In business since 1999, Eagle’s Landing Transcription Service began as an in-home small business. Husband and wife team Chris and Elisa Comer started the team as an answer for Elisa to work from home with their kids.
In less than 6 months, the business exploded to 50+ transcriptionists and almost 100 physicians. Almost 25 years later, despite a difficult health journey of her own, Elisa leads the team as they continue to provide excellent service and support to their clients.
Certified in the electronic health record and as a Quality Auditor for healthcare, Elisa has worked tirelessly to fight for quality in the medical record and ease-of-process for physicians and other providers who desire to dictate the patient encounter. She is a Platinum Ambassador for the National Arthritis Foundation.
With a degree in IT and a Master’s in business/operations management, Chris oversees the business side of things and plans for growth. He is a disabled veteran of the US Air Force.
A difficult diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis in 2009 required that Elisa take extended time away and re-think how the business would continue to operate. Today, after living with rheumatoid arthritis and later Sjogrens, dysautonomia, and recently myasthenia gravis, Elisa knows first-hand how important accurate and complete records are to the patient’s journey. In 2022, after encouragement and referrals from current clients, Chris and Elisa made the decision to open the doors to new clients and growth once again.
“The thought of bringing on new clients again was a bit scary. My health makes anything risky, really. But the patients need their story – the WHOLE story – in their records. Two-word phrases and one-size-fits-all drop-downs and clicks fall short of telling the real story. It’s affected my care, ability to get medications, disability determinations, and other important milestones on this journey. If it’s affected me, I’m sure it’s also affected others in the disability community. Too often, we dumb down the documentation to only what appears in the drop-downs, and errors of omission are now a real problem. So are messy diagnoses lists and medication lists full of dupes. It’s awful, and it wastes the little time I have with my physicians, who often spend as much time looking at the computer as they do looking at me. I know we can help. So we made the decision to pursue ELTS 2.0 and bring dictation back to the documentation cycle for physicians.”
Elisa Comer, ELTS Exec Dir
Quality in the medical record has always been the foundation at ELTS. For Chris and Elisa, it’s personal. “Disability will rock your world, and accuracy in our medical records is a must. There is no compromise, there is no substitute.”
ELTS maintains that it’s important to re-claim the rich details of the patient encounter that have often been missing for many years. It’s good patient care. It’s good physician care. We work hard to keep things simple and effective, just like it should be.
(read more about Elisa’s personal story here)
PROFESSIONAL BIO
Professionally, Elisa is an author, speaker, pianist, teacher, worship team leader, healthcare quality auditor, and tireless patient advocate. She lives in Tennessee with her family, where she has enjoyed success in public speaking, small business, ministry and education. Elisa attended college on full scholarships in piano performance and nursing. She carries multiple certifications in healthcare administration/education and has taught on healthcare/chronic illness topics for over 10 years. Most recently, she got certified as a group fitness instructor, specifically for orthopaedics and arthritis-type conditions. When health allows, she volunteers with local ladies’ groups in fitness classes and healthcare education with a small-group emphasis on community and encouragement.
Elisa was named Tennessee Small Business Person of the Year in 2005 and traveled to our nation’s capital to represent the state of Tennessee at National Small Business Week. She enjoyed many years of business awards for her achievements, which led to a new venture in public speaking.
In 2005, Elisa was appointed the US National EHR Coordinator for the transcription industry, where she led the national initiative to move transcription in to the electronic medical record during President George W. Bush’s presidency.
She held this post for four years and taught countless seminars and education sessions throughout the US. She made numerous trips to Capitol Hill to advocate for quality in healthcare records, and in 2006, was invited by the Honorable David Davis, State Rep-TN, to testify before Congress regarding her success as a small business owner. It was during this time that she discovered her talent and love for public speaking.
Elisa is a published author in numerous medical journals, US and state legislative reports and submissions, healthcare conferences and training events regarding quality in medical records, living with chronic disease, and music therapy/education. Her success as a small business owner was featured in the book, Roadside MBA, where she was interviewed about her accomplishments in the field of health information technology. She knows first-hand how chronic illness and disability impacts the practical side of life, and she is a sought-after coach in this regard. Elisa has a particular passion for teaching patients how to read their medical records and for encouraging those affected by chronic life and disability issues to stay strong on such a difficult journey. She writes and speaks about real-deal health journey topics, wrapping them in a candid humor which those who know her have come to expect and enjoy.
Business/Leadership Awards
2005, United States Small Business Person of the Year, State of Tennessee
2005, Rising Star Award, Tennessee Small Business (TN Small Business Development Centers)
2005, Top 40 Under 40, Business Leadership/Excellence Award, Tennessee
2005-2009, National EHR Coordinator for Transcription, US/American Assn for Medical Transcription
2006, Small Business of the Year, Tennessee
2006, Blue Ribbon Business, United States Chamber of Commerce, Washington, DC
2006, Economic Development Model Business/Leader of the Year, SE Region (TN, NC, SC, VA, KY)
2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, National Speaker, National Transcriptionist Convention, AHDI/AHIMA
2008, Tech Star Award for technology in business, Eastern Region
2009, US Small Business, National Who’s-Who in Leadership Award
2011, Featured business leader in Roadside MBA, a book about small business owners/leaders
(2011, left workforce due to rheumatoid arthritis)
Certifications
CPHIMS, Certified Health Information/Management Systems
CPHIT, Certified in Health Information Technology
CPEHR, Certified in Electronic Health Records
CQA, Certified Quality Auditor/healthcare
MLS, Medical Language Specialist, certificate
PMP, Project Management Professional
Group Fitness Instructor/arthritis/orthopedics, American Council on Exercise (ACE)
