EHR Stuff: All-in-one or Buffet-style? It’s your choice!

I’m sure you know how hard it is to find a good practice management (PM) system (when I say “good”, I mean gets you paid” AND makes your office life easier, not harder).  But now your life has just gotten complicated again.  Now you are being told that you need to have and use an EHR in your office.  Ok, even if you don’t give a hoot about participating in meaningful use.  The fact still remains that Medicare is threatening that if you are not meaningfully using an EHR by 2015 they are going to assess you a 1% penalty, with an additional percent being added each year up to 5% by 2020.  (Of course this could all change with the current state of healthcare and the influx or repeal of Obambacare.)  It is true.  There is a lot on the table with so many variables in play.  It’s more like a game of 52-card pick up than any organized card game.  (Seriously, have you ever tried to play Poker with someone who is playing Go Fish?)  Plus there are additional regional variations for Medicaid and third-party payers (Euchre anyone?). 

Do you know what day it is for your back up?

It shouldn’t be like pulling teeth to do a backup.  Nobody wants to get their teeth pulled out, it hurts!  So why is making a daily backup like pulling teeth in most offices?  As kids my mom tried to help us remember to do daily things like brushing and flossing by having us mark a calendar with cute stickers we could earn when we had done it.  We could have stickers for every day, MTWTFSS.  It just took some follow-up and a bit of time to make it a habit.  Well, now that you are all grown up I want you to consider MTWTFSS backups. I know, you are probably wondering why anyone would compare brushing and flossing to backups, but I’m going to tell you why… both should be done daily or the long term consequences are costly, bad, and you could lose it all.  Do you know what day it is? Do you know where your back up is?

Live from Meaningful Use=Office $timulu$

For the first time I had a live internet connection for the seminar yesterday, so I took the opportunity to "live tweet".  It was a lot of fun.

Normally I take notes and write down things that strike me during the seminars.  Yesterday's tweets were like live note-taking for me.  Please don't mind any spelling or grammar issues, I was in the moment with my 140 character limit.  I'm posting them here as thought provokers for you.  If you couldn't make it, they are things for you to consider and if you were there, they may help you recall things you wanted to consider or do.

I've also posted a .pdf file of the hand out we gave out yesterday.  If you move your mouse over any of the links, you should notice that they are "hot" (meaning that you can click on them and they will link to the page).  I found at least one where the link gets you to the site, but cuts of short of the exact page.  Hopefully you will find it helpful.

Documentation & Coding Training Camp for DCs & CAs

Click on the flier for more information.

  

You work together every day–DC and CA. Why don't you ever get to learn together so that you can work more efficiently together?

Now you can!

If you would like to register now, please complete and fax in this registration form. You can also download the flier (w/registration form) HERE.

Please fax your completed registration form to 586-751-9230.
(Seats are limited.  Reserve your spot today!)

Meaningful EHR Use = Office $timulu$

Click on the flier for more information.

  

WOW!

You only have until October 1st to begin ARRA stimulus reporting for 2011.  This FREE seminar will teach you how to use the new Government Certified version of WritePad.  Be eligible for up to $18,000 per provider this year, and up to $44,000 per provider over the next 5 years! 

Seats are limited.*  Reserve your spot today!  

If you would like to register now, please complete and fax in this registration form. You can also download the flier (w/registration form) HERE.

Please fax your completed registration form to 586-751-9230.


(*You will be asked to give your credit card information to hold your spot, but the seminar is free.  If you cancel within 5 days of the event, a $25 fee will be charged to your card. ) 

ICD-10 Deadline Fast Approaching- Only 28 Months Away?

By Penny Henriksen, Genius Solutions' News Editor

Ok, yes, I can hear you rolling your eyes.  You're thinking, "28 months, are you kidding?  That's 2 years and 2 vacations away...really?" Being out and about over the last year and speaking with many of you I also have actually heard "Yeah, but it's the CMS.  It's going to get bumped."  Let's reason together for a few minutes and reflect on this, shall we?

eTHOMAS/WritePad Roundtable Discussion Webinar Series

With EHRs coming into their including both the meaningful use requirements and the possibility of reporting it to receive stimulus funds we wanted to start a round table.  This series is for you, our clients, to bring questions, concerns, and comments to your software experts, coding & compliance experts, and to your peers, who are in the same position as you.

This round table series will be hosted by Genius Solutions and this first discussion will be led by Ted Arkfeld, DC.  We will be announcing additional seminars throughout the summer to make sure that you are ready.

Who is invited? 
All eTHOMAS and WritePad users are welcome.  Whether you've been using the programs together for a while, are new, or are just thinking about joining the EHR party.  These seminars are for you!  Come chat with the experts and each other- learn something new, share something you know, and work with those who can help.

The discussion begins here:
Tuesday, June 28th
12:30 - 1pm EDT

Click Here to register.

Emergencies and E-Data- A Wake Up Call

EHR’s can be a lifesaver as new convert St. John's Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Mo found out last month when it became part of Joplin’s tornado disaster.  According to an iHealthBeat article, the hospital had just converted to EHR 3 weeks prior to the tornado that wiped out and spread its paper records as far away as 75 miles.

You can Update to eTHOMAS v 9.2 Now!

As promised, eTHOMAS Version 9.2 has been released and is now available for download.  The “What’s New” Document for v 9.2 can be accessed by going to Genius on the Web under the Messaging Tab.  Once you are on Genius on the Web, click FYI at the top of the screen, and select General.  It will be listed under Genius Solutions Resources as eTHOMAS v9.2.

If you are an active, current Genius client office, the update is FREE; there is no charge for updates to the program if you are a current SoftCare subscriber.  If you aren’t up-to-date, don’t wait, update! (Unless you are beta testing any features or programs for us.  If you are beta testing something, call us before updating.)

Here is more on the "whys" and "how to-s" of good THOMAS updating.

Genius Presents WritePad Webinars, by WritePad

Click the Banner for the schedule.

  

We wanted to make sure that all of our WritePad clients and users were aware of the upcoming webinars being provided by WritePad.  If you have any additional questions regarding these webinars, please e-mail scannon@writepad.com

First Incentive Paychecks Mailing Out to Non-Hospital EPs This Week

Per an Update e-mail from the ONCHIT (the Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology), the first paychecks will be going out this week for individual eligible providers who completed their attestation for having met the meaningful use and other necessary requirements.  Per one of their Twitter messages this week:  “Incentive Programs have paid out $83,294,778.06 since January.”  Up to this point that would be mostly money that has gone out to Hospitals and possibly some Medicaid payments.

The ONCHIT’s newsletter also reiterated some of the money rules that apply to these payments, this year:

• Payment is based on 75% of Medicare allowed charges that are submitted no later than 2 months after the end of 2011 (the charges had to be this year, but you seem to have a grace period for reporting of up to 2 additional months).
• The max allowed incentive charges for this year is $24,000, which will yield a max check of $18,000 incentive payment.
• An eligible professional must meet the minimum threshold of $24000 in Medicare charges before they can be paid the incentive.  (I know they say you only have to report for 90 consecutive days this year, but it sounds like you may have to give yourself a longer than 90-day window if it will take you longer to generate the $24000 minimum Medicare charge threshold.  Bear this in mind as you decide when you want to start your attestation period this year to give yourselves enough time to generate the proper amount of charges.)
• You will receive payment to the TIN (taxpayer identification number) you selected during your registration for the incentive program.

Want to know more?  Check out the Medicare “Path to Payment” Incentive page.

eTHOMAS v 9.2+

Whoo-hooo!  We love a challenge and we love to add new accessories as much as you do, so I am pleased to give you a glimpse of the shiny, new, upcoming eTHOMAS v 9.2 release.  Now at the outset I can see your faces drooping saying “yeah, sure, new because you have to for the 5010 electronic format”.  However, we’re not just any software vendor, if we’re going to have a number change it’s because we want to give something more to our clients—YOU!  And did I mention?  We’re Genius.