And we’re off! More than 21,000 healthcare providers have registered for Medicare and Medicaid electronic health record (EHR) incentive programs. Additionally, four states have already paid out initial incentive payments, totaling over $20 million.
We’re excited to see the HITECH Act finally underway. After two years of planning, the government’s strategy for getting doctors to use EHRs is becoming a reality. Healthcare organizations are using funds received from Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements to pay for the cost of their EHR.
One of these organizations is Children’s Clinic of Muskogee Oklahoma. Children’s Clinic is the first pediatrics practice in the nation to qualify for funds. They received $21,250 for each of its four eligible providers. How did they qualify?
Children’s Clinic achieved meaningful use status through an implementation of Greenway PrimeSUITE, an integrated electronic health record and practice management system. With the help of business alliance partner, R&D MedTech, they implemented PrimeSUITE in July of 2010.
Children’s Clinic provides a great example of the HITECH Act strategy in action. The practice will use funds received from Medicaid to pay for the cost of the EHR system and its maintenance. This builds a business case for implementing EHRs and provides reason for other organizations to follow suit.
Beyond covering its costs, Children’s Clinic is recognizing several other benefits from the implementation. In the original announcement from Greenway, provider Michael Stratton, DO, discusses the multiple benefits they’re seeing.
"PrimeSUITE has benefited our practice in many ways.” says Stratton. “Lab orders come back faster and patients don't have to wait for immunizations to be drawn up as before.”
In addition to benefiting patients, PrimeSUITE is benefiting providers. Patient records are more clear and precise. Their coding aspect has improved. “It’s really been a user-friendly solution.” says Stratton.
Children’s Clinic is one among many success stories we expect to hear about in the coming months. We’ll be reporting on others as they develop, so be on the lookout for future posts. In the meantime, feel free to share success stories with us. Leave a comment below, or contact me at houston@softwareadvice.com.
