This Week’s Health IT Business News
We lead this week’s business column with the news of eClinicalWorks unveiling of their P2POpen network. Join The Network is an open means for health providers to access a secure peer-to-peer communications network. With 10,000 physicians already part of the network, eClinicalWorks is investing an additional $10 million over the next 12 months to further enhance and expand the network to help ensure healthcare providers can connect with each other for patient care regardless of what EHR system is in use or if the practice is using paper records. Those using the network will not have to pay a fee. Read the company press release here.
News on another EHR giant investing in health IT also broke this week. Forbes reported athenahealth CEO Jonathan Bush will connect interesting health IT start-ups with his customer base. athenahealth generated $324 million in revenues last year, selling practice management services and EHRs to 35,000 health care providers. The company will ask neither a fee nor equity, only for a discount for its clients. “So, if you are a game designer, put aside the games with mad birds or flying bricks for a second, and work on one with needles and bandages. It will be fun! And we can save the world together,” says Bush. Read more at Forbes.
SuccessEHS today announced this week that its Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) services have experienced a 92 percent growth surge over the past 12 months. The company attributes the growth surge to its expanded RCM service offerings to incorporate a complete set of practice management services including revenue cycle management services, business services and strategic advisory and consulting services. The company also recently announced new leadership to support its growing RCM business.
In contract news this week CMS announced it will continue to use HP Enterprise Services for EHR management, maintenance and integration as part of its EHR incentive programs. HP received a five-year, $43 million operations and maintenance contract to remain as the caretaker for CMS’s Integrated Data Repository (IDR) database. The database holds 16 billion records, including Medicare claims and beneficiary, provider and plan data.
Michigan Health Connect (MHC), Michigan’s largest HIE, and Greenway Medical Technologies have announced an agreement to provide large-scale integrated health system data exchange for ambulatory practices and clinics utilizing Greenway’s EHR, practice management and interoperability solution PrimeSUITE®. “With Greenway’s ability to develop a hub-to-hub connection leading to the growth of participation in the Michigan Health Connect program, patients across the state will benefit from more-collaborative and cost-effective care,” said Doug Dietzman, executive director of MHC.
The New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) has chosen MedAllies to operate the “Direct Solution” on the Statewide Health Information Network of New York (SHIN-NY). MedAllies Direct Solutions has been built according to specifications developed by the nationwide EHR/HIE Interoperability Workgroup, which NYeC formed last year. NYeC created the group in the belief that merging efforts with other states would create economies of scale and provide the vendor community with a single, consistent set of interoperability specifications. The group developed those specifications earlier this year and will be setting up a compliance program to test and certify products.
In merger and acquisition news this week MD On-Line announced it has acquired Intivia. MD On-Line is an EHR that leverage data to improve practice efficiency and industry connectivity. Intivia is a supplier of integrated healthcare technology services and software products including a web-based EHR and PM solution, medical transcription services, and revenue cycle management services.
And finally in personnel news for the week Healthland announced it has named Patrick Spangler to the position of Senior VP and CFO. In his new role, Spangler will support Healthland as the organization continues on its path of growth and leadership in rural heathcare. He will also provide executive oversight for Healthland’s finance and accounting teams, human resources and the legal department. The appointment is effective immediately.Prior to joining Healthland, Spangler was the chief financial officer for Epocrates.