Application Developers Recognized for Outstanding Solutions
REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 6, 2000 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the finalists for the 2000 Industry Solution Awards for Healthcare. The awards recognize independent software vendors in the health-care industry that best utilize Microsoft® technology. An independent panel of judges selected the finalists based on their use of Microsoft Windows® 2000 Server, Microsoft SQL Server™
and Microsoft enterprise platform technology to provide tangible business benefits to health-care organizations. Finalists will be showcased and the winners announced at the Windows on Healthcare 2000 — the sixth annual conference and exhibition of the Microsoft Healthcare Users Group (MS-HUG) — conference to be held in Las Vegas, Oct. 2-5.
Finalists were selected in seven categories: acute care-administrative/financial systems, acute care-clinical/patient information systems, ambulatory care-administrative/financial systems, ambulatory care-clinical/patient information systems, managed care, smart devices and other.
“The finalists have demonstrated excellence in developing applications that take advantage of the interoperability and scalability of the Microsoft enterprise platform technology to deliver customer-centric solutions that enable a higher quality of care and cost savings,” said Davide Vigano, Public Sector and Healthcare director at Microsoft. “These solutions are available now and will allow customers to enjoy the greatest benefits from the new Microsoft .NET Platform. We are excited to be working with the finalists to increase productivity and efficiency in today’s healthcare environment.”
One winner in each category will be announced in a special ceremony Oct. 3 in the Microsoft booth during the Windows on Healthcare 2000 conference at the Las Vegas Hilton. Finalists will be showcased in the September issue of Health Data Management, and winners will be honored in the October issue of Modern Healthcare magazine.
ISA Categories, Finalists and the Application
Acute Care-Administrative/Financial Systems
-
MedInformatix Inc. — MedInformatix. The MedInformatix clinical patient modules and financial package allowed Midwest Heart Specialists, Downers Grove, Ill., to increase overall productivity and efficiency, reduce operating costs and improve patient care in a mobile, wireless environment.
-
Passport Health Communications Inc. — Passport OneSource. As a result of utilizing Passport OneSource, the Cooper Health System, Camden, N.J., was able to increase its accuracy rate to 97 percent, a 29 percent improvement from its previous accuracy rate. In addition, the hospital reduced its rate of rejected claims from 24 percent to 3 percent — an 88 percent decrease.
-
Unlimited Innovations Inc. — CERECONS. The Cedar-Sinai Health System, Mission Hills, Calif., has seen a 150 percent return on its investment in CERECONS. The solution serves as a tool for reconciliation of premium revenue; verifies patient eligibility, electronic claims transmission and Internet referral authorization; and serves as a patient/physician portal for convenient, cost-effective communication.
Acute Care-Clinical/Patient Information Systems
-
MedInformatix Inc. — MedInformatix. The MedInformatix clinical patient modules and financial package allowed Midwest Heart Specialists, Downers Grove, Ill., to increase overall productivity and efficiency, reduce operating costs and improve patient care in a mobile, wireless environment.
-
Picis Inc. — CareSuite. CareSuite’s infrastructure provides Picis’ customers with the precise and accurate information they need to maintain or improve standards of quality, while increasing efficiency and cost effectiveness.
-
Spacelabs Medical Inc. — Caremaster Data Repository. For St. Cloud Hospital, St. Cloud, Minn., moving to Caremaster Data Repository empowered it to double and quadruple its performance, reduce costs — by more than $120,000 in the medical records department alone — and dramatically simplify its administrative processes.
Ambulatory Care-Administrative/Financial Systems
-
MDEverywhere Inc. — EveryCharge. Austin Neurological Clinic, Austin, Texas, is utilizing MDEverywhere’s EveryCharge, a Personal Digital Assistant-based electronic charge capture tool armed with a proprietary rules engine that can be applied at the point of care. The service enables physicians to code visits with increased accuracy, resulting in fewer lost and miscoded claims, faster reimbursement and reducing physicians’ overall costs.
-
Passport Health Communications Inc. — Passport OneSource. As a result of utilizing Passport OneSource, the Cooper Health System, Camden, N.J., was able to increase its accuracy rate to 97 percent, a 29 percent improvement from its previous accuracy rate. In addition, the hospital reduced its rate of rejected claims from 24 percent to 3 percent — an 88 percent decrease.
-
Unlimited Innovations Inc. — CERECONS. The Cedar-Sinai Health System, Mission Hills, Calif., has seen a 150 percent return on its investment in CERECONS. The solution serves as a tool for reconciliation of premium revenue; verifies patient eligibility, electronic claims transmission and Internet referral authorization; and serves as a patient/physician portal for convenient, cost-effective communication.
Ambulatory Care-Clinical/Patient Information Systems
-
Confer Software Inc. — ConferWeb Disease Manager. Using ConferWeb Disease Manager, Confer implemented a customized Web-based disease management solution to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the SmartCare Congestive Heart Failure program at Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Manchester, N.H.
-
MediSolution Ltd. — MediPatient+. MediPatient+ has enabled eight of the health-care regions in Canada’s Alberta province to integrate the management and delivery of services across the medical disciplines and facilities in the province.
-
ParkStone Medical Information Systems, Inc. — ParkStone System. The ParkStone system uses wireless Pocket PC technology to deliver a formulary and medication management tool that constantly exchanges information and software updates over a wireless network. The system allows Internal Medicine Associates of South Florida, Miami, to increase physician productivity and decrease pharmacy utilization expenses, thus increasing revenue and profitability and improving quality of care and patient satisfaction.
Managed Care
-
Passport Health Communications Inc. — Passport OneSource. As a result of utilizing Passport OneSource, the Cooper Health System, Camden, N.J., was able to increase its accuracy rate to 97 percent, a 29 percent improvement from its previous accuracy rate. In addition, the hospital reduced its rate of rejected claims from 24 percent to 3 percent — an 88 percent decrease.
-
QCSI — QMACS. QMACS is a comprehensive payer solution designed to successfully administer all lines of a medical business: Indemnity, PPO, HMO, Medicare and Medicaid. For Schaller Anderson Inc., Phoenix, Ariz., it has helped reduce the manual processes for claims processing and enabled users to work faster and more efficiently.
-
RealMed Corp. — RealMed Claims Resolution Network. RealMed helped Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc., Indianapolis, Ind., and Women’s Health Partnership, Carmel, Ind., make payment of a physician visit as easy as a retail transaction. The physician’s office enters the patient’s identification number to check eligibility, co-pay and deductible information before the patient sees the doctor. At checkout after seeing the doctor, claim information is entered and sent over the Internet. The patient leaves with a printed explanation of benefits and never worries about the claim again.
Smart Devices
-
MedInformatix Inc. — MedInformatix. MedInformatix electronic medical record and financial packages allowed Midwest Heart Specialists, Downers Grove, Ill., to increase overall productivity and efficiency, reduce operating costs, and improve patient care in a mobile, wireless environment.
-
ParkStone Medical Information Systems, Inc. — ParkStone System. The ParkStone system uses wireless Pocket PC technology to deliver a formulary and medication management tool that constantly exchanges information and software updates over a wireless network. The system allows Internal Medicine Associates of South Florida, Miami, to increase physician productivity and decrease pharmacy utilization expenses, thus increasing revenue and profitability and improving quality of care and patient satisfaction.
-
The Shams Group Inc. (TSG) — WebEMR. WebEMR allows Overlake Hospital Medical, Bellevue, Wash., to access critical clinical, financial and administrative data in real time via a Web browser for improved patient care.
Other
-
MedInformatix Inc. — MedInformatix. The MedInformatix clinical patient modules and financial package allowed Midwest Heart Specialists, Downers Grove, Ill., to increase overall productivity and efficiency, reduce operating costs and improve patient care in a mobile, wireless environment.
-
QCSI — aQserv. Using aQServ’s application service provider model allows Mississippi Select Health Care, Gulfport, Miss., to outsource the running of critical business applications and information technology operations to QCSI while it focuses on core business processes.
-
Ultimate Software — UltiPro Healthcare. UltiPro Healthcare is a packaged payroll and employee management software suite that includes Web-based self-service for managers and employees. With it, Magellan Health Services, St. Louis, Mo., was able to reduce administrative costs and better manage its resource budget.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft’s corporate information pages.
