Advertisement
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081013/AQM041LOGO)
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081013/AQM041LOGO)
"Allscripts clearly has superior features and functionality, but what really tipped the scales in their favor was their demonstrated ability to implement and support the technology across a large physician enterprise," commented Steve Heatherly, Chief Strategy Officer and Vice President of Ambulatory Services for MedWest. "In addition, we've always planned to share the electronic health record with our non-employed community doctors as part of our physician integration strategy, and Allscripts has significant experience with similar deployment models."
Advertisement
MedWest adds to the Allscripts market-leading client footprint in North Carolina, where the company provides solutions to more than 3,300 individual physician practices.
MedWest expects to demonstrate "meaningful use" of the Electronic Health Record by next year so its providers can qualify for the maximum government subsidies under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). To get the system up and running in all of its offices in that time frame, MedWest will use the Allscripts READY accelerated deployment solution, a standardized implementation "tool kit" that provides best-in-class recommendations for products, certified workflows and implementation, along with automated processes for tracking and managing the implementation.
MedWest's physicians also will use Allscripts Remote, which allows providers to access the Electronic Health Record remotely on their iPhone(TM), BlackBerry® or Windows® Mobile smartphone; Allscripts Patient Portal, enabling patients to access their records and communicate online with their physicians; and Allscripts Analytics, which analyzes EHR data, summarizes key performance indicators, and provides practice leaders and senior healthcare executives with high-level clinical information across their physician groups and networks to manage patient populations for better health.
"Analytics will help us measure outcomes and make sure we're using evidence-based medicine to produce the best possible patient outcomes," Heatherly said. "In addition, we want to be able to track referrals to understand the factors that influence physicians when they make referrals to our hospitals, other hospitals, and within the physician community."
MedWest will deploy the Allscripts Practice Management System to its owned practices before it introduces the Electronic Health Record. Today, Heatherly explained, MedWest's 15 ambulatory-care offices are using half a dozen different systems. Bringing them all live on the Allscripts PM system will make MedWest's central billing office more efficient and will improve revenue cycle management. Similarly, replacing the disparate EMRs in current use with the Allscripts Electronic Health Record will make delivering patient care more efficient and effective.
"As healthcare reform begins to change reimbursement methodologies, hospitals across the country want to align more closely with their physicians, whether employed or independent," said Glen Tullman, Chief Executive Officer of Allscripts. "We're using innovation technology to create true clinical integration among hospitals and physicians, independent of the systems they are using. Allscripts is providing the tools and solutions for a connected system of health, one that will benefit MedWest and most importantly, its patients."
Additional Information on ARRA and Meaningful Use
Allscripts has recently deployed a number of resources to help physician practices demonstrate "meaningful use" and take advantage of the ARRA incentives:
About MedWest
MedWest Health System includes Haywood Regional Medical Center in Waynesville, Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva and Swain County Hospital in Bryson City, with a system wide total of 323 licensed beds. In addition to the hospitals, MedWest operates the outpatient facilities Harris Medical Park in Sylva, Swain Medical Park in Bryson City, Medical Park of Franklin and is a partner in Mountain Regional Cancer Centers with a state-of-the-art radiation therapy facility in Sylva. MedWest serves 160,000 people in Haywood, Jackson, Swain, Macon and Graham counties with a medical staff of more than 230 physicians, many of whom are part of an employed physician network. MedWest is affiliated with Carolinas Healthcare System. For more information, visit www.westcare.org.
About Allscripts
Allscripts uses innovation technology to bring health to healthcare. More than 160,000 physicians, 800 hospitals and more than 10,000 post-acute and homecare organizations utilize Allscripts to improve the health of their patients and their bottom line. The company's award-winning solutions include Electronic Health Record, Electronic Prescribing, Revenue Cycle Solutions, Practice Management, Document Management, Care Management, Emergency Department Information Systems and Homecare automation. Allscripts is the brand name of Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions, Inc. To learn more, visit www.allscripts.com.
For more Allscripts news, follow us on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/AllscriptsMisys
This news release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Statements regarding future events, developments, the Company's future performance, as well as management's expectations, beliefs, intentions, plans, estimates or projections relating to the future are forward-looking statements within the meaning of these laws. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, some of which are outlined below. As a result, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are: the volume and timing of systems sales and installations; length of sales cycles and the installation process; the possibility that products will not achieve or sustain market acceptance; the timing, cost and success or failure of new product and service introductions, development and product upgrade releases; competitive pressures including product offerings, pricing and promotional activities; our ability to establish and maintain strategic relationships; undetected errors or similar problems in our software products; compliance with existing laws, regulations and industry initiatives and future changes in laws or regulations in the healthcare industry; possible regulation of the Company's software by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; the possibility of product-related liabilities; our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; our ability to identify and complete acquisitions, manage our growth and integrate acquisitions; the ability to recognize the benefits of the merger with Misys Healthcare Systems, LLC ("MHS"); the integration of MHS with the Company and the possible disruption of current plans and operations as a result thereof; maintaining our intellectual property rights and litigation involving intellectual property rights; risks related to third-party suppliers; our ability to obtain, use or successfully integrate third-party licensed technology; breach of our security by third parties; and the risk factors detailed from time to time in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our 2009 Annual Report on Form 10-K available through the Web site maintained by the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
-- The Allscripts Stimulus Program provides physicians with a guarantee that the Allscripts Electronic Health Record they select will meet the EHR certification criteria provided by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Physicians can also benefit from an Allscripts financing program requiring no payments for software for six months, as well as programs focused on faster implementation to ensure physicians can access the Federal Stimulus incentives. -- The Allscripts Stimulus Center provides the latest information on ARRA, including frequently asked questions on Meaningful Use and Certification. -- The Allscripts Legislative & Regulatory Action Center is a place to learn about and take action on issues that are critical to the provider community, providing a simple, 'one touch' connection to elected officials. -- 'Go' is a website designed for physicians and other providers who are considering deploying Electronic Health Records and other healthcare information technologies. Available at www.allscripts.com/go, the site provides easy access to best practices and success stories from the Allscripts client community of more than 160,000 physicians, 800 hospitals, and 10,000 post-acute care facilities.
SOURCE Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
