McKesson's Physician Alliance Program Drives EHR Adoption

The program leverages a cross-country network of certified McKesson value-added resellers (VARs). The VAR partners contract with McKesson to sell, implement and support McKesson’s EHR and practice management systems for small, independent practices. By pairing its premium VARs with its strategic hospital customers, McKesson provides an experienced resource focused on the needs of the physician practice – one that hospitals can trust as a partner in executing on a community EHR strategy. Participants in the program also are able to use the power of the RelayHealth network to create virtual information exchanges and provide interactive clinical and financial services between physicians with other providers, pharmacies and their patients. The latest hospitals and health systems to sign contracts for the Physician Alliance Program include:

• Fairfield Medical Center, located in Lancaster, Ohio
• Carroll Hospital Center, located in Westminster, Md.
• Eisenhower Medical Center, located in Rancho Mirage, Calif.

To accelerate the adoption of EHRs by physicians and hospitals, the U.S. government plans to invest more than $19 billion in healthcare IT incentives as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act . While many details are yet to be defined, the healthcare IT incentives for physicians will likely include electronic prescribing, clinical reporting, interoperability and the requirement for certification. Industry experts believe there is a likelihood new certification requirements will be based on the standards that have been adopted by CCHIT (Certification Commission for Health Information Technology). Practice Partner Version 9.3 is a CCHIT Certified ^® product for CCHIT Ambulatory EHR 2008 and Child Health.

“With the recent legislation, now is the time for physicians to begin their deployment of an electronic health record,” said David Henriksen, senior vice president and general manager for McKesson’s Physician Practice Solutions. “Hospitals and health systems across the country, with the support of our local expertise and resources, are leading the effort to drive EHR adoption in their communities. Their goal is to improve the quality and efficiency of their healthcare systems and every aspect of the patient experience.”

 Building a Connected Community 

Fairfield Medical Center has 430 affiliated physicians and will use Complete Healthcare Solutions as its VAR partner. In a competitive market, Fairfield believes that McKesson’s Physician Alliance Program will equip it to quickly respond to physician demands for an EHR.

Carroll Hospital Center has 435 affiliated and 40 employed physicians and is committed to improving connectivity. Carroll has called upon Microwize as its VAR partner and has implemented McKesson’s program to deliver a higher level of service to its community and attract more physicians to the area.

Eisenhower Medical Center has more than 425 affiliated physicians and will be working with AZCOMP as its VAR partner. The McKesson Physician Alliance Program will be deployed in the physician practices and integrated with the hospital. Eisenhower also will be enhancing its outreach to physician practices and the community through RelayHealth connectivity.

 About McKesson 

McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 18th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining processes, and improving the quality and safety of patient care. McKesson is the longest-operating company in healthcare today, marking its 175 ^th anniversary last year. Over the course of its history, McKesson has grown by providing pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management across the spectrum of care; healthcare information technology for hospitals, physicians, homecare and payors; hospital and retail pharmacy automation; and services for manufacturers and payors designed to improve outcomes for patients. For more information, visit http://www.mckesson.com .

 About RelayHealth 

RelayHealth, McKesson’s connectivity business, operates as a neutral partner in an open network environment, offering connectivity services and integration among all organizations, systems, and solutions. Its intelligent network is designed to streamline clinical, financial and administrative communication between patients, providers, payors, pharmacies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and financial institutions. RelayHealth works to accelerate the delivery of high-quality care and improve financial performance through solutions such as online consultation of physicians by patients, electronic prescribing, point-of-service pharmacy claims resolution by payors, pre-visit patient financial clearance by providers, and post-visit provider bill settlement by payors and patients. RelayHealth securely processes more than 12 billion financial and clinical transactions annually. For more information, call (800) 778-6711, or visit our Web site at www.RelayHealth.com .