News 6/28/11

From OneHITwonder: “Re: Costco EHR Offering. Interesting Costco EHR offering.” Costco joins competitor Walmart in offering an EHR. Costco is working with Allscripts and reseller Etransmedia to market a complete package for $499 per month.  I am not sure the price is better than what other resellers offer, though I bet none of the others will install four new tires while you shop.

athenahealth purchases a $7.7 million, 396-acre resort near its Belfast, ME operations center. The company plans to use the facility to train employees and clients and for user conferences. Point Lookout Resort & Conference Center includes a bowling alley, 106 cottages, and a gorgeous view of the bay. Having been to Maine in the middle of winter, I am guessing the conference center will be a far more popular destination in the summer.

Indiana University selects the eClinicalWorks EHR for its health centers on the Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses.

Orthopedic Institute (SD) picks SRS EHR for its 38 providers.

MGMA introduces an assessment tool to help practices compare and analyze the four national programs offering patient-centered medical home (PCMH) accreditation.

Speaking of PCMHs, the use of EHRs in PCMHs was found to streamline the care process for Type 2 diabetic patients and patients with cardiac-related conditions.

The NJ-HITEC REC’s list of preferred EHR vendors now includes eClinicalWorks, Intivia, Advanced Data Systems, Amazing Charts, Abel Medical, and PerfectCare EHR.

AAFP announces that registration for its Physicians Direct clinical messaging system is now open. The service, which is $90 a year, allows participating members to send an unlimited number of messages, data files, referrals, and lab results to their clinical colleagues. SOAPware, Amazing Charts, and e-MDs plan to embed the Physicians Direct messaging technology into their products.

CMS says that eligible providers should expect their Medicare EHR incentive checks within four to eight weeks of successfully demonstrating Meaningful Use, or, as soon the EP has met the threshold for allowed charges for covered professional services.

Allscripts jumps into the outsourced billing business with the introduction of Allscripts RCM Services. Like most billing service models, providers pay for the service based on a percentage of monthly collections.

Fifth Third Bank will use Emdeon’s Payment Automation platform to power its RevLink Solutions, which automates the claim and payment posting process. Emdeon also announces that its Emdeon Assistant, Claim Master, and Payment Integrity Services have been awarded HMFA’s Peer Reviewed designation for meeting established standards for product effectiveness, value, and customer support.

Oregon’s Health Information Technology Extension Center (O-HITEC) chooses Mid Rogue eHealth Services to implement Greenway’s PrimeSuite HER, one of its preferred EHRs.

Sixty-one percent of physicians were dissatisfied with their 2010 income. The same report found that between 2009 and 2010,  emergency medicine physicians and psychiatrists had  the biggest percentage gains in income compared to other specialties.

E-mail Inga.