Much has been made lately of the benefits that can accrue to healthcare providers through the use of electronic medical records. In fact, one of the major long-term goals of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) is to “initiate a process to computerize health records to reduce medical errors and save on health care costs.”

But medical records are only one area in which providers can reap the benefits of working with secure, digital files. For organizations such as Molina Healthcare, a managed care organization (MCO) serving low-income individuals who frequently depend on government assistance, implementing a Laserfiche enterprise content management (ECM) system to digitize and streamline the healthcare provider credentialing process has proven to be extremely valuable. (more…)

Walking into an inpatient room at the Surgical Specialty Center of Baton Rouge (SSCBR) is more like entering a spacious hotel suite than a hospital room. Designed with many of the comforts of home, each private suite contains a microwave, refrigerator, television and DVD/VCR player, along with a sofa bed for overnight guests. Of course, the best feature is the talented and dedicated staff that assists patients and family members with their medical needs.

“Most people don’t have pleasant memories associated with hospital stays: You’re sick, you’re scared, you’re away from your family,” says Shawana Rucker, IT manager at SSCBR. “SSCBR’s goal is to change all of that.” (more…)

Six years ago, if you’d asked Ron Anderson how to add 150 employees to his medical billing company without relocating or acquiring new office space, he’d have looked at you and laughed. “I’d have told you it’s impossible,” says Anderson, director of business development at San Diego, California-based CHMB and a past president of the California chapter of the MGMA. “We’d have had employees sitting on each others’ shoulders.”
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Central Oregon Radiology Associates seeks to be the provider of choice for patients and physicians, and the employer of choice for staff. As Marico Oliveira, the organization’s former director of operations and current director of human resources, explains, Laserfiche plays a key role in helping Central Oregon Radiology Associates accomplish both aspects of this mission. (more…)

Fertility treatment is an intensive process that requires sensitivity and an understanding of the physical and emotional aspects of a patient’s fertility problems. But when doctors don’t have fast and easy access to all of their patients’ medical data, it can be difficult to be as responsive as desired.

With ten clinics and two in-vitro fertilization (IVF) centers located throughout the greater Chicago area, the Fertility Centers of Illinois (FCI) already had an Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system in place. However, the ArtWorks EMR system only stored patients’ current, FCI-based medical data—historical medical records were kept as paper files, as were lab results, surgery reports and other outside correspondence.
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With 19 locations and a caseload of 4,000 patients per week, Ear, Nose and Throat Associates of South Florida is the state’s second largest physician group dedicated to treating disorders of the ears, nose and throat. Although the group has always provided patients with outstanding care, keeping patient charts up to date was becoming an increasingly significant challenge.
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As any practice manager can tell you, keeping track of patients’ paper records requires more than a little blood, sweat and tears. Finding information can be difficult, paper and storage space are expensive, and office staff spends a lot of time organizing and updating records so that doctors can stay well-informed.

Such was certainly the case for Dr. Brian Hanson’s gastroenterology (GI) practice in Ukiah, CA. One of just two GI doctors within a 90-mile radius in rural northern California, Hanson at times may see more than 200 patients a month. He’s a member of several boards and committees, and his practice is affiliated with three different hospitals, two ambulatory surgery centers and two rural healthcare clinics which serve patients in both Mendocino and Lake Counties.
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