Docs Adopt EHRs with Blues Help

Ali'i Health Center in Kailua Kona, Hawaii, is completing implementation of integrated practice management and electronic health records software funded in part through a program of the state's Blue Cross and Blue Shield plan.

The multi-specialty practice with 15 providers at six sites expects to go live with the software in December. The vendor is Dallas-based Aprima Medical Software, formerly known as iMedica.

The Blues plan, Hawaii Medical Service Association, in late 2006 announced a $50 million program to help physicians and hospitals implement information technology. For physicians, the program offers a 50% reimbursement of costs associated with adoption and implementation of an EHR, up to $20,000 per physician. The program expires in December.

The Aprima systems will enable the practice to bring billing back in-house, says Sue McConnell, administrative director. Physicians will access data using Tablet PCs and use the Dragon speech recognition software from Nuance Communications, Burlington, Mass.

This story has been reprinted with permission from Health Data Management.