Thomas J. Pliura, MD, JD, PC, is a physician and attorney at law with the company he founded, zChart, an electronic medical records-related company based in LeRoy, Ill. The zChart, which was developed by healthcare professionals and used in surgery centers across the country, can be customized for each physician, capture and store information from outside sources and can be used for wireless bedside charting.
Dr. Pliura, an emergency medicine physician with more than 25 years of healthcare experience, completed his medical education at University of Illinois-College of Medicine. Soon after, he enrolled in the University of Illinois College of Law, following the advice of his father who said “to be a good physician, you need to understand the law.” After completing his education, Dr. Pliura went on to practice emergency medicine at more than 15 hospitals in Illinois and open a law practice with a focus on healthcare-related legal issues and serving as legal counsel for local ASCs. In 1998, he sought and received the first favorable Medicare Advisory Opinion in the country, certifying that a proposed ASC was exempt from Stark Laws under a rural provider exemption.
In 2000, Dr. Pliura developed and opened his first outpatient surgical center. He went on to develop and build additional surgical centers throughout Illinois, raising approximately $30 million dollars in cash for their development.
Last August, Dr. Pliura announced he will be running in the upcoming Illinois state Senate race. His campaign will focus on greater government accountability, tort reform, Medicaid reform and a number of other issues. “It is time for common people to do uncommon things,” Dr. Pliura said on his campaign website. “I choose to run for office, not because it will be easy, but because it will be hard.”
