2020. Quite a way to mark 30 years.

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Celebrating 30 years in business — anyway you look at it – is quite an accomplishment. But to do it during a pandemic really left us with mixed feelings. An anniversary or birthday should be exciting and celebratory. But when you can’t share it with the world, it loses just a little luster, yet we know the milestone is no less significant.

The fresh start we had at the beginning of 2020 was thrown into a tailspin as our industry faced unheard-of shutdowns of courts, isolation from friends and family and the inability to travel to our workplaces, let alone across the nation.

As our industry faced an unheard of shutdown of the courts, we already utilized remote technology daily for our clients, so with the legal system needing to go on, we were able to get right back to work (sans our usual work attire), challenging us to look for effective ways to go about our jobs and lives as a new normal arose. It also gave us some time to take stock of our core values, putting focus on the things that matter most to us.

Our motto is “We’re Always Listening®,” as we pride ourselves on listening to our clients, paying close attention to their needs and evolving and innovating to meet them. Truly listening became even more literal when calls and remote video conferencing were our only lifelines.

COVID-19 — changed everything.
This past year has been full of challenges, even hardships for us all, but internally it shone a light on the proven power of Pohlman as our employees pulled together to listen even more closely, quickly pivot and adapt to industry changes. Perhaps even more impressive was how the legal industry pulled together with care and innovation on how to keep everyone safe and still protect individuals and corporation interests.

So just how did we celebrate our milestone 30-year anniversary? Pohlman’s employees brought more options for remote proceedings, contacted more clients to understand their needs, we listened and we are working to serve you better, day in and day out. We celebrated 30 years by celebrating you. The wonderful people that stand by us, champion us, and allow us to serve you every day.

Thank you, valued clients and partners, for being here alongside us through the milestones, the growth, the challenges of 2020 and the achievement of 30 years. We are looking forward to continuing to partner with you for many decades to come.

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Safely Returning to Our Offices

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PohlmanUSA returned to our offices on June 29, 2020. As excited as we are to return to working collaboratively together with our teams to service our clients, we are entering this next phase of re-opening with caution and a focused effort on keeping our employees and clients safe and healthy.

Our vast remote deposition platforms for MpVC (Zoom 5.0 and AdobeConnect) along with Telephonic Conferencing are still readily available to you and continued use beyond COVID is encouraged. We’re confident you have seen the benefits and advantages of these invested technologies. As always, our Remote Deposition Logistics Team is here to help.

When that is just not optimal, PohlmanUSA is ready and poised to host your in-person depositions and hearings. And, to assure you of our focus on safety, below you’ll find our protocols ensuring sanitization and social distancing:

We have implemented various safety precautions, as advised by the CDC, to provide a safe environment for our clients and employees.

Upon arriving at our office, team members will undergo daily health assessments and contactless temperature checks. Visitors will undergo a contactless temperature check and asked the following questions, before being granted entry:

  • If they have you had a cough or fever.
  • If they have been around anyone exhibiting these symptoms within the past 14 days.
  • If they are living with anyone who is sick or quarantined.

For the safety of our teams and clients, we are holding to the highest standards with enhanced cleaning and disinfecting in all of our locations, to include our reception areas, restrooms, kitchens, employee common spaces and all conference room areas.

Beyond increased office cleanliness, we are encouraging increased personal hygiene, including hand washing, for all entering the office. Employees will be required to wear masks, while masks will be provided and encouraged for guests.

We are also maintaining social distancing. Our conference rooms are operating at 50% capacity and all chairs are spaced 6 feet apart. We also suggest employees and guests are mindful of maintaining their distance throughout their visit.

We look forward to serving you in the way most appropriate to your firm. We appreciate your continued business and wish health and prosperity for us all.

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Vacated HITECH Ruling — Impacts on your Firm

On January 23, 2020 a Federal Court vacated the HIPAA HITECH Act that allowed law firms, record retrieval agencies, or any third party to obtain electronic records on behalf of a plaintiff at a significantly reduced rate.

The HITECH Act, signed into law in February 2009 included a provision requiring covered entities to charge either the cost of labor and supplies when providing an electronic medical record — or a flat fee of $6.50.

The Act previously enabled third parties (law firms, insurance companies, and record companies) to retrieve an electronic copy of medical records on behalf of a plaintiff at a reduced fee that we directly passed onto the law firm. Now, with the court vacating this ruling, the state’s higher guideline pricing will be charged by providers.

Record retrieval is an important part of the discovery process. And because we recognize the importance of cost control for our clients, we understand the significant impact this ruling has on firms. Our client commitment remains the same with provider fees for private collections remaining a direct pass-through cost.

In response to this change, Pohlman will:

  • Continue to pay provider fees upfront
  • Continue to review invoices for absolute accuracy
  • Contest any invoices not adhering to state guideline pricing
  • Review client preferences for provider fee approval limits
  • Take any and all cost-saving measures

Some things that remain unaffected:

  • Individual rights to directly access one’s own records via HITECH — and fee limitations on those requests remains unchanged.
  • A valid HITECH letter can still be used to authorize the release of the patient’s electronic medical record.

Pohlman has achieved 30 years of litigation services excellence by providing unparalleled customer service, utilizing our vast industry expertise, and maintaining a constant focus on HIPAA compliance. As with any situation, Pohlman will be watching out for our clients by continuing to monitor the situation carefully and informing you of any new developments.

Questions? Contact us at 888.677.7327 M-F 7:00 am to 5:00 pm CST.

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What to Look For in a Records Retrieval Provider

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Retrieving records is an imperative part of the discovery process. Properly retrieving your records can lead to evidence needed to prove or disprove if an injury occurred, the defendant’s responsibility, plaintiff’s out of pocket costs, and the total amount of damages owed.

Because finding the right records retrieval partner is critical to your case, here are some key things to look for:

Experience. More reliable providers have been operating for more than one year. A partner with experience means they are more likely to know how to handle any problems that may arise. To gain insight into their experience level, some questions to ask may be: How long have you been in business? How many records do you collect per month?

Expertise. Some record retrieval agencies operate within specialties. Those collecting multiple types of records will expand a provider’s level of expertise. To determine if they can access the right information for your case, you may ask: What type of records have you previously collected?

Speed. A strong provider should be able to deliver within the industry average turnaround of 30 days or less. It is important to consider the promptness as you can’t afford delays. You’ll want to know: What is your average turnaround? Do you offer expedited delivery? Will I have online access to my information?

Dedication. You want a partner and team you can trust to be responsive to all of your needs. Will the team in charge of your records be in contact throughout the process?

Confidentiality. Records contain sensitive information, so it is of utmost importance that your provider takes security and confidentiality seriously. A strong provider should be employing data encryption ensuring HIPAA compliance at every stage. To be confident in your choice, you’ll want to ask about their policies and procedures to ensure security.

Click here to learn about the Power of Pohlman and how we provide the service, experience, expertise, security and speed needed from a records retrieval partner.

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How Improved Web Tools Aid the Discovery Process

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After nearly 30 years in business, and with over 100,000 transcripts, PohlmanUSA has built one of the largest asbestos-related case repositories available to those in the legal profession.

As a technology-driven company providing court reporting and litigation support, it is imperative that PohlmanUSA’s clients have an efficient search tool to maximize the effectiveness of having such a vast repository.

Finding the RIGHT transcript to support your case is critical to the discovery process. Enter MyCaseTRAKS™ which has become the go-to transcript web tool for clients. PohlmanUSA listened closely to their clients on how to improve this product and as a result, these recent enhancements have made MyCaseTRAKS™ better than ever.

With word index on MyCaseTRAKS™ you can see how many times a keyword is mentioned in a transcript, so you can be sure that the testimony you buy keeps your case on track.

PohlmanUSA’s new search inside feature allows you to view more pages and search more content so you can be even more confident about your transcript purchases.

To learn more about how MyCaseTRAKS™ can assist in the discovery process, click here or contact marketing@pohlmanusa.com.

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