Event: eClinicalWorks 2010 User Conference

Very excited to go to the 2010 Northeast Regional Users’ Group Meeting. There's a portion for potential users. I suggest physicians who want a demo, attend that portion. Looks to be another good one!

Location: New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge, 333 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 (718) 246-7000

T&D: March 26 and 27, 2010

Schedule of Events: Click here

Contact: Contact Lynne Haglund, lynneh@eclinicalworks.com, eClinicalWorks, LLC, Tel: 508-475-0450 X 206

Company hires Corrections official after winning government contract

Company hires Corrections official after winning multimillion-dollar contract
by Rhonda Cook (Available online here)

Synopsis: In Oct. 2008, the Georgia state Department of Corrections had issued a request for proposal for an EHR system. Nine companies responded. The award was given to BCA whose bid was $8.77 for each of the first 50,000 electronic records. A proposal was issued as a statewide contract to also make it available to Georgia universities, state agencies and local governments.

The total cost of the contract is not yet known, DOAS' Douglas said, because the number of records is uncertain. The first year of the contract, BCA said it would charge Corrections $8.77 for each of the first 50,000 records plus other fees. The per-record price drops as the number of files increases with the additions of more agencies.

The company that finished second, eClinicalWorks, submitted a bid of $3.50 for each of the first 50,000 records plus other fees. So in reality, eClinicalWorks who bid $3.50 for each of the first 50,000 had the top spot!


So why would a company who's bid was more than double that of the second place contender win the RFP?

Business Computer Applications was pushed into the No. 1 spot by the subjective technical scores provided by Alan Adams of the Department of Corrections and six other evaluators.

Cook explains, Adams, a retired part-time corrections official was asked to submit his resume to BCA by a BCA employee. Adams never disclosed this information to the department. The Inspector General wrote "One could infer that by requesting his resume, BCA intended to influence Adams during the course of this solicitation process. Thus, we find the communication improper."

Adams was offered a job and he accepted it less than a month after BCA's winning bid was announced, according to records obtained by the AJC. But Adams told the AJC  that he and BCA agreed to put the job offer "on hold" when the IG's review began on July 9.
Adams said it is unlikely he will ever work for BCA. He started another job on Dec. 1.

Long story short, the award will still stand.

I'm curious, what were the subjective technical scores and how were they subjectively calculated? Did each of the evaluators have their own metrics or did they all collaborate on how to calculate the technical scores? Okay, i'm not that curious... ah the drama of HIT.

eClinicalWorks Announces P2P and Enhancements

eClinicalWorks^®, a market leader in ambulatory clinical systems, today announced eClinicalWorks P2P, a tool for improving healthcare collaboratively. eClinicalWorks P2P introduces interoperability for peer-to-peer communications not only to other eClinicalWorks users, but any provider/practice that the provider and practice interacts with for patient care.

Records are now shared electronically, so practices do not have to fax communications, including referrals and patient charts, to other providers. Practices will also be able to schedule appointments and communicate generic messages regarding patient care. P2P is an interoperable, scalable and secure way to communicate while enhancing patient care.

"Even once a practice is using an electronic medical records system, faxing is still common for communicating with other practices, which does not allow for continuity of care," said Girish Kumar Navani, CEO and co-founder of eClinicalWorks. "Our mission is to improve healthcare by providing technology and services to reduce costs, reduce errors and improve the quality of care. These goals can not be achieved without showing continuity of care. eClinicalWorks P2P, along with the enhancements to our additional solutions, allows our customers to improve healthcare collaboratively."

Enhancements to other eClinicalWorks solutions include:

•Enterprise Business Optimizer (eBO) 2.0 – eBO has been accelerated to include integration of the eClinicalWorks Registry with eBO reports, enhanced clinical metadata and reports, enhanced financial metadata data and reports, and added security integration with eClinicalWorks EMR/PM Reports exchange via eCWShare (http://ecwshare.eclinicalworks.com).•eClinicalWorks Electronic Health eXchange (eEHX) 3.0 – Some enhancements include split screen patient lookup, threshold settings for patient matching, patient reconciliation, community-wide measure reporting and population health alerts.•eClinicalMessenger 2.0 – eClinicalWorks is piloting 2.0 which includes a further refined back end infrastructure, new Web-based screens for easier navigation, additional administrative options, SMS text messaging and integration with eClinicalWorks Registry. •eClinicalMobile 2.0 – eClinicalWorks is piloting 2.0, which offers streamlined navigation on the iPhone, enhanced charge entry, lab ordering, enhanced administrative and favorite settings, creating appointments and faxing of progress notes.

Availability
eClinicalWorks P2P will be available in Q4 2009. It is included free as a module in eEHX 3.0 for community deployments. The solution is also available as a standalone product and will be offered free to clients until the end of 2010.

eClinicalWorks is a registered trademark of eClinicalWorks, LLC. All other trademarks or service marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

NYC's William F. Ryan Community Health Network Selects eClinicalWorks

eClinicalWorks just published a press release on their website.

eClinicalWorks^®, a market leader in ambulatory clinical systems, today announced that New York City’s William F. Ryan Community Health Network has chosen eClinicalWorks unified electronic medical records (EMR) and practice management (PM) solution along with eClinicalWorks Enterprise Business Optimizer’s (eBO) enhanced reporting capabilities for its more than 250 physicians and residents in 16 locations. These sites include three main health centers, schools, homeless shelters and mobile vans.

"Building on the belief that healthcare is a right and not a privilege, William F. Ryan searched for an electronic health records system that could help our practitioners improve care in the community," said Barbra E. Minch, president and CEO of William F. Ryan Community Health Network. "We selected eClinicalWorks because of the user-friendly nature of the product, its reporting capabilities, and its ability to coordinate care across not only multiple locations, but also various types of settings."

eClinicalWorks EMR/PM will allow William F. Ryan to streamline processes between locations and promote patient care. The community health network has also chosen to implement eBO, which uses meta-data to give the practice more flexibility through the creation of customized reports and by performing clinical and financial analysis.

 Full version available here

Healthy Dose of Digital

 I just read a NYTimes article that highlights how technology companies are pushing technology into the practice because there seems to be a bipartisan consensus that EMR is A-OK! Great article, here's a sample, scroll down for a link to the full version.

The goal of moving paper medical records into the digital age has been championed for years by health care policy makers across the political spectrum, from Hillary Rodham Clinton to Newt Gingrich. As a presidential candidate, Barack Obama, too, was an advocate, and the economic crisis opened the door for an ambitious step — $19 billion put into the recovery package to encourage doctors and hospitals to install and use electronic health records.

So even as the Obama administration and Congress struggle with broad health policy legislation, the technology industry is pursuing the opportunity in digital health records as never before. Although most of the government money will not start flowing until next year, the companies hoping to get their share include technology giants like General Electric, I.B.M. and the big telecommunications company, Verizon. Also in the hunt are smaller health technology specialists like Athenahealth, eClinicalWorks and Practice Fusion.

Source: Steve Lohr, Tech Companies Push to Digitize Patients’ Records, New York Times (September 10, 200) (available online here)

Event: eClinicalWorks 2009 User Conference

What: eClinicalWorks 2009 National Users’ Conference

Where: The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV


When: September 12 - 15, 2009

Description: eClinicalWorks is proud to announce the second annual National Users’ Conference to take place September 12-15, 2009 at the Venetian in Las Vegas. eClinicalWorks is celebrating 10 years as a company.

Register Here

eClinicalWorks Signs With Correctional Medical Services, Inc.

WESTBOROUGH, Mass.—Aug. 31, 2009—eClinicalWorks^®, a market leader in ambulatory clinical systems, today announced that the company has entered into an agreement with Correctional Medical Services, Inc. (CMS), a leading provider of health services for prisons and jails nationwide for over 30 years, to provide its electronic medical records (EMR) solution to correctional facilities affiliated with CMS.

CMS facilities using the eClinicalWorks EMR will be able to streamline processes and promote patient care. The system will also permit providers to utilize chronic and preventative care measures, including those that are unique to this setting such as suicide watch alerts and detox monitoring. eClinicalWorks will work with CMS to enhance its Electronic Medication Administration Record (EMAR) as well as intake process flows and a mental health module.

"eClinicalWorks has always strived to provide the most comprehensive EMR at an affordable price for every market segment," said Girish Kumar Navani, CEO and co-founder of eClinicalWorks. "Our commitment to customers and experience with Rikers Island makes us a logical solution for correctional facilities. We are pleased to be chosen by a national leader like CMS and look forward to working with them."

About Correctional Medical Services, Inc.
Correctional Medical Services, Inc (CMS) has been a nationwide leader for over 30 years in the provision of correctional healthcare services, offering a comprehensive suite of medical, dental, pharmacy and mental health services for the incarcerated population. CMS currently maintains a presence in 17 states and manages medical services for 10 statewide systems. More than 6,000 employees and independent contractors work with CMS nationwide. For more information, visit the CMS Web site at www.cmsstl.com.

About eClinicalWorks
eClinicalWorks^® is a privately held leader in the ambulatory clinical systems market. The company’s unified electronic medical record (EMR) and practice management (PM) solutions are proven for every market segment: large practice groups, including Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative (MAeHC), Electronic Health Records of Rhode Island (EHRRI) and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, as well as medium, small and solo practices regardless of specialty. The company enjoys high profitability with a five-year compounded growth rate of more than 100 percent year-to-year. With an established customer base of more than 25,000 providers across all 50 states, eClinicalWorks has been awarded multiple top industry honors including being named to the Inc. 500 in 2008 and 2007, and a top solution by TEPR for four consecutive years. Based in Westborough, Mass., eClinicalWorks has additional offices in New York City and Alpharetta, Ga. More information on eClinicalWorks can be found at www.eclinicalworks.com or by calling 866-888-MYCW.

Conn. Hospital Selects eClincialWorks

eClinicalWorks, a market leader in ambulatory clinical systems, announced that Stamford Hospital, serving Connecticut’s lower Fairfield County and a major teaching affiliate of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, has selected eClinicalWorks’s unified electronic medical records (EMR) and practice management (PM) solution for its employed and affiliated physicians. In addition to the EMR/PM system, Stamford will use eClinicalWorks’s Patient Portal, Electronic Health eXchange (eEHX), Enterprise Business Optimizer (eBO) and eClinicalMobile – all designed to extend the use of electronic health records beyond the practice’s walls to improve communication and access to real-time information.

Massachusetts helping to shape US efforts to digitize records

I forgot to blog about a recent article I read in the Boston Globe that emphasized why Massachusetts is in the fortunate position of being the country's electronic medical records focal point. According to Paul Egerman, Massachusetts is like the Silicone Valley of healthcare information technology.

Egerman went on to start one company, IDX Systems Corp., that was bought by General Electric for $1.2 billion, and another, eScription Inc., that was acquired by Nuance Communications Inc. last year for $363 million. He is now a volunteer adviser to David Blumenthal, the national coordinator for health information technology - and a former Harvard professor and Mass. General physician.

Synopsis of why Massachusetts is so influential in healthcare IT and the Obama Administration's goals?

- More experience than any other state

- Massachusetts doctors and hospitals do more electronic prescribing - eliminating the need for handwritten scraps of paper - than their counterparts in any other state.

According to John Halamka, chief information officer at CareGroup Healthcare System, ``The average use of EMRs in the US is between 2 and 20 percent. In Massachusetts, we're somewhere between 30 and 50 percent, so we've had a fair degree of experience with what works and what doesn't work.''

- Massachusetts won influence because Harvard economist David Cutler was the primary architect of candidate Barack Obama's healthcare plan.

Girish Navani of eClinicalWorks was also quoted in that article.

EClinicalWorks software is already used by about 25,000 doctors, and the company brought in $100 million in revenue last year. The company is hiring about twice as quickly - roughly 200 people in 2009, mainly in areas like training and customer support - as it would be without the stimulus, according to Girish Navani, eClinicalWorks chief executive...``The big picture,'' says Navani, ``is truly transforming healthcare, rather than just spending a lot of money and not getting to our goal.''

I included the source of the article so that you can read it in depth. It's really a good article! (I say that about most of the articles I cite to because I only blog about the good ones!)

Source: Scott Kirsner, State helping to shape US efforts to digitize health records for all, The Boston Globe, Business Section, pg.1 (July 12, 2009 Sunday

eClinicalWorks Ranks 39 in the HIC 100!

Over the years I've known Girish Navani, Mahesh Navani, and Dr. Rajesh Dharampuriya, I've learned they're a pretty smart trio. They've done a terrific job at expanding eClinicalWorks, while maintaining an excellent product with quality support. Let me be one of the first to congratulate eClinicalWorks on being ranked #39 on Healthcare Informatics annual HCI 100 list of companies by HIT revenue. eClinicalWorks ranked #39 this year, moving up from #51 in 2008.

Here is the listing:

eClinicalWorks | Westborough, MA | 508-836-2700 | http://www.eclinicalworks.com

HIT Revenue: $ 86,360,323 ('08) $ 63,900,619 ('07) $ 38,214,865 ('06)
Major Revenue: Physician practice systems

Employees: 750 Market: Private Founded: 1999

eClinicalWorks' unified EMR/PM system manages patient flow and streamlines processes regardless of practice size, specialty and number of locations. Its solutions can create community-wide records.

Company Executives: Girish Kumar Navani, CEO and Co-Founder; Mahesh Navani, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder

EMR Wikipedia

Wikipedia is a great tool for IT professionals and users alike. It's a complete user-created page that anyone can edit (with the proper credentials).

I've found an excellent wiki on EMR, you'll notice that I linked it in other places throughout the website as well. I do this so that you can get an unbias perspective on EMR. Remember, the wiki highlights concerns, but many of these concerns are addressed by the big EMR companies. The key is for you to be aware of what is out there and how to manage your practice efficiently.

Click here

American Reinvestment and Recovery Act

eClinicalWorks has written an excellent synopsis on the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 and the HITECH Act. Read the article to determine whether your practice can qualify for the stimulus plan.

Click here to read more

EHR Leaps Forward Due to Recent Legistlation

Reuters had an interesting article on how ARRA is a great leap forward in encouraging the adoption of electronic health records to help improve healthcare quality and efficiency in the United States. Click here for more