Indianapolis, IN Apr 4, 2012 – New Web site launch
Akeso Care Management® (ACM®), a URAC accredited international health care management company, announced today the launch of its redesigned Web site, www.akesocare.com. It is part of a continued effort by ACM’s parent company, International Medical Group®, Inc. (IMG®), to develop a more cohesive Web presence for its family of companies, while improving the overall user experience for visitors to its sites. The site enables easier navigation and serves as a virtual access point for the breadth of services ACM offers.
“Considerable thought has gone into our Web presence and we are more than pleased with the launch of the new design,” said Carolyn Tinsley, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of ACM. “While Web pages alone will never deliver the level of personal service for which our staff has become known, this site provides our clients and prospective clients a solid platform where they can quickly and easily find important information on all of our services, including our Medical Concierge Service, Disease Management Program and International Case Management. Utilizing current technology to enhance our Web site allows us to continue providing the highest level of service.”
Unique to the industry is ACM’s Medical Concierge Service. This provides ACM clients with critical information on provider ratings, treatment outcome and cost of care prior to receiving medical treatment for non-emergency medical conditions – all in the area where they are planning treatment. Additionally, they receive verification of physician admitting privileges, verification of PPO participation, educational material concerning the procedure, assistance with scheduling appointments and more. According to Tinsley, clients ultimately choose their provider, however, with the information supplied by the Medical Concierge Service, they can make informed decisions about where to have procedures performed, which will effectively reduce their health care costs.
Additionally, Tinsley stated ACM clients are better positioned to maximize the quality of care they receive through its vast array of other services, which can all be found at the new site, including:
Utilization Management – ACM evaluates the medical necessity for hospitalizations and out-patient services, so that clients receive health care in the most appropriate and cost-effective manner.
Comprehensive Case Management – ACM’s medical personnel assist patients and providers in developing a collaborative approach to highly complex cases requiring detailed management.
Transplant Network Access – ACM provides full access to four of the largest and most cost-effective transplant networks in the U.S., and its Transplant Coordination Team provides complete assistance patients on transplant cases.
Out-of-Network Claim Negotiation – ACM uses multiple negotiation strategies to minimize the financial impact of claims that fall outside of a client’s primary network.
To find out more about ACM and its services, visit www.akesocare.com.
Category: news
U.S. HealthWorks Adds Occupational Health and Urgent Care Center to its Network of Florida Centers
Tampa, FL Mar 14, 2012 – U.S. HealthWorks, the largest independent operator of occupational health care centers in the U.S., today announced it has acquired an occupational health center from Florida Hospital. The center is located at 3012 U.S. Hwy 301 N. in Brandon.
U.S. HealthWorks operates 13 medical centers in Florida and 174 nationwide. Terms of the transaction, effective April 2, 2012, were not disclosed. The transaction only involves one Florida Hospital center and does not impact Florida Hospital’s other facilities.
The facility, under U.S. HealthWorks ownership, will offer a wide range of urgent care services as well as occupational medicine, including diagnosis and treatment for injury and illness, preventive services, pre-employment and post-offer exams and screening, and return-to-work rehabilitative care. The center will continue to be open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“U.S. HealthWorks has a great reputation in the Tampa Bay area and throughout Florida for operating excellent occupational and urgent care centers. We’re extremely pleased to be expanding our footprint in this key market and looking forward to working with our new clients,” said Greg Marotta, Senior Vice President of Operations for U.S. HealthWorks. “This location offers our existing clients and patients, plus residents in the community, another option where they can receive medical care and attention in a timely fashion.”
Following the acquisition, U.S. HealthWorks plans to combine its existing Tampa East center, located at 9325 Bay Plaza Blvd., Suite 201, with this new Brandon location.
OsoBio Appoints Marian Meyer Director of Labs
Albuquerque, NM Feb 21, 2012 – Dr. Marian Meyer has been named director of laboratories at OSO BioPharmaceuticals Manufacturing, LLC.
In her role, Meyer manages the company’s chemistry and microbiology labs, which are responsible for such quality-control services as materials testing and release, environmental monitoring and analytical methods compliance.
Meyer brings to OsoBio more than 15 years of pharmaceutical industry experience in sterile injectables manufacturing, contract steriles, biologics, and tablets and capsules manufacturing. Most recently, she served as quality control manager for raw materials, microbiological, stability and compliance for Sandoz in Broomfield, Colo.
Meyer is a member of the Small Molecules 4 expert committee for United States Pharmacopeia (USP), a non-governmental, official public standards-setting authority for prescription and over-the-counter medicines and other health-care products manufactured or sold in the United States. USP standards for quality, purity, strength and consistency are recognized and used in more than 130 countries.
Having received her doctorate in chemistry from Arizona State University, Meyer also holds a master’s degree in business administration from Loyola University.
Precyse University Education Preparing More Than 1,000 Facilities
Las Vegas, NV Feb. 20, 2012 — Precyse, a leader in health information management (HIM) services and technologies, announced that more than 1,000 facilities are now using Precyse University for comprehensive ICD-9 and ICD-10 education programs. The growing roster of clients are preparing their coders, billers, physicians, nurses, case managers, administrative staff, and other impacted populations for the transition to ICD-10. Leveraging Precyse University these providers are also able to focus on courses and educational applications equally applicable for ICD-9, supporting better clinical documentation and improved coding today.
“Precyse has put a lot of time and energy into looking at our coding process and our coding staff from a quality perspective,” said Sandy Wood, Director of Revenue Cycle, Naples Community Healthcare System. “With the training they are providing, we are confident that we will be prepared to meet the challenges that arise when ICD-10 goes into effect.”
To mitigate the anticipated workflow challenges of ICD-10, Precyse University students are educated on the foundation and guidelines of the new system, as well as the necessary medical terminology and anatomy and physiology that ICD-10 requires to assign very specific diagnosis and procedure codes for medical services. In preparation for this change, Precyse University courses are built to improve the basic skills of coders in ICD-9 areas that will also be required in ICD-10. Precyse has found that additional training needs related to anatomy, physiology, and pathopharmacology, as well as opportunities to improve the understanding of coding system logic and principles, are beneficial regardless of the coding system in use. Precyse achieves this through unique, innovative applications created to provide learners the opportunity to practice applying their knowledge in practical and interactive ways. Some of these applications include labs, simulators, computer animations, video games, as well as other valuable resources facilitating competency today in ICD-9, while preparing for the transition to ICD-10.
In June 2011, Precyse and HealthStream (NASDAQ: HSTM), a leading provider of learning and research solutions for the healthcare industry, formed a partnership to deliver Precyse University, a comprehensive ICD-10 education program for healthcare providers, through HealthStream’s learning platform, the HealthStream Learning Center®. (HIMSS Booth #1376)
“Healthstream Learning Center delivers the Precyse University program to all required learners, whatever their role and wherever in the enterprise they work, in whatever manner they best can learn,” said Mollie Condra, Associate Vice President, HealthStream. “Together, our solutions are helping people adapt to a bewildering amount of changes in healthcare systems, procedures, and workflow—providing in-depth training to medical billing and coding personnel, educating
Precyse University™ Education Preparing More than 1,000 Facilities Page 2 of 2
doctors and nurses who have limited time, and explaining to diverse healthcare populations how ICD-10 will touch their work lives.”
“We are pleased to educate Precyse University students from widely respected, forward-thinking healthcare organizations who see beyond billing accuracy and recognize the opportunity that vastly more—and more precise—data ultimately brings to healthcare,” said Chris Powell, president, Precyse. “HealthStream is the mostly widely used hospital learning platform. Hospitals are moving quickly to Precyse University because we bring together in one program our unique combination of experience in medical coding, healthcare information management, and learning delivery.”
More than 1,000 hospitals are now committed to Precyse University education. Equipped with more than 300 coders and hundreds of HIM and clinical professionals on staff, Precyse has a track record of developing tried and true educational content to keep its team of experts consistently meeting or exceeding industry accuracy and timeliness benchmarking standards. Precyse has used this same approach for building its ICD-9 and ICD-10 education content. The Precyse ICD-10 education content is available online through Precyse University or the HealthStream Learning Center®.
Precyse Open Letter on the Proposed ICD-10 Delay—Should providers move forward with planned ICD-10 implementation roadmaps?
Las Vegas, NV Feb. 20, 2012 — Precyse, a leader in health information management (HIM) technologies and services, leading up to the HIMSS 2012 Annual Conference and Exposition, released the following open letter from Chris Powell, president of Precyse, to all healthcare colleagues regarding the proposed ICD-10 delay. The open letter, answering a critical question at this hour: “Should we move forward with our planned ICD-10 implementation roadmaps?” is available below and in hardcopy at the Precyse HIMSS Booth. HIMSS attendees are encouraged to visit Precyse at Booth #8116 to continue the ICD-10 conversation.
Healthcare Colleagues,
Over the past few days, all of us received the surprising news from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius about the intent to revisit the timeline for transitioning from ICD-9 to ICD-10. As always, we monitor CMS, American Medical Association, and American Health Information Management Association positions carefully so that we properly advise and meet the needs of nearly 1,000 clients who rely on our management, staffing and technology solutions.
Many clients are contacting us for guidance, given the likely delay for certain health care entities from October 2013 to a later deadline. Their key question is: Should we move forward with our planned ICD-10 implementation roadmaps? Because Precyse not only supports, but actually operates, entire HIM and coding departments for some of these same hospitals, here are our recommendations:
1. Documentation. Increase your clinical documentation training programs for physicians and other caregivers. You should develop processes, guidance and support for improved clinical documentation, either under ICD-9 or ICD-10. Improved documentation skills—even minor changes such as more specificity in their notes—create obvious financial and non-financial rewards: fewer claims denials, reduced RAC audit exposure, improved case mix index, and improved cash flows. Most important for all of us, patient care is improved when downstream clinicians can review more complete chart notes and better data is available for analytics and comparative studies. Target high volume specialties in your organization most impacted by ICD-10 and train these specialists in proper documentation while training the coding team on accurate coding; then, move to the next specialty for training.
2. Training and Development. Take this time to invest in the training of your coders AND those who will use the data. Improve the basic skills of your coders in ICD-9 areas that will also be required in ICD-10. The transition to ICD-10 has pushed healthcare to appropriately invest in training our coders as skilled knowledge workers. In 2010, as part of our own ICD-10 preparations, Precyse assessed the coding skills of nearly 300 coders on our staff to evaluate their ICD-10 readiness. We found additional training needs related to anatomy, physiology, and pathopharmacology, as well as opportunities to improve their understanding of coding system logic and principles. So Precyse invested in and developed a comprehensive and multifaceted training program that can be delivered via virtual webinars and our online Precyse University, while developing individual training plans for every coder. This investment has paid off for Precyse clients handsomely, yielding a better case mix index for hospitals, improved coding compliance audit results, increased coder retention, and attracting new coder recruits who are eager to develop and perfect their skills. So we recommend that you perform side-by-side ICD-9 and ICD-10 coding, assess the documentation and coding gaps and target training based on these findings.
3. Build a strong foundation for process improvement. Assess the flow of your information across your organization and develop a plan to address gaps through process improvement and technology. Invest in automated systems that streamline the entire clinical documentation process. ICD-10 was never just about re-training medical coders—it was and is about having better data about patients and their treatments, affording vast opportunities for improvement in how data are captured and processed. This leads to a more complete and useful set of codes, which is crucial in a fully automated electronic medical record environment. Today, inefficient, labor-intensive workflows abound, whether involving clinical information inputs such as dictation and transcription; service approvals, coding, physician queries, and other myriad facets involved in billing for services; or abstracting and analyzing quality indicators to improve patient care. We also recognize the promise of future innovations such as automated speech recognition, Computer Assisted Coding using Natural Language Comprehension™ (NLC), and clinical decision support tools—but know that realizing their full promise tomorrow requires that we improve how current users interact with and use their systems today. Those of us in the health care information management/information technology community must use our skills to innovate for clinicians. We must develop workflow platforms and applications that allow health care providers to do their jobs more efficiently and effectively. We do not want to add more time and complexity to an already burdensome process.
At Precyse, our vision is a world in which meaningful information is available, whenever and wherever needed, and this information helps save time, money and lives. We are an innovation company that listens carefully to our clients and prospects; every day we challenge ourselves to come back to these clients with solutions that solve their business problems while improving patient care and outcomes. None of this is changed by a potential change in the ICD-10 deadline. We still pledge to our clients and future prospects that we will never stop innovating in the midst of very challenging times.
Milton Boyer Named President of OSO BioPharmaceuticals Manufacturing
Albuquerque, NM Feb 13, 2012 – Milton Boyer has been appointed president of OSO BioPharmaceuticals Manufacturing, LLC.
Boyer has been responsible for guiding business strategies and creating new growth opportunities at OsoBio since 2008, most recently as vice president of business development and sales. As part of his promotion, he joins OsoBio’s board of directors.
“Our mission at OsoBio remains focused on building an injectable drug contract manufacturing organization that distinguishes itself with world-class customer service,” said George Aitken-Davies, board member. “Milton has demonstrated continued commitment to this vision by developing strategic customer relationships and driving significantly increased visibility of OsoBio in the market. We are confident that Milton’s leadership skills will help us achieve the bold and ambitious goals we’ve set for 2012 and beyond.”
Boyer said his immediate priorities include continuing to update and expand OsoBio’s operational capabilities, toward which the company is making significant capital investments this year. He also intends to deepen OsoBio’s talent pool and drive operational efficiencies.
Boyer serves on the board of directors at the Drug, Chemical and Associated Technology Association (DCAT), the business development association whose membership is comprised of companies that manufacture, distribute or provide services to the pharmaceutical, chemical and related industries. He also is a member of the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers (ISPE) and the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS).
With more than 20 years of professional experience within fine chemical and pharmaceutical business development, Boyer has developed special expertise in active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and narcotic raw materials. He previously served as director of sales and marketing for Siegfried-USA and Chattem Chemicals Inc.
Penlon’s Oriel 4000 Patient Monitor Launched
Abingdon, UK Feb 8, 2012 — Penlon Limited is pleased to announce the introduction of the Oriel 4000 Patient Monitor, the flagship model at the head of an all-new range of high specification, new generation patient monitors, providing reliability, usability, outstanding value for money, and network capability for all clinical areas.
For theatre applications the monitor provides state-of-the-art monitoring with full gas analysis and automatic agent identification.
For critical monitoring requirements between theatre, recovery/step-down, and ICU the unique EMS portable multi-parameter transport unit allows continuous patient monitoring and seamless data transfer before and after transport to and from the OR. The EMS has a 3.5-inch display and can monitor up to six vital signs parameters.
Oriel 4000 has a touchscreen option, and also features a configurable display that allows the user to define the parameters to be viewed, and then further customisation through scalable screen elements.
Network connectivity will be provided by a new Central Monitoring Station, to offer our customers an economic solution for centralised viewing and high-capacity patient data storage, and is compatible with our patient well-being index software, Visensia.
Full service support is provided by Penlon’s well established Service Division.
Penlon's Oriel 4000 Patient Monitor Launched
Abingdon, UK Feb 8, 2012 — Penlon Limited is pleased to announce the introduction of the Oriel 4000 Patient Monitor, the flagship model at the head of an all-new range of high specification, new generation patient monitors, providing reliability, usability, outstanding value for money, and network capability for all clinical areas.
For theatre applications the monitor provides state-of-the-art monitoring with full gas analysis and automatic agent identification.
For critical monitoring requirements between theatre, recovery/step-down, and ICU the unique EMS portable multi-parameter transport unit allows continuous patient monitoring and seamless data transfer before and after transport to and from the OR. The EMS has a 3.5-inch display and can monitor up to six vital signs parameters.
Oriel 4000 has a touchscreen option, and also features a configurable display that allows the user to define the parameters to be viewed, and then further customisation through scalable screen elements.
Network connectivity will be provided by a new Central Monitoring Station, to offer our customers an economic solution for centralised viewing and high-capacity patient data storage, and is compatible with our patient well-being index software, Visensia.
Full service support is provided by Penlon’s well established Service Division.
U.S. HealthWorks Adds Pacific Walk-in Clinic in Lacey to its Network of Washington Centers
Lacey, WA Jan 23, 2012 – U.S. HealthWorks, the largest operator of occupational healthcare and urgent care centers in Washington, today announced the acquisition of the Pacific Walk-In Clinic, located at 3928 Pacific Avenue Southeast.
The Pacific Walk-In Clinic acquisition brings the number of U.S. HealthWorks operated medical centers in Washington to 18 and increases the number of centers and worksite locations to 174 nationwide. Terms of the transaction, effective January 19, 2012, were not disclosed.
The Pacific Walk-In Clinic is open seven days a week and has provided the Lacey community with a reliable urgent care center for over 10 years.
The clinic offers a wide range of urgent care services as well as occupational medicine, including diagnosis and treatment for injury and illness, preventive services, pre-employment and post-offer exams and screening, and return-to-work rehabilitative care.
“We are delighted to be a part of a strong and growing organization like U.S. HealthWorks,” said Patricia Sylwester, MD, the Center Medical Director for the Lacey clinic. “U.S. HealthWorks has a large presence in Washington and has a great reputation for providing excellent medical care. It’s exciting to join a company that offers many innovative approaches during these changing times in healthcare coverage.”
“We’re thrilled to increase our coverage in Washington and to welcome Dr. Sylwester and her team to U.S. HealthWorks,” said Dr. Andy Parker, Senior Vice President of Operations. “This new location offers our existing clients and patients another choice in where they can receive care.”
Precyse Ranks 2nd in the 2011 Best in KLAS Software and Services Report
Wayne, Pa. and Alpharetta, Ga., Jan 19, 2012 — Precyse, a leader in Health Information Management (HIM) technology and services, announces that it has once again achieved high scores for its Transcription Services in the “2011 Best in KLAS Awards: Software & Services” report. Precyse received the second highest overall performance ranking with its score less than one tenth of one percent behind the first-place vendor.
Criteria used by KLAS to survey Precyse customers include services delivered as sold, money’s worth, quality of service staff, vendor executive involvement, lives up to expectations and real problem solving.
In 2010, Precyse earned KLAS’ highest scores for money’s worth and real problem resolution and tied with the highest score for report quality in the “Transcription Services: Competition, Technology, Consolidation” report. In 2009, Precyse Transcription Services received the second highest KLAS Medical Transcription Services Organization (MTSO) ranking and honors for on- time delivery and tied with the highest ranking for budget and cost in the “Transcription Services: Steady Demand in a Volatile Market” report.
Precyse is well recognized for its large remote workforce of high-quality and experienced medical transcriptionists that consistently produce documents with 98% accuracy or above. Precyse consistently delivers 99.9% uptime, helping physicians experience reliable dictation and document receipt. At the heart of Precyse Transcription is precyseNetTM, a single platform that supports both hospital-employed medical transcriptionists and editors and transcription outsourced to Precyse.
“Quality, turnaround times and response times are all stellar with Precyse as our Transcription partner,” said Nadine Polasko, Corporate Director for HIM at Valley Health Systems in Winchester, Virginia. “Transcription is a non-issue now that I have outsourced my six HIM Departments to Precyse.”
“In the midst of an industry that is faced with ever-increasing health information management pressures and costs, we focus on combining the most advanced technologies with top-notch experts to transform the patient narrative into meaningful health information, while allowing our clients to reach their financial and clinical goals,” said Precyse president Chris Powell. “I am thrilled to see the excellent scores for Precyse in the 2011 Best in KLAS Awards report, as well as the year over year consistency of our ranking as seen in the last three years; something no other transcription vendor can claim. I am very proud of our team’s day-to-day commitment to our clients. I see their dedication to our vision and mission, I believe it makes a difference in how we deliver outcomes and I am not surprised that our clients take the time to share this positive feedback with KLAS each year.”
“Since 1998, KLAS has been committed to helping healthcare providers make decisions based on candid peer feedback,” said Adam Gale, KLAS president. “Best in KLAS rankings mark those vendors who best keep their promises in their market segments for offering a combination of superior products, strong service and high customer value. We hope these ratings continue to help providers find transparency from their vendors in making purchasing decisions.”
KLAS is an independent-research company that conducts surveys of healthcare executives and professionals, the hospital and physician client base. Data referenced herein is taken from the December 2011, 2010 and 2009 “Best in KLAS Awards: Software & Services” reports. KLAS Enterprises, LLC. All rights reserved. www.KLASresearch.com.