Hi! My name is Jennifer Sanders. I have been a member of the Bradford Scott team for almost 4 years as a Medical Software Trainer . I train new clients on the use of our Medical Office Billing Software products as well as provide Support for those products. Before coming to Bradford Scott, I worked in a medical office doing billing for 19 physicians. This gave me the knowledge to assist Medical Offices in the implementation of a new Medical Billing System and Electronic Health Records.
Outside of Bradford Scott, my life is very hectic. I have been married for 15 years and have three boys. My boys are 13, 10, and 6 and keep me very busy. They are in Cub and Boy Scouts, Football, Baseball, and Junior Bible Quiz. My husband and I are active in all of these organizations as well as our Church and Community. We also have a house full of animals, with a dog and 5 cats. All have been strays, so I guess you could say we are suckers for animals with no homes. But, some days I feel like they are taking over mine!
I love working for Bradford Scott, because we are a family. I feel like that shows in our service and support. It's great to work for a company with high standards and great products we can stand behind. I hope to hear from you in my future blogs!
In February 2009, Congress passed landmark legislation to encouage the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs). Later President Obama signed it into law. Part of the multi-billion dollar package, known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health allocates $19 billion to encourage the health care industry to adopt information technology using an EHR System.
On the other hand, if providers choose not to participate, they will receive lowered Medicare reimbursement rates.
Medicare Physician EHR Incentives
2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | TOTAL |
Adopt 2011 or before | $18,000 | $12,000 | $8,000 | $4,000 | $2,000 | $0 | $0 | $44,000 |
Adopt 2012 | ---------- | $18,000 | $12,000 | $8,000 | $4,000 | $2,000 | $0 | $44,000 |
Adopt 2013 | ---------- | ----------- | $15,000 | $12,000 | $8,000 | $4,000 | $0 | $39,000 |
Adopt 2014 | ---------- | ----------- | ----------- | $12,000 | $8,000 | $4,000 | $0 | $24,000 |
Adopt 2015 + | ---------- | ----------- | ----------- | ---------- | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
If you would like more information about the EHR Stimulus package, contact Bradford Scott Data Corporation at www.bradfordscott.com.
There is Government Stimulus Money to be had! Are you in interested in being a recipient? If so, you must implement and prove "Meaningful Use" prior to 2014 to get anything. And, the sooner you participate, the more money you will be eligible for.
However, what is "Meaningful Use"? Well, the government has put out a proposed list of 25 stage one objectives for meeting Meaningful Use with any EHR System:
- Use CPOE
- Implement drug-drug, drug-allergy, drug-formulary checks
- Maintain an up-to-date problem list of current and active diagnoses based on ICD-9-CM or SNOMED CT
- Generate and transmit permissible prescriptions electronically
- Maintain an active medication list
- Maintain an active allergy list
- Record demographics: preferred language, insurance type, gender, race, ethnicity, and date of birth
- Record and chart changes in vital signs: height, weight, blood pressure, calculate and display: BMI, and plot and display growth charts for children 2-20 years, including BMI
- Record smoking status for patients 13 years old or over
- Incorporate clinical lab-test results into EHR as structured data
- Generate lists of patients by specific conditions to use for quality improvement, reduction of disparities and outreach
- Report ambulatory quality measures to CMS or the States
- Send reminders to patients per the patient's preference for preventive/follow up care
- Implement five clinical decision support rules relevant to specialty or high clinical priority, including diagnostic test ordering, along with the ability to track compliances with those rules
- Check insurance eligibility electronically from public and private payers
- Submit claims electronically to public and private payers
- Provide patients with an electronic copy of their health information (including diagnostic test results, problem list, medication lists, allergies), upon request
- Provide patients with timely electronic access to their health information (including lab results, problem list, medication lists, allergies) within 96 hours of the information being available to the EP
- Provide clinical summaries for patients for each office visit
- Capability to exchange key clinical information (for example, problem list, medication list, allergies, diagnostic test results), among providers of care and patient authorized entities electronically
- Perform medication reconciliation at relevant encounters and each transition of care
- Provide summary care record for each transition of care and referral
- Capability to submit electronic data to immunization registries and actual submission where required and accepted
- Capability to provide electronic syndromic surveillance data to public health agencies and actual transmission according to applicable law and practice
- Protect electronic health information created or maintained by the certified EHR technology through the implementation of appropriate technical capabilities
Although these objectives have not been finalized, you should be considering whether your current EHR System can handle them. Our Intergy by Sage EHR Software CAN meet all 25 objectives. If you would like peace of mind, contact
Bradford Scott Data Corporation for more information.
A year ago I could not see what all the hype was concerning electronic prescriptions. I thought it wasn't that big of a deal to go to the pharmacy with your prescription in hand and wait in line like everyone else. My view on that has since changed.
Why does it take so long at the pharmacy? There are not that many people in line, what are they doing behind the counter? I have asked myself this many times. I can name several instance where I have been in the pharmacy waiting on a prescription for an hour or more. There is nothing worse than that long wait, especially when you don't feel well. My doctor recently wrote me an electronic prescription for the first time. I was a little apprehensive at first, but it was great! By the time I drove to the pharmacy to pick it up, it was ready. I went through the drive through and didn't even have to get out of my car! This is just one benefit to electronic prescriptions.
- Ability to send the prescription the the patient's choice of pharmacies.
- DUR cross references for drug interactions or duplicate therapy
- Decreased cost for the practice
- Electronic refill requests directly from the pharmacy, if needed
- Quick transactions
- Convenience for the patient
- Higher Medicare reimbursement when reported with billing
If you are interested in a software that will accommodate electronic prescriptions and so much more, contact
Bradford Scott Data Corporation about our Intergy by Sage EHR System.
When looking for an EHR Software for your practice, there are many things to look at. One very important thing, that may often be overlooked, is to make sure it is supported by an extensive medical terminology base. Our Intergy by Sage EHR System is supported by the Medcin Knowledge Base. This database includes:
- More than 300,000 clinical findings
- More than 2 dozen specialties
- Cross referencing that enables you to quickly locate clinical findings to be added to your encounter notes.
The result of all of this is you will have an accurate encounter note for each patient visit that is supported by a well known knowledge base. The system will then use the findings you select for the encounter note and suggest an E&M code that is supported by the knowledge base. This will protect you in an audit and give you the confidence you need that you are appropriately coding your patient visits.
Under coding is a problem with many physicians resulting in lost revenue. Over coding could be an even bigger problem during an audit. Knowing your coding is appropriate and solidly supported by the Medcin Database will give you the protection you need. For more information, contact
Bradford Scott Data Corporation for more information.
Do you work for a medical practice where the right hand never seems to know what the left hand is doing? Do you find it difficult to monitor whether your patients are really following through with the tests and labs you have ordered for them?
Well, you don't have to wonder any more. With Intergy EHR by Sage you can monitor all of your open orders to make sure you staff has followed through with scheduling them, and your patients have followed through with getting them done.
Your open orders are kept neatly in an open orders tab for you to be able to monitor, task, and work. This allows you to keep better track of what is going on in your practice.
Sage Intergy EHR V5.5is CCHIT 2008 Certified. If you are interested in learning more about our EHR System, contact
Bradford Scott Data Corporation for more information.
PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication Systems) is a generic term used for describing multiple name-brand imaging systems that enable distant facilities to view, manipulate, and share digital records. Intergy EHR by Sage has a PACS tab that allows you to access the images directly from the server.
From this tab, you can view and perform analysis on DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communication In Medicine) images for the patient using tools designed specifically for use with DICOM images.
DICOM images are generated when diagnostic studies performed on modalities are completed at the imaging site and stored on a PACS imaging server.
PACS handles images from the following medical imaging instruments:
- Ultrasound (US)
- Magnet Resonance (MR)
- Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
- Computed Tomography (CT)
- Endoscopy (ENDO)
- Mammograms (MG)
- Digital Radiography (DR)
- Computed Radiography (CR)
Having this capability will increase your ability to provide the best care to your patients by decreasing the amount of time it takes to receive results as well as the ability to compare studies from multiple types of images.
Sage Intergy EHR V5.5 is CCHIT 2008 certified. If you are considering purchasing an EMR system , contact
Bradford Scott Data Corporation for more information about our Intergy EHR by Sage and PACS capibility.
There are many EHR products on the market and some are very similar. Some, however, have just a few little extras that make your investment that much nicer.
Intergy EHR by Sage offers an embedded link in the software that will allow you to access the Medscape Resource Center by WebMD. The Medscape site can be very valuable to physicians of any specialty, offering:
- Patient Eduction Material
- CME- Continuing Medical Education
- emedicine- continually updated clinical references
- Discussion Boards
- Physician Finder
- Specialty Sites
- Journals
Having this valuable information at your fingertips will allow you, as a physician or clinical staff, to access the latest up to date medical information on the market. Having access to research studies and journal articles will help you obtain the latest knowledge on almost any subject.
If you are interested in seeing more of this valuable tool, contact
Bradford Scott Data Corporation to learn more about our Intergy EHR by Sage.
My favorite team, The Indianapolis Colts, are going to the Super Bowl. This is the second time we have been to the Super Bowl. The first time was very exciting, because it was the first. This time feels a little different. We are going to defend our Super Bowl Championship Status.
Peyton Manning is a machine on the field. If you watch any of his games, you will notice he executes his plays very calmly and systematically. He knows how to get the job done.
Our Intergy By Sage Practice Management and EHR system is much the same. It performs well, executing both billing and clinical functions within the same system. It is a Champion in Practice Management and EHR software providing you the best system available at a reasonable price. Combine that with Bradford Scott's exceptional customer service, and you have a Super Bowl combination. Visit the
Bradford Scott website for more information. And, don't miss the game on Sunday. You won't want to miss seeing the Colts beat the Saints.
Go Colts!!!
Well, he did it. Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning, indicating 6 more weeks of winter. Can we really count on his prediction? I hope not! I'm ready for spring.
One thing you can count on is the consistency of our Intergy by Sage Practice Management and EHR system. This integrated suite will meet both the billing and the clinical needs of your practice.
- Electronic Claims
- Electronic Prescriptions
- Imaging
- Posting of ERA Files
- Electronic Lab Results and Requests
- Sage Intergy EHR V5.5 is CCHIT 2008 certified
Though you may not be able to count on Punxsutawney Phil, you can count on Bradford Scott Data Corporation and
Intergy by Sage.
Emdeon is beginning to roll out a new web based product used to track electronic claims. In the past, they have used Claim Tracker. The new product is called Claims Vision. Claims Vision can be used with any practice management software, but is integrated into our Intergy By Sage Practice Management System. Having this integration allows you to work your electronic claim rejections without having to leave your practice management system.
Some of the new features of Claims Vision include:
- More detail about each claim received, including date sent and acknowledged by the payer.
- A Dashboard that outlines your top rejections as well as dollar amounts your rejections represent.
- The ability to search for specific claims.
- Claim History for 15 months.
- Ability to track claims by payer or provider.
- Capability to print a timely filing letter to send to a payer.
Claims Vision will help your practice manage the claim billing and payment process more efficiently. And, the best news, it's free! To get enrolled with the new Claims Vision product, call us at 317-713-2065. We will be glad to get you enrolled. For more information about our Intergy By Sage product, visit
Bradford-Scott Data Corporation.
10. You really like paper cuts.
9. You think it's a whole lot of fun to flip through hundreds of
pages in a chart to find the one thing you need.
8. You think writer's cramp keeps your hand "in shape".
7. You enjoy playing the game of hide and seek with your
charts every day.
6. Your patients love to take their prescriptions to the
pharmacy and wait for hours. It allows for bonding
time with the other people at the pharmacy.
5. You suffer from Technophobia- Fear of Technology.
4. You really like talking into that little tape recorder each
day.
3. The idea of rebuilding your practice from the ground up,
in the event of a disaster, with no patient medical history,
actually excites you.
2. You have no interest what so ever in EHR stimulus money.
1. You're not afraid of an audit...Bring It On!
If this does not describe you, call Bradfordscott Data Corporation. We can offer you an EHR system that will cut down on paper charting, give you electronic prescriptions, qualify your practice for the EHR Stimulus, give you the security of knowing your information is protected at all times, and protect you in an audit.
For a long time electronic claims have been transmitted from a medical billing system via a modem. In their day, modems served a good purpose allowing you to send information through a phone line. Now, with our Intergy Medical Billing Software from Sage, you can send your claims through a secure internet connection.
There are many benefits to this type of electronic claim submission:
- You don't have to plug in you modem when you want to transmit and unplug it when you are finished (Too Much Exercise).
- You don't have to listen to that annoying sound it makes when it's connecting (Like Nails On A Chalk Board).
- You don't have to wait for a technician to come to your office to fix your modem when, and if, it goes down (They Said They'd Be Here Between 8:00am and 4:00pm)
- The internet connections and transmission are much faster (Compare a Mustang to a Pinto)
If you are tired of your modem connection for electronic claims and want to go with something faster and better, visit our website at
www.bradfordscott.com for more information.
The recent earthquake in Haiti has been completely devastating to an already devastated country. Current reports are estimating between 45,000 and 50,000 people have died as a result of the earthquake. Currency is worth nothing and water is the current currency due to it's scarcity.
I was reflecting on 911 and how tragic that was to our country. This devastation is 911 multiplied by about 15,000. It really is tough to comprehend the suffering. Looking at the pictures, they almost don't seem real.
We are incredibly blessed in this country. In our medical society, we have access to EMR systems, electronic prescriptions, and medical billing software. In Haiti, they are lucky to have a tent made into a hospital. I want to urge members of the medical community to get involved in some way to help the people of Haiti.
- Some of your are doctors and nurses who can go to Haiti to help provide medical care.
- Some of you can donate medical supplies and medications.
- Some of you can donate money to the relief efforts.
- Some of you can work with local organizations to prepare supplies and food to be sent to Haiti.
- Some of you can simply pray for Haiti and it's people.
The danger is not over for them. Yes, supplies are starting to arrive, but unless they can be distributed quickly, more people will die. At
Bradfordscott Data Corporation, our thoughts and prayers and with the Haitian people.
Imaging is a big part of an EHR system, but with our Intergy by Sage product, you don't have to have EHR to take advantage of imaging. Imaging is part of our Practice Management Software. It can be used in that software alone or in conjunction with our integrated EHR system.
There are many benefits to using imaging software even if you are not using EHR. Some examples of things you can scan into your practice management system are:
- Patient Registration Forms
- Patient Consent Forms
- Pictures of your patients
- EOB's
- FMLA or Disability Paperwork
- Living Wills or Advanced Directives
- Personnel Files
- Accounts Payable Records
The possibilities are really endless. If it's on paper, you can scan it. You can also import documents from files off your computer. If you are interested in taking the step to make your office paperless and just one step closer to EHR, visit our website at
www.bradfordscott.com or call us at 317-713-2065.
There are so many companies out there that sell Practice Management and EHR software. How do you choose? What makes Bradford Scott different from the rest?
There are many things as a company that set Bradford Scott apart from the rest.
- We have been in business for over 25 years.
- We have the absolute BEST customer service in the industry, receiving a 9.39 out of 10 rating by our customers.
- We strive to make sure your implementation is the best it can be.
- We have an average return call time of 7 minutes and a policy to return all calls within 29 minutes.
These are all great things, but let me speak as an insider. These are not only things we advertise, they are TRUE! I have worked for Bradford Scott for almost 5 years and still like this company as much as the day I started. The desire to provide the best customer service in the industry runs deep. Everyone works towards that goal every day. We have a culture unlike any company I have ever worked for and I genuinely like everyone I work with. I feel we have the best team and family here are Bradford Scott.
If you are looking for a solid Practice Management product or are interested in transitioning onto an excellent EHR product, visit our website at
www.bradfordscott.com or call us at
317-713-2065. I can promise you won't be disappointed!
The Government has slated billions of dollars in stimulus money for physicians that can exhibit "meaningful use" of a certified EHR system within the next few years. Each provider in your practice can expect as much as $44,000.00 of stimulus money for purchasing an EHR and providing such "meaningful use". But, what does "meaningful use" mean? Well, we really don't know for sure, at this point. The Government is still in the process of figuring that out. What we do know if that you will need to be on an EHR system no later than 2014 to receive
any of the stimulus money. And, the longer you wait, the less you will get. Going a step further, if you choose to not implement an EHR system in your practice, you will begin receiving a decrease in Medicare reimbursements.
At Bradford-Scott Data Corporation, we offer an EHR system, Intergy by Sage, that we believe will meet all the requirements to qualify for the stimulus package. Our product will offer you the following:
- Sage Intergy EHR V5.5 is CCHIT 2008 certified
- Integration to our Intergy by Sage Practice Management Software
- Electronic Prescriptions
- Electronic Labs
- Templates for all types of provider specialties
- A Specialized OB chart to track pregnancies
- Backup of the Medcin Database to ensure you are coding your visits appropriately
- Paperless patient charts
- Secure access to your patient's medical records
These are just a few of the many options you will receive with our Intergy EHR Product. Please visit us at
www.bradfordscott.com for more information. Don't wait too long and miss out on the money you could receive.
Even though Thanksgiving is still a few days away, people everywhere are already putting up their Christmas lights and decorations, including their Christmas Trees. I have to admit, it's one of my favorite times of year. In our house we have two Christmas Trees. We have the "BIG", beautiful tree that is so robust, it just about takes over our living room. Then, we have the small tree that fits much better, but doesn't come near holding all the ornaments we have collected over the years. Every year we debate on which tree should go up. Although both trees look nice when decorated, the "BIG" tree offers so much more.
While you may have a Practice Management System for Medical Billing and/or an EHR product that looks nice decorated, is it robust? Our Integrated Intergy Practice Management and EHR product by Sage, does more than look nice decorated, it is robust offering:
- Practice Management and EHR Integration
- A Strong Audit Trail
- Claim Tracker Software to work claim rejections
- Electronic Remittance
- Automatic Eligibility
- Imaging Software
- Electronic Prescriptions
- Lab Portal
These are just a few of the many robust features Intergy by Sage offers. For more information, visit our
website or call us at 317-713-2065.
Happy Holidays
There is more to becoming a paperless office then just using an EMR or EHR system. Some practices just aren't ready to begin using Electronic Health Records. So, does that mean you can't be paperless?
No, our Practice Management System, Intergy by Sage, contains a feature called Digital Office Manager. With the Digital Office Manager application, you can scan paperwork directly into you Medical Billing System for future access.
- EOBs
- New Patient Paperwork
- Test Results
- HR records for your employees
- Questionnaires
- Authorizations
- Correspondence from patients or insurance
The possibilities are endless. Paperwork can be scanned directly into a patient's account, or you can create folders in the Digital Office Manager application to scan non patient related paperwork. In addition to this capability, you can also set a task, or a reminder, for yourself or another staff member to follow up on something related to the scanned image.
The Digital Office Manager application is an excellent way to try your hand at going paperless, without taking a head first plunge into EMR. For more information about this and other features of the Intergy by Sage Practice Management or EHR systems, visit us at
Bradford-Scott.
Family billing is the linking together of multiple accounts to one family member chosen to be the guarantor. Linking these accounts together has several benefits:
- One statement-this saves the practice money
- Ability to view the entire family's balance at once
- Apply payments automatically to all family members
The Sage Intergy Practice Management System goes a step further by actually putting all family members on one account. This helps the practice keep better track of the entire family during the collection process. Also, our Sage Intergy Practice Management System is integrated with our Intergy EHR product. This will allow your physicians to view clinical information of all family members. We all know the importance of family medical history when it comes to your health care. For more information on our Sage Intergy Products call us at (317) 713-2065 or visit our website at
ww.bradfordscott.com.
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