Pamplona Acquires Health Information Management Expert Precyse

A new service to strengthen the critical link between clinical and financial operations
London?New York Jun 30, 2015 – Pamplona Capital Management (“Pamplona”) is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement to acquire Precyse, a leader in Health Information Management services, education and technology, from Altaris Capital Partners and NewSpring Capital. Precyse’s industry-leading expertise and technologies empower healthcare organizations to most effectively capture, organize, secure and analyze clinical data to improve financial performance and the quality of care delivered.
Precyse, founded in 1999, has enabled nearly 5,000 healthcare facilities and systems across the United States to improve efficiency and deliver tangible outcomes. The company delivers a robust combination of experienced, highly trained people; premier technology solutions; and industry-leading education, targeted at all clinical and financial aspects of Health Information Management. Collectively, this equips healthcare organizations to achieve enhanced, sustainable operational performance.
“We are delighted to be partnering with Pamplona Capital at this exciting time in Precyse’s evolution,” said Precyse CEO, Chris Powell. “Precyse has a wide range of services, education and technology solutions that enable us to help healthcare organizations thrive. Pamplona will help us meet our growth objectives as we continue to build on our successful solutions today and expand our offerings in the future to help healthcare organizations reach new levels of operational success.”
“Precyse has established itself as a leader in Health Information Management with the ability to fully outsource HIM departments, provide services or technology on an as-needed basis, and supply education tools to help hospitals achieve better outcomes,” said Pamplona Capital partner, Dr. Jeremy Gelber, who is leading the investment. “We and Precyse have a shared vision in expanding the business beyond the company’s traditional offerings into other areas that positively impact providers’ clinical and financial outcomes, both in Health Information Management and beyond.”
In addition to Precyse, Pamplona’s healthcare investment portfolio currently includes Spreemo, a company that is bringing cost transparency and quality metrics to the workers compensation specialty benefits management industry with an initial focus on radiology; Intralign, which helps hospital and surgeons achieve a rep-less, optimized surgical episode by combining assessment with clinical support and operational tools; Magnacare, a leading healthcare administrative services company focused on self-insured employers and workers comp plans in the New York and New Jersey regions; and Privia Health, a physician practice management and population health technology company.
Earlier this month, Pamplona sold the majority of its controlling stake in Alvogen, a high growth generic drugs company, to a consortium of investors.

M2S® and VQI® Carotid Artery Stent Registry™ Selected to Support CREST-2 Trial

Chicago, IL and West Lebanon, NH Jun 24, 2015 – M2S, Inc., a leader in providing clinical outcomes data, and the Society for Vascular Surgery’s Vascular Quality initiative® (SVS VQI) have been chosen by the principal investigators for the CREST-2 Randomized Control Trial (RCT) to collect procedural data and reports for this project. M2S, as the exclusive registry provider to the SVS VQI, will be contracting with sites for the associated CREST-2 Registry, which will monitor volumes of carotid artery stent (CAS) procedures performed by potential CREST-2 interventionists until they achieve the minimum volume and quality to join the CREST-2 RCT. The VQI CAS Registry is already providing this support to VQI members who intend to participate in CREST-2, through current or previously entered cases. Centers with interventionists who wish to participate in CREST-2 but are not yet members of VQI may join the CAS Registry. Retrospective procedure entry as far back as September 17, 2014 can be reported for this project.
After sites are approved for the RCT, they will be required to continue to enter data into the VQI CAS Registry for patients who undergo CAS but are not included in the RCT. Participation in CREST-2 Registry and RCT allows sites to be reimbursed by CMS for CAS procedures in asymptomatic patients or lower risk symptomatic patients for whom Medicare coverage is not otherwise available
About the CREST-2 Trial
The CREST-2 Trial goals are to compare medically managed patients versus Carotid Endarterectomy and to compare medically managed patients versus carotid artery stent procedure. CREST-2 will enroll a maximum of 2,480 participants at 120 medical centers across the United States and Canada. The physicians will be chosen to participate in CREST-2 based on their previous experience and are skilled at performing the procedure, based on a rigorous credentialing process which includes evaluating results from the CREST-2 Registry.
CREST-2 is sponsored by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health. CREST-2 is designed to compare three different methods of stroke prevention to find the safest and most effective treatment for patients with narrowing of their carotid arteries. The stroke prevention methods include intensive medical management alone compared to intensive medical management in combination with a procedure to reopen the carotid artery for treatment of plaque buildup. The two procedures available in this study are carotid endarterectomy and carotid artery stenting. All participants will receive intensive medical management to help control their risk factors for stroke. CREST2 is co-sponsored by the Mayo Clinic and University of Maryland.
University of Maryland Training
Potential operators must undergo the web-based training program for the CREST-2 CAS protocol prior to enrolling patients into CREST-2 Registry. The University of Maryland Team will conduct these training and can be contacted at C2R@smail.umaryland.edu. Contact the University of Maryland team for any questions regarding Medicare reimbursement. More information may be found at:
http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare‐General‐Information/MedicareApprovedFacilitie/Carotid‐Artery‐Stenting‐CAS‐Investigational‐Studies.html
About the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI)
The VQI was launched in 2011 by the Society for Vascular Surgery and M2S to improve the quality, safety, effectiveness and cost of vascular healthcare (www.svsvqi.org). It consists of web-based clinical data registries with real-time reporting capability that allows centers to anonymously compare their patients, processes of care and procedure outcomes with others. The VQI has important features that distinguish it from other national data registries, organized as a Patient Safety Organization, which allows providers to submit all outcomes without fear of reprisal. The VQI audits claims data submitted by members to insure that all procedures are submitted, to ensure 100% reporting. The VQI also includes one year follow-up to assess both early and late results. Finally, centers in VQI are organized into regional groups that meet semi-annually to discuss variation in regional processes and outcomes, in order to design and implement regional quality improvement projects. For more information about the VQI, visit www.svsvqi.org.

CIO Review Names GAFFEY Healthcare as One of the 20 Most Promising Workflow Management Solution Providers

Plano, TX and Pleasanton, CA Jun 23, 2015 – GAFFEY Healthcare, a leading provider of next-generation revenue cycle and business analytics software for the healthcare industry, today announced that CIO Review, a technology and business magazine for corporate decision makers of enterprise IT, has chosen GAFFEY Healthcare for its 20 Most Promising Workflow Management Solution Providers.
The list is featured as a Workflow Management Special of CIO Review’s June edition and is intended to help enterprises match various workflow management and automation technologies to their specific business needs. Criteria for review included demonstrated depth of knowledge and industry expertise in delivering workflow technologies. Final nominations for the list were determined by a panel of CEOs, CIOs, analysts and the CIO Review editorial board.
What qualifies GAFFEY Healthcare above others is a history of innovation that dates back close to 30 years as one of the first pioneers of applying EDI to claims management. Today, over 200 hospitals and health systems utilize GAFFEY Healthcare’s cloud-based suite of business office efficiency & productivity tools – AlphaCollector & AutoStatus – to automate tasks and leverage data to realize their highest levels of financial performance.
“We’re honored and thrilled to be included on this list by CIO Review,” stated Derek Morkel, CEO of GAFFEY Healthcare. “Being selected is a validation of the important role that automation technologies like AlphaCollector and AutoStatus will continue to play within healthcare to eliminate manual processes and, in turn, reduce costs for providers within an increasingly competitive and challenging landscape. Furthermore, it’s a testament to our team’s vision, hard work and tireless drive to provide the best possible technology to our healthcare provider clients,” he continued.

Precyse Helps Healthcare Providers Unlock Revenue and Resources at HFMA ANI 2015

Enterprise HIM technology, services, and education leader to present best practice strategies that transform patient care and financial performance.
Orlando, FL June 22, 2015 – Precyse, the industry leader in Health Information Management (HIM) performance solutions, invites HFMA ANI show attendees to visit booth #225 at the Orange County
Convention Center and see how its technology and services can help organizations unlock revenue and resources within their facilities. HFMA ANI attendees are invited to attend Precyse’s educational
sessions that help bridge the gap between financial and clinical processes.
On Monday, June 22, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. in room PCW2 at the Orange County Convention Center Terry Allison Rappuhn, CPA SC Regional Health System LLC, HFMA Patient Friendly Billing Project
Leader, George A. Semko, CHFP, Augusta Health, Revenue Cycle Administrative Director, and Sandy Wood, NCH Healthcare System, Revenue Cycle Director, and Denise Johnson, RHIA, MS, CPHQ, VP,
HIM Integrated Services, Precyse, will present “Using HIM to Improve Patient Care and Financial Performance”. During this workshop, industry experts will show the value of the health information
management (HIM) function and its impact on both patient care and financial performance.

Medstreaming and M2S Sign Licensing Agreement to Develop Fully Automated Interface for Seamless Transfer of Structured Data to Vascular Quality Initiative® Registry

Chicago, IL and West Lebanon, NH Jun 17, 2015 – Medstreaming, a leading medical informatics company specializing in workflow productivity technology and M2S Inc., a leader and innovator in technology for quality improvement in healthcare, announced the formation of a strategic licensing relationship to develop automated transfer of structured data to the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) Registry at the annual Society of Vascular Surgery (SVS) meeting June 17-20, 2015. Using the Medstreaming Clinical Data Management echo system for structured data aggregation, Medstreaming and M2S are focused on revolutionizing data capture and reporting for outcomes analysis.
The licensing agreement will allow hospitals, outpatient facilities, and vein centers who are participating in VQI Registries to significantly improve their data entry workflow and efficiency. Medstreaming’s workflow solution software will automate the capture of structured data elements on the web-based PATHWAYS form for the registry, including patient demographics and history, procedure details and follow-up.
Jeff Lord, Chief Technology Officer at M2S, says “Effective workflow integration is essential for the clinical registries on the PATHWAYS platform in order to streamline the data entry process for our clients. Our initial focus with Medstreaming will be on the integration for the Varicose Vein Registry. This will both strengthen the PATHWAYS platform and help our clients to capture the quality data they need to track outcomes.”
“Our collaborative effort with M2S and this innovative integration is designed to lower the costs associated with data capture and data aggregation in hospitals and outpatient offices”, said Wael Elseaidy, Medstreamings Co-Founder and CEO. “Through the use of specialty based workflow technology, we intend to significantly reduce the need for manual data entry while at the same time increasing the quality of the information transferred to the PATHWAYS Registry. This is something our clients have been asking us to accomplish for quite some time and we intend to deliver this additional value through our new strategic partnership with M2S,” said Elseaidy.

Quantum Health to Speak at 2015 Institute for Healthcare Consumerism (IHC) Forum and Expo

Columbus, OH Jun 16, 2015 – Quantum Health Chief Operating Officer Shannon Skaggs will present on the panel “Innovative Physicians, Telehealth, and Healthcare Executives Discuss Latest Healthcare Access Strategies” alongside Brian E. Hill, MD, Docs4PatientCare, Henry DePhillips, MD, FAAFP, Chief Medical Officer, Teladoc, Inc., and John F. Jesser, Vice President, Provider Engagement Strategy, Anthem, at the 2015 Institute for Healthcare Consumerism Forum and Expo. The conference will be held June 23-25, 2015 at The Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta. The presentation will focus on the health care consumerism movement as the primary force moving the market beyond simple insurance reform and toward true patient need, including advancements in treatment choices, access options and quality.

International Medical Group Releases Mobile App to Assess Travel Risk

Indianapolis, IN Jun 11, 2015 – International Medical Group® (IMG®), a leader in the global medical and travel insurance market for 25 years, has released its Travel Risk Assessment Tool, or TRāT, a mobile travel app designed to assess and manage the risk of international travel.
“Traveling internationally can be very exciting, but there is an unpredictability that comes with travel,” said R. Brian Barwick, IMG President and CEO. “That’s why it became a priority for IMG to create a pre-planning mobile app to improve our members’ overall travel experience. TRāT provides comprehensive information to alleviate some of that anxiety.”
The app prompts users to provide basic information including age, destination, length of visit, frequency of travel to destination, trip purpose, currency familiarity and current travel medical insurance coverage. By answering 15 short, non-intrusive questions, users will receive a personalized Travel Risk Level score and recommended steps to reduce risk.
“TRāT is a complete source of preparedness for international travel, allowing travelers to feel secure and confident with Global Peace of Mind®” Barwick said.
To calculate risk, the app uses IMG’s proprietary algorithm that incorporates the company’s 25 years of service to more than 2.5 million international travelers. Answers are weighted according to values assigned to potential risk behaviors. Based on the unique Travel Risk Level score assigned to each user, IMG will recommend tools to reduce trip risk including credible online travel document resources, international travel guides, U.S. Department of State services, travel medical insurance options, language translation services and currency conversion tools among others.
Numerous variables affect millions of international travelers each year. Globally, international inbound tourists took 800 million trips in 2013, according to data published by the World Tourism Organization in the 2015 Yearbook of Tourism Statistics.
“Weather and attire are important questions for people planning trips abroad,” said Barwick. “But there are matters more critical that many travelers don’t realize until it is too late. TRāT is the perfect international travel planning companion to help protect and enhance the health and well-being our members.”

iTravelInsured launches new travel protection plan options

Indianapolis, IN Jun 2, 2015 – iTravelInsured®, Inc., a subsidiary of International Medical Group, Inc.® (IMG®) today announced enhancements to its travel programs available to U.S. family, student, business and other travelers.
The company designed the new travel products to meet the needs of a growing and increasingly diverse travel market. According to the U.S. Travel Association, Americans accounted for more than two billion leisure and business trips in 2014.
IMG President and CEO R. Brian Barwick said the enhancements to the company’s products builds upon a 25-year commitment to providing travel protection to all types of travelers.
“We’re constantly listening to our customers to learn how we can best meet their evolving travel needs,” Barwick said. “These new options reinforce our tagline, ‘Travel Protection Without Boundaries®,’ by widening the range of protection we are able to provide.”
The new iTravelInsured plans have insurance benefits underwritten by the United States Fire Insurance Company, and they were designed to fall into three tiers based on travelers’ needs:
Travel Lite: An existing plan that includes new benefits, such as reimbursement of miles and points, and rental car damage coverage
Travel SE: A new plan for families that provides coverage for children under the age of 18 at no additional charge per insured adult
Travel LX: iTraverInsured’s highest benefit level plan with ‘Cancel and/or Interruption for Any Reason’ coverage included within the base price
Amanda Winkle, Vice President of International Sales of IMG, believes the plans will be empowering to travel agents seeking to address their customers’ concerns about travel issues, from flight cancellations to medical emergencies, that often arise.
“Our plans account for many of the challenges our customers have faced in the past several years, and we are proud to roll out these plans in time for a busy travel season,” Winkle said.