Henry Schein's MicroMD EMR 4.5 Receives CCHIT Certification
Software complies with 100 percent of certification criteria
MELVILLE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 29, 2007--Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq:HSIC), the largest distributor of healthcare products and services to office-based practitioners in the combined North American and European markets, today announced that MicroMD EMR 4.5 has been certified by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHITSM) and that the product meets CCHIT ambulatory electronic health record (EHR) criteria for 2006. Ambulatory EHRs are designed for physician offices and clinics, where most Americans receive healthcare. As a Recognized Certification Body for health information technology in the United States, CCHIT is an independent, non-profit organization that sets the benchmark for electronic health records.
As a CCHIT CertifiedSM product, MicroMD EMR 4.5, which is offered through the Company's Henry Schein Medical Systems business unit, was tested and received compliance with 100 percent of criteria gauging functionality (the ability to create and manage electronic records for all patients, as well as automating workflow in a physician's office); interoperability (a first step in the ability to receive and send electronic data to other entities such as laboratories); and security (the ability to keep patients' information safe).
The CCHIT Certified mark--a "seal of approval" for EHR products--provides the first consensus-based, consistent benchmark for ambulatory products. By looking to products with the CCHIT Certified seal, physicians and other providers can be assured they are making a reliable investment, and insurers and other payers can know that the products meet expected industry standards.
"Physicians who purchase certified products have the assurance that they have been reviewed by a panel of judges, including practicing physicians, and that they are being evaluated against standards set by professionals in the field and successfully piloted with products from large and small companies," said Mark Leavitt, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman of CCHIT. "The quality and safety of EHR products can now be measured using certification criteria that were developed specifically for that purpose."
The goals of CCHIT product certification are to reduce the risk of healthcare information technology (HIT) investment by physicians and other providers; ensure interoperability of HIT products; enhance the availability of HIT adoption incentives from purchasers and payers; and protect the privacy of personal health information.
"As the constraints on a physician's time become more acute, our customers are turning to technology-driven solutions to help increase practice efficiency and profitability so they can focus on delivering quality care to their patients," said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Henry Schein, Inc. "To help address this need, we are committed to providing our medical customers with the best possible EMR solution for their practices, and consider CCHIT certification to be an essential benchmark for performance. We are delighted that MicroMD received full compliance with this important and comprehensive set of criteria."
CCHIT's certification compliance criteria and its design for a certification inspection process have been thoroughly researched, taking into account the state of the art of EHRs and available standards, and comparing certification processes in other industries and other countries. The inspection process is based on real-life medical scenarios designed to test products rigorously against the clinical needs of providers and the quality and safety needs of healthcare consumers and payers. One script, for example, recreates a scenario of an elderly man with poorly controlled diabetes, hypertension and other chronic conditions in order to test EHR functions such as potential adverse drug reactions, disease management and treatment plans.
Henry Schein Medical Systems will demonstrate its MicroMD electronic medical record and practice management systems solutions at booth #1554 of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Annual Conference and Exhibition, which is being held February 25 to March 1 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, La.
About Henry Schein Medical Systems and Henry Schein, Inc.
More than 2,000 physician group practices rely on MicroMD practice management and electronic medical record solutions from Henry Schein Medical Systems to master the management of their business operations and clinical workflow. Proven MicroMD software, backed by unparalleled customer service and support, helps physicians advance the level of service, efficiency and profitability in their practices. For information on Henry Schein Medical Systems and MicroMD, call 1-800-624-8832 or visit www.micromd.com.
Henry Schein, a Fortune 500(R) company, is recognized for its excellent customer service and highly competitive prices. The Company's four business groups--Dental, Medical, International and Technology--serve more than 500,000 customers worldwide, including dental practices and laboratories, physician practices and veterinary clinics, as well as government and other institutions. The Company operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, which provides customers in more than 200 countries with a comprehensive selection of more than 70,000 national and Henry Schein private-brand products in stock, as well as over 100,000 additional products available to our customers as special-order items.
Henry Schein also offers a wide range of innovative value-added practice solutions for healthcare professionals, such as ArubA(R), the Company's electronic catalog and ordering system. Its leading practice-management software solutions have been installed in more than 50,000 practices, including DENTRIX(R) and Easy Dental(R) for dental practices, and AVImark(R) for veterinary clinics.
Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Henry Schein employs more than 11,000 people and has operations in 19 countries. The Company's sales reached a record $4.6 billion in 2005. For more information, visit the Henry Schein Web site at www.henryschein.com.
About CCHIT
The Certification Committee for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT), founded in 2004, is an independent, nonprofit organization. Its mission is to accelerate the adoption of robust, interoperable health information technology by creating an efficient, credible and sustainable product certification program. CCHIT accomplishes its work through contributions of hundreds of expert volunteers and constructive engagement by stakeholders throughout the health care industry. In September 2005, CCHIT was awarded a contract by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to develop, create prototypes for, and evaluate the certification criteria and inspection process for EHRs and the networks through which they interoperate. In October 2006, CCHIT was deemed a Recognized Certification Body by the Department of Health and Human Services. More information on CCHIT and CCHIT Certified products is available at www.cchit.org.
"CCHITSM" and "CCHIT CertifiedSM" are service marks of the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology.
CONTACT: Henry Schein, Inc.
Susan Vassallo, 631-843-5562
Director, Corporate Communications
susan.vassallo@henryschein.com
SOURCE: Henry Schein, Inc.