1. Resources

There is good rational behind encouraging all audiologists to embrace the entry-level market with products that compete with PSAP's, but are aligned with the professional skill and expertise of the audiology provider. Open Book GPO (a division of AuDNet, Inc.) members continue to enjoy access to numerous FDA approved products - as well as PSAP products - from several popular manufacturers. All with extended warranties - in a variety of forms and at prices recently suggested as unavailable to audiologists. All this from a well established network with a pretty impressive track record of financial contributions to ADA.

Wheel already invented? Take this fresh look at what we do and join. Cost matters. Dave Smriga, AuDNet's founder and president, was one of many outstanding speakers on ADA's program.

His talk, 'Who Are You Really Working For? The Complex New Relationship Between Audiology and Manufacturing' educated attendees about the history of our industry, group purchasing organziations (GPO's) as they are used by most hospitals and clinics to lower costs, and the opportunity to establish an audiology-centric GPO (an APO) to help lower costs for audiology practitioners.

Particuarly interested in and enthusiastic about this model were the up-and-coming generation of audiology practitioners, who are truly invested in audiology's future. For those of you who have attended our APO webinars this past summer, you will be interested to note that we have changed our funding model from the subscription model ($100 per month per practice location) to a 3% vendor fee model, consistent with the historic GPO funding mechanism recognized and supported by federal regulation. Through this funding source, NO fee will be required from any APO participant. After securing meaningful discount pricing for our members from participating manufacturers, AuDNet will in addition receive a fee of no more than 3% of the discounted price paid by our members as the income source to run the APO operation.

This is both a major shift in the funding source, as well as a major departure from the funding amount more commonly collected by buying group organizations within our industry who do NOT operate as GPO's. At ADA, we introduced a slighly updated trademark for identifying and descsribing our APO.

Now called, 'Open-Book APO', we are reinforcing through this moniker our commitment to providing participating members whith quarterly access to AuDNet's P&L statements. Financial transparency is not only a key separater between us and the buying group organizations more common within our industry, it is an essential requirement for us to maintain our safe-harbor status as a GPO from the perespective of federal regulation. In addition, APO members can sign up for advisory board and regulatory board positions, further involving the membership in the operations and decision making aspects of Open-Book APO. To date, we have identified nearly 600 practices who have either joined or pledged to join Open-Book APO and commit their purchasing levels to the purchasing volume we will reference when negotiating contracts.

This is not yet our 1000 practice goal, but is close. So, we intend to continue our recruiting efforts through the first quarter of 2015 in an effort to pump up our negotiating numbers some more. In addition, we are inviting other buying group organizations interested and willing to follow our GPO business model to 'join forces' with us, adding their purchasing levels to the total, and further increasing the opportunity to make this approach truly competitive in the new world of diversified hearing instrument distribution and availability. Represent 'Open-Book APO' members' best interests by securing and maintaining cost parity. Grow 'Open-Book APO' membership, product and service offerings to ultimately operate at 3% of net member purchases,. Provide 'Open-Book APO' members with complete operational and financial transparency,. Promote ethical business practices consistent with the profession of Audiology Our marketplace is changing.

Resources

AuDNet is compelled to change with it. AuDNet 2.0 completely re-writes the group purchasing organization model, offering opportunity for professionals caring for the needs of patients with hearing loss. AuDNet 2.0 is focused on providing Audiology practices in any setting with competitive cost of goods, complete transparency of operations and accountability to its membership. It represents the best in proven group purchasing organization operations. Is Your Practice Listed on NowiHear.com's 'Audiology Practice Locator'? According to Pew Research, 74% of American adults go online, and 61% of those adults look online for health information.

Most of these 'e-patients' claim that they or someone they know has been helped following the health information found on the Internet. Having a practice website is essential. But, linking to a 'Tower Website' is THE most effective way to get your information found by searchers on the internet. AuDNet's consumer information website - NowiHear.com - gets found by nearly 10,000 people each month looking for hearing health care information.

And this number keeps growing The NowiHear.com SEO and sponsored link investments far eclipse the resources of any single audiology practice. And, since this website is focused on promoting the value and expertise of audiology care, once e-patients reach NowiHear.com, they learn to 'ask for an audiologist!' To find the audiologist in their area, NowiHear.com visitors can click on the unique 'Audiology Locator' tool. Once they type in their zip code, they receive an exclusive listing of audiology practices in their area.

These locator listings connect visitors directly to individual practice websites, videos, phone numbers and address information. A Priority Listing give practices 'top billing' on results pages. Member audiology practices listed on the NowiHear.com Audiology Locator enjoy hundreds of exposures each month to their practice information and website.

And, by clicking on the practice listing, new patients make direct contact with the audiology practice and its website. Securing a listing on the NowiHear.com Audiology practice Locator is simple. Simply download, complete and fax back the enrollment form below. Create a link to NowiHear.com on your website. Benefit from the constant new and fresh information about audiology care posted on the site.

Make it easy for patients in your area to find you on the Internet. Don't miss this proven way to multiply your Internet visibility and value.

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