News 1/3/13

PE firm Thoma Bravo, LLC, which holds equity in Hyland Software and Mediware, invests an undisclosed sum in SRS Software.

Athenahealth reports that it will deliver 30 percent revenue growth for 2012, also stating that it added as many providers to its network in Q3 than in all of 2011.

Pain Clinic of Northwest Florida files a lawsuit against Allscripts, claiming the company misled it about the quality and functionality of MyWay. The complaint sounds a bit over the top at times, saying that MyWay “never worked well” and that instead of confessing its “shortcomings and inherent defects,” Allscripts “concocted a story that it decided to discontinue MyWay” to encourage customers to upgrade to the more complicated Allscripts Professional. The clinic seeks to have its suit certified for class action.

Providers are feeling increased pressure to engage patients at deeper levels because of the urgency surrounding Meaningful Use and accountable care, according to a KLAS report on patient portals. Provides most often select patient portals based on convenience and vendor relationships. Third-party portal vendors earning strong satisfaction scores include Jardogs, RelayHealth, and Intuit.

Galen Healthcare Solutions releases eNotify, a plug-in for Allscripts Enterprise EHR that sends providers EHR task updates directly to any PC or smartphone.

The eight-provider Family Practice Care (MI) chooses iPatientCare EHR.

Congress averts the fiscal cliff and a 26.5 percent Medicare pay cut for physicians, though several professional healthcare organizations chastise Congress for not enacting a permanent fix. AMA President Jeremy A. Lazarus, MD notes that the patch “alleviates the problem,” but urges Congress to fix the problem permanently:

“This last-minute action on the part of Congress is a clear example of how the Medicare program is increasingly unreliable for physicians and patients. This instability stalls progress in moving Medicare toward new health care delivery models that can improve value for patients through better care coordination. Physicians want to work with Congress to move past this ongoing crisis and toward a Medicare program that ensures access to care and the best health outcomes for patients and a stable, rewarding practice environment for physicians.”

Nuesoft publishes a parody video highlighting the ICD-10 code set and some of the more interesting new codes.

We are accepting nominations for the annual HISsie Awards, so take a moment to let us know who and what should be on the ballot. Some of my favorite categories include the industry figure with whom you’d most like to share a beer; smartest and stupidest vendor moves; and industry figure most deserving of a pie in the face. Nominations accepted here.

E-mail Inga.