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GE Healthcare announced new implementation tools for its proven electronic medical record and revenue cycle management solutions

GE Healthcare has announced a suite of rapid implementation packages for its proven electronic medical record and revenue cycle management solutions, increasing the speed of access to healthcare information technology for physician practices without giving up access to the best software solutions in the industry.

As a result of the ARRA HITECH Act, many physician organizations seek to implement EMR solutions quickly in order to be prepared to take advantage of payment incentives from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. These incentives are available as early as 2011 and incentives available to each eligible provider diminish if they are not fully implemented before 2012.  While many physician practices are also planning to implement a practice management system at the same time they acquire an EMR , the common thread is that practices seek proven solutions with the power to meet their requirements, at a price point they can afford and with minimal up-front capital costs.  Given the short timeframe, however, everything often hinges on speed of adoption.

In response to these market needs and leveraging its Lean Six Sigma process expertise, GE Healthcare has streamlined the implementation methodology for the Centricity EMR product.  The rapid install process enables practices to get up and running on an EMR solution in as little as 10 weeks, in a way that meets the needs of their organization, hits budget expectations and provides the core capabilities.

GE is also announcing Centricity Business “PowerStart,” which combines the foundation of a highly sophisticated, proven solution, a “best practice” starter package and a focus on low total cost of ownership to deliver a solution which enables larger, complex healthcare organizations to “flip the switch” on their revenue cycle.  Centricity Business, a leading financial and administrative solution used by the majority of academic medical centers and hospital networks in the U.S., is now available with a package that includes rapid implementation, smart workflows and the core functionality most often required by complex physician practices.  PowerStart is designed for implementation in under six months.

“As a Community Health Center providing care to poor and underserved patients in five satellite locations throughout Tennessee, it was imperative that our transition to an EMR system go smoothly,” said James Lovett, Executive Director, Mountain People’s Health Councils, Inc. “The change acceleration program GE offered helped make the implementation of a state-of-the-art software system easier, and more importantly, it helped us make a successful transition to digital medical records, which are helping us improve patient care quality and access to that care.”

GE is also breaking down some economic barriers to acquiring healthcare IT systems in order to enable physicians and practices to prepare to take advantage of HITECH incentives more quickly. Through its Stimulus SimplicityTM program, a combined offering of GE Healthcare and GE Capital, physician practices purchasing GE Healthcare’s EMR solutions and/or Centricity Business PowerStart may be eligible for zero percent payment terms* with deferred payments until 2012. Stimulus Simplicity makes these leading healthcare IT solutions available today for qualified buyers, providing immediate access to the benefits of these technologies without the up-front capital costs. In addition, for its EMR solutions, GE Healthcare offers the Stimulus Simplicity Certification Warranty**, demonstrating a commitment to the EMR.

“With so many physician practices actively looking to take advantage of this tremendous opportunity to adopt electronic medical records and practice management solutions, we understand that our customers cannot miss a beat when it comes to their commitment to deliver quality patient care while also closely managing the health of their business,” said Jim Corrigan, vice president and general manager, GE Healthcare. “We are proud to be able to offer customers the strength of GE’s world-class solutions, services and training in a way that supports their needs in a rapidly-changing environment.”

Source: GE Healthcare