Interwell Health’s integration of eight practices into its nephrology-focused Epic Electronic Health Record (EHR) system signifies a monumental step in enhancing kidney care. The Acumen Epic Connect EHR aims to foster collaboration among healthcare entities, driving value-based care and providing longitudinal insights for performance evaluation. Similarly, Mercy Health System’s strategic alignment with SoutheastHEALTH and McKenzie Health System’s utilization of eClinicalWorks showcase how innovative EHR systems streamline operations, fortify care coordination, and elevate patient care. These advancements underscore the pivotal role of technology in shaping a more efficient, collaborative, and patient-centric healthcare landscape.
Interwell Health’s commitment to advancing kidney care through the integration of eight practices into its nephrology-focused Epic Electronic Health Record (EHR) system represents a groundbreaking stride in healthcare innovation. This integration propels collaboration among hospitals, dialysis centers, and healthcare providers, fostering value-based care initiatives. Moreover, the strategic integration between Mercy Health System and SoutheastHEALTH, along with McKenzie Health System’s adoption of eClinicalWorks, showcases the transformative potential of EHR systems in optimizing operations, enhancing care delivery, and improving patient outcomes. These developments highlight the transformative power of technology in reshaping the landscape of healthcare delivery and management.
The primary goal of this Epic EHR configuration is to elevate the standard of care provided to individuals while concurrently evaluating the effectiveness of value-based initiatives across diverse patient populations. This innovative software solution not only encourages collaboration but also provides a wealth of longitudinal data spanning decades, empowering practices to benchmark their performance against industry peers.
Robert Sepucha, the CEO of Interwell Health, expressed his enthusiasm for the impact of the Acumen Epic Connect system, stating, “It is a powerful tool that helps independent nephrology practices improve patient care and succeed in new value-based care agreements. We are thrilled that many leading nephrology practices nationwide have made Acumen their EHR of choice.”
The list of new practices adopting the Acumen Epic Connect system includes renowned names such as Dallas Nephrology Associates, Kidney Care of Oregon, Knoxville Kidney Center in Tennessee, Lafayette Kidney Care in Louisiana, Metrolina Nephrology Associates in North Carolina, Nevada Kidney Disease and Hypertension Center, and Northwest Renal Clinic in Oregon.
Charles Zachem, DO, FASN, the managing partner of Kidney Care of Oregon, lauded the system, emphasizing its role as the digital gateway enabling transformative value-based care. “Acumen provides the analytics and interoperability that we need to provide high-quality population health,” said Zachem. “It has added immediately available actionable data that allows us success as we transition to value-based care while also performing in the fee-for-service world. We would not be able to bridge these two worlds without Acumen.”
In another significant development, Missouri-based SoutheastHEALTH has entered into a definitive agreement with Mercy Health System, marking its integration into the Mercy system. This strategic alignment aims to fortify healthcare delivery across southeast Missouri by deploying an Epic EHR across all Mercy Southeast facilities in fall 2024. The integration is poised to create a seamless medical record system, ensuring enhanced care coordination and patient accessibility through a comprehensive patient portal for appointments, health records, physician communication, and bill payments.
Kenneth Bateman, CEO of Mercy Southeast, expressed his commitment to a smooth transition, affirming, “It’s important to the entire region that this transition goes smoothly. We are committed to continuing to provide outstanding care to our patients and ensuring our co-workers are in the best position to make that happen.”
Furthermore, McKenzie Health System in Michigan has experienced remarkable operational efficiency through the utilization of eClinicalWorks EHR version V12 and its clinical rules engine (CRE). Serving a significant patient base across multiple clinics, the healthcare staff at McKenzie Health System faced administrative challenges due to repetitive coding tasks.
The implementation of eClinicalWorks CRE revolutionized their coding process by automating code generation from the data collected during patient visits. Angela Stratton, clinical IT quality specialist at McKenzie Health System, highlighted the profound impact, stating, “The Clinical Rules Engine automatically drops the appropriate codes based on documentation. Our staff spend less time coding and can focus their attention on direct patient care. This is an amazing tool within eClinicalWorks, and I recommend it to all eClinicalWorks users.”
The integration of additional nephrology practices into Interwell Health’s Epic Electronic Health Record (EHR) system signifies a pivotal leap toward elevating kidney care. Such advancements exemplify how technology, exemplified by EHR systems like Epic, Mercy’s strategic alignment, and eClinicalWorks implementation, fosters collaboration, streamlines operations, and enhances patient care. These initiatives underscore the remarkable potential of technology to revolutionize healthcare, creating a future where seamless data integration, enhanced collaboration, and patient-centric care redefine industry standards. Ultimately, these innovations exemplify the evolving landscape where technology continues to empower healthcare entities, transforming the delivery of superior, efficient, and personalized care.
