VITL and Allscripts to Form Strategic Alliance to Accelerate Adoption of Electronic Health Records in Vermont
Vermont Information Technology Leaders, Inc., the non-profit organization facilitating the expanded use of health information technology in Vermont, and Allscripts (Nasdaq: MDRX), the leading U.S. health information technology provider with a major facility located in South Burlington, Vermont, toda
MONTPELIER, Vt. and CHICAGO (September 24, 2009) –
Vermont Information Technology Leaders, Inc., the non-profit organization facilitating the expanded use of health information technology in Vermont, and Allscripts (Nasdaq: MDRX), the leading U.S. health information technology provider with a major facility located in South Burlington, Vermont, today announced their intention to enter into a strategic alliance.
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VITL is the state-funded provider of health information technology infrastructure for Vermont’s Blueprint for Health, a groundbreaking initiative of the Vermont Department of Health to build a statewide chronic care information system. Formed by a broad base of providers, payers, employers, patients, and state agencies, VITL is a multi-stakeholder nonprofit corporation largely supported by the state’s Health Information Technology Fund.
The formal alliance between Allscripts and VITL was announced at the VITL Summit conference in Burlington, Vt. today following a speech by Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas. The alliance will allow the two organizations to leverage their combined expertise, capabilities, contacts, knowledge, and services to accelerate the adoption of Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems by Vermont-based physicians, with specific focus on small practices and rural physicians. It is envisioned that Allscripts products and services will be made available to Vermont health care providers at preferred pricing.
The Blueprint for Health provides Vermonters the information, tools, and support they need to successfully manage their health. Its model of a patient centered medical home, supported by community health teams, seeks to shift the focus of healthcare from the largely reactive treatment of symptoms to a more proactive approach. VITL selected Allscripts as its partner in the statewide program after reviewing several Electronic Health Record system vendors.
“Allscripts, with its strong presence in Vermont and its broad array of products, is the perfect partner for VITL,” said David Cochran, M.D., VITL’s President and CEO. “Allscripts offers physician practices a choice of three different electronic health records systems, all of which lead the market in terms of functionality. Allscripts also provides first-class locally-based technical support to its customers. We found that combination of product and support could not be beat.”
Vern Davenport, Allscripts President, Government Sector, commented, “Vermont leads the nation in developing a sustainable blueprint for healthcare IT adoption and backing it up with strong leadership from Governor Douglas, state agencies, and VITL. We are proud to have been selected by VITL to help Vermont’s physicians take advantage of the phenomenal opportunity afforded by the new federal EHR incentives to enhance the quality and lower the cost of healthcare for everyone.”
Beginning in 2011, Vermont physicians can qualify for between $44,000 and $64,000 in payments from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for adopting and demonstrating “meaningful use” of an EHR. Physicians who have not adopted certified EHR systems by 2014 will have their Medicare reimbursements reduced by up to 3 percent beginning in 2015.
Studies demonstrate that effective use of EHR systems reduces medical errors, improves clinical quality and leads to better patient outcomes by enabling real-time access to patient records, medical information and best practices, and electronic connectivity to all healthcare stakeholders, including patients.
The strategic partnership between VITL and Allscripts follows the announcement last week by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Gov. Douglas that Medicare will join Medicaid and private insurers in a new demonstration project to improve the way healthcare is delivered. The new partnership between the public and private payers will be based on the model of primary-care delivery that is currently being tested by Vermont’s Blueprint for Health.
Under the Vermont model, private insurers work in cooperation with Medicaid to set uniform standards for advanced primary-care models, also known as medical homes. The goal is to provide physicians with incentives to spend more time with their patients and offer better-coordinated, higher-quality medical care.
Allscripts will join VITL in facilitating the automation of the patient centered medical home (PCMH) and community health teams, local multidisciplinary teams created by the Blueprint initiative that provide care support across physician practices for prevention, health maintenance and chronic disease.
About VITL
Vermont Information Technology Leaders, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that operates as a public-private partnership. VITL’s mission is to collaborate with all stakeholders to expand the use of secure health information technology to improve the quality and efficiency of Vermont’s health care system.
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About Allscripts
Allscripts uses innovation technology to bring health to healthcare. More than 160,000 physicians, 800 hospitals and nearly 8,000 post-acute and homecare organizations utilize Allscripts to improve the health of their patients and their bottom line. The company’s award-winning solutions include electronic health records, electronic prescribing, revenue cycle management, practice management, document management, hospital care management, emergency department information systems and homecare automation. Allscripts is the brand name of Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions, Inc. To learn more, visit www.allscripts.com.
For more Allscripts news, follow us on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/AllscriptsMisys
This news release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Statements regarding future events, developments, the Company’s future performance, as well as management’s expectations, beliefs, intentions, plans, estimates or projections relating to the future are forward-looking statements within the meaning of these laws. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, some of which are outlined below. As a result, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are: the volume and timing of systems sales and installations; length of sales cycles and the installation process; the possibility that products will not achieve or sustain market acceptance; the timing, cost and success or failure of new product and service introductions, development and product upgrade releases; competitive pressures including product offerings, pricing and promotional activities; our ability to establish and maintain strategic relationships; undetected errors or similar problems in our software products; compliance with existing laws, regulations and industry initiatives and future changes in laws or regulations in the healthcare industry; possible regulation of the Company’s software by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; the possibility of product-related liabilities; our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; our ability to identify and complete acquisitions, manage our growth and integrate acquisitions; the ability to recognize the benefits of the merger with Misys Healthcare Systems, LLC (“MHS”); the integration of MHS with the Company and the possible disruption of current plans and operations as a result thereof; maintaining our intellectual property rights and litigation involving intellectual property rights; risks related to third-party suppliers; our ability to obtain, use or successfully integrate third-party licensed technology; breach of our security by third parties; and the risk factors detailed from time to time in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our May 31, 2009 Annual Report on Form 10-K available through the Web site maintained by the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
SOURCE Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
Steve Larose, Vice President, External Affairs of VITL, +1-802-223-4100, ext. 102, slarose@vitl.net; or Dan Michelson, Chief Marketing Officer, +1-312-506-1217, dan.michelson@allscripts.com, or Seth Frank, Vice President, Investor Relations, +1-312-506-1213, seth.frank@allscripts.com, or Todd Stein, Senior Manager/Public Relations, +1-312-506-1216, todd.stein@allscripts.com, all of Allscripts
Source: Allscripts
