Beyond Certification™
Since the formation of the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) in 2004, medical professionals have been inundated with the incessant clamor for electronic health record (EHR) programs to carry official endorsement. SpringCharts was one of the early EHR programs to receive 2006 certification, demonstrating the high bench marks of functionality, interoperability, and security.
Also in 2004, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) was established within the Office of the Secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the purpose of providing resources to support the adoption of health information technology, and to promote a nationwide health information exchange in the United States.
Although CCHIT aided in accelerating the adoption of EHRs by providing a credible product certification program, the uptake of healthcare technology remained slow due to the absence of imposed financial incentives and mandates.
On February 17, 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) – commonly known as the Stimulus Package – was signed into law. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act was passed as part of ARRA and included over $20 billion to aid in the development of a healthcare infrastructure and to assist individual providers in adopting and using health information technology, including EHRs. Sizeable incentives available as reimbursements through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will assist providers in selecting, implementing, and deploying EHRs. In order to receive remuneration from the HITECH Act program, practitioners are required to demonstrate “meaningful use” (MU) of a “certified” EHR program beginning in 2011.
In September 2010, the ONC launched a two-year temporary certification program to guarantee basic standards, implementation specifications, and functionality of EHR programs for the medical community Six IT organizations across the country were selected to fulfill the task of testing and certifying ambulatory EHR programs; these entities are known as ONC-Authorized Testing and Certification Bodies (ONC-ATCB). All EHR products that were previously CCHIT CertifiedSM must be resubmitted for ONC-ATCB certification in order to qualify for the incentive program under the HITECH Act.
In February 2011, SpringCharts EHR received ONC-ATCB Certification. This certification reflects the ongoing commitment of Spring Medical Systems, Inc. to support our customers in pursuing and achieving MU and offer greater clinical care and ‘great financials’™.
Best Financials™
Because ONC-ATCB Certified EHRs follow the same criteria, credentialing, and regulations, the distinguishing factor between different software is not functionality. All ONC-ATCB programs will have the same features. A forward thinking provider will need to look beyond ‘certification’ to qualities such as ease-of-use, the mastery and momentum of the learning curve, intuitive style, and the speed of ROI.
From its very inception, SpringCharts EHR has been distinguished in the medical market place for its ease-of-use, intuitive style, and great financials. The focus of SpringCharts is not on the installing, mastering, and maintaining of a complicated system; rather a straightforward, uncomplicated design to work the way busy practices function, supporting normal workflow and time-honored standard procedures. The unique flexibility of SpringCharts EHR enables providers and support staff to easily customize the program to meet their specific job descriptions and exact practice requirements.
With income producing features like the Chart Evaluation, E&M Coder, Templates, and Pop-Up Text, SpringCharts EHR offers “great financials” to enhance and speed your ROI. SpringCharts EHR is priced thousands of dollars less than comparable program configurations. And with no hidden costs for server or database licenses, it offers the lowest “Total Cost of Charting" on the market today.
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