Southeast Missouri State University student publication

Southeast's Department of Athletics upgrades with Vivature

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Southeast Missouri State University athletics has recently signed a three-year agreement with Vivature, a Healthcare Management Program.

On March 17, Vivature announced its new partnership with Southeast that allows the university's Department of Athletics to use Vivature's training software and billing solution in its athletic training rooms, as well as providing Southeast with a projected $200,000. According to Southeast's Director of Athletics Brady Barke, Southeast has looked into Vivature in years past as an opportunity for athletics to generate some revenue as the department looks at future costs.

In order for Southeast to provide the same level of care, the department will have to begin to employ more full-time athletic trainers, which will provide additional cost to the department. With these changes coming to Southeast in the future, the partnership with Vivature will help the department make this transition.

Southeast also provides a secondary insurance policy for their student-athletes involving athletic related injuries. "When a student is injured and receives some sort of treatment," Barke says, "their primary insurance is built, if they have insurance. Whatever that insurance company pays go towards the cost, the remainder we pay under that secondary policy." There is no out of pocket pay for the student or their families but it is a way for Southeast to generate some revenue on the services they provide to allow the department to reinvest it back into the students.

Within the partnership, Southeast is allowed to use Vivature's equipment, which is already installed in the athletic training rooms.

"They are kiosks that the students check in and check out when they arrive in the training room," Barke said.

The athletes gain access with their thumb print, which increases security.

Barke said when the student scans their thumb, a file appears identifying what treatment the athlete is receiving that day, based on the information recorded by the assigned athletic trainers.

"On the back end, once that has been completed, that's where Vivature works to coding the services that were provided that ultimately bill the insurance company and collect from the insurance," Barke said.

Even though Southeast only has a three-year partnership with Vivature, Barke said he hopes there is a longer future for it. There is an option to extend the contract for two additional years if the program works the way the department hopes.

"There is a startup process, so it takes a little while to be able to get everything approved, be able to receive payments for the services that you're provided from insurance companies," Barke said.

Read more at SoutheastArrow.com/Sports.

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