Julie Short: Opportunity arose when HealthPort shifted focus from document storage.

EDCO acquires Nixa document-storage operation

Jeremy Elwood

Posted online August 17, 2008 | 11:00 pm

Springfield-based health care documentation company EDCO Group Inc. has completed its second purchase in less than 18 months with the acquisition of a Nixa-based division of Atlanta health care technology firm HealthPort.

In the $3 million purchase, finalized Aug. 5, EDCO picks up HealthPort’s Centralized Document Management Services division, which scans medical records for health care organizations, allowing them to be stored electronically and take up less space.

EDCO spokeswoman Julie Short said HealthPort has shifted its focus from document storage, allowing EDCO an opportunity to purchase the division.

“By going in and buying their conversion services, it allows EDCO to be more efficient by giving us more volume,” Short said.

The purchase also includes three warehouses full of older paper documents that Short said would be transferred to EDCO’s Springfield facilities at 1351 N. Belcrest Ave. and in Springfield Underground.

About 120 HealthPort employees in Nixa are affected by the purchase. Short said employees will be interviewed to see if they want to transfer to EDCO’s Springfield facility, adding that those employees will be given first priority to fill new spots created by the transfer.

A representative for HealthPort did not return calls before press time.

The HealthPort purchase follows EDCO’s April 2007 acquisition of West Plains competitor Axio Technologies Inc., which had 88 employees at the time. About 30 were offered jobs in Springfield with the new company, according to previous Springfield Business Journal coverage.[[In-content Ad]]