MEDHOST Customers Report Dramatically More Revenue And Rapid Operational Improvements
Easy to use system solves ED throughput, communication, workflow and charge capture issues; operational and financial improvements felt hospital wide
ADDISON, Texas – March 31, 2009 – MEDHOST, provider of the leading Emergency Department Information System (EDIS), today announced that Customer feedback continues to indicate increased gross charges due to automated calculation of facility E&M levels, procedures and IV infusion charges, as well as significant reductions in turnaround and wait times soon after go live. Even as hospitals experienced substantial swells in patient volumes during 2008, many MEDHOST Customers have felt little to no effect in turnaround times because MEDHOST’s patient tracking and communication features enable clinicians to manage larger patient loads.
With more than 60 percent of inpatients coming through the ED, MEDHOST knows that breakdowns in the ED lead to operational inefficiency across the hospital and negative outcomes in regards to the hospital’s financial performance. The hardships facing many people today force them to turn to the ED as a source of primary care, pushing the already overburdened system to its limits. Hospitals must reinvent how they do business to make sure they can maximize their resources and ensure viability in unstable times. The ED is the natural starting place to make changes that will ripple throughout the healthcare system.
“With our patient volumes growing between 7 and 10 percent annually, we needed a solution which would allow our staff to be more productive, eliminate cumbersome and inefficient manual processes, but simple enough to not interfere with the delivery of care. We estimated a conservative recovery of our investment by removing dictation alone. However MEDHOST has had larger impacts beyond the ED,” said Ron Short, Vice President of Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview, Texas. “The automation of ED service levels, infusions, and procedures yielded a consistent $100 per patient increase in gross charges in our first two years post implementation. This is substantial in light of our volumes being greater than 85,000 visits annually. Using reports and the power of ToolKit, we have measured our performance in a number of key areas and changed processes with such phenomenal results as a 50 minute reduction in moving admitted patients out of the ED. Over the course of a month, this translates to over 1,100 additional hours that we can have ED patients in those beds rather than boarding for inpatient beds.”
By implementing MEDHOST, Customers have cited material changes that not only improve financial and operational efficiency, but also deliver hospital wide benefits:
· Automated ED facility coding ensures reimbursement for all care provided;
· Automated IV infusion coding removes confusing processes and reduces risk with RAC audits;
· Point of service billing generates more cash collections;
· Rapid three month go live leads to quick operational and revenue improvements;
· Real time access to information, enhanced communication and more efficient caregivers means better patient volume management.
“MEDHOST has led the industry in automated charge capture processes since we introduced the methodology in 2002, and by implementing IV infusion logic in 2006 with no upgrade to our Customers, we fully eliminated complex and time-consuming coding,” said Craig Herrod, president and CEO of MEDHOST. “The benefit of what MEDHOST does extends beyond the walls of the ED, essentially creating a halo effect of positive outcomes. Because of this success, we continue to experience strong demand for our EDIS, and it’s accelerating as hospitals increasingly understand the operational and financial potential of their EDs.”
MEDHOST currently serves more than 160 facilities, including the Baylor Healthcare System in Texas, Catholic Healthcare West in California, Catholic Health System in New York and Tenet Healthcare Corporation. MEDHOST is the preferred EDIS provider of VHA Inc., a national cooperative serving more than 2,400 not for profit healthcare organizations. MEDHOST easily integrates with leading hospital information systems, including MEDITECH, Cerner, Siemens and McKesson.
About MEDHOST, Inc.
Contact: Christina Teagarden
Jetstream Public Relations, Inc.
972.788.9456, ext. 302
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