Summa Physicians, a multi-specialty physician organization and part of the Summa Health System in Ohio, will roll out electronic medical record systems to its 223 physicians serving 33 specialties.
Summa will deploy Westborogh, Mass.-based eClinicalWorks' electronic medical records solution.
"Implementing eClinicalWorks meets a significant piece of our strategic plan of improved communication to better manage large groups of patients," said Cliff Deveny, MD, president of Akron, Ohio-based Summa Physicians. "We selected eClinicalWorks because of Summa Health System's previous relationship with the system."
Deveny said the group is focused on functionality that leads to better documentation and care management.
The eClinicalWorks EMR will make it possible for Summa to streamline processes throughout the practice and promote patient safety while reducing costs, Deveny said. In addition, the technology will place Summa in good position to take advantage of healthcare IT incentives contained in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. Under ARRA, providers will be reimbursed for demonstrating 'meaningful use' of an EMR system.
In a recent brief on stimulus activity in healthcare, Piper Jaffrey analyst Sean Wieland noted the pace of activity is picking up, particularly in hospital IT deals. Recent deals have highlighted big hospitals, he said, while physician group practices are waiting for the criteria to be made official.
Wieland expects physicians will take advantage of the stimulus incentives as soon as the criteria are finalized.
