MedInformatix EMR Helps Sole Practitioner Become State's First Small Practice to Receive Meaningful Use Incentive Payment

HARLAN, Ky., July 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Carl Smith, M.D., F.A.A.P. (Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics) is the personification of yesteryear's country doctor, but with a modern twist. Since forming his primary care center 18 years ago, Dr. Smith has always leveraged the most cutting edge practice management technologies in support of the pediatric services he provides to patients in this southeastern Kentucky city of approximately 2,000 bordering Tennessee and Virginia. With about 70 percent his patients Medicaid-eligible, Dr Smith nearly 10 years ago first adopted MedInformatix Inc.'s Practice Management (PM) solution to accelerate billing and improve scheduling efficiencies. He soon added the vendor's Electronic Medical Records (EMR) module toward providing the same level of patient care seen in practices 10 to 20 times his center's size.

He hasn't stopped leveraging MedInformatix during the subsequent years. With the Federal Government's passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for Health Information Technology, Dr. Smith's was among the first small Kentucky medical practices to pursue Stage 1 Meaningful Use certification under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)' Office of National Coordinator (ONC)'s provision for Health IT Stage 1 under ARRA.

Dr. Smith's use of MedInformatix EMR, combined with close step-by-step guidance and support from the vendor and the Kentucky Regional Extension Center, enabled Dr. Smith to become among the State's first practices to receive a Government-issued incentive check in recognition of its successful attestation of meaningful use with a certified technology system. Meaningful use technology, such as MedInformatix EMR and the solution's companion eRx electronic prescription module, both lowers practice operating and IT costs while improving safety and outcomes by capturing multiple data points for each patient.

"We began working with MedInformatix to achieve meaningful use early 2010, and underwent attestation in January 2011," recounted Peggy Smith, the office manager. "MedInformatix was instrumental in helping us get all of our ducks in a row, educating us and walking us through all of the Stage 1 elements needed to prove that that we were meeting all requirements."

For implementing certified MedInformatix meaningful use technology just a little more than two months later, Dr. Smith's practice on April 1 received their first incentive check. Practices that implement certified technology by the New Year will also receive payments of as much as $44,000 per provider over the next five years. Those that wait to implement until 2013 or 2014 will receive smaller financial incentives, while those that fail to comply with meaningful use provisions by 2015 face financial penalties of up to 5 percent in the form of CMS reimbursement reductions.

"MedInformatix' support team came down to Harlan and closely worked with our staff—[including Dr. Smith, Peggy Smith and four other practice employees]—to set up the EMR system so that it seamlessly meshed with our other programs while meeting meaningful use requirements," Peggy Smith said. "As we move forward, we're certain that we will enjoy additional patient outcome and financial benefits as we become more proficient in collecting and analyzing data."

In addition to MedInformatix' strong support, the Kentucky Regional Extension Center (KY-REC) provided major assistance to Dr. Smith toward helping the practice achieve meaningful use and earn its incentive check. Housed at the University of Kentucky, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology HHS-funded organization's charter is to help improve healthcare quality across Kentucky through the use of electronic health records. Since July 2010, it has worked with 300 provider locations across the State in support of the meaningful use initiative.

At the 2011 e-Health Summit in Erlanger, Ky.,the KY-REC presented awards to Carl E. Smith, MD, F.A.A.P. PLLC and nine other practices in recognition of their successful implementation of meaningful use technology.

About MedInformatix:  
MedInformatix, Inc. (www.medinformatix.com) is a leading national provider of fully integrated Electronic Health Records.  The products have been built around MedInformatix's 25 years of workflow expertise.  MedInformatix's suite of products is designed on a single database using Microsoft SQL.  Whether the client is a single physician who went live in 1994, a 13-location cardiology practice, the busiest radiology practice in Manhattan, or one of 15 other serviced specialties, MedInformatix accommodates their needs. MedInformatix can turn the dream of a paperless, integrated practice into a reality.

MedInformatix Version 7.5 is now certified to meet 2011-2012 criteria supporting Stage 1 Meaningful Use requirements under the American Recovery and Reinvestment act (ARRA) as a Complete EHR by the Drummond Group.

This Complete EHR 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."
MedInformatix, October 22, 2010, Version 7.5, 1022201024238, Clinical Quality Measures: NQF0013, NQF0421, NQF0041, NQF0024, NQF0028, NQF0038, NQF0059, NQF0061, NQF0064. Additional software used: TrueCrypt v2.0, email software, spreadsheet software.

SOURCE MedInformatix, Inc.

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