FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Community Health Network of West Virginia Selects Medsphere OpenVista®
Medsphere Introduces OpenVista Clinic™, a VistA-based Electronic Health Record for Large Ambulatory Clinics
ALISO VIEJO, California, Dec. 6, 2005 - Medsphere Systems Corporation, the leading provider of VistA-based Electronic Health Record (EHR) solutions, announced a multi-year agreement with the Community Health Network of West Virginia (Network) to implement a comprehensive electronic health information system. The Network provides technical and clinical support services to twenty member community health centers operating throughout West Virginia. The Medsphere implementation project is part of a multi-faceted Network health improvement project designed to benefit member organizations and patients.
"We selected Medsphere because of their expertise in adapting VistA-based technology and their vision for improving health outcomes using open source software," said David Campbell, CEO of the Network. The Medsphere agreement is a result of over two years of evaluation and progress toward implementing a comprehensive health improvement system within the Network.
Medsphere's core competency is to build on the proven VistA technology, to create commercially viable open source EHR solutions for hospitals, clinics and integrated delivery networks and to provide the required deployment, training and support services for successful adoption. The Network will implement Medsphere's OpenVista Clinic™ solution, which is designed exclusively for the ambulatory care market. OpenVista Clinic™ is comprised of the following software modules: Clinical Documentation, Clinical Rules Engine, Clinical Alerts and Reminders, Computerized Provider Order Entry, Intake/Output, Vitals/Measurements, Patient Education, document imaging, third-party interfaces, and a new ePrescribing module that will be developed as part of the project.
"This completes our phase one go-to-market strategy of deploying OpenVista® to acute care hospitals, long-tem care facilities, and clinic environments" says The CEO of Medsphere Systems Corporation, Kenneth W. Kizer MD, MPH.
"While this is a project involving the use of health information technology, our focus continues to be on improving the health of our patients," said Sarah Chouinard, MD, Chief Medical Advisor for the Network. Dr. Chouinard also provides direct patient care as the Medical Director of Primary Care Systems, in Clay, West Virginia. Medsphere will configure proven open source disease management systems along with its OpenVista Clinic components to support the Network's objectives for improving patient care coordination, disease management tracking, and the reporting requirements of Bureau of Primary Health Care's Disease Collaborative Initiative and CMS's DOQ-IT quality measures.
West Virginia leads the nation in the prevalence of many chronic conditions and the collaboration between Medsphere and the Network is aimed at improving health outcomes and reducing complications of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression, asthma and obesity due to physical inactivity in the rural areas of West Virginia. The Network was previously selected to collaborate with the US Department of Veteran's Affairs (VA), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and Indian Health Services (HIS) on the evaluation of VistA Office-EHR.
"Hundreds of thousands of patients receive sub-optimal care each year in the United States due to a lack of accurate medical information at the point of care. The implementation of an electronic health record in primary care settings can significantly enhance patient safety, increase clinical efficiency, and improve healthcare quality while simultaneously reducing costs," said Scott Shreeve, MD, chief medical officer and co-founder, Medsphere. "OpenVista Clinic™ is Medsphere's way of promoting open source applications for the critical mass of healthcare providers. This project is an excellent example of a public-private collaboration to facilitate the adoption of an electronic health information solution at the grass root level of care. We believe that we can collectively improve healthcare in West Virginia as a result of this project and our partnership with the Network."
About Community Health Network of West Virginia
The Network is a non-profit, health-center controlled collaborative of 20 member community health centers utilizing technology for improved clinical outcomes, efficiencies and economies of scale. The Network member health centers provide a wide range of preventive and chronic disease health care services to over 150,000 patients in rural communities of West Virginia. The Network has been an innovator in addressing these challenges through technology applications. The Network uses collaborations such as the partnership with Medsphere to help its members address the challenges of access to care for uninsured and at-risk citizens of the state. The Network project is supported by a grant from the Bureau of Primary Health Care as part of its Information and Communication Technology initiative. For more information, visit www.chnwv.org.
About Medsphere Systems Corporation
As the Open Source source for healthcare, Medsphere is revolutionizing the industry by delivering commercially supported software based on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' proven VistA electronic health record (EHR). Medsphere offers healthcare an economically sustainable and comprehensive solution in OpenVista®, a portfolio of products and professional services for hospitals, clinics, and integrated delivery networks. The company addresses the capital constraints of the healthcare industry through an innovative subscription-based pricing model. Medsphere's experienced team of healthcare technology professionals and unique suite of implementation tools deliver a fluid transition to a comprehensive healthcare information technology solution. Founded in 2002, Medsphere is backed financially by Azure Capital Partners, Thomas Weisel Venture Partners, and the Wasatch Venture Fund. For more information, visit www.medsphere.com.Contacts
|
Corporate: Rick Jung Chief Operating Officer Medsphere Systems Corporation (949) 297-8182 office rick.jung@medsphere.com |
Media: Marisa Borgasano Schwartz Communications (415) 512-0770 (office) medsphere@schwartz-pr.com |