Press Releases
Certify Data Systems Provides Its Innovative Interoperability Solution
to MultiCare Health System
Certify Technology Improves Care Coordination and Reduces Clinic Administrative Costs
SAN JOSE, Calif. – Jan. 27, 2010 – Certify Data Systems, Inc. announced today that MultiCare Health System has expanded its deployment of Certify’s interoperability solution for health information exchange systemwide to its four acute care hospitals and affiliated physicians. Since its initial deployment in May, the Certify solution has delivered significant financial results and improved quality and coordination of care for both MultiCare and its affiliated physicians.
Certify’s unique HealthDock™ appliance enables the electronic flow of clinical data securely between hospitals and physician practices, regardless of the electronic medical record (EMR) system being used Working in concert with Certify’s enterprise-class hospital Gateway as a completely integrated health information network, the HealthDock™ allows disparate IT systems to securely and seamlessly exchange clinical data, such as laboratory results and orders, radiology reports and orders, discharge summaries and other critical patient information. Through the HealthDock™ appliance, Certify simplifies the time-consuming, resource-intensive and difficult process of interfacing with physician EMRs.
MultiCare, a leading-edge, integrated health organization, is the largest provider of healthcare services in the Tacoma, Wash., area. MultiCare received the 2009 HIMSS Davies organizational award for its leadership in EMR implementation.
“We’re pleased that MultiCare has chosen Certify’s groundbreaking interoperability solution for its hospitals and affiliated physicians,” said Marc Willard, Certify Data Systems’ Founder and CEO. “With our background in and focus on interoperability, Certify is able to provide MultiCare with a clinical information exchange solution that specifically meets its needs for deployment, scalability and cost-effectiveness. Certify offers the right product at a time when healthcare is looking for innovative yet practical solutions to solve the challenges of interoperability, while at the same time driving down costs.”
Access to the Certify technology helps MultiCare achieve the needed functionality to meet the criteria for “meaningful use” as defined to date by the Health Information Technology Policy Committee, an advisory body established by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health) provisions of ARRA dedicate $19.2 billion to the “meaningful use” of health information technology.
“Our agreement with Certify is a key step forward in our ‘Better Connected’ strategic commitment to improve patient outcomes by coordinating care across our system,” said Florence S. Chang, Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President of Clinical Support Services at MultiCare Health System. “The Certify solution is easy to deploy and easy to manage. It’s the most effective technology for creating true interoperability among disparate IT systems, and it is already helping us connect with our physicians, in a timely and cost-effective manner, so they can deliver a higher standard of care.”
Certify’s Gateway connects with HealthDock™ appliances installed in physician clinics affiliated with MultiCare, allowing the MultiCare hospitals and physicians to exchange critical health information. The Certify solution requires no additional software to be installed in MultiCare’s hospitals or affiliated physician offices, greatly reducing implementation, maintenance and support costs. MultiCare selected the Certify solution to help meet the connectivity needs of physicians not using the Epic EMR. A large volume of clinical information was still being distributed to these physicians via paper (fax, network-printing, mail) which required physician office staff to manually scan or re-key this information into their EMRs. This led to increased labor costs, delays in interpretation and the potential for medical errors due to incorrect re-keying.
Results of the Certify deployment at MultiCare clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of the technology. The Certify solution completely eliminated paper, web-based distribution and manual processing of laboratory results and other forms of clinical data. The Certify technology improved delivery times and data accuracy of lab results between MultiCare’s regional laboratory and the physician clinics, while significantly reducing clinic processing costs.
“Before we had the Certify HealthDock™ our nurses were spending two days a week re-keying the hospital’s lab results into our EMR,” said Robert Middleton, M.D., Cardiologist at Cardiovascular Consultants in Auburn, Wash. “Now they focus that time on patient care. The amount of time this has saved our physicians, nursing staff and medical records team has been significant. The electronic merging with our EMR has been effortless and continues to allow our staff to get results to patients in a timely manner.”
About Certify Data Systems
Certify Data Systems, Inc. enables connectivity between hospitals and physicians in a manner that is uniquely easy to deploy, scale, manage and support. Certify employs sophisticated, proprietary technology that is fundamentally different from any other solution available today. Through the HealthDock™ appliance, Certify simplifies the time-consuming, resource-intensive and traditionally expensive process of interfacing with physician EMRs. Certify gives hospitals and health systems a new tool to seamlessly connect their physicians. The Certify solution delivers health information across the “last mile” of interoperability without changing the way hospitals or physicians work. Certify is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. For more information please visit the Certify website at www.certifydatasystems.com.
About MultiCare Health System
MultiCare is a leading-edge, integrated health organization made up of four hospitals, numerous primary care and urgent care clinics, multi-specialty centers, Hospice and Home Health services, and many other services. A not-for-profit organization based in Tacoma, Washington since 1882, MultiCare has grown over the years in response to community needs. Today we are the area’s largest provider of health care services, serving patients at 93 locations in Pierce, South King, Kitsap and Thurston counties.
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