ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--McKesson’s Horizon Lab™ laboratory information system (LIS) has received EHR modular* certification — deeming the software capable of enabling providers to meet the Stage 1 meaningful use measures required to qualify for funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Tested on March 15, 2011, and certified on March 17, 2011, under Drummond Group's Electronic Health Records Office of the National Coordinator Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ONC-ATCB) program, the EHR modular software is 2011/2012 compliant in accordance with the criteria adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
“As hospitals work to qualify for ARRA financial incentives, their meaningful use efforts must be built on a foundation of certified EHRs and their modular components, like laboratory information systems,” says John Yount, vice president, Horizon Lab solutions. “With modular certification of Horizon Lab, customers can be assured that a critical component of their EHR is certified for ARRA criteria.”
Drummond Group’s ONC-ATCB 2011/2012 certification program tests and certifies that EHRs meet the meaningful use criteria for either eligible provider or hospital technology. In turn, healthcare providers using the EHR systems of certified vendors are qualified to receive federal stimulus monies upon demonstrating meaningful use of the technology — a key component of the federal government’s push to improve clinical care delivery through the adoption and effective use of EHRs by U.S. healthcare providers.
Horizon Lab, which met the requirements for EHR modular certification, is an integrated LIS for all laboratory settings. McKesson’s LIS enhances patient safety, productivity and profitability by automating the entire laboratory process, including order entry, point-of-care specimen collection, analytic operations, information distribution, billing and business performance management.
“The need for EHRs in the U.S. healthcare system has been acknowledged for many years. Drummond Group is proud to work with leading healthcare vendors and help them offer certified technologies to health providers across the country. With more than 10 years of software testing experience carried out in several industries and with sophisticated software systems, we are confident in our ability to offer an effective and cost-efficient testing process to the healthcare industry,” says Rik Drummond, CEO of Drummond Group. “The snowball effect could mean great things for clinical care in our country. We can help IT vendors certify their EHR systems – vendors can then help providers implement the EHR solutions to achieve meaningful use and receive incentive funds – and ultimately providers can leverage the systems to improve clinical care across the nation.”
“This certification is an important milestone for McKesson and Horizon Lab customers,” added Yount. “Our focus is to provide software that not only meets the certification standards but also assists our customers in promoting improved patient outcomes.”
About McKesson
McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 14th 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. Over the course of its 178-year 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 payers; hospital and retail pharmacy automation; and services for manufacturers and payers designed to improve outcomes for patients. For more information, visit www.mckesson.com.
* This EHR Module is 2011/2012 compliant and has been certified by an ONC-ATCB in accordance with the applicable certification criteria adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. This certification does not represent an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or guarantee the receipt of incentive payments. McKesson’s Horizon Lab 13.2 was certified on March 17, 2011, Certification ID 03172011-3374-8.