Expert Guidance for Your Point-of-care Ultrasound (POCUS) Needs

Providing the Tools and Training for Seamless Point-of-care Ultrasound Integration

Expert Guidance for Your Point-of-care Ultrasound (POCUS) Needs

Providing the Tools and Training for Seamless Point-of-care Ultrasound Integration

Transform Patient Care with Expert POCUS Implementation

Are you a medical director looking to integrate or enhance POCUS in your practice?

You're in the right place. At Peachtree POCUS, we understand that POCUS is more than just a technology—it's a gateway to pioneering patient care.

Navigate the Complexity of POCUS with Confidence

POCUS can seem daunting. It's not just about learning a new technique; it's about mastering the intricacies of new technology and navigating complex billing systems. But you don't have to do it alone. With our expert guidance, you can overcome these challenges and make POCUS a profitable part of your healthcare delivery.

Why Choose Peachtree POCUS?

Experienced Guidance: Led by a fellowship-trained expert and a nationally recognized speaker on POCUS, we provide top-tier consulting to help you implement POCUS smoothly and successfully.
Tailored Solutions: Every healthcare facility is unique. That’s why we work closely with you to identify your specific needs and craft a customized plan that fits your goals and resources.
Comprehensive Support: From initial planning to full implementation, we're with you every step of the way. Our goal is to make POCUS accessible, understandable, and beneficial for your team and your patients.

Ready to Get Started?

Schedule Your Free Consultation: Let's discuss your POCUS frustrations and explore how we can help. Our first meeting is completely risk-free.
Feel Secure: Not satisfied with our consult process? We offer a full refund of the consulting fee, ensuring your satisfaction and peace of mind.

Stay Ahead of the Curve

Embrace the future of medicine. Establish a successful POCUS program and enhance patient satisfaction by allowing your providers to use POCUS effectively, keeping them at the bedside, where they are needed most.

Our Services

POCUS Operations Packages

Peachtree POCUS offers an array of specialized consulting services centered on optimizing POCUS operations. Our goal is to assist you in maximizing reimbursement potential while prioritizing patient safety.

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Live POCUS Courses

POCUS Operations Packages

We provide a diverse range of tailored, specialty-specific POCUS courses. Our unique advantage? We bring the courses directly to you! Select from an array of foundational and advanced courses.

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POCUS in Academics

POCUS Operations Packages

POCUS in Academics

We offer tailored academic consultations to enhance the POCUS curriculum for multiple specialties. Whether building from scratch or improving an existing program, we provide expert guidance to equip your faculty and elevate your residents and students' clinical skills.

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Online offerings

Joint Commission Preparedness

POCUS in Academics

Peachtree POCUS makes high-quality ultrasound education accessible through our online courses and free webinars. Learn at your own pace with expert instruction, whether you're new to POCUS or advancing your skills. Join us to deepen your knowledge and stay ahead in your practice

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Joint Commission Preparedness

Equipment like POCUS often garners attention from accreditation organizations. We ensure that all necessary POCUS safety policies are in place, whether in anticipation of an accreditation visit or to address any citations from a recent assessment.

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Medical Malpractice

Joint Commission Preparedness

In medical malpractice cases involving POCUS, we offer expert review services. Our comprehensive offerings include record review and expert testimony related to the utilization of POCUS.

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Who we are

Joshua Guttman MD FRCPC FACEP FAEMUS

Joshua Guttman MD is founder and CEO of Peachtree POCUS. Dr. Guttman is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Guttman completed medical school and residency at McGill University and an emergency medicine ultrasound fellowship at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He recently completed a 5-year tenure as the advanced emergency medicine ultrasound fellowship director, where his was among the first programs to receive formal accreditation.

Dr. Guttman is a nationally recognized expert in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) education. He has given over 65 lectures and workshops on the national and international stage, both at CME courses and national conferences. These include the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM), Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM), Coastal Emergency Medicine Conference (CEMC), and the Rocky Mountain Winter Conference, among others. During the COVID pandemic, he founded the ongoing "Unmute Your Probe" virtual ultrasound course series, a highly popular monthly series of lectures on POCUS, hosted by AAEM. Dr. Guttman serves as the associate POCUS director for the foundations of emergency medicine national course, a council member for the Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship Accreditation Council (EUFAC) and the AAEM emergency ultrasound section, where he is currently the chair-elect. Dr. Guttman has run CME POCUS courses for a variety of specialties, including emergency medicine, hospital medicine, general and trauma surgery, anesthesia, family medicine and neurology. His insights on POCUS operations have been featured in numerous publications, including MedPage Today, Emergency Medicine News, Emergency Physicians Monthly, and AAEM's Common Sense.

Dr. Guttman is a nationally recognized expert in POCUS reimbursement. He is the chair of American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Emergency Ultrasound Section coding and reimbursement committee. Through his committee work, he answers reimbursement-related questions from POCUS directors from around the country. In addition, he publishes an annual reimbursement update on the ACEP website and has hosted a webinar on the 2023 updated AMA reimbursement policies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is POCUS?

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) entails the clinician's direct utilization of ultrasound technology to facilitate bedside diagnosis and/or procedural guidance. Historically, clinicians would identify a suspected disease process based on patient history and physical examination, subsequently ordering an ultrasound. This procedure would typically be administered by a radiology technician, with resultant images then interpreted by specialists such as radiologists, cardiologists, or obstetricians.

In contrast, POCUS empowers the same clinician who evaluates the patient to employ ultrasound technology directly, aiding in diagnostic confirmation or exclusion. This approach offers notable advantages, as clinicians can leverage immediate clinical data for ultrasound interpretation, leading to expedited results. Particularly in emergency medicine and critical care settings, POCUS enables swift bedside identification of life-threatening conditions, facilitating prompt initiation of definitive treatment.

Due to these significant benefits, POCUS stands out as one of the most rapidly advancing technologies in the field of medicine.

What is involved in a POCUS consultation?

A POCUS consultation commences with a comprehensive review of the existing POCUS program. This involves completing an intake form containing detailed inquiries regarding current POCUS provider education and operational processes, if applicable. Peachtree POCUS will conduct virtual meetings with all stakeholders, including departmental/hospital leadership, IT, and billing departments, to gain insights into the current landscape and prepare for an on-site visit.

Subsequently, Peachtree POCUS will arrange for one or more site visits. These visits are essential for gaining a thorough understanding of the department/hospital geography, which informs our recommendations effectively. Following the site visit and any necessary additional meetings, Peachtree POCUS will furnish a detailed written report comprising concrete recommendations.

Upon receipt of the report, we will schedule a meeting to discuss and elucidate the recommendations in greater detail, ensuring clarity and alignment with your organizational objectives.

Will insurers reimburse for POCUS exams performed by non-radiologists?

Yes! Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) is regarded as a procedural technique akin to other medical procedures. In the realm of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT), POCUS is categorized as a limited ultrasound examination, each with its unique set of CPT codes. Both facility and professional fees are eligible for reimbursement, given that the clinician is responsible for both performing and interpreting the examination.

However, akin to other radiological studies and unlike conventional bedside procedures, specific criteria must be met to qualify for reimbursement. These criteria encompass the provision of a meticulously formatted report and the appropriate archiving and accessibility of images. Peachtree POCUS stands ready to assist you comprehensively in navigating all aspects of POCUS reimbursement

Can Peachtree POCUS credential my providers in POCUS?

Yes! We offer comprehensive assistance with all aspects of credentialing, recognizing its hospital/healthcare system-specific nature, which may vary across institutions. In cases where your hospital lacks a defined credentialing pathway, we provide a tailored credentialing policy ready for immediate implementation by the hospital or department. Our policy accounts for specialty-specific credentialing guidelines, if applicable.

If your hospital already has an established credentialing pathway, we facilitate the credentialing process for providers within this framework. Credentialing typically entails specific quotas of POCUS exams performed and reviewed for quality. Peachtree POCUS delivers both the requisite education and image review services to fulfill these requirements. Additionally, we offer ongoing support to maintain credentialing status through regular image reviews.

Do providers need to be credentialed in POCUS in order to bill for POCUS exams performed?

Technically, billing/reimbursement and credentialing are unrelated. However, just like any procedure, it is highly recommended that providers be credentialed before using POCUS to make clinical decisions.

How do you establish a relationship with radiology?

Peachtree POCUS prioritizes the value of collaboration. We firmly believe that fostering collaborative relationships with other imaging specialties, including radiology, cardiology, and obstetrics-gynecology, ultimately optimizes patient care. However, it's essential to address legitimate concerns that these departments may have regarding POCUS.

These concerns may encompass patient safety, provider competence, and potential impacts on reimbursement. Through the establishment of a robust POCUS program, accompanied by comprehensive provider training, rigorous quality assurance protocols, and stringent safety measures, many of these concerns can be mitigated. Additionally, concerns regarding reimbursement can be addressed through negotiation to ensure the satisfaction of all parties involved.

Peachtree POCUS is committed to collaborating with your radiology, cardiology, and OBGYN department leadership to address and alleviate their concerns, fostering a partnership that benefits the patients under our care.

Do you provide consultations for only departments or can you manage health systems?

Peachtree POCUS offers comprehensive solutions, including fostering interdepartmental collaboration. Irrespective of whether you operate a critical access emergency department, a family medicine clinic with two providers, or a sprawling multi-hospital health system, we customize our recommendations to align with the unique dynamics of your practice environment.

Expert Guidance for Your Point-of-care Ultrasound (POCUS) Needs

Expert Guidance for Your Point-of-care Ultrasound (POCUS) Needs