GREENVILLE, S.C., May 17, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Using eRAD's Radiology Information System (RIS), River Ranch Radiology and affiliate Sendero Imaging and Treatment Center (RRR), a full-service imaging practice with sites across Central and South Texas, has successfully completed attestation for federal Stage 1 Meaningful Use. RRR has demonstrated "meaningful use" of eRAD's certified RIS and has thus received its first incentive payment for meeting the requirements set forth by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
River Ranch Radiology selected eRAD RIS in August of 2012 with an eye on attestation for that same year. "We wanted to be in front of the requirements for Meaningful Use, but without introducing any complications into our workflow," said Nicole Tennant, Systems Development Manager at RRR. "We had an ambitious timeframe for implementation, but at the same time we knew our choice had to work long-term to take us into Stage 2 and further requirements."
As a radiology-centric vendor, eRAD had the necessary insight on Meaningful Use for radiologists and was able to collaborate quickly with RRR to deliver the right solution.
Given RRR's goal of satisfying the 90-day attestation period by the end of 2012, eRAD launched an aggressive implementation schedule for the RIS, guided by its Meaningful Use roadmap. The eRAD implementation team uses that roadmap to present best practices, analyze shortages and assess reports—while consulting with customers like RRR to identify the measures and exclusions that make the most sense for their particular practice.
Ian Power, eRAD's Lead Developer of Meaningful Use, explains the eRAD approach: "We don't cram our customers into a one-size-fits-all mold for Meaningful Use. We have the know-how on Stage 1 (and Stage 2) measures but, even better, we know their practical application in a radiology environment. Because we have technology that can adapt to their needs, plus the services to back it up, we were able to give River Ranch Radiology a Meaningful Use strategy that paid off."
RRR can now capture and report on patient demographics and medications, clinical summaries, drug interactions, computerized imaging order entries and many other measures—all of which increase patient safety. A trigger is set for patients with high clinical priority (along with compliance checks), and RRR has the ability to securely share clinical information with their patients and other clinicians, so both can make more informed decisions.
"We made the decision to go live with eRAD RIS no later than October. We had our first incentive payment in hand by April and are very pleased with the outcome, especially considering that we can now track performance across multiple sites in real time," said Tennant. "It isn't just about meeting the federal requirements; it's about what this wealth of data means for our practice. We now have the ability to focus on growth, improve workflow efficiency and most importantly deliver better patient care."
About River Ranch Radiology
River Ranch Radiology has provided high-quality imaging services to Austin and the surrounding areas since 1983. River Ranch Radiology and affiliates provide a variety of diagnostic imaging services including the following: MRI, Open MRI, CT, Ultrasound, Dexa, Radiography, Fluoroscopy, Pain Management Procedures, Nuclear Medicine and Ambulatory Surgery Services. They provide same day appointments, pre-admission, pre-certification and insurance verification, and pre- and post-procedure courtesy calls by the nurses and technologists. Their values are centered on excellent customer service and quality patient care.
About eRAD, Inc.
eRAD offers a complete suite of workflow solutions for the imaging industry. Its Meaningful Use-ready RIS, web-based PACS, and multi-site workflow solutions are used by teleradiology businesses, specialty reading groups, multi-site reading groups, hospitals and outpatient imaging centers. With over 260 customers in the US and several other countries, eRAD's solutions are available as cloud-based hosted solutions, or as in-house enterprise solutions.
For more information, visit www.erad.com
About RadNet, Inc.
RadNet, Inc. (Nasdaq:RDNT) is a national market leader providing high-quality, cost-effective diagnostic imaging services through a network of 248 fully-owned and operated outpatient imaging centers. RadNet's core markets include California, Maryland, Delaware, Rhode Island, New Jersey and New York. Together with affiliated radiologists, and inclusive of full-time and per diem employees and technicians, RadNet has a total of approximately 6,300 employees. For more information, visit http://www.radnet.com.