South Carolina Heart Center Case Study

South Carolina Heart Center Case Study

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  South Carolina HeartCenter (Columbia) was in a bind due to a second vendor sunsetting its EHR product. They needed to add a robust EHR component to their practice management system. Early goals were: • To deploy accurate quality measures, as well as financial measures using complete data and robust reporting tools • Enable more complete documentation to support EM coding Throwing good money after bad South Carolina Heart Center had a relationship with two EHR vendors before working with NextGen Healthcare. These EHR vendors went out of business during their working relationship; and that made them a bit hesitant before going all in for a third time. They ultimately decided that what set NextGen Healthcare apart from the competition was their robust suite of reporting tools and their stable reputation. “From a cardiology perspective, the Procedure Module, hands down, is the best template that we’ve seen; and it is lacking in all the other vendor products,” said Sherry Shults, CIO, South Carolina Heart Center. “We’ve been able to eliminate transcription completely, and decreased our medical records analysts approximately 50 percent after implementation of NextGen,” Shults added. The MU and HQM reports, which show providers percentage of compliance, have rubbed off on the practice doctors as well. “When the doctors reviewed the quality measure reports, they started competing with their peers,” Shults said. “So, now they’re all trying to achieve the highest percent compliance. The Pinnacle Reports reveal our practice quality measures are above the national standard for cardiology practices.” South Carolina Heart Center Columbia, SC Profile • Multiple cardiology offices throughout South Carolina • Specializes in cardiac/vascular/EP procedures, diagnostic testing, and general cardiology • More than 300 patients seen daily Including coronary CT and catheterization lab Business Problem A progressive company, South Carolina Heart Center started looking at EHR technology more than 15 years ago. In that time the practice worked with vendors who offered piecemeal solutions or went out of business. The practice needed solutions that were specific to the cardiology field, while being able to communicate between multiple sites and local hospitals. Integrated Cardiology Solution • NextGen® Ambulatory EHR Realized Benefits • Provider office note encounter sign-off time went from two weeks to within 48 hours • Allergy and smoking query documentation compliance increased from 50% to over 90% • PQRS reimbursements averaging over $256,000 annually • 2011/2012 total MU incentives of $662,000 Results Worth Sharing nextgen.com The need for a proven, stable EHR provider
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  The most comprehensivecardiology content One of the key factors that South Carolina Heart Center identified when deciding on NextGen Ambulatory EHR was the tailored cardiology content offered. According to Shults, custom content was a critical component because the practice wanted to make sure all the employees could document all of their cardiac procedures; the other vendors did not have this functionality incorporated into their product. “NextGen is leading the way regarding cardiovascular documentation and reporting,” said Shults. “I really believe that all the initiatives that they’ve accomplished thus far have really led the way.” Invaluable for MU attestation Faced with the daunting task of demonstrating and getting certified for Meaningful Use (MU), South Carolina Heart Center relied heavily on NextGen Healthcare to help them get up to speed, and more importantly, get paid. “We used NextGen 100 percent for the documentation for Meaningful Use, and we were able to have a very successful Meaningful Use attestation, to the point where we actually have just recently been audited,” Shults said. “We submitted for Meaningful Use for 2011 and 2012, utilizing the reporting tools. If it weren't for NextGen, I would have had difficulty in obtaining all of the data needed to successfully achieve Meaningful Use. For me, that was much appreciated.“ Better communication nets patient satisfaction “We recently did a patient satisfaction survey, and compared it to our surveys prior to implementing the NextGen EHR. The patient satisfaction results since we started NextGen technology were amazing,” she commented. “The patients feel that the physicians have better communication with them, that they’re more knowledgeable about their health, in addition to the fact that they have better communication with the staff.” Results Worth Sharing “If it weren't for NextGen, I would have had difficulty obtaining all of the data required to successfully achieve Meaningful Use.” Sherry Shults CIO South Carolina Heart Center NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, LLC 795 Horsham Road, Horsham, PA 19044 Copyright © 2013 NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, LLC. All rights reserved. NextGen is a registered trademark of QSI Management, LLC, an affiliate of NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, LLC. All other names and marks are the property of their respective owners. CS15-13 nextgen.com Take the Next Step: Contact us to find out how we can help you. 855-510-6398