By developing proprietary software, this disability evaluation provider ensures clients are handled in an expedient and efficient manner. Anthony Principi explains how.

Running a business based on military principles may sound frightening to the average layman. At QTC Management, the nation’s largest provider of disability evaluations, the disciplined style of management fits like a glove.

In its 26-year history, the company has grown to be the largest provider of consultative evaluations for clients such as the Department of Labor in the district offices of Boston, Denver, Jacksonville, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Kansas City, and Dallas; the Railroad Retirement Board; and the Department of Health and Human Services. Yet the company’s work with the Department of Veterans Affairs is what Anthony Principi, chairman of the board for QTC, believes places the company ahead of its competition.

In the past, active-duty service members had to wait until they were discharged, go to a regional VA office (which could be hours away from their home or military base), file a claim for benefits, and then wait months or even years to receive their disability benefits. Today, enlisted personnel can walk across the barracks when they return from the war, file a claim, and have an examination completed within two weeks. And whether it is education, housing, or disability compensation, all requests are addressed before those service members are discharged.

“We need to export that program to every military base in the country,” said Principi. “The program is growing rapidly, but it’s the kind of service that should be provided to all young service men and women, and even retirees who leave after a dedicated career.”

Leveraging technology
QTC provides medical disability evaluations and administrative services to each of its clients. The company’s international provider network, the physicians and medical specialists who are the foundation upon which QTC is built, support these services.

Principi said recruiting and retaining physicians in both urban and rural areas and maintaining stable relationships with them are critically important. “Physicians go to medical school to treat people, but disability evaluations are vastly different than treatment,” said Principi. “We needed to leverage technology to improve the quality, timeliness, and efficiency of these exams.”

QTC developed electronic protocols that put client-specific examination requirements in the hands of the examining physician. The same holds true for exams given to veterans and military service members. A service member returning from Iraq may put a claim in for a number of conditions, whether physical or mental, and specific VA protocols are provided to the examining physician to aid in the examination and preparation of a high quality, timely report to assist the VA in its claims determination process.

“If they follow the protocol, client-specific requirements are adhered to, producing a comprehensive, quality report,” said Principi. “Service members and federal employees no longer have to return for a second or third exam because it was done right the first time.”

The proprietary software, eProcess Suite, implements the company’s six-step disability process and converts examination requests into a formal product clients can access through QTC’s Internet client portal. Principi said building the software and continually refining and enhancing it has pushed QTC to be a leader in the field.

“One of the company’s founders is not only a computer genius but was also a very fine internist, and she coupled those two skills to build the protocols,” Principi explained. “We hired experienced software programmers, focused them on what needed to be done, and because we understood the laws and regulations of each agency of government we serve, we stayed focused on our core disciplines.”

Setting the standard
Principi said his vast experience working outside of QTC helped him develop the vision and mission of the company. As a graduate of the US Naval Academy, he believes focus, discipline, teamwork, and strong leadership are the keys to success in any venture, be it personal or professional.

Having served as counsel in the US Senate for many years, he became an expert in the laws surrounding VA processes. He was instrumental in drafting many of the laws QTC applies when dealing with disability evaluations and the swift dispersal of the subsequent benefits. His personal combat experience has given him the ability to be a leader and serve the current war’s veterans with compassion.

“I have a lot of compassion for the men and women who make enormous sacrifices for our country,” said Principi. “We are critical to their future, and making sure they get a federal-quality medical exam ensures they receive every benefit they earned.”

His role as chairman of the board puts him in more of a directorial position than managerial, but when talking about how he guides his people, two words describe it all: responsibility and accountability.

“We are all responsible for making important decisions, and we are all held accountable for our actions,” he said. “If we make a mistake, we don’t wait for the client, customer, or government agency to tell us—we tell them. Everyone makes mistakes, but it’s what you do after you find it that highlights your integrity.”