kind.

For more information about supporting USA Children’s & Women’s Hospital, visit www.southalabama.edu/usacwh and click on Make A Gift, or call (251) 415-1636.

Doing it right the first time!

Spruce up your home with the fresh look of new flooring from Pay-Less Carpets & Flooring. Family-owned and operated since 1947, Pay-Less Carpets & Flooring specializes in brand name carpet, laminate flooring, and tile. From rich hardwood to durable ceramic tile floors, Pay-Less can cover your home with a clean, updated appearance.

At Pay-Less, customers not only find top-of-the-line products for their homes, but they are also greeted with outstanding customer service. With over 50 years of experience, owners Ginny and Mickey Goneke and their staff approach every job with the Pay-Less motto in mind: Do it Right the First Time.

Ginny, who is also a designer, works with the customer to select the perfect tile to enhance the look of a shower, tub, or counter-top. And if you are looking for a DIY project, Pay-Less’ knowledgeable employees are on hand to suggest products that are easy to install as well as in tune with what you were looking for. Customers occasionally ask if Pay-Less can duplicate a look they found in a magazine. According to installation manager Nathan McCorkle, “The answer is always yes, and we can probably do it cheaper.”

It is the quality of service and products available at Pay-Less that sets it apart from other flooring stores. Pay-Less can adjust to a customer’s needs faster than the larger retail stores can. If a product is in stock, installers quickly arrive at your home for installation. And when a Pay-Less professional installs flooring or countertop coverings, you not only get a product warranty, but you also get a workmanship guarantee for one year.

The cornerstone of Pay-Less’ success is its repeat customer base. “We’re always glad to see our customers come back,” says Mi-chael Bolte, a Pay-Less account representative with over 40 years in the business. Likewise, its relationship with local homebuilders serves as a testimony of the quality of Pay-Less’ products and services. Mitchell Homes, Byrd Homes, and Bass Homes display Pay-Less products for customers to choose from when selecting their new flooring.

When it comes to superior flooring, competitive prices, workmanship, and customer service, Pay-Less has you covered. Visit Pay-Less at 2818 Government Boulevard, in Mobile, to see why customers keep coming back. Pay-Less is open Monday through Friday, 7 am to 5 pm and Saturday 9 am to 1 pm. Ginny, Mickey, and their staff of experts can also be reached at (251) 476-5114.

Over 80 years helping the vocationally disabled

Moses Schwartz wasn’t very lucky when he fell from a wagon, damaging his optical nerve and losing his sight. In 1924, his sisters and other concerned Mobile citizens started the Mobile Association for the Blind (MAB) to create job opportunities for Moses and other people who were blind.

Those small beginnings have developed into a 45,000 square foot manufacturing facility where many visually impaired individuals who are not yet ready to join the public workforce are employed in the MAB Sheltered Workshop. MAB also provides assistance to other citizens with disabilities. Counseling, evaluation, skills training, and job placement are just some of the services provided to help create the self-esteem people with disabilities often need to become a productive part of society.

The 30 workers with vocational disabilities in the Sheltered Workshop build, package, or assemble ready to use industrial products such as all-natural brooms and mops as well as custom-sized plastic bags. These products are available for sale at many retail and wholesale outlets as well as on the MAB Website.

All consumers served by MAB receive an individualized program of care and training designed to meet their needs. The programs teach the blind how to take care of their daily needs in cooking, cleaning, or mobility; and they prepare people with disabilities for fruitful endeavors in the job marketplace. For those with significant disabilities, MAB offers a Supported Employment Program where individuals learn their new jobs with the help of a Job Coach. This program has consistently been ranked as one of the most suc-cessful in the state.

For more information on the Mobile Association for the Blind and their products or to order products, please call (251) 473-3585 or visit its website at www.mobileblind.org.

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Uncompromising durability and quality

Simply Shutters offers the widest selection of shutter panels on the Gulf Coast and is known for superior fit and finish. They make shutters to fit any size or shape of opening, and they can paint or stain the shutters whatever colors the customer requests.

“The durability of our shutters was tested during Katrina, and the results were great,” states Michelle Buechner, Vice President of Simply Shutters. “A number of homes that had our shutters were flooded, with the water covering about half of the shutter panel. We were pleasantly surprised to find that while paint had peeled on some of the louvers, and the bottom of the panel had swollen along the grain lines, the panels did not warp and were otherwise in good

shape. We were able to clean the panels, replace the damaged louvers, sand smooth the swollen wood and repaint the panels. Our clients got back their shutters looking like new at a fraction of the cost of replacing them with new shutters.”

Simply Shutters has been in business over 18 years and does over 1,000 installations a year. In that period of time, they have never had a service call because of warped wood or deteriorated panels. The shutter panel is covered by a limited lifetime transferable warranty against any flaws in workmanship or materials.

Simply Shutters offers services in 12 locations from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Panama City, Florida.

For more information, please visit www.simplyshutters.com or call 1-800-653-1298.

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Eco-urban companies

As a real estate broker and developer, Frank Leatherbury has long been involved in the environmental and conservation industries. His unique approaches to land-use planning, development, and design have always reflected his values in community, culture, and environment. Demand for this concept over the past few years led to the formation of Eco-Urban Companies, which provides plan-ning services from initial concept design to final development, ensuring that clients and homeowners will always discover what Leatherbury defines as “Sense of Community.”

While the market may change, the focus at Leatherbury Real Estate, Inc. and its umbrella of companies does not. Eco-sensitive development with preservation of the land for the future is key. Eco-planners.com offers education and planning services to Frank’s realty team, the general public, and the real estate and development industries. Having a strong sense for historic and bay-style cottages of the area, he has also become associated with H&G Builders, Inc. H&G Builders has been building homes in Baldwin County for a number of years. Preferring to stay in the higher end market, they are focused on quality custom craftsmanship in the traditional methods of construction. H&G understands the various methods of green building and their application in the Mobile-Baldwin area. Some of their latest homes may be seen in Point Clear/Fairhope and Steelwood at Loxley.

H&G Builders is a member of Baldwin County Homebuilders Association and the National Association of Homebuilders.

The newest member of Leatherbury‘s community of companies is Eco-Urban Media, headed by Jamie Seelye Leatherbury. Eco-Urban Media grew out of the demand for unique and inspired marketing of new communities that are being developed in the coastal Alabama region. This company is a full service design, marketing, and media relations firm with a background based in product development as well as real estate development and sales. Jamie had a long career with Viacom, Inc. where she handled various aspects of marketing, product development, and retail environmental design.

No matter what division of the Leatherbury community you are dealing with, the objective is the same. If you value design that is reflective of community and culture as well as the environment, you can plug in at any stage, whether homeowner or developer, and find what you are looking for. Leatherbury values its clients and their goals. Helping to define, achieve, and realize those goals, and often lifetime dreams, is its purpose. “The approach we use is paramount to someone that values their land or home. Whether someone is looking for a starter home or looking for a major commercial investment, we apply the same principles in helping them find that sense and feeling that they belong there. I define that as Sense of Place and Sense of Community,” says Frank. “There are many aspects to be considered in the design of a project. If you take a moment to really look at how we live, work, and play, that study becomes highly important in the insight we gain and provide for our clients. That study is what I call the human footprint and the basis of the educational and planning process.”

Leatherbury Real Estate, Inc. is a full-service real estate company located in Fairhope at 251 S. Greeno Rd. Call (251) 928-3465 for more information or visit Leatherbury on the web at www.LeatherburyRealEstate.com.

Frank Leatherbury is available to the public and trade industries as a speaker on Eco-urban design, green building, and the environment.

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A world apart

If you are looking for a great deal on something exotic and unusual or maybe new furniture for your coastal property, you should consider Worldwide Interiors at 22730 Canal Road in Orange Beach, Alabama.

Worldwide Interiors is one of the few direct importers of home furnishings and accessories in the southeastern United States. What is a direct importer? A direct importer is a company that eliminates the middleman by arranging its own manufacturing at the source.

No matter if it is beautiful solid teak, mahogany, or exotic woven furnishings for your indoor or outdoor living areas, fine silks from Thailand, pottery from Mexico and Asia, or fabulous accessories from the world over, Worldwide Interiors has these things and much more. Worldwide Interiors has everything you’re looking for from fine upholstered pieces to great mattress sets, from time-less solid teak outdoor furnishings to complete home or condo packages—all at tremendous savings. Offering an excellent compli-mentary design service, Worldwide Interiors can make any property from a beachfront condo to an estate sized primary residence look fabulous.

Managing partner Keith Lee travels the world to find just the right items to maximize the beauty of your environment, and World-wide Interiors offers his finds to everyone at wholesale prices. You can select fine furniture from the Spice Island of Java; antiques, artifacts, and handicrafts from Bali; woven wood blinds; bamboo; and local and regional original art. Lee says, “If you desire the beauty of fine home furnishings at the very best value available, then Worldwide Interiors should be your shopping destination.”

“The best thing about our unique business is that virtually every item in our massive inventory is purchased at the absolute source and directly imported via oceangoing container from the country of origin. This type of sourcing arrangement cuts out all the mid-dlemen and guarantees our customers wholesale prices. The bottom line is that we simply offer the best look, best quality, and best value anywhere. We absolutely cannot be undersold,” Lee explains.

To experience the beauty of Worldwide Interiors, stop in today. For more information, visit its website at www.worldwideinteriors.com or telephone a member of the Worldwide Interiors sales team at (251) 968-5210 or toll free at 1-888-736-4060. Worldwide Interiors…bringing the world to you!

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The “Go To” team on the Gulf Coast…

Everyday, technology changes to keep up with the ever-evolving needs of the user. In the world of communication, those require-ments are as unique as the demands that their clients are challenged with.

For a business to succeed in this fast paced environment, a company has to be attuned to what new communication tools (equip-ment and software) are available, and it must understand how the new advances can help its customer to quickly and economically take advantage of them. Motorola is constantly driven to develop new and better communication products for their clients.

Team One Communications is a certified Motorola vendor, allowing it to acquire the latest technology answers for clients. At Team One, clients are treated as partners where the needs of the clients are melded with the individual talents of the Team One team members, ensuring a successful outcome for clients.

With over 25 years in the communications industry, Team One Communications has one of the most skilled service teams on the Emerald Coast. Their licensed technicians are prepared for any planned communications changes as well as critical and crisis driven ones. These technicians are continually updating their product and industry education as directed by Motorola’s standards as well as Team One’s own, and they have become the specialists in Emergency Service for the Gulf Coast Region.

A critical part of local emergency communication systems, Team One Communications installs and maintains E-911 systems and dispatch communication centers, including those for police and fire departments, emergency medical services, and hospital commu-nications systems in local areas.

For more information on Team One’s services, visit www.teamonecommunications.com or call (251) 343-2560.

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What’s new with Millie Sue – Revamping Business Link

Millie Sue Hawk says “Welcome Friends” to about 12,000 families a year through her greeters and mail outs. In addition, in the next year, Hawk will also say “welcome” to 1,200 businesses through Business Link.

Business Link is a greeting service for new and existing businesses, and it aims to link businesses with other businesses. This connection is made through direct calling by Hawk and the new Business Link manager, Marlo Heritage. When information is obtained by this “cold calling”, it is passed on to Business Link merchant partners. A follow up packet of information and savings certificates is sent to the contacted business.

Stratis Business Center, Lee Parker with Alliance for Affordable Services, and Long’s Human Resources are some of the businesses benefiting from the Business Link connection. Tom Damson of Long’s says, “It’s a much more cost effective way of contacting business owners than having an internal staff member do the research and then make the phone calls.”

Welcome Friends and Business Link also help newcomers and businesses find good places to eat and meet. The Original Oyster House on the causeway is one of the places recommended to Newcomers by Welcome Friends, along with Bilotti’s and JR’s Smoke-house in Mobile, Catfish Junction and Pintoli’s in North Mobile, and Andree’s and Gambino’s in Fairhope. HoneyBaked Ham and Fazoli’s also partner with Welcome Friends to welcome newcomers.

“I work for my customers at every opportunity,” says Hawk, referring to her many commitments to networking groups and Chamber events. Hawk can be found gathering business cards and making notes several times a week. It is from these events that other leads are obtained and passed on to her merchant partners.

It was at the Women Who Mean Business networking event that Hawk found out about the new business “Paint Friendly” owned by artist Renee Wallace and businesswoman Lynn Maggio. A Paint Friendly party is a great way to celebrate birthdays, bridal showers, bachelorette parties, baby showers, and other special occasions. Gather a group of friends together and Wallace and Maggio will come to your location with all the supplies needed for everyone to create and take home a painting.

Renee Wallace has been creating art since she was in first grade and has turned her love of art into a business. At the parties, everyone will follow Wallace as she leads them step-by-step, painting on a pre-sketched canvas. Wallace says that “being able to share the art I love to do with other people is truly a gift for me...it never feels like work, and it is the most rewarding thing I have ever done.” Lynn Maggio has a background of various interests in the business world. She currently hosts the Women Who Mean Business networking group (www.WomenWhoMeanBusiness.net) in Mobile, Eastern Shore, and Foley/Gulf Shores. For more information or to book a party, call Lynn Maggio at (251) 654-2313 or visit
www.PaintFriendly.com.

To find out more about Welcome Friends or Business Link, please call Millie Sue Hawk at (251) 422-7777 or visit www.welcome-friends.com.

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Bellingrath Gardens

Bountiful beauty at Bellingrath…

As Bellingrath Gardens and Home celebrates its 75th anniversary throughout 2007, the beauty of blooms over the 65 acre estate compliments this historical time in Mobile’s history. If a visit to the “Charm Spot of the Deep South” seems like a distant memory, there is no better time than now to wake up and smell the roses at Bellingrath.

Upon arriving at Bellingrath, visitors are usually surprised to learn this immaculate estate began as a humble fishing camp. Located along the Fowl River, the camp was originally designed to give Mobile’s first Coca-Cola bottler, Walter Bellingrath, an opportunity to learn how to relax. However, that would soon change after a European vacation and help from Mobile architect, George B. Rogers.

One Sunday afternoon in the spring of 1932 would help transform a private garden to one of the world’s best known attractions. To commemorate a national garden club meeting being held in Mobile, the Bellingraths decided to open their estate to the public on April 7, 1932. Anxious to see what was known as “Belle Camp,” approximately 5,000 people flooded the streets to what became Bellingrath Gardens and Home.

From local Mobilians to visitors from across the globe, millions of visitors have strolled through pristine seasonal blooms, enjoyed touring the Bellingrath Museum Home, and relaxed aboard the Southern Belle River Cruiser since the gardens’ inception. Through-out 2007, Bellingrath Gardens and Home invites guests to the Gardens to enjoy a piece of history as they celebrate 75 Years of Southern Charm!

Special events are being held throughout the year to celebrate 75 years of Southern Charm, which is evident around every turn of gorgeous landscape on display. Join in the celebration this summer with Mrs. Bellingrath’s birthday party on May 20; Wonderful Wednesdays from June 6 to August 22 (no program on July 4); and the Father’s Day Fishing Expo on June 17.

Bellingrath Gardens and Home also hopes to beautify your bumper this year! Until November 30, 2007, Alabama residents have the opportunity to pre-purchase a distinctive Bellingrath license plate. Bellingrath needs 1,000 people willing to support Alabama’s old-est cultural institution before the deadline. The plate showcases the four signature plants of Bellingrath (camellia, rose, azalea, and chrysanthemum), and Bellingrath Gardens will receive $41.25 for each plate sold for the 75th Anniversary Seeds, Plants, and Trees fund.

More information about Bellingrath Gardens and Homes is available by calling (251) 973-2217 or by visiting www.bellingrath.org.

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Helping you find the Good Life out here…

There is a trendy new name for families moving out of the cities to smaller, more rural communities. These “Ruralpolitans” are peo-ple who move away from urban areas to enjoy the wide-open spaces of the countryside.

In some cases, couples need bigger homes for their growing families or a newly married couple is anticipating the arrival of chil-dren. Retired couples often relocate to more rural communities to escape the traffic and hustle and bustle of city life. Purchasing land for recreational purposes may be just what you need to relax and unwind. Whatever the reason, people want a bank that they can trust and services they need.

Whether your dream involves purchasing land or a bigger house, United Bank can help make it come true. They offer the resources, service, and guidance to meet all of the banking needs for your evolving lifestyle.

Even though your lifestyle may change, the services and knowledge United Bank offers will always remain steadfast. Offering ser-vices to the Gulf Coast region is what they’re all about. When you’re looking for your slice of heaven in greener pastures, come see the services that United Bank has been perfecting for over 100 years. They know Ruralpolitans and invite you to come in to see why their customers rely on United Bank for their banking needs. Stop by any of their locations in Santa Rosa and Baldwin counties; visit www.unitedbank.com; or call 1-800-423-7026 to see what services United Bank can offer to make your life easier.

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