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Kareo Buys Epocrates EHR

Small practice EHR combines mobile technology and clinical knowledge base acquired from Epocrates with Kareo’s medical office software platform

IRVINE, CA – February 20, 2013 – Kareo, Inc., the cloud-based medical office software and services provider for small medical practices, serving over 17,000 medical providers, today launched Kareo Electronic Health Record (EHR). This new application is available free of charge as a stand-alone application or integrated with Kareo Practice Management and Kareo Billing Services, providing a seamless user experience and instant data exchange across applications. Kareo EHR offers small medical practices an intuitive and intelligent way to deliver care and engage patients through native iPad and iPhone applications or with a web browser. Kareo acquired mobile technology and a clinical knowledge base from Epocrates and leveraged these assets in developing its new EHR.

“More physicians in the US practice medicine in small practices than any other way, yet the demands of managing a small practice continue to grow. Small practice physicians need smarter and more mobile technology to help them care for their patients and optimize their businesses,” said Dan Rodrigues, founder and CEO of Kareo. “Our customers asked us to develop an electronic health record to complement our practice management and billing services solutions. With Kareo EHR, small practice physicians can now take advantage of an intuitive solution designed for how they deliver care and run their practices. Best of all, Kareo’s EHR is available for free and without ads or any long-term commitments.”

Kareo EHR was designed to support how small practice physicians deliver care and interact with their patients and can be used through native mobile applications or a web browser. With mobile use, physicians can restore the natural doctor-patient interaction that desktop-based EHRs have come to inhibit, while demonstrating savvy use of technology in delivering care. Kareo EHR offers a simple and intuitive interface physicians can use to quickly build notes via clinical knowledge base pick lists or with integrated voice recognition. Regardless of device or location, all care team participants have critical, up-to-date patient health information at their fingertips. Health information can be instantly exchanged electronically, including e-prescribing medications, ordering and viewing lab work, and sharing information with patients through the embedded patient portal. Kareo EHR streamlines workflows through its integration with Kareo Practice Management providing users single sign-on and instantly synchronized data, including appointments, billing codes, and all critical patient information. Kareo EHR is certified for use, as a complete EHR, by providers to demonstrate Meaningful Use and to qualify for up to $39,000 in 2013 incentives offered under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Kareo acquired core EHR technology originally developed by Epocrates and combined it with Kareo’s medical office software platform to build the new application. Included in the acquired technology, was a comprehensive clinical knowledge base that enables documentation and treatment orders for the top 100 primary care conditions and previously unreleased mobile device technology designed to deliver efficient note taking on tablets through intuitive swipe, tap, and touch actions. The overall development effort was led by Dr. Tom Giannulli, Kareo’s chief medical information officer, practicing physician, and original inventor of much of the acquired technology. The combination of Dr. Giannulli’s leadership, Epocrates technology, and Kareo’s software platform enabled the creation of a breakthrough EHR application for small practices.

“Adopting an electronic health record is especially challenging for small practices because most EHRs were not built with their needs in mind,” said Tom Giannulli MD, MS, chief medical information officer at Kareo. “Our cloud-based solution gives small practices the promised benefits of EHR technology and eliminates the challenges of implementing complex and expensive on-premise software. It was our goal to build Kareo EHR to support the physician’s need to deliver high-quality care while ensuring the utmost in practice efficiency.”

Kareo EHR is available free of charge, with no long-term commitments, no expensive implementation or ongoing support costs. Physicians simply sign up and get started. Kareo coaches are available to help physicians take full advantage of the features of Kareo EHR and free support is included for all users. Application upgrades are delivered automatically allowing physicians to instantly utilize new functionality and meet emerging industry demands, including supporting the requirements of each subsequent stage of Meaningful Use. Kareo EHR is advertising free and clinical data are owned and controlled by the practice. Kareo’s EHR is made available for free in an effort to build trust and earn physicians’ business in other practice areas. Should they decide to upgrade, physicians using Kareo EHR have the ability to purchase and instantly integrate Kareo’s full software and services suite at any time.

Kareo has built a market leading position in delivering intuitive, integrated, affordable technology and services to support the business needs of small medical practices. The launch of the best-of-breed, no cost Kareo EHR immediately delivers these same benefits to physicians on the clinical side of their practice. Small medical practices now can rely on a single trusted partner to deliver all of the cloud-based technology needed to manage essential clinical and business components, enabling optimized practice efficiency and an increased focus on patients not paperwork. Kareo EHR is available now at www.kareo.com.

About Kareo

Kareo is the only cloud-based medical office software and services platform dedicated to small practices. At Kareo, we believe that, with the right tools and support, small practices can do big things. We offer an integrated suite of products and services designed to help small practice physicians get paid faster, run their business smarter, and provide better care. Our Practice Management software, Billing Services, and free, full-featured EHR help more than 17,000 medical providers more efficiently manage the business and clinical sides of their practice. Based in Irvine, California, Kareo’s mission is to help providers spend their time focused on patients, not paperwork. For more information, visit www.kareo.com.

Kareo EHR (formerly Caretools EHR) is a Complete EHR and is 2011/2012 compliant and has been certified by and 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.

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February 20, 2013 I Written By John

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.

Tags:Dan Rodrigues Dr. Tom Giannulli Epocrates Epocrates EHR Kareo Kareo EHR

SRS Receives Substantial Investment from Thoma Bravo

SRS Positioned for Continued Success and Leadership in the Healthcare IT Industry

MONTVALE, NJ – January 2, 2013 – SRS Software LLC (“SRS”), the leader in productivity-enhancing electronic health record technology and services for high-performance physicians, today announced that it has received a substantial investment from Thoma Bravo, LLC, a leading private equity investment firm specializing in information technology. This investment will provide investment capital and strategic support to expand SRS’ market share and solidify SRS’ position as an industry leader. Evan Steele, CEO and founder of SRS, will continue to lead the senior management team. Financial terms were not disclosed.

“SRS is an established leader in the ambulatory healthcare IT industry, and we look forward to partnering with existing management to build upon the company’s first-class solutions and loyal customer base,” said Thoma Bravo managing partner Scott Crabill. “The company’s unwavering dedication to the needs of physicians is validated by its consistent industry-leading KLAS ratings for customer service and satisfaction.”

“We believe that SRS is an ideal fit for Thoma Bravo’s investment strategy of accelerating growth through operational best practices and acquisitions,” added Arvindh Kumar, a vice president at Thoma Bravo.

“Since its creation in 1997, SRS has grown rapidly by increasing physician productivity and delivering excellent service,” says Evan Steele, CEO of SRS. “The investment in SRS reflects Thoma Bravo’s confidence in our mission and ability to support physicians as they strive to efficiently provide the highest-quality patient care in the face of ever-increasing regulatory and payer demands. Our partnership will help SRS continue to provide physicians with the IT tools they need for future success.”

Headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, SRS has more than 5,200 providers across the orthopaedic, ophthalmology, cardiology and other specialty ambulatory physician markets.

About SRS
SRS is the leading provider of productivity-enhancing EHR technology and services for high-performance physicians—with a successful adoption rate unparalleled in the industry. Offered via the Unified Desktop™, the robust SRS EHR, Practice Management, PACS, and Patient Portal increase speed, boost revenue, free physicians’ time, and heighten patient care and satisfaction. For more information on SRS, visit www.srssoft.com, e-mail info@srssoft.com, fax 201.802.1301, or call 800.288.8369.

About Thoma Bravo, LLC
Thoma Bravo is a leading private equity investment firm building on a 30+ year history of providing equity and strategic support to experienced management teams and growing companies. Thoma Bravo invests across multiple industries, with a particular focus in enterprise and infrastructure software and financial and business services, and works in partnership with management to implement its operating expertise to build long-term value. The firm currently manages a series of private equity funds representing almost $4 billion of equity commitments. In software, Thoma Bravo has completed 58 add-on acquisitions across 26 platform companies with total annual earnings of approximately $1 billion. For more information, visit www.thomabravo.com.

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January 31, 2013 I Written By John

Filed Under: EHR EHR Investment Electronic Health Record Electronic Medical Record EMR EMR Vendors Healthcare IT

Tags:Arvindh Kumar Evan Steele Scott Crabill SRSsoft Thoma Bravo

Pri-Med Acquires Amazing Charts EHR

Partnership Will Allow Amazing Charts’ Clinicians to Receive Individualized Continuing Education Based On Practice Patterns

Boston, Mass., November 19, 2012 – Pri-Med, the leading provider of professional medical education to a community of more than 260,000 clinicians, today announced the purchase of Amazing Charts, a leading provider of electronic health records (EHR) to independent medical practices.

As an independent operating subsidiary of Pri-Med, Amazing Charts will continue to offer its intuitive and affordable software solutions to clinicians, but now will have the resources to accelerate product development and the geographic reach of Pri-Med’s medical education conferences in 30 cities nationwide. Dr. Jonathan Bertman, founder of Amazing Charts, will continue to serve as President, with Kathleen Repoli serving as Senior Vice President. Other terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Given the vast amount of knowledge and the pace at which practice recommendations change, providing real-time feedback to clinicians based on their current practice styles is critical,” said Jonathan Bertman, MD, FAAFP, founder and President of Amazing Charts. “While other EHR vendors may try to find ways to sell EHR data to the highest bidder, we believe any use of this data must be ethical, with clear and consistent disclosure, and used to improve patient outcomes rather than allow advertisers to better target consumers. And after being contacted by dozens of companies, including other EHRs, private equity firms, and venture capitalists, I have no doubt that Pri-Med is the best possible partner for our clients, our employees, and most importantly, the patients for whom we all care.”

With Amazing Charts, Pri-Med gains a next-generation medical education platform strategically located at the point of patient care, enabling it to deliver CME activities where and when decision support is needed.

“The holy grail of medical education is to demonstrate improved patient outcomes as a result of access to unbiased evidenced-based CME. We believe that in addition to our live meetings and online CME courses, providing this education at the point of care is the obvious next step, and we are excited to develop this with Amazing Charts,” said John Mooney, founder and CEO of Pri-Med. “With this deeply integrated partnership, we are together reimagining the EHR as a real-time educational instrument that expands well beyond managing one’s practice”

“Pri-Med has been committed to developing clinician-friendly solutions that are accessible, affordable and immediately applicable to patient care,” added Bertman. “That’s why we have attended every Pri-Med conference for over nine years! Pri-Med’s customers are our customers, and to say I am excited about what we can do together would be an understatement.”

Shields & Company, Inc. advised Amazing Charts in the transaction.

Click here to watch John Mooney and Dr. Jon Bertman discuss their vision for this unique partnership and how it came to be.

About Pri-Med

Pri‐Med is an operating division of Diversified Business Communications. Based in Boston, Mass., the organization has been a trusted source for professional medical education to over 260,000 clinicians since 1995. Through live meetings in over 30 U.S. cities and online at www.pri-med.com, actively practicing clinicians rely on Pri‐Med for opportunities to engage with local peers, meet internationally renowned faculty and participate in world‐class educational activities. For more information, visit: www.pri-med.com.

About Amazing Charts

Amazing Charts provides Electronic Health Records (EHR/EMR) and services to healthcare practices. Based on number one user ratings for usability, fair pricing, and overall satisfaction, Amazing Charts has been implemented in over 5,600 practices, and continues to add over 70 new practices a month. Founded in 2001 by a practicing family physician, Amazing Charts V6 is ONC-ATCB 2011/2012 Certified for Meaningful Use. Amazing Charts is headquartered at the historic Lafayette Mill Building in North Kingstown, RI. For more information, visit:www.amazingcharts.com

About Diversified Business Communications

Diversified Business Communications, based in Portland, Maine, provides information and market access through face-to-face events, magazine publishing, and eMedia on four continents. In addition to health care, Diversified serves a number of industries including: technology, retail, food and hospitality and business management solutions. Diversified operates divisions in Australia, Hong Kong, India, the UK and Canada.

Baptist Health South Florida Selects CareCloud to Drive Adoption of Electronic Health Records by Physicians Across Florida

Largest Not-for-profit Healthcare Organization in the Region Looks to Improve Patient Care and Efficiency by Subsidizing CareCloud’s EHR to Over 2,500 Affiliated Physicians

MIAMI–(BUSINESS WIRE)– CareCloud, a leading provider of cloud-based practice management, electronic healthcare record (EHR), Revenue Cycle and medical billing software and services, today announced that Baptist Health South Florida, the largest not-for-profit healthcare organization in the region, will subsidize CareCloud’s integrated electronic health record and practice management solution to more than 2,500 community-based physicians in an effort to improve patient care across South Florida. Affiliated physicians will also have access to CareCloud’s revenue cycle management services as part of this new partnership aimed at connecting physicians across South Florida to drive better care coordination for patients and lower healthcare costs.

“As a leading provider of care in South Florida, we are in constant communication with community physicians regarding their technology needs and market trends impacting their practice operations. With national and other various payer programs now in place granting financial incentives to physicians who can meaningfully use electronic healthcare record technology, we are committed to providing and subsiding the latest in cloud-based technologies that help drive better patient care while also connecting community physicians to our hospitals and other care givers,” said Mimi Taylor, Corporate Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Baptist Health South Florida. “With their flexible architecture and modern design, we feel CareCloud’s EHR offering will enable physicians across our care continuum to move their practices online with greater ease, less disruption to their practice workflow while also gaining greater insight into their patient population and ability to coordinate care.”

As part of Baptist Health’s community connectivity program, Baptist Health will subsidize up to 85% of CareCloud’s cloud-based EHR and practice management solution to South Florida medical groups. In addition to the subsidies they receive from Baptist Health, physicians may also be eligible for up to $44,000 in Medicare incentives over five years as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and using CareCloud’s certified product.

Along with having discounted access to the company’s EHR and practice management offering, physicians will also have access to CareCloud Concierge, a complete revenue cycle management service that utilizes dynamic rules intelligence software, expert live support and real time business analytics and reporting tools to help medical practices increase collections and streamline operations. To learn more about CareCloud and its full product offering and pricing visit; www.carecloud.com/pricing/.

“Baptist Health South Florida continues to fortify their leadership position in healthcare both locally and nationally, as they look to aggressively connect area physicians using the latest cloud-based technology. The promise of electronic health record technology can only be fully realized if all key stakeholders in the healthcare continuum are connected and can act on real-time health information,” said Albert Santalo, Chairman and CEO of CareCloud. “They also understand that healthcare is seeing massive change in how physicians deliver care and are reimbursed for it. We are thrilled to be able to offer our leading revenue cycle management service as part of this program and help area medical groups deliver the best care possible while bolstering their overall business outcomes.”

About Baptist Health South Florida

Baptist Health South Florida is the largest faith-based, not-for-profit healthcare organization in the region. Baptist Health includes Baptist Hospital, South Miami Hospital, Baptist Children’s Hospital, Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute, Mariners Hospital, Homestead Hospital, Doctors Hospital, West Kendall Baptist Hospital and Baptist Outpatient Services. Baptist Health Foundation, the organization’s fundraising arm, supports services at all hospitals and facilities affiliated with Baptist Health. For more information, visit BaptistHealth.net, and connect with BaptistHealthSF on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

About CareCloud

CareCloud is a leading provider of cloud-based practice management, electronic health record (EHR) and medical billing software and services for medical groups. The company’s products are connecting providers to one another – and to their patients – through a fully integrated digital healthcare ecosystem that can be accessed on any browser or device.

CareCloud is helping thousands of physicians to increase collections, streamline operations and improve patient care in over 30 states. The company was named a winner of IBM’s SmartCamp Silicon Valley 2010 for its innovative technology and received over $20 million in Series A funding from Intel Capital and Norwest Venture Partners. To learn more about CareCloud, please visit www.carecloud.com.

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November 18, 2012 I Written By David

Filed Under: Certified EHR EHR EHR Investment EHR Vendors Electronic Health Record Healthcare

Tags:ARRA Baptist Health South Florida CareCloud Ehr EHR Subsidy Improve Patient Care Not-For-Profit Healthcare Revenue Cycle Management

Merge Healthcare Propels Meaningful Use Adoption

Twelve Radiology and Orthopaedic Practices, Representing Almost 200 Physicians, Select Merge to Achieve Meaningful Use

CHICAGO, May 14, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Merge Healthcare Inc. (Nasdaq:MRGE), a leading provider of enterprise imaging and interoperability solutions, announced the addition of twelve practices to its growing list of clients who have selected its complete and fully-certified EHR solution to achieve Meaningful Use (MU). More than 89 clients, representing more than 850 physicians, now utilize Merge MU solutions.

“Meaningful Use is the basis for health information exchange in the U.S. and will become the core workflow for physicians,” said Jeff Surges, CEO of Merge Healthcare. ”With the recently proposed Stage 2 requirements that focus heavily on the viewing of diagnostic images, it’s clear that specialties like radiology and orthopaedics are very much so included in Meaningful Use. Now is the time for specialty physicians to adopt a Meaningful Use strategy so they can qualify for Stage 1 funding, while preparing for Stage 2.”

“While there are financial reasons to focus on Meaningful Use, the driver for us is that it is going to build a foundation upon which we can provide even better care to our patients,” said Ellis Keitt, Administrator, Radiology Associates, LLP. ”With Merge RIS™, we are going to be able to collect and share valuable information, automatically trend clinical data and report on MU measures.”

Merge RIS v7.0 provides a radiology-specific EHR with complete certification that enables radiologists to capture and report on the metrics required to demonstrate Meaningful Use of electronic health records, without disrupting their traditional workflow. With Merge RIS v7.0, radiologists can qualify to receive up to $44,000 in stimulus incentives, per eligible provider, and more importantly, avoid future penalties that will come from not meeting Meaningful Use.

Merge RIS v7.0 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.

“With Merge OrthoEMR™ we can meet Meaningful Use criteria and earn stimulus incentives,” said Vickie Shuler, Clinic Administrator, Western Carolina Orthopaedic Specialists. “Using Merge OrthoEMR also means we’ll avoid financial penalties that are coming to those not using MU-certified solutions. The most important aspect of Merge OrthoEMR for us is that it will help us provide better care, streamline our workflow and improve operational efficiencies.”

Merge OrthoEMR has received complete EHR Ambulatory certification and provides orthopaedic physicians the tools needed to achieve Meaningful Use and qualify for incentive funds. By providing instant access to images at all locations, Merge’s OrthoEMR eliminates the need for transporting images, improves workflow and speeds patient care.

In addition to Merge OrthoEMR, Merge provides an integrated suite of products developed for the specific needs of the orthopaedic practice, from patient information to image management including digital templating. Developed by orthopaedic specialists, our systems and tools mirror charting and patient care today, increasing the long-term adoptability and satisfaction of users. Plus, with imaging and data sharing they promote interoperability, without forcing conformance to non-specialty hospital-based solutions.

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; electronic health record and practice management solutions for image-intensive specialties; a suite of products for clinical trials; software for financial and pre-surgical management; applications that fuel the largest modality vendors in the world, and a network of patient-centric, wellness stations. Merge’s products have been used by healthcare providers, vendors and researchers worldwide to improve patient care for more than 20 years. For more information, visit www.merge.com.

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May 15, 2012 I Written By David

Filed Under: Certified EHR EHR EHR Investment EHR Vendors Electronic Health Record Healthcare Healthcare IT Meaningful Use Meaningful Use Stage 2 Radiology

Tags:Achieve Meaningful Use Electronic Medical Record Ellis Keitt ePrescribing Fully Certified EHR Jeff Surges Meaningful Use Penalties Merge OrthoEMR Merge RIS Merge RIS v7.0 Preparing for Stage 2 Meaningful Use Radiology Associates of Sacramento Radiology Specific EHR Vickie Shuler

Hello Health (Myca Health) Secures $10 Million Investment

This morning, Hello Health, a Patient Management Platform developed to improve communication between patients and physicians, announced an additional $10M in investor funding. Over the past two quarters, Hello Health has experienced tremendous growth attracting investors compelled by Hello Health’s unique business model. As more attention is paid to the hospital IT networks, Hello Health addresses an underserved physician population: the independent primary care providers.

Hello Health achieved this latest round of funding from investors as a result of an increased interest from independent primary care physicians looking to transition to an electronic medical record, but lacking the financial capital and office resources to make the transition.

With the price tag of EHRs in the tens of thousands of dollars, Hello Health offers a disruptive business model for practitioners. Rather than the standard practice, where MDs pay upwards of 35K to implement an EHR, Hello Health provides this Platform to physicians at NO COST. Moreover, the Platform generates incremental revenue for doctors through a patient subscription model.

Hello Health Inc. Secures $10M in Financing

Major funding invests in technology that creates revenue stream via Patient Management Platform

NEW YORK CITY (February 28, 2012) – Hello Health® announced today that it has raised $10M in a combination of common and preferred shares, and issuance of convertible debentures through its parent company, Myca® Health. This equity capital was privately funded by a select group of investors.

For years, physicians have experienced revenue reductions and, more recently, declining patient visits and must now look to ‘market their practices’ beyond quality of care to include: secure online communications that improve information and care team access, and provide greater convenience for patients. Hello Health is a Patient Management Platform that allows independent primary care physicians to transition from paper to electronic medical records and to provide a patient health portal through a subscription-based plan. Patients pay a small fee for the ability to schedule appointments, request lab results, renew prescriptions, share medical information and communicate (via HIPAA-compliant email, instant messaging and video consults) with their doctors and medical health professionals. The Hello Health Patient Management Platform was developed to provide an improved revenue stream for physicians while also enhancing patient engagement and providing better time and workflow management, all of which combine to strengthen the independence and sustainability of a practice.

“This latest round of financing shows support for our mission: to empower physicians seeking to provide the best care for patients while maintaining their independence as practitioners. With the robust Patient Management Platform of Hello Health, it is clear that we can revolutionize the current practice business model by addressing dwindling revenue and untapped patient engagement,” said Nathanial Findlay, founder and chief executive officer of Myca Health, parent company of Hello Health. “The initial acceptance of Hello Health’s offerings, through word-of-mouth discussions among physicians, and this latest funding, enables us to increase awareness and continue to advocate for the independent physician.”

“We are pleased with the progress Hello Health has made,” said Anna Haghgooie, managing director of Sandbox Industries, exclusive fund manager of BlueCross BlueShield Venture Partners, a $300 million corporate venture fund sponsored by BlueCross and BlueShield Plans. “With Hello Health, Myca has developed what could be the operating system that powers the primary care practice of the future.”

“Hello Health makes every aspect of what I do easier,” said Gary Leeds, M.D., a Manhattan-based independent primary care physician. “From e-prescribing to reviewing records to scheduling appointments, this Patient Management Platform offers a unique set of unmatched benefits and is rapidly helping us achieve our goal of a cloud-based patient management solution.”

About Hello Health Inc.:

New York City-based Hello Health Inc. is dedicated to transforming primary care by connecting patients and physicians through technology. The company’s Hello Health Patient Management platform integrates an electronic medical record, practice management capabilities and a patient health portal on a single, secure platform. Hello Health is free to primary care practices and generates incremental revenue through a patient subscription model. A subsidiary of Myca Health Inc., Hello Health is collaborating with Qualcomm Life, Inc. and seeks to expand the company’s strategic partnerships with leading organizations that look for innovative solutions to connect patients and physicians. Learn more at www.hellohealth.com.