The Springfield, Ohio-based primary care practice purchased NextGen® solutions in 2003 through GBS, NextGen Healthcare’s leading value-added reseller. In April 2011, the practice leveraged NextGen® Ambulatory EHR to attest for Meaningful Use for four providers. To date, it has earned the maximum incentive of $18,000 per physician, totaling $72,000. Two additional physicians have completed attestation and are awaiting payment.
Springfield Center for Family Medicine Leverages NextGen Ambulatory EHR to Secure Maximum Incentive Payments
HORSHAM, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Quality Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: QSII) and a leading provider of healthcare information systems and connectivity solutions, announced today that its client, Springfield Center for Family Medicine, Inc., is among the first providers to receive payment for demonstrating Meaningful Use under the Medicare incentive program. Dr. Peter Muir was honored by Dr. Farzad Mostashari, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, on Friday, May 20, 2011, at an event hosted by HealthBridge and the Tri-State Regional Extension Center (REC).
The Springfield, Ohio-based primary care practice purchased NextGen® solutions in 2003 through GBS, NextGen Healthcare’s leading value-added reseller. In April 2011, the practice leveraged NextGen® Ambulatory EHR to attest for Meaningful Use for four providers. To date, it has earned the maximum incentive of $18,000 per physician, totaling $72,000. Two additional physicians have completed attestation and are awaiting payment.
“It is rewarding to see that all the time and effort put into the attestation process generated positive results for our practice and for many others across the country as well,” said Dr. Muir. “The flexibility of our EHR, coupled with the Meaningful Use education NextGen Healthcare offers its clients, was critical to making this experience a success. We’ve taken a major step in improving the quality of our care and our patients’ lives.”
As a member of the ONC Meaningful Use Vanguard Program, Dr. Muir works closely with the Tri-State REC to help other providers in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio demonstrate Meaningful Use. He offers the following advice to providers preparing to attest:
| 1) | Empower a single physician to take the lead in Meaningful Use attestation and encourage close collaboration with your business office. | |||||
| 2) | Start with the toughest measures. Identify early which criteria you can meet already and then design your strategy around what will take the longest time and effort to achieve. | |||||
| 3) | Seek the right resources from the right places – internally and externally. Partner with IT experts from your practice, region and vendors to access the best pool of knowledge. | |||||
| 4) | Give regular feedback to your physicians on their status in meeting Meaningful Use thresholds. It will help enhance the process and speed to success. | |||||
| 5) | Take advantage of educational opportunities and resources from your vendor, such as the NextGen Path to Meaningful Use, to walk you through the details of attestation. | |||||
| 6) | Prepare one spreadsheet for each physician with all the required information for each measure. Having it handy and in the right order will speed the online attestation process. | |||||
| 7) | Plan for about 45 minutes per physician to attest online. | |||||
| 8) | Sign up for CMS’ general email updates to keep well-informed about their evolving programs. |
“For more than two years, we have been dedicated to education, product development and counseling of providers through Meaningful Use preparations. This first wave of incentive payments is a major milestone for both NextGen Healthcare and its clients,” said Scott Decker, president of NextGen Healthcare. “Springfield Center for Family Medicine’s success is a telling case study of how clinical benefits and financial results can be realized through partnerships between providers, RECs and EHR vendors. With thousands of practices on their way to demonstrating Meaningful Use through NextGen Healthcare’s solutions, we’re looking forward to many more success stories.”
About NextGen Healthcare
NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Quality Systems, Inc., provides integrated clinical, financial and connectivity solutions for ambulatory, inpatient and dental provider organizations. For more information, please visit www.nextgen.com and www.qsii.com. Follow NextGen Healthcare on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nextgen or Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/NextGenHealthcare.
