By Stephanie Jamison (Greenway Health), Chair, EHR Association Executive Committee
It’s been 20 years since 21 of the industry’s leading EHR vendors came together to create the HIMSS EHR Vendor Association in 2004 to accelerate the widespread adoption of EHRs. The new association was also tasked with helping HIMSS establish its strategic direction and official positions on issues related to the EHR and providing input and feedback on the certification process established by CCHIT.
Now called the EHR Association, what started as a bold concept is still going strong in 2024 with a current membership base of 29 companies: competitors working collaboratively to advance health data interoperability, safely embrace new technologies, and improve the quality and efficiency of care. Our initial focus on furthering the initiatives laid out in the Health IT Strategic Framework, released in July 2004 by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (now known as the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy, or ASTP), has expanded and evolved along with the state and federal regulatory environment.
At the time, founding Chair Charlene Underwood described the establishment of the EHR Association as a historic opportunity to directly impact healthcare delivery in the US, noting in the press release announcing the new association that “EHR technology has proven its ability to make healthcare safer, more efficient, and more convenient for patients as well as providers.
“As EHR vendors,” she continued, “we have a responsibility to our customers to shape the future of interoperability for effective and secure sharing of patient data, and to the nation to promote the widespread adoption of this life-saving technology.”
Today’s health IT market is vastly different from those early years when hospital EHR adoption was 9% and office-based physician practice adoption was 17%. Now, well over 96% of hospitals and 78% of physicians use an EHR, most of which are certified through the ASTP-driven process. In the years since its establishment, many of the EHR Association’s founding member companies have gone through acquisitions or mergers, and new entrants have stepped up.
The Developer’s Voice
The Association’s record of accomplishments since 2004 reflects the health IT market’s evolution. Over the years, we’ve worked to ensure our members’ voices were heard on regulatory and policy issues of critical importance to both EHR developers and the providers using our technologies. We’ve met with policymakers and submitted comments on everything from meaningful use and standards development to the Nationwide Health Information Exchange and TEFCA to the 21st Century Cures Act and, most recently, HTI-1 and HTI-2.
Our efforts weren’t limited to offering recommendations and feedback, however. We’ve held numerous Congressional Briefings over the years, focusing on issues such as the role of EHRs in value-based care and the 21st Century Cures Act, as well as COVID-19 and health IT, information blocking, and social determinants of health and health equity.
We’ve also leveraged our collective expertise to provide member companies with tools to navigate a tumultuous regulatory landscape. This includes publishing the industry’s first EHR Developer Code of Conduct reflecting our members’ commitment to supporting safe healthcare delivery, fostering continued innovation, and operating with high integrity in the market—a commitment we maintain to this day.
By Marvin Luz, senior director of revenue services, Greenway Health.
Nearly all medical practices face the complex challenge of ensuring patient satisfaction while maintaining the engagement and well-being of their staff. The reputation and success of a practice hinges on continuous improvements being made to heighten patient satisfaction, however the service provided by the front office staff at each practice plays a significant role in ensuring performance goals are regularly exceeded and quality patient care is delivered.
To foster an environment that strengthens the importance of both increased patient satisfaction and staff fulfillment, it is important to first look within. Outlined in this article are three simple tips from Greenway Health that providers can implement for their front office staff members to boost staff morale and patient satisfaction.
Emphasize the importance of excellent customer service
According to MGMA, 52% of medical groups report scheduling or customer service as the top front desk training challenge. While great customer service is extremely important for medical practices, it is not always top of mind. The front office staff are the first people to connect with patients, so their focus should be on creating an excellent experience. Take the time to train front office staff on how to properly greet patients, handle requests, and communicate successfully.
To take it a step further, try cultivating a patient-centered approach. Encourage the front office staff to actively listen and show genuine interest in patient concerns. Additionally, consider implementing enhanced accessibility tools to the current healthcare service offerings like online appointment scheduling, patient portals, and telemedicine. By simplifying these front office administrative practices, patients will appreciate the user-friendly and accessible nature the practice has to offer.
Healthcare ransomware attacks have become more common in recent years, and in many cases, caused considerable damage. At least 148 U.S. healthcare organizations fell victim to a ransomware attack in 2021, the most attacked industry, according to a March 2022 HIPAA Journal report.
With increasing threats from overseas, growing cybercriminal organizations, and the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s no surprise a sharp rise in breaches and healthcare ransomware attacks has occurred across the healthcare ecosystem.
As the situation grows more volatile, it’s vital to understand why threats like breaches and healthcare ransomware attacks exist and ways ambulatory practices can work to reduce cybersecurity risks.
The Most Valuable Record
It’s not just because the patient health information (PHI) the record contains that makes it valuable to cybercriminals, but the other information that accompanies PHI, such as addresses, birth dates, social security numbers, and even more obscure data such as insurance policy numbers, all of which someone can use to impersonate patients and commit identity theft.
With this stolen information, a cybercriminal can more easily steal someone’s identity because they now know important information no one else does. It’s what makes health records so valuable — not always the record itself, but what can be done with the information.
The average healthcare industry breach is so expensive because of the costs of remediation, recovery legal actions, and regulatory fines. In 2021, the average cost of a healthcare breach was $9.23 million, up 29.5% from $7.13 million the previous year, according to IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2021.
Taking it a step further, by failing to keep patient records private, an ambulatory practice could face substantial penalties under HIPAA’s Privacy and Security Rules, cause potential harm to its reputation, and patient safety can be severely impacted. A hacker’s access to private patient data not only opens the door to steal information but they can possibly even alter the data — severely impacting patient health and outcomes.
Greenway Health launches the Greenway’s 21st Century Cures Academy to serve as a resource center for providers navigating the 21st Century Cures Act, its legal requirements, and its effects on the entire healthcare industry. Greenway’s 21st Century Cures Academy is a free resource available to anyone looking to learn more about the 21st Century Cures Act and its requirements.
The 21st Century Cures Act aims to improve the healthcare ecosystem and empower patients by requiring healthcare provider interoperability and patient data access for both patients and providers. The bipartisan legislation will require all healthcare providers, healthcare IT developers, and health information exchanges (HIEs) to be 21st Century Cures Act-compliant by Dec. 31, 2022.
“We consistently heard providers and industry leaders voice concerns and confusion surrounding the 21st Century Cures Act and its future requirements for compliance,” said Dr. Michael Blackman, Chief Medical Officer at Greenway Health. “We knew we needed to create the 21st Century Cures Academy as an educational series and resource center aimed to alleviate confusion, guide providers, and highlight the benefits this legislation will have on the entire healthcare system.”
Greenway’s 21st Century Cures Academy resource center provides easy-to-digest materials including checklists, quick guides, webinars, and other resources to assist healthcare providers in discovering the value the 21st Century Cures Act has to offer their practice.
TigerConnect, maker of healthcare’s most powerful software collaboration suite, announces it has received a significant strategic growth investment from Vista Equity Partners, a leading global investment firm focused exclusively on enterprise software, data, and technology-enabled businesses. TigerConnect will leverage the partnership with Vista to continue its mission to improve patient care through real-time, contextual communications.
TigerConnect delivers cloud-native Clinical Communication and Collaboration (CC&C) solutions to more than 7,000 healthcare organizations and 700,000 care team members. Its secure, HIPAA-compliant healthcare communication platform and collaboration suite improves both costs and revenue for healthcare organizations while fundamentally delivering better patient care.
TigerConnect has helped thousands of health systems increase care team collaboration and expedite decision-making while minimizing re-admissions and reducing costs. Beyond its foundations as a clinical communications platform, TigerConnect has expanded its suite to include nurse alarm management and event notification, physician scheduling, and patient engagement solutions, all of which further enable providers to deliver better, safer patient care.
“At TigerConnect, we are laser-focused on improving the care experience for providers and patients, beginning with access to real-time and contextual communication and collaboration throughout every step of the care journey,” said Brad Brooks, co-founder and chief executive officer of TigerConnect. “We believe that Vista’s expertise in partnering with founder-led and market-leading enterprise software businesses, coupled with our shared values, align strongly with our mission to provide advanced collaboration technologies that improve care delivery.”
“In 2010, the notion of a universal communication and workflow platform for healthcare did not exist, and TigerConnect transformed that,” said Andrew A Brooks, M.D., FAAOS, co-founder and chief medical officer of TigerConnect. “Together with Vista, TigerConnect’s vision remains to improve outcomes for patients and enhance the daily lives of physicians, nurses, and everyone involved within the healthcare system.”
Greenway Health announced that its Board of Directors has named Pratap Sarker as chief executive officer effective January 1, 2022. Mr. Sarker, who has served as President of Greenway Health since August 2020, succeeds Richard Atkin who has served as CEO since 2018. Mr. Atkin will transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Greenway Health board.
“Pratap Sarker brings the ideal combination of leadership, experience and vision as the new Greenway Health CEO for this next chapter in the evolution and growth of the company,” said Atkin. “As we continue to enhance our product offerings, invest in our technology platform and deliver measurable client outcomes, we are uniquely positioned for continued growth in 2022. With a seamless transition to CEO, Pratap’s leadership will continue to be invaluable to the expansion of solutions we offer our clients nationwide.”
Sarker joined Greenway Health in 2020 as president. His vision and ownership for client relationship building and his passion for growth has revolutionized the Greenway brand, helping to actualize the company’s purpose of creating successful providers and empowering patients, resulting in healthier communities. Prior to joining Greenway Health, Sarker spent three years as president at Conduent, where he led a multi-billion-dollar business in mission-critical technology and BPO services.
“Greenway Health is primed for growth and market opportunity,” said Sarker. “Together with a strong senior management team, we will continue to evolve our company and transform the healthcare technology sector with products and services that enhance practice growth and deliver innovative, client-centric solutions. I look forward to guiding Greenway Health into its next phase as an industry leader in this exciting market.”
Sarker, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Business Administration degree from Savitribai Phule Pune University, has over 25 years of experience and achievements garnered from helping organizations drive results through strategic development and a focus on execution.
Greenway Health, a leading health information technology services provider, today announced enhanced offerings with Greenway Revenue Services (GRS), which provides revenue cycle management support to clients. Due to clients placing a stronger emphasis on the revenue cycle in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company announced GRS Select earlier this year, which delivers more flexible support options for swift and targeted relief to healthcare practices. Greenway will continue to expand GRS services over the next 12 months to further assist clients with their financial relief strategies. The company will also further leverage AI automation and build additional GRS analytics that improve productivity and efficiency within the revenue cycle.
According to a recent MGMA study, 44% of healthcare leaders reported their 2021 visit volumes are below their pre-pandemic levels and ambulatory practices are still facing negative financial impacts due to the pandemic. Greenway developed its GRS offerings based on such emerging needs of its clients, to further help ambulatory care practices improve their financial health. The company is already seeing significant interest, with longstanding EHR clients such as Tier 1 Institute Orthopedic and Neurosurgical adding GRS.
To lead this expansion, Greenway has appointed its Chief Compliance Officer, Susan Kohler, to a new role as senior vice president of Revenue Services. A tenured employee with more than 15 years of experience leading healthcare operations in revenue cycle, claims, payer and provider network management, and electronic data interchange (EDI), Kohler will now oversee operations for both GRS and Greenway Clearinghouse Services.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, signed into law in March, has provided a lifeline for many businesses — including healthcare organizations. Amid the grim reality of medical equipment shortages and limited hospital beds, the CARES Act provides the healthcare industry much-needed relief.
Considering a significant number of practices are struggling to keep their doors open, and hospitals have experienced significant revenue loss from elective procedures being cancelled or postponed, the act has been pivotal in providing critical aid.
However, at over 800 pages, understanding the full impact of the act can be challenging. Below, I’m sharing how the CARES Act can benefit healthcare providers, as well as additional steps medical practices can take today to ensure the financial security of their organizations.
What You Need to Know About the PPP
By now, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) has been in place for a few weeks, and many healthcare practices with fewer than 500 employees have likely already submitted their applications. Whether you’ve already applied for the PPP or are weighing your options, here is some need-to-know information to consider.
At its core, the PPP gives businesses an incentive to keep their staff employed. Funds dispersed from this program can be used to cover up to eight weeks of payroll costs and other eligible expenses, such as rent, utilities and mortgage interest. This loan can provide practices with the necessary funds they need to keep their staff employed and continue serving their communities.
While the initial funding for the PPP from the CARES Act quickly ran out, another law passed in April 2020 provided another welcome injection of funding in the program.
By Stephanie Jamison (Greenway Health), Chair, EHR Association Executive Committee
TigerConnect
