Kelly Services offers EHR service

Sep 15 2009

To address the growing need for the restructuring of healthcare records, Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: KELYA) (NASDAQ: KELYB) today announced its Health Informatics service offering. Health Informatics is the intersection of information science, technology and healthcare and focuses on the application of computer information systems to healthcare and public health providers.

In order to transform the way the healthcare industry manages its data, information technologists are creating a systematic approach to managing individual medical records known as electronic healthcare records (EHR). EHR will allow medical providers to access patients' medical histories and prescriptions nationwide.

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, the U.S government has committed significant funding ($20.6 billion) to medical care providers in an effort to encourage adoption of Health Informatics to assist healthcare providers and other entities in adopting and using electronic health records. Healthcare providers must have a required EHR system in place by 2011 to qualify for maximum incentive payments under the federal economic stimulus package. Penalties will be enforced for non-adoption.

As the move to Health Informatics continues, Kelly Services will supply customized healthcare and IT staffing solutions to healthcare organizations around the country to ensure that they are prepared for the arrival of health informatics.

"With the cross-functional demands of the Health Informatics transition, organizations will benefit from a workforce solutions partner, such as Kelly, with the breadth of service, specialization and local presence to meet their current and evolving needs," said Connie Gray, vice president of Kelly Healthcare, a specialized service of Kelly Services, Inc.

While the creation of EHR can be an expensive and timely process for many organizations, Health Informatics is expected to improve the overall condition of the nation's healthcare system, while also creating thousands of new employment opportunities. Individuals from various healthcare and information technology backgrounds will be able to apply their skills and experiences to a crucial industry that will impact the well-being of millions of Americans.

Kelly Services' comprehensive geographic footprint uniquely allows for a full continuum of services to be offered nationwide. Additionally, Kelly Services has extensive experience providing information technology and healthcare staffing and related services to organizations throughout the world. This combination of relevant experience and scope of locations makes Kelly Services a natural partner for organizations needing to address the health informatics workplace demands.

According to Gray, "Kelly's candidate pool includes credentialed professionals in the areas of healthcare administration, nursing and information technology. Combine this talent with our extensive experience in program development and Kelly can make our clients' transition to EHR relatively seamless. It's a great partnership."