North Florida Surgeons Selects Allscripts Electronic Health Record and Practice Management to Automate and Connect Physicians

CHICAGO and JACKSONVILLE, Fla., March 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Allscripts (Nasdaq: MDRX) announced today that North Florida Surgeons (NFS) has selected the Allscripts Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Practice Management solution to automate and connect clinical and business functions for their 31 physicians and three mid-level providers.  

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Founded in 1996 and based in Jacksonville, North Florida Surgeons has experienced growth in both size and specialty over the last two years and is now one of the largest physician-owned general surgery practices in the United States. Since 2008, North Florida Surgeons has added five new offices and now has more than 100 employees in thirteen offices across the greater Jacksonville area.

"North Florida Surgeons is committed to making our services more efficient and effective for patients, and the implementation of the electronic health record marks a significant step in that direction," said Paul Chappano, MD, President of North Florida Surgeons. "We are looking forward to partnering with Allscripts to improve our operations and enhance the all-around patient experience."

North Florida Surgeons conducted an exhaustive search for a fully integrated Electronic Health Record and Practice Management system. In the end, the group was swayed by Allscripts' ability to address a significant financial problem with its Patient Payment Assurance solution.

The cost of consumer-driven healthcare

Like every other medical group in the country, North Florida Surgeons is grappling with a shift towards consumer-driven healthcare caused by the rise in more affordable, high-deductible health insurance plans. With patients bearing more out-of-pocket expense for healthcare services, direct patient billings are now the fastest growing portion of many providers' revenue streams. However, many practices are forced to write off as much as half of that income as bad debt, reportedly costing the healthcare system hundreds of billions of dollars each year.

"The movement towards high-deductible insurance plans is problematic because it shifts significant out-of-pocket expenses to the patient," said John Berlin, Chief Executive Officer of North Florida Surgeons.  "Patients understandably are sometimes reluctant or unable to make large up-front payments for the care they receive.  Allscripts Patient Payment Assurance resolves this problem to the satisfaction of physicians and patients alike, and was a key factor in our decision to select Allscripts."

Allscripts point-of-care payment solution

Allscripts Patient Payment Assurance powered by mPay Gateway enables providers to calculate how much the patient owes, based on their own rates and the patient's insurance, and obtain payment authorization before the patient leaves the office. The patient's payment card is charged only after the clinic settles the claim with the insurance company. Clinics utilizing the solution have realized as much as a 50 percent decrease in patient receivables.

"Our Patient Payment Assurance solution will enable North Florida Surgeons to address the growing problem of patients who don't pay, or what the industry refers to as 'accounts receivable,' by providing patients with more information on costs so they can plan more effectively, plus an easier way to make payments," said Glen Tullman, Chief Executive Officer of Allscripts.  "It turns out this is as much a win for patients as it is for the physician practices, like North Florida Surgeons, who are implementing the new service. It's satisfying to be able to provide a service that makes life easier for patients and lets organizations like North Florida Surgeons focus on what they do best – delivering world-class patient care."

About North Florida Surgeons

Founded in 1996 and based in Jacksonville, Fla., North Florida Surgeons, P.A. is one of the largest physician-owned General Surgery practices in the United States. North Florida Surgeons has 31 physicians and three mid-level providers. Twenty-seven of the group's providers are general surgeons, with the balance being one surgeon in each of the following specialties: Orthopedic Hand Surgery, Otolaryngology/ENT, Reconstructive Plastics, and Ophthalmologic surgery. North Florida has thirteen "Divisions," or offices, located in eight different hospitals in the greater Jacksonville area. All of these hospitals are members of the Baptist Health, Ascension, or HCA chains. For more information, visit www.nflsurgeons.com.

About Allscripts

Allscripts uses innovation technology to bring health to healthcare. More than 160,000 physicians, 800 hospitals and nearly 8,000 post-acute and homecare organizations utilize Allscripts to improve the health of their patients and their bottom line. The company's award-winning solutions include electronic health records, electronic prescribing, revenue cycle management, practice management, document management, care management, emergency department information systems and homecare automation. Allscripts is the trade name of Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions, Inc. To learn more, visit www.allscripts.com.  

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This news release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Statements regarding future events, developments, the Company's future performance, as well as management's expectations, beliefs, intentions, plans, estimates or projections relating to the future are forward-looking statements within the meaning of these laws. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, some of which are outlined below. As a result, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are: the volume and timing of systems sales and installations; length of sales cycles and the installation process; the possibility that products will not achieve or sustain market acceptance; the timing, cost and success or failure of new product and service introductions, development and product upgrade releases; competitive pressures including product offerings, pricing and promotional activities; our ability to establish and maintain strategic relationships; undetected errors or similar problems in our software products; compliance with existing laws, regulations and industry initiatives and future changes in laws or regulations in the healthcare industry; possible regulation of the Company's software by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; the possibility of product-related liabilities; our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; our ability to identify and complete acquisitions, manage our growth and integrate acquisitions; the ability to recognize the benefits of the merger with Misys Healthcare Systems, LLC ("MHS"); the integration of MHS with the Company and the possible disruption of current plans and operations as a result thereof; maintaining our intellectual property rights and litigation involving intellectual property rights; risks related to third-party suppliers; our ability to obtain, use or successfully integrate third-party licensed technology; breach of our security by third parties; and the risk factors detailed from time to time in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our 2009 Annual Report on Form 10-K available through the Web site maintained by the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions, Inc.

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