Butte’s e.docs offers security

After years spent working and consulting for companies in Washington, D.C., Butte native Tressa Orizotti-Colomb and her hus band, Denis, were
ready for a new direction.

By Leslie McCartney of The Montana Standard

“ We got tired of the rat race,” said Tressa. “ It has its benefits, but we just saw the opportunity to come back and grow a business.”
The couple, backed with Montana investor money, started E.docs USA, http://www.recordsnet.com/ in 1998, a company specializing in helping companies — primarily hos pitals
— scan and store documents, such things as medical records, EKGs and other images that can be digitized electronically. Rather than send clerks to
dusty storerooms in search of back records, E.docs’ sys tem allows instant access through a secured site.
“ We can eliminate hospitals’ dependence on hard-copy paper,” said Denis Colomb, president of the company.

The couple works as a tag team for their business, with Tressa describing Colomb, who has years of experience in computers, optics and consulting,
as the visionary. Tressa takes care of the business end and is the chief operations officer. Rick Orizotti, Tressa’s brother, is the sec retary-treasurer.
The company employs a dozen employees — six are based in Butte — but will likely expand to 16 soon.
“ We’re looking to grow technical and customer support,” Tressa said.

As a companion to its systems, the company offers on-site customer support for those needing help.
E.docs’ Imaging Center houses administration, technical support and inventory at 107 E. Granite St., a building the company owns. While it’s a
small company, it has cus tomers all over the nation and is pulling down major clients.
When E.Docs began, it had about 35 systems installed in hospitals in the U.S.; it now has hundreds and is in the process of signing up TeamHealth,
a large company based in Florida, to its list.

Still in its infancy, sales goals this year are about $5 million with next year projected at $10 million. In its quest to offer its document manage ment
services, the company also has partnered with several other compa nies to extend its reach into other states and other markets.
For example, the Immigration and Nationalization Service is installing E.docs http://www.recordsnet.com/ equipment to try it out. The Colombs both point out that the system
they offer has applica tions for much more than hospitals. The legal and insurance industry, government and other paper-laden professions could
use the software and hardware.

Denis, however, feels there will never be a “ paperless” hospital as some have claimed. Physicians will still use charts and patients will still be given
fistfuls of paper.
The difference is E.docs changes the process after those transactions take place. It can digitize and store thousands of records on one small
computer-sized server, rather than in roomfuls of shelving.
He also points out that by having records reproduced digitally, it has helped hospitals cut down on their billing cycle, allowing the billing to be
tracked faster and more effec tively. It also relieves hospitals from liability issues stemming from docu ment storage, since the papers don’t get lost or
misfiled.

“ It’s very reliable and easy to use,” Denis said of E.docs’ archiving systems.
Tressa ticks off the usefulness and practicality of E.docs’ services. Increased productivity, streamlining of business processes, reduction in labor and
staffing, and even the freeing up of physical space can be addressed. For example, one of E.docs’ clients had more than 30,000 boxes of records in
just one warehouse.
“ I can put 33,000 images in a gigabyte,” Denis noted.

Once those records are scanned — and E.docs offers a “ scan on demand” service for those needing specific records in a short time period — those
records are stored on servers indefinitely. The compa ny also meets all the criteria required by hospital associations to ensure patient privacy.
Tressa feels this year will be telling for the company — one in which investors will see a payoff. She added that in addition to the company’s private
investors, the Butte Local Development Corp. helped with start-up funding.
“ Our first priority is to generate more sales this year,” Tressa added.

The company bases its growth as sales are booked and the contract is signed. Some of the company’s contracts go for more than one year,
depending on if the client elected to purchase support services as well.
How does a small company in Montana compete with larger compa nies who may have years of experience under their belt?
“ We’re good and we’re humble,” Denis said. “ We approach things from a real common-sense perspective.”

And the company plans to concentrate on its goals and not branch into other areas, which will distract from its core services.
“ We’re only going to do what we do best,” he added.

— Reporter Leslie McCartney may be reached at leslie.mccart ney(at)(at)mtstandard.com

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