EMR LUNCH & LEARN EVENT

Austin, Texas - July 16, 2009
More than 90 local healthcare professionals attended GCS' Technology Luncheon today at Sullivan's Steakhouse. They listened intently as Jill Lewis, CEO of Urology Austin, related her experience in evaluating, selecting and implementing an EMR solution. She encouraged the audience to consider a variety of options, saying "we've never had problems using Practice Management and EMR systems from different vendors. Integration has been very reliable." Jill responded to more than a dozen questions such as "Why did you choose an onsite solution over a hosted system?" and "What was the ROI of your investment?" She informed the audience that the onsite versus hosted option did not affect her decision. She also stated that Urology Austin saved more than $5,000 per month on transcription fees.


Following Jill was John Lynn, Editor of the EMRandHIPAA.com website. John dissected the American Recovery and Reimbursement Act. He described in detail how private clinics would be reimbursed for EMR expenses. He discussed the mutually exclusive reimbursements between Medicare and Medicaid ($44k versus $65k). The most important advice he had was simple, "Don't buy EMR for the reimbursements. Buy EMR for the improvements it will make to your practice." Mr. Lynn emphasized the changes required at a practice that employs an EMR system. "It will be the heart of your business." Finally John recommended postponing any EMR decision right now, while making time to evaluate possible solutions. The final details on the ARRA / HITECH reimbursements are due by year's end.


To wrap up the event Joe Gleinser, President of GCS, had unique insights for the audience. He explained that one of the most common reasons for EMR implementation failure is poor network configuration. EMR vendors have a difficult time recommending network upgrades when it may derail their sale. To help eliminate this factor GCS is offering a free EMR Readiness Assessment. This assessment will help local practices prepare for any EMR solution by ensuring their network meets modern, professional standards. GCS can also provide competitive pricing for hosting, equipment and installation.

The attendees raved about the event. A local practice administrator said "Ms. Lewis really knew her stuff about EMR." Another physician said "The seminar was very helpful to me, as I'm sure it was to all in attendance." All attendees were treated to an excellent lunch from Sullivan's.

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GCS recently won the award for Microsoft’s fastest growing VAR in the Central SW region. We have Microsoft, AVAYA IP Office, Novell, Linux, Brocade, and Altigen certifications. We can work in most SMBS environments. We have several in-house technicians using BOMGAR to facilitate immediate remote support. 80% of our work is done remotely, but of course we have field support as well. For more information, call us at 512.681.6489 or visit our web site at www.gcsaustin.com.