June 2, 2014

NextGen Healthcare Expands Relationship with Cherokee Health Systems

Revenue Cycle Management Services Added to Streamline Business Processes, Reduce Costs and Support Growth

HORSHAM, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, LLC., a wholly owned subsidiary of Quality Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: QSII) and a leading provider of healthcare information systems and connectivity solutions, announced today that Cherokee Health Systems has selected NextGen Healthcare to provide revenue cycle management (RCM) services to re-engineer its business processes, improve financial results and drive business growth.

The addition of RCM services is an expansion of a current relationship between NextGen and Cherokee. Under this agreement, Cherokee Health Systems will deploy NextGen^® RCM Services across its 45 locations throughout Tennessee. These services will seamlessly integrate with Cherokee's current utilization of NextGen^® technology, including NextGen^® Ambulatory EHR, NextGen^® Electronic Dental Record (EDR) and NextGen^®Practice Management.

Utilizing NextGen RCM Services, Cherokee Health Systems, a nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and Community Mental Health Center, can leverage one platform across its enterprise connecting and synchronizing their clinical, administrative, and revenue solutions to enhance existing financial and operational workflows.

Cherokee Health Systems provides integrated, comprehensive, culturally competent healthcare services to more than 63,000 patients averaging more than 400,000 visits annually. Since its founding in 1959, the organization has steadily increased the number of patients served, unduplicated encounters, locations and programs delivered in its service area.

"NextGen's EHR allows us to quickly address our ever-changing internal and external documentation needs and their services help us stay up-to-date with regulatory and meaningful use requirements," said Jeff Howard, chief financial officer for Cherokee Health Systems. "As a provider of health services, our major focus is on achieving excellence in clinical care but to keep the lights on, we also need exceptional business processes. Some of our staff members have been with us for 20+ years. They know our clientele and buy into our mission, but in this complex healthcare environment, we need to do some things differently."

"NextGen's RCM solution will allow Cherokee to shift internal billing resources into other functions without eliminating jobs and the ROI calculations project enough improvement in collections to allow us to keep our staff and still come out ahead," added Howard. "Our expectations in this partnership are high, but with RCM's ability to maximize the functionality of our system and insert best practices into our billing processes, we should be well-positioned for the road ahead."

As an FQHC, Cherokee Health System addresses various social determinants of health by primary and preventive care services such as medical, dental, and behavioral health are provided to individuals of all ages, regardless of their ability to pay. This contributes to both more complex reimbursement issues and stringent reporting requirements. Seamlessly integrating NextGen RCM Services and its comprehensive compliance program with their current NextGen® solutions provides Cherokee with the necessary reporting utilities to support the variety of documentation needed to satisfy federal and state regulations and funding requirements.

"The realities of declining physician reimbursements coupled with the increased complexity of payer rules and edits have forced many healthcare organizations to take a closer look and approach revenue cycle management differently if they are to remain viable in today's evolving healthcare landscape," said Monte Sandler, executive vice president of NextGen RCM Services. "Results today are driven by the very real need to improve financial and clinical outcomes through automation, analytics and personal service. Organizations must focus on ensuring they have the right people, processes and technology in place to benefit from the redesign of healthcare reimbursement model. Our mission is to empower providers to care for their patients with less of a burden of running their practice. Clients can leave their revenue cycle worries to us -- allowing them to focus on clinical competency and patient care."

About Cherokee Health System

Cherokee Health Systems is a unique health center that integrates behavioral services into primary care (adult, family practice, pediatric) with the goal of improving health outcomes and reducing cost. Cherokee's model for integrating behavioral health and primary care is nationally recognized and serves as a model for organizations across the United States. For more information, visit www.cherokeehealth.com.

About NextGen Healthcare

NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Quality Systems, Inc., provides integrated clinical, connectivity and financial solutions, including revenue cycle management services for ambulatory, inpatient and dental provider organizations. For more information, please visit www.nextgen.com and www.qsii.com. Follow NextGen Healthcare on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nextgen, Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/NextGenHealthcare or LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/company/nextgen-healthcare-information-systems.

Certain statements in this news release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including but not limited to those statements made by Monte Sandler related to collaboration, the Company's future products and offerings, and developments and trends in the healthcare industry. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the Company's expectations and projections. Factors that could cause the anticipated results to differ from those described in the forward-looking statements include the possibility that the products of Cerner or the Company will not achieve or sustain market acceptance; the impact of incentive payments under The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on sales and the ability of the Company to meet continued certification requirements; the development by competitors of new or superior technologies; the timing, cost and success or failure of new product and service introductions, development and product upgrade releases; undetected errors or bugs in our software; changing economic, political or regulatory influences in the healthcare industry; availability of third-party products and components; competitive pressures including product offerings, pricing and promotional activities; the Company's ability or inability to attract and retain qualified personnel; possible regulation of the Company's software by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; and general economic conditions. Additional risks and uncertainties are set forth in the Company's public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including the discussion under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The Company expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements except as required by law.

NextGen Healthcare
Michelle Rovner, 215-657-7010
[email protected]

Source: NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, LLC

News Provided by Acquire Media

Close window | Back to top