Articles from prior issues of The Advocate

January/February 2000

Happy 15th Anniversary, mdsi! Progressive Attitude Helps Business Grow
by Donna Hilton, Publications Director

ALTHOUGH THIS COMPANY’S MONIKER IS in “little” letters, their scope and vision is anything but small. Mdsi is a medical evaluation service, started by George Powell and his son Kirk in 1985. The family business began in George’s basement but has since grown into a corporate entity, which employs 36 people at its headquarters in Ogden Utah, approximately 300 physicians and psychologists, and 100 office/ancillary staff members. The company has offices in 14 states stretching from Hawaii to Virginia. “We are the DDS’s eyes”, says Kirk, “we try to build relationships with each DDS we service by showing that we can provide quality exams and a report with a quality assurance review and in a timely manner.”

In 1990, the company moved to provide evaluation services exclusively to Vocational Rehabilitation and DDSs, both in rural and metro areas. The company offers general physical exams, as well as specialties such as internist, orthopedic, neurological, and physiatric exams. Ancillary studies, psychiatric and psychological evaluations are also available. Mdsi works to build a good relationship with each DDS it services. They recruit and train physicians to do DDS examinations and evaluations, providing the documentation necessary for SSA/DDS decisions. The company requires its physicians and psychologists to abide by POMS guidelines as to the amount of time, which should be spent doing the evaluation. Physician time with each patient is monitored and notated. Quality assurance is an intricate part of their service and, should questions arise from a report, they guarantee a 24-hour turn around to resolve complex issues.

George retired in 1998, but not before there was a strong team in place to carry the company forward. Kirk, now the mdsi CEO, has been joined by his brothers Brad, Mike, and Jeff. Each brings a strength to the company in different areas of expertise. Brad is the Chief Financial Officer; Mike is Chief of Operations; and Jeff is the computer “guru”, in charge of computer information services. Looking to the future of the industry, mdsi is researching information transfer, voice recognition, electronic signature as a ways to improve its services to the DDSs which they serve.