Medical Office Management Systems Inc.

Unfortunate circumstances several years ago may have brought Ann Baskette Laman and Susan Dodson Hiller together as business partners, but what they created has been a glorious success.

Medical Office Management Systems Inc. of Little Rock markets billing software for doctors’ offices and outpatient facilities. The company also provides custom interfaces for hospitals and offers electronic claims processing and statements and other services for physicians. Simply put, Laman says, “We are systems integrators.” Their software is Y2K compliant, an area bringing more business.

Laman and Hiller were both recently widowed when they formed a widowed-persons’ support group that eventually led to starting M.O.M.S. in 1981. Both had medical backgrounds, one was into computers and programming and the other was well-versed in marketing.

Laman says it “boggles my mind” how much the company has grown in more than 17 years.

M.O.M.S. was a Business of the Year winner in 1992 in the smallest category. This year, M.O.M.S. is competing in Category II.

The company has experienced significant growth in recent years, Laman says. Last fall, M.O.M.S. acquired the assets of a company that allowed it to increase its business to 600 clinics.

Laman and Hiller are now grandmoms, but they still have an active part in the company, which has grown to 45 employees.

“We have directors who run the company now,” she says. “We’re not in the day-to-day line of fire, we’re not in the trenches. We’re trying to motivate and empower are people. We try to manage the troops.”

Laman says M.O.M.S. will continue in an acquisition mode, seeking a presence in more states as health care continues to change.

“The only way to survive in our industry is to grow,” she says. “It’s a numbers game.” As for its numbers, the company has reached the $5 million mark.

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