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CHIME Calls for Stage 2 Extension in Letter to Senators

CIO organization underscores progress of EHR adoption, highlights importance of standards in Stage 2 

ANN ARBOR, MI, May 6, 2013 – Following a request for feedback from Senators in Washington on the status of health IT adoption, the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) issued a response declaring that a one-year extension of Meaningful Use Stage 2 would “maximize the opportunity of program success.”

The organization of healthcare CIOs said the additional 12-months for meeting Stage 2 “will give providers the opportunity to optimize their EHR technology and achieve the benefits of Stage 1 and Stage 2; it will give vendors the time needed to prepare, develop and deliver needed technology to correspond with Stage 3; and it will give policymakers time to assess and evaluate programmatic trends needed to craft thoughtful Stage 3 rules.”

In calling for an extension to Stage 2, CHIME defended much of the federal incentive program’s progress to date, arguing that fundamental shifts in health IT adoption and EHR product capabilities have been made possible through the policy of Meaningful Use.

“While we share some of your concerns with the current state of interoperability, we strongly believe that EHR incentive payments under the policy of Meaningful Use have been essential in moving the nation’s healthcare system into the 21st Century,” the CHIME letter said.  “Through the EHR Incentive Payments program, CMS and ONC have begun to mitigate a fractured and incompatible state for EHRs.”

The response comes amid concerns levied by six Senators that the current direction of the HITECH program is flawed. The white paper released on April 16, “REBOOT: Re-examining the Strategies Needed to Successfully Adopt Health IT,” outlines several concerns including increased health care costs, lack of momentum toward interoperability, patient privacy, and long-term program sustainability.

“Your report highlights a number of fair and responsible criticisms of the program and it echoes many of the concerns CHIME has voiced over the last three years,” the letter said.  “But given the nation’s increased adoption of EHRs, the increased investments in interoperable solutions and the early-stage transformations encountered every day by our members, we remain convinced that the trajectory set by Meaningful Use is the correct one.

“CHIME believes the industry’s guiding principle should be to maximize the opportunity of program success and monitor the timelines needed to do that.  For this reason, we formally and strongly recommend a one-year extension to Stage 2 before progressing to Stage 3 of Meaningful Use,” the organization concluded.

CHIME also called upon Congress to request an update from ONC on what technologies, architectures and strategies exist to mitigate patient matching errors; seek feedback from the public via congressional hearing or other formal commenting mechanism; and determine how current work at the S&I Framework could be leveraged to address the foundational challenge of patient data-matching.

Responding to a section of the white paper on audits and program integrity, CHIME said CIOs understand the desire to ensure that incentive payments are going to those who have qualified to receive them, but this intent must not result in unreasonable auditing efforts that are poorly structured, inconsistent or lack uniform criteria.  “We ask that Congress ensure CMS audits are efficient and effective without overburdening providers,” the letter stated.

To read the full Senate response, visit the Public Policy section of the CHIME website.

About CHIME
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is an executive organization dedicated to serving chief information officers and other senior healthcare IT leaders. With more than 1,400 CIO members and over 95 healthcare IT vendors and professional services firms, CHIME provides a highly interactive, trusted environment enabling senior professional and industry leaders to collaborate; exchange best practices; address professional development needs; and advocate the effective use of information management to improve the health and healthcare in the communities they serve. For more information, please visit www.cio-chime.org.

Contact:
Stephanie Fraser
Director of Communications
734-665-0000
sfraser@cio-chime.org

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May 6, 2013 I Written By

John Lynn is the Founder of the HealthcareScene.com blog network which currently consists of 15 blogs containing almost 5000 articles with John having written over 2000 of the articles himself. These EMR and Healthcare IT related articles have been viewed over 9.3 million times. John also recently launched two new companies: InfluentialNetworks.com and Physia.com, and is an advisor to docBeat. John is highly involved in social media, and in addition to his blogs can also be found on Twitter: @techguy and @ehrandhit.

Filed Under: ARRA  EHR  Electronic Health Record  Electronic Medical Record  EMR  Healthcare IT  Hospital IT  Meaningful Use  Meaningful Use Stage 2
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ICSA Labs Set to Begin Testing EHRs for Stage 2 Meaningful Use Requirements

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. – ICSA Labs, an independent division of Verizon, is now officially authorized and accredited to begin certifying electronic health records for the next stage of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Meaningful Use requirements.

The new 2014 Edition, Stage 2 certification program of HHS’s Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology provides more transparency and elevates the overall testing and certification process by mandating additional requirements for organizations providing EHR services. These requirements include a strengthening of security, enhanced interoperability for facilitating health information exchange, better protection of private patient information and new ways for providers to become “meaningful users.”

Last September, ICSA Labs received authorization from the Office of the National Coordinator for the preliminary Stage 2 of the certification program.

To test and validate the ONC 2014 Edition methods and test tools, ICSA Labs successfully conducted a week-long pilot program in December with four vendors that offer EHR-related solutions supporting the more rigorous Stage 2 Meaningful Use Requirements. These included Dynamic Health IT and Glenwood Systems.

“The latest round of federal requirements will enable us to help companies strengthen the security and privacy of their EHR offerings, ultimately benefiting both patient and health care provider,” said Amit Trivedi, health care program manager for ICSA Labs. “Now that we are fully authorized and accredited to certify and test technology meeting the permanent Meaningful Use requirements, we are officially open for business.”

EHR vendors also must have their products tested by laboratories accredited by the National Voluntary Lab Accreditation Program and certified by bodies authorized by the ONC and accredited by the American National Standards Institute. ICSA Labs is accredited by both NVLAP and ANSI.

The ONC’s Health Information Technology Certification program, which provides authorization for the certification of electronic health care records, was established in January 2011.  The recently published Stage 2 Standards, Implementation Specifications and Certification Criteria Final Rule is administered nationally by the ONC.

ICSA Labs is NVLAP- accredited as a Health IT Test Lab and is also an ONC-Authorized Certification Body (ONC-ACB) accredited by ANSI to ISO/IEC Guide 65.

About ICSA Labs

ICSA Labs, an independent division of Verizon, offers third-party testing and certification of security and health IT products, as well as network-connected devices, to measure product compliance, reliability and performance for many of the world’s top security vendors.  ICSA Labs is an ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accredited and 9001:2008 registered organization. Visit http://www.icsalabs.com and http://www.icsalabs.com/blogs for more information.

About Verizon

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America’s most reliable wireless network, with nearly 96 million retail customers nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America’s most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500. A Dow 30 company with $111 billion in 2011 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of 184,500. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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January 16, 2013 I Written By

John Lynn is the Founder of the HealthcareScene.com blog network which currently consists of 15 blogs containing almost 5000 articles with John having written over 2000 of the articles himself. These EMR and Healthcare IT related articles have been viewed over 9.3 million times. John also recently launched two new companies: InfluentialNetworks.com and Physia.com, and is an advisor to docBeat. John is highly involved in social media, and in addition to his blogs can also be found on Twitter: @techguy and @ehrandhit.

Filed Under: ARRA  Certified EHR  EHR  Electronic Health Record  Electronic Medical Record  EMR  Healthcare IT  Meaningful Use  Meaningful Use Stage 2
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GetWellNetwork Unveils the Future of Patient Engagement

As healthcare providers become more accountable and assume more risk across the care continuum, interactive patient care (IPC) will be essential in moving patient engagement well beyond the hospital walls in order to improve outcomes.  This video from GetWellNetwork illustrates how innovations in IPC will improve outcomes for patients and hospitals by becoming a part of everyday life.

With its interactive patient care technology (IPC) implemented in more than 20,000 hospital beds across the U.S., GetWellNetwork has been leading the charge in IPC.  This video provides a glimpse into how it has been successful in incorporating it into the healthcare landscape.

Moving Beyond the Hospital Walls to Just About Anywhere, Children to Adults Will Have the Capability to Better Manage Their Health

BETHESDA, MD–(Marketwire – Aug 2, 2012) –  Committed to keeping patients focused on their health long after their hospital stay, GetWellNetwork®, Inc., the leader in interactive patient care (IPC) solutions, is helping to define how patient engagement will take hold as a crucial element in the future of healthcare. The company has launched a video to illustrate improvements in healthcare outcomes for hospitals and patients through innovations in IPC that extend far beyond the walls of the hospital to everyday lives. Because of changing regulations in an increasingly challenging healthcare environment, new technologies are needed to engage patients and enable them to more readily and proactively manage their health conditions.

Patient engagement is now included throughout every significant healthcare law from Meaningful Use to the America Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA), and from the National Patient Safety Initiative to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) recently upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. Because of its ability to engage, educate and empower patients and families throughout the patient journey, IPC is recognized as a driving force behind strategic and actionable change needed in the face of today’s healthcare challenges and changing regulations.

With its interactive patient care technology implemented in more than 20,000 hospital beds across the U.S., and, as the only IPC vendor to provide a specific pathway for pediatrics and exclusive education content from KidsHealth®, GetWellNetwork has been leading the charge in IPC. Now the company is building on its platform to extend the technology beyond the hospital and integrate IPC into any place people’s lives take them, whether it’s at home, on the soccer field, in the grocery store or at the doctor. GetWellNetwork’s goal is to engage individuals in their care and encourage positive healthcare transformation.

“Along with our hospital partners, we are beginning an exciting new chapter in the interactive patient care journey,” said Michael O’Neil, founder and CEO of GetWellNetwork. “As healthcare providers take on accountability and risk across the care continuum, we are moving our patient engagement solutions well beyond the hospital walls to improve outcomes. It’s a dynamic time for our growing GetWellNetwork community, and we are confident of the profound impact we will have on healthcare delivery for years to come.”

This video provides a sneak peek into how GetWellNetwork is succeeding at incorporating interactive patient care into the healthcare landscape.

About GetWellNetwork

GetWellNetwork, Inc. entertains, educates, and empowers patients throughout the patient journey using the bedside TV and iPad in the hospital, mobile devices, Web or Cable TV at home. This patient-centered approach improves both satisfaction and outcomes for patients and hospitals. Additionally, the company extends the value of existing IT investments by integrating seamlessly to leading HIT systems including Cerner, McKesson, Epic, Meditech, GE and Siemens.

GetWellNetwork is recognized by KLAS® as the leader in the Interactive Patient Systems category and exclusively endorsed by the American Hospital Association. More information about GetWellNetwork can be found at www.GetWellNetwork.com.

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August 15, 2012 I Written By

Filed Under: ARRA  Healthcare
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HIMSS Analytics Report Helps Professionals Navigate Health IT Landscape

Essentials of the US Hospital IT Market – 7th Edition provides a current overview and future projections of the US hospital IT market

CHICAGO (July 17, 2012) – With the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act/HITECH, meaningful use and 5010/ICD-10 changing the provider landscape, understanding and tracking industry trends and expenditures is vital to drive business. The Essentials of the US Hospital IT Market – 7th Edition provides the latest health IT market intelligence captured from the HIMSS Analytics® Database of more than 5,300 hospitals and 32,000 medical facilities in the United States.

“In 2011, we saw further proof that the ARRA/HITECH act is making a demonstrable effect in the US market. We have seen solid growth into the upper stages of the HIMSS Analytics EMR Adoption Model with  nearly double the  number of hospitals reaching  Stage 5 on the EMR Adoption Model (EMRAM)℠,” said John P. Hoyt, Executive Vice President, HIMSS Analytics.  “With the  initial Pioneer ACOs selected for the Accountable Care Organization program,  more organizations are now preparing for bundled payments with investments in health IT  that support continuity of care and payment reform.”

The new edition includes:

  • A new chapter on laboratory;
  • Tools to help improve forecasts based on HIMSS Analytics’ insight into industry trends, IT spending and purchasing plans;
  • Information to help identify the right sectors in which to invest for the highest potential ROI;
  • Insight into emerging market drivers; and
  • Assistance in monitoring the market position of key health IT solution providers.

Investors, consultants and healthcare software vendors can use the report to:

·         Learn more about relevant topics for their business or clients;

·         Set realistic goals for their teams; and

·         Support their business plan with market research.

For example, the report includes:

·         Five-year compounded annual growth rate market spend forecast for hospital IT (operating, capital and total) and more than 70 key hospital IT applications; and

·         Fifteen in-depth application overviews including EMR, patient safety, bar coding, health information management, revenue cycle management and financial applications.

Learn more about Essentials of the US Hospital IT Market – 7th Edition. The report is available in its entirety, by financial or ARRA clinical volumes, or by individual chapters. Contact Amy Bergau for more information on Essentials.

About HIMSS Analytics

HIMSS Analytics is a wholly owned not-for-profit subsidiary of HIMSS. The company collects and analyzes healthcare data related to IT processes and environments, products, IS department composition and costs, IS department management metrics, healthcare trends and purchase-related decisions. HIMSS Analytics delivers high-quality data and analytical expertise to healthcare delivery organizations, health IT companies, state governments, financial companies, pharmaceutical companies, and consulting firms.

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July 31, 2012 I Written By

Filed Under: ARRA  Healthcare  Healthcare IT  Healthcare IT Consulting  Meaningful Use
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HIMSS Submits Comments on Meaningful Use Stage 2 and Standards & Certification Criteria NPRMs

Washington, DC (May 7, 2012) – HIMSS submitted comments to the Department of Health and Human Services in response to the two Notices of Proposed Rulemaking on the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs:  Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Electronic Health Record Incentive Program–Stage 2; and Health Information Technology: Standards, Implementation Specifications, and Certification Criteria for Electronic Health Record Technology, 2014 Edition; Revisions to the Permanent Certification Program for Health Information Technology.

“Since the inception of the HITECH provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), HIMSS has supported the concept of graduated complexity of Meaningful Use that recognizes the varying degrees of maturity of adoption and implementation of health IT that serve as the foundation for healthcare transformation,” said Carla Smith, HIMSS Executive Vice President.  “We appreciate the incredible commitment the Department has placed on engaging in a public dialogue and agree that the Meaningful Use program encourages standards-based collection, analysis, and exchange of health data in a safe and secure environment that can help providers, hospitals, and consumers improve care delivery for all Americans.”

Over the first year of the Meaningful Use Program, HIMSS has observed an increasing amount of resources being utilized to prepare Eligible Professionals (EPs), Eligible Hospitals (EHs), and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) for attestation.  As part of its HIMSS Analytics data collection on Meaningful Use activity, HIMSS has seen a 12 percent increase in hospital preparedness for Meaningful Use Stage 1 requirements.  The increase appears to be an affirmation of the impact of the Meaningful Use program, and organizations’ collective willingness to engage in the program as a foundation for improving the quality and cost effectiveness of care delivery in the U.S.

The HIMSS response to the Meaningful Use Stage 2 proposed rule provides support and constructive observations on the Objectives and Measures outlined by the government. To that end, HIMSS strongly suggests that the government incorporate a 90- to 180-day reporting period for Year 1 of Stage 2 in 2014.  As part of the preparation for the Stage 2 Final Rule, HIMSS is encouraging the Department to continue reviewing and reassessing the timeline to maximize the amount of time all EPs, EHs, CAHs, and vendors have to prepare for Meaningful Use Stage 2.

HIMSS also recommends that 2014 (the first year of the new certification criteria and CQMs) be limited to a 90- to 180-day reporting period and also recommends that the Department reconsider the proposal that providers who are in Stage 1 will be required to meet all of the criteria changes to Stage 1 by FY/CY 2014.  HIMSS also recognizes the areas in which its members agree with CMS and ONC proposed rules and provides support—notably, this includes support for the “Base” EHR concept, and for the extension of Meaningful Use Stage 1 for 2011 attesters.

The HIMSS comments also:
• Encourage alignment between federal and state quality reporting requirements.
• Emphasize that Quality Measures should be utilized only if the standard and specifications supporting the quality measure have been tested and verified.
• Encourage the utilization of mobile technologies to support patient engagement.
• Include several requests for additional clarity or definition.
• Address questions in the NPRM around accounting of disclosures and data portability.

For more information visit:
HIMSS Response to Meaningful Use Stage 2 NPRM
HIMSS Response to Standards, Implementation Specifications and Certification Criteria NPRM HIMSS Response to Proposed Certification Criteria Public Comment Template

About HIMSS

HIMSS is a cause-based, not-for-profit organization exclusively focused on providing global leadership for the optimal use of information technology (IT) and management systems for the betterment of healthcare. Founded 51 years ago, HIMSS and its related organizations are headquartered in Chicago with additional offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. HIMSS represents more than 44,000 individual members, of which more than two thirds work in healthcare provider, governmental and not-for-profit organizations. HIMSS also includes over 570 corporate members and more than 170 not-for-profit organizations that share our mission of transforming healthcare through the effective use of information technology and management systems. HIMSS frames and leads healthcare practices and public policy through its content expertise, professional development, research initiatives, and media vehicles designed to promote information and management systems’ contributions to improving the quality, safety, access, and cost-effectiveness of patient care. To learn more about HIMSS and to find out how to join us and our members in advancing our cause, please visit our website at www.himss.org.

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May 13, 2012 I Written By

Filed Under: ARRA  Healthcare  Healthcare IT  Meaningful Use  Meaningful Use Stage 2
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Medical Mastermind Practice Management Software Certified for Meaningful Use

BALTIMORE, MD – Tuesday, March 27th, 2012 – Software Unlimited, Inc.’s premier offering, Medical Mastermind Practice Management, has received the federal government’s “meaningful use” stamp of approval by earning EHR Module Certification.

The designation officially deems the software capable of enabling providers to qualify for funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Tested and certified under the Drummond Group’s Electronic Health Records Office of the National Coordinator Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ONC-ATCB) program, the software is 2011/2012 compliant in accordance with the criteria adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

“This certification is critical for our physicians to achieve meaningful use by helping meet key ONC criteria” says James R. Milligan, CEO of Software Unlimited, Inc. “This means our Healthcare providers can be secure in using Medical Mastermind as part of the solution to meeting full EMR attestation.  In combination with our certified EMR offering, our customers can be assured of receiving ARRA reimbursements after attesting to meaningful use.”

Medical Mastermind is certified for privacy and security criteria, which supports HIPAA, as well as a number of other ambulatory criteria such as smoking status and demographic information.

The Medical Mastermind Practice Management software qualifies as an “EHR Module” for compliance certification. This EHR Module is 2011/2012 compliant and has been certified by an ONC-ATCB in accordance with the applicable certification criteria adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. This certification does not represent an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or guarantee the receipt of incentive payments.

Software Unlimited, Inc., Certified on March 8, 2012, Medical Mastermind version 15.12, ID: 03082012-1490-5, CQMs: 170.302 G, O-U, 170.304 C; Additional software used: TrueCrypt.

About Software Unlimited, Inc. 

Software Unlimited’s Medical Mastermind Practice Management software has been the software of choice for thousands of mid-Atlantic physicians, since 1984. Also offering EMR and Billing Solutions, SUI sells, implements, trains, customizes and supports all their solutions from their Baltimore, MD offices. For more information, visit www.suimd.com.

About Drummond Group  

Drummond Group Inc., the trusted software test lab, provides effective and efficient electronic health record (EHR) testing to healthcare information technology vendors and hospitals. As an Office of the National Coordinator Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ONC-ATCB), Drummond Group works closely with healthcare software vendors and hospitals to certify EHRs that are looking to qualify for incentive funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).  Drummond Group is approved to certify both complete and modular EHR for both ambulatory and inpatient.  Leveraging more than a decade’s worth of interoperability, conformance testing and certification experience in multiple industries, Drummond Group delivers what’s needed in healthcare: highly reliable and readily affordable software testing services. For more information, go to www.drummondgroup.com.

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March 31, 2012 I Written By

Filed Under: ARRA  Certified EHR  Healthcare  Practice Management System
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HIMSS Statement on Release of Meaningful Use Stage 2 NPRM

UPDATE 2-24-12: This afternoon, ONC released the proposed rule for ”Health Information Technology: Standards, Implementation Specifications, and Certification Criteria for Electronic Health Record Technology, 2014 Edition; Revisions to the Permanent Certification Program for Health Information Technology

HIMSS is pleased that the Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have published their proposed rule for Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Program Stage 2 (Meaningful Use Stage 2); the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) is expected to publish the associated Standards, Implementation Specifications, and Certification Criteria tomorrow. These are significant steps forward in transforming healthcare in the United States of America.

For many years now, HIMSS has championed the best use of information technology and management systems for the betterment of healthcare.  Since the inception of the HITECH provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), HIMSS has equipped stakeholders for increasingly sophisticated meaningful use of health information. To help providers and patients improve care delivery and health outcomes for all Americans, HIMSS members strongly encourage the federal government to continue promoting the adoption of EHRs through the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Program in support of the standards-based collection, analysis, and exchange of health data in a safe and secure environment.

The release of these regulations during the HIMSS12 Annual Conference and Exhibition gives attendees the opportunity to engage directly with CMS and ONC officials about the new rule. Both CMS and ONC have hosted interactive town hall sessions, and more than 80 HIMSS12 workshops, symposia, and general education sessions have focused on meaningful use.  Using social media and HIMSS.org, HIMSS staff have been posting – within hours – key takeaways from policymakers’ remarks.  HIMSS will be reviewing the proposed rule and posting summaries and analyses in the coming days.  Stay tuned to HIMSS’ Meaningful Use OneSource, where we expect to post substantive analyses beginning next week.

The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs have already had an enormous impact on EHR adoption rates. Forty-three states have started their Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs; over 190,000 Eligible Professionals (EPs) and Eligible Hospitals (EHs) have registered for the Medicare and/or Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs; and more than $3 billion has been paid in incentive payments to EPs, EHs, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) across the country.

New HIMSS Analytics data, reported in the December 2011Summary of Meaningful Use Readiness, indicates that seven segments of hospitals show increased capability to achieve Stage 1 of meaningful use. The hospitals in these seven categories typically demonstrate IT adoption that outpaces their peers, a segment that also includes hospitals at Stage 6 or Stage 7 on the HIMSS Analytics Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM). Tremendous progress has been made toward improved patient care and efficiencies offered by health IT, and HIMSS is excited to work with our members to move into this next phase of transforming healthcare.

To give providers and vendors adequate time to meet the new requirements, release of the proposed regulations at this juncture meets a recommendation of HIMSS and other organizations that the final rule be released at least 18 months prior to enactment.

HIMSS looks forward to engaging our members and colleagues in the development of HIMSS Board of Directors-approved responses to the proposed regulations that provide practical, real world observations and recommendations.

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February 27, 2012 I Written By

Filed Under: ARRA  EHR  EHR Vendors  Electronic Health Record  Healthcare  Healthcare Conferences  Healthcare IT  Meaningful Use
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Mitochon Systems, the first FREE, Certified EHR, announces Dr. Chen successfully attested for $18,000 in Medicare Incentives using their FREE EHR

Dr. Hua Chen has been notified that her $18,000 dollars in incentive funds is “locked for payment.” Dr. Chen said her Government Incentive Stimulus money should hit her bank account in about 6-8 weeks.

Physicians and other medical care providers may earn as much as $44,000 per provider over the next five years when qualifying for Meaningful Use of Electronic Health Records (EHR) technology as part of the health IT incentive program.

Dr. Chen complimented Mitochon Systems and their World-Class Client Services team for being there for her every step of the way, holding her hand throughout the process.

“I don’t know what I would have done without them,” said Dr. Chen. “Mitochon’s platform is easy to use, and you are up and running within minutes. I highly recommend the company and their team of committed professionals.”

Asked why she chose Mitochon’s FREE EHR, Dr. Chen said that “What really attracted me to the system was learning it was designed by a group of physicians for physicians. This was important to me, as they knew firsthand what I would be encountering as I moved into the digital health world.”

Dr. Andre Vovan, Mitochon’s founder and Chief Medical Officer, personally called to congratulate Dr. Chen and stated how delighted he is as a physician that Mitochon can support and enable MDs participating in the digital health movement, and assist them in qualifying for substantial Meaningful Use payments. “We congratulate Dr. Chen on her achievements, and are delighted that she chose to be a member of the Mitochon Community, as opposed to paying for a system or adopting systems that have not enabled physicians to qualify for payments yet,” stated Dr. Vovan

Dr. Hua is the first of many Mitochon subscribers that will use the First FREE Certified EHR system to achieve and attest Meaningful Use, enabling our users to benefit from significant ARRA Stimulus payments and avoid late stage payment penalties from Medicare.

Mitochon Systems was founded in 2006 by Dr. Andre Vovan, MD, MBA, FCCM, who is the director of a critical care department at a large California hospital. He created a system based on the free model because the cost of traditional EHR systems makes them unaffordable for many independent physicians. For information: 877-817-0902 or http://mitochonsystems.com/about/.-

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December 30, 2011 I Written By

Filed Under: ARRA  Certified EHR  EHR  EHR Vendors  Electronic Health Record  Healthcare  Meaningful Use
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South East Michigan Health Information Exchange (SEMHIE) Achieves Key Nationwide Health Information Network Exchange Milestone Under Contract for Electronic Medical Records for U.S. Social Security Administration

Ann Arbor, Michigan, October 19, 2011 — The South East Michigan Health Information Exchange (SEMHIE) announced today that it has been validated for conformance and interoperability testing by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) and is now live on the Nationwide Health Information Network Exchange (NwHIN). SEMHIE joins a 20-member group of federal agencies and non-federal partners authorized to operate on NwHIN.

SEMHIE developed its health information exchange under a $2,988,000 contract with the U.S. Government’s Social Security Administration (SSA). This is the largest of the 12 remaining national SSA e-Disability Claims contracts and is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
This contract provides for the secure, authorized exchange of summary patient information for disability determination between SEMHIE health systems’ and providers’ electronic medical record (EMR) systems and the SSA. Once received, decisions on these claims can then be made by SSA, providing disabled citizens with an accelerated approval process that will improve access to healthcare services, accelerate the claims approval process and bring increased federal dollars to the Detroit area.  When complete, SSA expects to reduce the national average wait for eligibility determination from 457 days to 1-2 weeks and the delivery of medical information from providers to the SSA to 5 hours.
Funds from this contract award are enabling two major hospital systems that are collaborative partner members of SEMHIE, Henry Ford Health System and Oakwood Healthcare System, to securely exchange authorized summary patient records for disability determination with the SSA in standard CCD (Continuity of Care Document) format, linking their systems to the NwHIN, and meeting meaningful use criteria. At the conclusion of this SSA contract, it is anticipated that other major hospital systems and providers in the Detroit Metro area and across Michigan will use the SEMHIE’s infrastructure and services for disability claims processing. SEMHIE plans to leverage this technology and experience to create additional services for its members as it rolls out a comprehensive, full-functioning HIE in Southeast Michigan.
Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, announced in June 2010 that 15 healthcare providers and health information exchange networks received $17.4 million in contract awards to provide electronic medical records to the agency under the program.
“Using health information technology will improve our disability programs and provide better service to the public,” Commissioner Astrue said. “We’ve seen a significant increase in disability applications. To process them, the agency sends more than 15 million requests annually for medical records to healthcare providers. This largely paper-bound workload is generally the most time-consuming part of the disability decision process. The use of health IT will dramatically improve the speed, accuracy, and efficiency of this process, reducing the cost of making a disability decision for both the medical community and the American taxpayer.”
Under future milestones, SEMHIE will complete the work now in advanced stages to integrate the SEMHIE NwHIN gateway service to the web-services systems at Oakwood Healthcare System and Henry Ford Health System for exchange with the SSA. This contract is scheduled to be complete by the end of December 2011.
SEMHIE’s strategic partners in the SSA project are CNSI, CSC, Object Management Group (OMG), University Bank of Ann Arbor, Oakwood Health System and Henry Ford Health System. CSC and CNSI are members of two of the four consortia that built the NwHIN for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  Reliance Software Systems, Inc. (RelWare®), Clinical Architecture and Joint Venture Hospital Labs (JVHL) are also providing leading-edge technical products and services to the project for CCD creation and semantic interoperability.
The SEMHIE solution incorporates a state of the art Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)/Cloud HIE infrastructure and advanced mapping technology based on the Model Driven Message Interoperability™ (MDMI™) Standard of the Object Management Group (OMG) linked to the NwHIN though a CONNECT gateway.
Architects and technicians at CSC and CNSI worked with SEMHIE’s experts, including Program Manager Michael M. Talley, to architect the solution proposed to SSA.  Michael M. Talley, SEMHIE’s Treasurer, SSA Program Manager, and a member of the Board of Directors, stated, “I am pleased to receive confirmation from the federal government that our system works and can do the job required.”
Helen L. Hill, FHIMSS, SEMHIE’s Program Manager for Public Private Initiatives, MiHIN Board member, and Henry Ford Health System Director of IT Consulting and HIE, stated, “SEMHIE is pleased to partner with the Social Security Administration on this innovative project that will provide great benefit to the economically and medically distressed residents of Southeast Michigan by dramatically reducing the average wait time for a decision on eligibility for disability. This project is advancing health information exchange significantly in this region, providing standards-based interoperability between major integrated healthcare delivery systems and an agency of the federal government using NwHIN CONNECT.”
“Henry Ford Health System, a founding member of SEMHIE, is very proud to be a project participant,” Hill continued. “Success in this national initiative is a significant step for SEMHIE as we move toward full implementation of our neutral, trusted health information exchange.”  Paula Fusco Smith, SVP & CIO of Oakwood Healthcare System and the Vice Chairman of the board of SEMHIE, stated, “This is a great step for Southeast Michigan and the SEMHIE organization. Oakwood is excited about being one of the leading health systems to initiate the health information exchange between the healthcare providers and Social Security Administration.”
Additional quotes from SEMHIE SSA Project participants CNSI, OMG and University Bank are available at http://www.semhie.org/press/SEMHIE_SSA_NwHIN_Milestone.pdf
Additional background information for each entity named is available at http://www.semhie.org/press/SEMHIE_SSA_NwHIN_Milestone.pdf
About South East Michigan Health Information Exchange (SEMHIE)
Southeast Michigan Health Information Exchange is a diverse non-profit multi- stakeholder consortium whose membership includes six major health systems (Beaumont Hospitals, Detroit Medical Center, Henry Ford Health System, Oakwood Healthcare System, St. John Health System, and Trinity Health), providers, payers, employers, quality organizations, safety-net providers and healthcare professional associations.  SEMHIE leverages proven and innovative technologies across health care settings to improve information process flow, continuity of care, and to accelerate improvement in the quality and safety of care. By decreasing costs while improving the quality of care, SEMHIE goal is to become a self-sustaining health information exchange serving Southeast Michigan.  SEMHIE is a Qualified Sub-State Health Information Exchange in the State of Michigan.
For more information visit www.semhie.org, or contact Dr. Robert Jackson at rjacksonwwp@gmail.com or 313-386-5500.
Additional information on this topic:
Sharif Hussein, CNSI’s Vice President added “CNSI is excited to be a part of the team that is improving and speeding up eligibility determinations for disabled citizens in Michigan. We are pleased that our initiative is aiding SSA’s utilization of the NwHIN by getting the Southeast Michigan providers online, which will greatly reduce the cost and complexity of integrating additional providers to this HIE platform and thus accelerate adoption overall.”
CNSI has successfully implemented Michigan’s replacement Medicaid system CHAMPS. CHAMPS’ underlying solution eCAMS®, is a scalable and flexible CMS certified 21st century SOA-based system built in alignment with the MITA framework.  The SEMHIE solution incorporates a state of the art Service Oriented Architecture and advanced mapping technology based on the Model Driven Message Interoperability™ (MDMI™) Standard of Object Management Group (OMG).  OMG Chairman & CEO Richard Mark Soley, Ph.D., stated, “The SEMHIE team is providing the first of many innovative solutions for the citizens of Michigan and the SSA.  Their insight that SOA architectures need to incorporate open standards is to be commended. I am pleased that the OMG MDMI Standard is providing great benefit to not only SEMHIE, but that these efforts will be leveraged to provide value to the entire U.S. healthcare community.”
University Bank, based in Ann Arbor, also provided in-kind services to the project as a member of SEMHIE through its CEO, Stephen Lange Ranzini. Ranzini, stated, “Healthcare information exchange is critically important in helping solve the long- standing problems that have hindered the manufacturing industry in Michigan and contributed to the loss of one million jobs in Michigan since April 2000. Mr. Talley’s efforts in the health information exchange industry have been supported by University Bank as a community reinvestment activity. The bank is providing SEMHIE with office and conference meeting space to support SEMHIE’s efforts and is devoting substantial time to mentor SEMHIE through this critical time during its start-up phase.”
About OMG
OMG® is an international, open membership, not-for-profit computer industry standards consortium. OMG Task Forces develop enterprise integration standards for a wide range of technologies and an even wider range of industries. OMG’s modeling standards enable powerful visual design, execution and maintenance of software and other processes. For more information, visit www.omg.org.
About CNSI
CNSI is a leading provider of technology-enabled solutions that accelerate business transformation. CNSI partners with its clients to align, build, and manage a continuum of technology solutions that improve process efficiencies and streamline operations. Our professionals have built a reputation for understanding what it takes to help clients align IT with their mission and business objectives. As the industry’s preeminent supplier of Medicaid replacement systems, CNSI has a unique combination of healthcare competency and the technology expertise needed to develop and host verylarge-scale transaction processing systems. CNSI has establishing itself as an innovative provider of web-centric healthcare solutions that leverage the latest technologies. For more information, please visitwww.cns-inc.com.
About CSC
CSC is a global leader in providing technology-enabled business solutions and services. Headquartered in Falls Church, Va., CSC has approximately 93,000 employees and reported revenue of $16.2 billion for the 12 months ended July 1, 2011. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.csc.com.
About Henry Ford Health System
Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) is a Michigan not-for-profit corporation governed by a 22-member Board of Trustees. Advisory and affiliate boards comprising 129 Trustee volunteer leaders provide vital links to the communities served by the System. HFHS is managed by Chief Executive Officer Nancy Schlichting. HFHS is one of the nation’s leading comprehensive, integrated health systems. It provides health insurance and health care delivery, including acute, specialty, primary and preventive care services backed by excellence in research and education. Founded in 1915 by auto pioneer Henry Ford, the health system is committed to improving the health and well-being of a diverse community. HFHS is a tobacco-free organization.
About Oakwood Healthcare System
Founded in 1953 and headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, Oakwood Healthcare System is a comprehensive regional healthcare network that serves residents over a 500 square mile area. Comprised of four acute care hospitals, 45 primary and specialty care sites and four centers of excellence, Oakwood provides services to more than one million people in 35 communities. As the second largest employer in suburban Wayne County, Oakwood is home to more than 9,000 employees and 1,300 physicians representing nearly every medical and surgical specialty and subspecialty. Oakwood has been recognized as one of the nation’s top 100 Integrated Healthcare Networks and as one of Metro Detroit’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information about Oakwood, visit www.oakwood.org.

About University Bank

Ann Arbor-based University Bancorp owns 100% of University Bank which, together with its subsidiaries, holds and manages a total of over $9.8 billion in loans and assets.  University Bank is an FDIC-insured, locally owned and managed community bank.  Founded in 1890, University Bank® is proud to be selected as the “Community Bankers of the Year” by U.S. Banker magazine, the recipient of the American Bankers Association’s 2009 Community Bank Award and as one of the 12 fastest growing businesses in the Ann Arbor region by the regional economic development agency Ann Arbor SPARK. For more information see www.university-bank.com.

About Reliance Software Systems, Inc. (RelWare®)

The core competency and central business model of Reliance Software Systems, Inc. (RelWare®) is delivering and implementing Health Information Technologies to enable our clients to improve patient safety, streamline operations, and reduce cost. Operating out of corporate headquarters located near Detroit, in Farmington Hills, MI, RelWare’s business is developing software—web-based software.
About Clinical Architecture
Clinical Architecture is a strategic consulting, design and product development firm focused on the integration and interoperability needs of the healthcare market. The company was formed around the extensive clinical integration experience and capabilities of its leadership and staff. With Symedical®, the company has introduced a unique approach to automating the creation and ongoing management of clinical terminology maps. Clinical Architecture is located just north of Indianapolis in Carmel, Indiana. For more information visit www.clinicalarchitecture.com
About Joint Venture Hospital Laboratories (JVHL)
JVHL was established in 1992 to offer hospital and health system outreach laboratory programs the organizational model to attract and administer managed care laboratory services agreements. JVHL is organized as a limited liability company owned equally by several leading Michigan health care systems. Currently, there are more than 120 hospitals across Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana participating in JVHL laboratory service agreements. For more information visit www.jvhl.org.
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November 1, 2011 I Written By

Filed Under: ARRA  EHR  EMR  Healthcare  Healthcare IT  HIE
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Merge Healthcare Receives Complete EHR Certification for Meaningful Use for Radiology

Merge RIS v7.0 includes all components needed for significant reimbursement

CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Merge Healthcare (NASDAQ: MRGE), a leading provider of enterprise imaging and interoperability solutions, today announced Merge RIS v7.0 has received the federal government’s “Meaningful Use” stamp of approval, thus becoming the industry’s only major radiology information system (RIS) with complete electronic health record ambulatory certification.

In 2009, Congress enacted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which provided for $20 billion in funding for healthcare technology (referred to as the HITECH Act). Within that, more than $1.5 billion is estimated to be available to radiologists who use certified electronic health record technology in a meaningful way. However, options in radiology have been very limited to date, as current electronic health records are either not built specifically for radiology workflow, or they are modularly-certified products that require the radiologist to purchase additional applications to meet the remaining requirements, even if they are not used.

With Merge RIS v7.0, radiology providers can now utilize a single product for radiology-specific workflow to qualify for up to $44,000 in funding under the HITECH Act.

“We are thrilled to be leading the radiology market with complete EHR certification for our radiology information software,” said Jeff Surges, CEO of Merge Healthcare. “This certification means that the radiology industry has a new option for participating in the HITECH Act – without having to sacrifice radiology workflow. We have been able to learn from our large install base of radiology customers and build a solution that is custom made for their specific needs and workflow. At the end of the day, we’ve worked together to ensure our solution benefits both patients and providers.”

How Merge RIS v7.0 is Unique

Merge RIS v 7.0 integrates core Meaningful Use functionality and can capture all necessary and relevant patient information to meet the guidelines of Meaningful Use, without disrupting the traditional radiology workflow.

Functionality includes ePrescribing, enhanced reporting that enables physicians to automatically trend clinical data and report on Meaningful Use measures, new clinical decision support, the clinical exchange of health information through industry standard formats, and a patient portal that empowers patients to access their records at their convenience.

This new functionality was built natively within the intuitive, web-based Merge RIS so that any radiology practice can achieve Meaningful Use attestation in a manner that works for their specialty.

Merge RIS in Use

Regional Medical Imaging (RMI), a large outpatient radiology group in Michigan, has participated in the testing of Merge RIS v7.0, and is currently collecting the required data to attest to Meaningful Use and receive 2011 reimbursement.

“Meaningful Use is an important initiative that carries a significant reimbursement opportunity for our organization,” said Randy Hicks, MD, owner of Regional Medical Imaging (RMI). “Therefore it’s been imperative for us to work with an organization that understands our needs and can provide a solution that will seamlessly integrate within our existing applications. I continue to be impressed with Merge’s ability to build those kinds of solutions for imaging IT.”

This Complete EHR is 2011/2012 compliant and has been certified by Drummond Group Inc., an ONC-ATCB, in accordance with the applicable certification criteria adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. This certification does not represent an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or guarantee the receipt of incentive payments.

Merge Healthcare, Merge RIS 7.0, certified on October 13, 2011. Certification ID: 10132011-1256-1, Clinical Quality Measures tested: NQF0013, NQF0024, NQF0028, NQF0031, NQF0038, NQF0041, NQF0052, NQF0062, NQF0387, NQF0421. No additional software used.

About Merge Healthcare

Merge Healthcare is a leading provider of enterprise imaging and interoperability solutions. Merge solutions facilitate the sharing of images to create a more effective and efficient electronic healthcare experience for patients and physicians. Merge provides enterprise imaging solutions for radiology, cardiology, orthopaedics and eye care; a suite of products for clinical trials; software for financial and pre-surgical management, and applications that fuel the largest modality vendors in the world. Merge’s products have been used by healthcare providers, vendors and researchers worldwide to improve patient care for more than 20 years. Additional information can be found at www.merge.com.

About Drummond Group

Drummond Group Inc., the trusted software test lab, provides effective and efficient electronic health record (EHR) testing to healthcare information technology vendors and hospitals. As an Office of the National Coordinator Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ONC-ATCB), Drummond Group works closely with healthcare software vendors and hospitals to certify EHRs that are looking to qualify for incentive funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Drummond Group is approved to certify both complete and modular EHR for both ambulatory and inpatient. Leveraging more than a decade’s worth of interoperability, conformance testing and certification experience in multiple industries, Drummond Group delivers what’s needed in healthcare: highly reliable and readily affordable software testing services. For more information, go to www.drummondgroup.com.

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October 15, 2011 I Written By

Filed Under: ARRA
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