NextGen
Healthcare Information Systems, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Quality
Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:QSII) and a leading provider of healthcare
information systems and connectivity solutions, today announced a new
agreement with Norton Sound Health Corporation (NSHC) to deploy NextGen®
Ambulatory EHR, NextGen®
Practice Management, NextGen®
Inpatient Solutions, and other NextGen®
solutions throughout the organization. This agreement further
strengthens NextGen Healthcare's position as one of the leading
providers of information technology (IT) solutions for tribal health
services nationwide.
Headquartered in Nome, Alaska, NSHC serves the Bering Strait region in
the northwestern part of the state. The network has a health center in
each of the 15 remote villages throughout the region, and implementation
of NextGen Healthcare technologies will further ensure consistent care
across the region.
Currently, providers at the village health centers rely on the Alaska
Community Health Aid Practitioner Manual (CHAM) to aid in diagnoses,
which is not integrated with any electronic health records (EHR) system.
The implementation of NextGen Ambulatory EHR allows NSHC to use
customized templates for the top 20 diagnoses and procedures outlined in
the CHAM.
Additionally, NSHC is slated to expand its patient services by opening a
18-bed hospital in November that will provide the region with increased
out-patient services in dental, audiology, behavioral health and
ophthalmology care. When the facility opens, it will use NextGen
Healthcare's inpatient product line, including NextGen® Inpatient
Clinicals and NextGen® Inpatient Financials, to create a seamless care
continuum across the enterprise. This solution, combined with the
technology NSHC is currently implementing, lays the groundwork for
physicians to easily communicate and work with the new facility to
improve patient care.
"Our organization sought a high level of customization and flexibility
in an EHR and practice management system, and we had a short timeframe
to find and implement a system - especially as we prepare to open the
new hospital later this year," said Dave Hodges, chief information
officer at NSHC. "NextGen Healthcare understood and met our challenge by
working closely with us to address our specific needs and deadlines. We
are confident that implementing NextGen's leading solutions will not
only help us attest for Meaningful Use, but also improve the
connectivity and communications between physicians, patients and our
entire health system."
NextGen Practice Management will further aid in increasing productivity
by eliminating the current paper-based record keeping systems. Providers
will use mobile devices to remotely access patient records, which will
improve connectivity and real-time response rates, especially in
emergency situations.
"Our health system covers a very large area with many remote villages
that are hard to reach, so having accessible technology that makes it
easier for doctors to respond quickly to patients is imperative," said
Deven Parlikar, president and CEO of NSHC. "Our patients have always
been our top priority, so being able to provide the latest technology
will help us to provide the highest level of care."
"NSHC has had the distinct, ongoing challenge of serving patients
throughout northern Alaska, which requires solutions that will help
optimize the delivery of patient care and better communicate across the
organization," said Scott
Decker, president of NextGen Healthcare. "We remain committed to
serving tribal and urban groups throughout the nation, and providing
tools to customize our broad technology platform to fit each
organization's specific needs so they can successfully serve their
respective communities. This flexibility within our solutions portfolio
is among the key advantages of the diverse NextGen platform."