Vocollect Healthcare's alliance with American HealthTech to deliver unified EMR

Oct 6 2009

Vocollect Healthcare Systems, Inc. and American HealthTech, Inc. announce the sharing of information to contribute towards a more timely and unified Electronic Medical Record (EMR) for American HealthTech clients. This alliance interfaces the market's top performing interactive point-of-care delivery system into American HealthTech's market-leading clinical software and EMR offering.

The systems will share resident information about admissions, discharges, and transfers as well as minimum data set (MDS), including MDS 3.0 as it develops. Community Eldercare Services is using both systems. "The ability to leverage our investments together going forward will enable us to take the resident care experience to the next level," said Reita Hall, vice president clinical services, Community Eldercare Services. "As the systems share more and more clinical care information, duplicate tasks are eliminated and our staff becomes more efficient. Our vision for unified EMR moves beyond ideas and into executable deliverables."

According to Bill Caldwell, chief executive officer of American HealthTech, EMRs are top-of-mind for executives in long-term care as the national debate over healthcare reform accelerates the need for quality, efficiency, and cost containment. "Through the alliance with AccuNurse, our clients can now interface our integrated clinical and financial solutions with a true hands-free point-of-care technology. Everybody wins. Caregiver documentation is embedded directly into their workflow, the resident experience is far more personalized, and with the added power of our LTC software, the provider organization is fully compensated for the care they actually deliver." Troy Baumann, chief operating officer, Community Eldercare Services adds: "I'm getting a lot of mileage out of voice-assisted care now, which positions me not only to survive the bite of $30+ per Medicare resident per day healthcare reform may take out of our reimbursements--but also to fund emerging needs for EMR."

According to James Quasey, president of Vocollect Healthcare Systems, the alliance is all about leverage. "Margin pressure in long-term care is enormous, making it difficult for clients to envision how they will survive the financial impact of healthcare reform and deliver on the promise of EMR in a cost-efficient manner. Through the alliance, clients can now extend their investment in American HealthTech, take advantage of immediate quality and financial gains they'll see with AccuNurse voice-assisted care, achieve goals for interoperability, and rest assured that emerging EMR needs will be met."

With voice-assisted care, clients see no delay between care delivery and charting. "I go home at night knowing my medical records are accurate, my staff is delivering more proactive care, and our communities are quieter--more home like. There's no question that we're delivering higher quality care with AccuNurse. And now that AccuNurse will interact with American HealthTech, the efficiency gains are a win for our staff, residents, and the families we serve," said Susan LupPlace, director of clinical services, Preferred Care Partners Management Group. "Because it's all about freeing up more time for direct resident care."