I've worked in many medical scenarios over the years - coder, MA, office and billing manager and have worked with a number of different medical billing systems, but until I worked with the staff at Bradford-Scott, I had never experienced the level of friendliness and customer support they provided. I was so impressed I applied for a job with them.
Eleven+ years now and I am still proud to be part of the team and our commitment to customer service. I am a Project Manager for Medical Software and work closely with our accounting and sales teams as well as support - so I may just change my hat depending on your needs!
The push is on for electronic health records (EHR) and a large component of that is e-prescribing.
If you haven't gotten on the bandwagon, consider these benefits to your practice:
- Quickly create/view any prescription
- Improved patient care - decreased errors and pharmacy calls
- DUR checks
- Formularies for insurance plans
- Electronic requests from the pharmacy for refills
As you can see from just this short list, the benefits easily outweigh your current paper method.
Additionally, in June of this year, a new law allowing electronic prescriptions for controlled substances - class II through V was approved by the DEA. This was done in order to provide a greater use of e-prescribing than was currently available.
Bradford-Scott Medical Corporation offers a web based application as well as our Intergy EHR software which includes e-prescribing as one of its' features.
Our prescription for you?
Give Bradford-Scott Data Corporation a call today at 317.713.2065. Whether you are ready to start with e-prescribing or electronic health records our team of medical consultants are ready to help you!
It's official ! The final rules for the Meaningful Use regulations were passed on July 13, 2010. This is the final piece to tie in all the elements of the framework for the ARRA Regulations.
This long awaited legislation defines the minimum requirements for providers to qualify for the ARRA incentives through the the use of their Electronic Health Records software in one rule. A separate final rule defines the standards and certification requirements for EHR technology so that physicians and hospitals can be assured that the technology they purchase can perform the required functions.
Key changes in the final CMS rule include:
Greater flexibility in meeting requirements: The proposed rule had 25 requirements for Phase I and no credit for partial completion. The final rule divides the objectives into a "core group" of required objectives and a "menu set" of procedures from which providers can select any five for 2011-2012.
Hospital based eligible provider definition: this definition was added to the eligible provider as "one who performs substantially all of his or her services in an inpatient hospital setting or emergency room only, which conforms to the Continuing Extension Act of 2010".
For more information regarding the new rules and the requirements , click on this link to the CMS EHR Incentive site.
Now that you are ready for electronic medical records, start your search with Bradford-Scott Data Corporation. We can help you as you start your journey toward electronic health records. Contact us on our website or at 317 713-2065 to speak to one of our medical sales consultants!
Has all the hype about Electronic Health Records(EHR) and Meaningful Use got you confused?
Do you need to start at the beginning with the ARRA regulations or are you looking for the latest and greatest information for the Meaningful Use Rules implementation and incentive requirements?
CMS(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid) has just added a site specifically to provide answers for these questions:
This new site has the all the ARRA regulations and guidance as well as sections for:
- Getting Started
- Eligibility
- Certification
- Meaningful Use
- Medicare & Medicaid Eligible Professionals
This site will continue to be updated as additional rules are passed and implementation procedures are modified, so be sure to mark it as a favorite!
As you get more comfortable with the regulations and begin your search for an electronic medical record system, start with
Bradford-Scott Data Corporation. As a Channel Partner for SAGE, we offer the Intergy EHR system. Our service and support make us the best team to partner with as you begin your steps into a medical electronic world. Contact us today at our website- or give us a call at 317 713-2065.
It's cleaning day here at Bradford-Scott Data Corporation. Every spring we take a day to make sure everything sparkles, re-organize and get rid of accumulated clutter.
Have you thought about making a clean sweep in your office?
How much room do your paper charts take that could be used for more productive space?
What about those charts that are no longer active but need to be kept for at least seven years?
It's time to make a change for the better and move to an electronic medical record software system(EMR). Not only will you find that you can store patient charts electronically, but you can also scan EOB's and other material taking up space in all those file drawers. With our SAGE Intergy product, you can set security levels for access, so confidential information is protected.
Changing to an EMR system will also provide benefits you didn't"t expect -
Increased efficiency in your office - with instant access to charts, electronic prescriptions and lab orders as well as results, just to name a few. Once you have implemented an EMR system, you will also notice that patient care has improved as well.
An added bonus to implementing an EMR system now, is the ARRA Regulations that provide Medicare or Medicaid incentive money for implementing an EMR and meeting the meaningful use criteria. Early EMR adoption can also increase the amount of incentive available per physician.
Are you ready to make a change, but not sure where to start?
Let our
Bradford-Scott Data Corporation medical sales consultants discuss the ARRA Rules and the SAGE Intergy EMR product with you and start you on your way.
It's May in Indy and this weekend the track opens in preparation for the Indianapolis 500. Drivers will qualify for pole position and their spot in the lineup over the next two weekends. The excitement builds the rest of the month until the race!
Are you in the race for electronic medical records (EMR)?
Have you begun your search?
Considered what you need from an electronic medical record system to aid you in your practice?
What criteria in the ARRA Regulations will affect how you currently practice and record information?
What you need to do to qualify for the ARRA incentives that will be available to physicians who implement an electronic medical record system and meet the meaningful use criteria?
With all these questions, don't forget to consider your software vendor and how their support will help you through planning, training, implementing your electronic medical record system.
Need help getting started? Start by talking with one of our medical sales consultants about our Intergy EHR software and the ARRA Program. Contact
Bradford-Scott Data Corporation today and you'll be the one racing past for the checkered flag!
How much time do you spend in your office handling lab information? Are you always scrambling to check on the results - pulling the chart and searching through it for the correct test? Do you have to go to multiple websites to get the information?
Something to consider when you are purchasing your electronic medical record system is whether or not the software has an interface with laboratories. One of the recommended requirements for Phase I of the ARRA Meaningful Use Rule requires you to incorporate clinical lab-test results into structured data into EHR. Entering the results manually would be a huge burden on the practice.
Lab Portal Services is one of many great features of Sage Intergy EHR. This allows you to
- create and submit lab orders electronically
- print the requisition
- receive the results electronically
- system automatically post results to the patient chart and sends a task for the doctor to review them.
- view test results in a flowsheet or graph format
All this information is available at your fingertips.
If you are interested in using Lab Portal Services with SAGE Intergy EHR, contact our medical consultant team at
Bradford-Scott Data Corporation.
I was reading one of the Star Wars novels last night (yes, sci-fi geek here) and realized that the Force aspect could easily be applied to purchasing and implementing an EMR system.
Strange how the mind works, isn't it? Since I work for a software vendor, maybe not so strange!
Finding the right vendor for your new electronic medical record software(EMR) is often overlooked when purchasing the software.
Remember that they will be your ally and support for many years to come. Take the time to ask questions and references of existing clients.
Come my young padawan, and learn the ways of EMR software!
Bradford-Scott Data Corporation is proud of its' longstanding tradition of service and support.
We offer a combination of classroom, webinar and onsite visits as part of our implementation process.
Our medical trainers will be there to help guide you as you take your first steps into a new EMR world as well as once your are live.
Beware the Dark Side!
Implementing an EMR system takes time and commitment from
everyone in the office!
There will always be staff that struggle with change and need encouragement.
Many EMR vendors paint a rosy picture how great EMR will be without explaining the implementation process or the time constraints/expectations of the practice. Don't be afraid to ask questions.
Talk to one of our medical consultants about our SAGE Intergy EMR and the EMR Stimulus opportunities.
May the EMR Force be with you!
As a provider you may be sitting back and wondering - what am I supposed to do about EMR?
There is a lot of media hype about the ARRA Program, Meaningful Use, Phases, EMR - what does it all mean?
If you are just getting started in the process, it can feel overwhelming, but hang in there many of the questions are being answered.
The initial bill that kicked off the EMR frenzy is the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act(ARRA). This law contained the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act(HITECH). This established programs under Medicare and Medicaid to provide incentives for the "meaningful use" for implementing certified electronic health records technology (EHR). The recovery act also defines payment adjustments to the Medicare fee schedule for eligible providers who have not implemented EHR beginning in 2015.
The current proposed rule defines meaningful use - what it is, criteria for meeting it, time lines and reporting it. The comment period just finished on March 15, 2010. It is hoped the final bill will be released late spring. Part of the criteria is to breakdown the implementation into Phases.
Click on this
link to the CMS website which contains information and related links that will assist you in understanding the changes taking place. Ask our
Bradford-Scott Data Corporation medical consultants about an EMR demo and learn more about EMR and the EMR Stimulus opportunities.
When you hear about the
ARRA stimulus opportunities and the potential incentive you could receive for implementing EMR, most people assume it's for Medicare only. Not true.
Did you know that there are also Medicaid incentives available for the EMR stimulus as well?
As a physician you need to consider which option - Medicare or Medicaid will benefit you the most in terms of incentives. It will depend on many things, for example, your patient mix and percent of Medicaid or Medicare.
Take the time to get informed and make decisions to benefit your practice.
Step 1 - Contact our medical consultants at
Bradford-Scott Data Corporation about our SAGE Intergy EMR software, see an EMR Demo and learn how the incentive can relate to you.
While everyone is anticipating the EHR Stimulus money in 2011, there are still incentives that you can receive at the end of 2010.
Physician Quality Reporting Initiative or PQRI measures were established as a result of the 2006 Tax Relief and Healthcare Act. This provided a reporting system for specific quality measures for covered professional services.
As a result of the act, a physician incentive was also established. For 2010, physicians who meet the criteria for submitted information will receive an incentive payment of 2.0 % of their total estimated Medicare Part B Physician Fee Schedule allowed charges for services providers during the same reporting period.
If you have been reporting your PQRI measures, have you been taking it for granted that Medicare is receiving them?
- You should see the remark code N365 on your Medicare Explanation of Benefits(EOMB) which displays as a denial of payment. Since you will receive one annual incentive payment, this is a denial you want to see!
- If you are not seeing the denial code of N365, check to be sure that your biller is submitting the PQRI quality data codes (or G codes if you are submitting for e-prescribing) with the correct EM coding for the visit.
If you have questions about how to setup the PQRI codes, log a support call for our medical trainers at Bradford-Scott Data Corporation and they'll be happy to help you.
Need more information about 2010 PQRI requirements, FAQs, etc ? Use this link on the CMS website - http://www.cms.hhs.gov/pqri.
When I learned to audit charts, the phrase they always drummed into your head was -
"If it isn't documented, they didn't do it".
In other words, you won't get paid for it. That can take your reimbursement down from a level 3 visit to a level 1 - ouch!!
How do you measure up? Many physicians do the work, but fail to document. In addition to being vulnerable to an audit, this also hurts you financially as you tend to under code.
When you purchase an electronic medical records system, the changes for how you do your medical charting can be overwhelming. Things you may automatically check for, but don't always take the time to document are staring you in the face. It does take time to change your habits, but the benefits far outweigh the effort to change.
Why should you care about the benefits?
- Improved and accurate documentation of patient care - everyone being able to read the prescription or your encounter note decreases errors.
- Messages for patient care (ex. rx refills, test results)- again documented in the system, not on sticky notes that get lost.
- Patient chart with information available at a click of a button to multiple users, not left in the trunk of the car.
- With our SAGE Intergy EHR software, the Medcin database calculates the level of the office visit based on the findings you selected or cited during the visit.
What it comes down to is improving care, staff efficiency and increasing revenue. Why would you want to wait to make these changes?
Still unsure? Consider that the
EHR Stimulus for physicians' to qualify for grant money for implementing EHR and meeting "meaningful use" criteria is available over a five year period. That's the icing on the cake!
Talk to one of our medical consultants at
Bradford-Scott Data Corporation today and find out how you can make the change!
Bradford-Scott Data Corporation has a reputation of providing excellence to our customers for over 25 years. Our medical team has what you need to provide consulting, training and ongoing support to help you get the most value out of your system.
We are a Channel Partner for SAGE and offer a full line of products for the physician office:
- Intergy Practice Management -
- Enterprise Practice Management Module -
- Practice Analytics Module
- Intergy EHR
- e-Prescribe
- Practice Portal
- Lab Portal Services
- HL7 interfaces
Everyone is getting in line to take advantage of the stimulus money for EMR. Don't wait - Bradford-Scott Data Corporations' great service and support combined with the Intergy software is a winning combination. Contact one of our medical consultants today and find out how you can make a change!
The ARRA Program (also known as the Stimulus package) has split the implementation of EMR and meaningful use into three phases. The first proposed "Meaningful Use" Rule has a component for a lab interface.
The objective is to be able to send requisitions and receive lab reports back electronically through an interface from system to system.
The advantages to a lab interface are easy to see in our Intergy EHR system.
Time, Efficiency and Better Patient Care -
- Lab results are posted to client accounts automatically when reports are retrieved.
- A task is automatically sent to the physician that results are available to be reviewed. Flowsheets can also be viewed to look at results over time and can be graphed.
- The physician may review and forward tasks to staff members for whatever is needed in followup.
- The patient receives better care as a result of this process.
Have questions about purchasing and implementing an electronic medical record system? Contact Bradford-Scott Data Corporation and let us show you a better way to practice medicine.
Inquiring Minds want to know about the
ARRA Stimulus options!
If you've heard a lot of buzz about the Stimulus package, but haven't really checked to see if you could benefit from it, now is the time!
Eligible physicians (EP) can receive incentives for implementing an electronic medical record system and meeting "meaningful use" criteria. The ARRA Program targets a five year period for payment of incentives beginning in 2011. You may qualify for either Medicare incentives or Medicaid Incentives. The criteria and incentive amount differ slightly.
If you have questions about an electronic medical record (EMR) and the stimulus package contact Bradford-Scott Data Corporation and let our medical consultants get you started on the way!
Do you e-prescribe? If not, you are missing out!
E-prescribing is a great feature of electronic medical record system(EMR) and is listed as a phase I meaningful use requirement for ARRA reimbursement.
Medicare will provide incentive payments to eligible providers who e-prescribe under the Medicare Improvement and Extension Act (MIPPA). You do not have to participate in PQRI or sign up to qualify for e-prescribe incentives, but you must follow the reporting requirements on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid website. Qualifying providers will receive an incentive for the calendar year, so the sooner you start, the higher incentive amount you can receive?
Sage Intergy is offered by
Bradford-Scott Data Corporation, a Channel Partner of SAGE. Give us a call today to find out how to get started!
Missing your security blanket with EMR?
Let's face it, most physicians are not ready to commit to an electronic medical record system (EMR).
A big portion of this unrest is due to change. As a physician you have probably been documenting your charts and following almost the same office flow since you left medical school. Any changes in the office have not really impacted how you actually practice medicine.
It's time to face your fears and our Intergy software can help you make this transition.
SAGE Intergy EHR V5.5 is CCHIT 2008 certified and has templates for specialties like cardiology, orthopedics, OB/GYN as well as family practice, pediatrics, internal medicine and others. These templates can be easily customized to fit your workflow.
Another distinct advantage of Intergy is the Medcin database. The system will recommend and E & M coding value utilizing the Medcin findings selected in your encounter. Many physicians find that they have been under coding and that leads to better reimbursement - as well as security in the event of an audit.
Besides the efficiencies you will gain using an EMR, there is also stimulus money available for providers who meet the criteria - icing on the cake!
Contact
Bradford-Scott Data Corporation and let our medical consultant team give you the confidence to make a change.
Have you put your plans for an electronic medical record system (EMR) in "time out" until the Meaningful Use law goes into effect?
If so, the wait is almost over, as the law is currently in the comment period. Once Phase I criteria has been signed into law, the push will be on as everyone will want to get their share of the stimulus money.
Here are a few things to consider:
TIME: Implementing an EMR is not an overnight process. First things first - commit your time! Converting paper processes into electronic ones requires that you determine what steps you currently do and then setup the most effective way to reconstruct those electronically. With a proposed list of 25 criteria for Phase I, you can easily see that time will be a factor.
CHANGE: Everyone from the receptionist to the physician will be affected. Don't make the mistake of thinking that an EMR system will only affect the physician. Take the time to get the staff invested, so they respond positively to changes in the office. Try short meetings or lunches to review where everything stands - it's a great way to soothe anxiety.
SUPPORT: When you select your EMR software, it's also important to pick the correct vendor. Bradford-Scott Data Corporation provides excellent service and support to our clients. Sage Intergy EHR V5.5 is CCHIT 2008 certified and has existing templates for multiple specialties and is easily customizable. We use a blend of onsite, webinars, classroom and computer based training to take you live on our Intergy EHR system. Our trainers will work with you to make the transition from paper to an electronic world.
Talk to one of our medical consultants today and see why Bradford-Scott Data Corporation customers are successful with EMR.
My favorite part of the Winter Olympics is men's figure skating. Last night Evan Lysacek won the gold medal for the U.S. defeating the defending champion Yevgeny Plushenko.
As a physician, you should be on the quest for gold in an electronic medical record system(EMR). You actually have a lot in common with Evan - he is a fierce competitor, dedicated to his sport and shows a blend of willing to do what it takes combined with good sense and aesthetics in his program.
Start planning your hunt for the gold! There is a lot of competition with many different EMR systems, but you need to consider what product will offer the most functionality for your office. Look for a system that has existing templates that are easily modified for your specialty and is CCHIT certified.
Be sure to select a vendor who excels in customer support! Don't underestimate the value of what your vendor will bring to the table. Implementing an EMR takes time and commitment. Your vendor will be there coaching your staff, providing their experience with support and training.
Let
Bradford-Scott Data Corporation start you on your way by talking with one of our medical consultants.
We had a big snowstorm on Friday - everyone was slipping and sliding, trying to keep their balance, but some folks still fell down.
Are you feeling the same way about electronic medical records (EMR)? Now that the Stage 1 requirements for meaningful use are in their final review before becoming law, many EMR systems are scrambling to be sure they can meet the requirements.
Sage Intergy EHR V5.5 is CCHIT 2008 certified
and SAGE has announced that all 25 requirements can be met with their electronic medical record software. Intergy has over 25 specialty templates that can also be customized by the physician.
As a Channel Partner with SAGE,
Bradford-Scott Data Corporation is your one stop shop - the the best product as well as service and support in the mid-west. In an industry where most EMR vendors are only concerned with the software, Bradford-Scott Data Corporation also sells and supports the hardware required. Our trainers are there to help you go live on the system and continue to support you once you are live.
Our survey scores for 2009 from our clients rated us 9.5 (on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the highest). Don't keep skating on thin ice! Give Bradford-Scott Data Corporation a call today!
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