CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Medsphere Systems Corporation, the leading provider of affordable and interoperable healthcare information technology (IT) solutions and services, today expresses vigorous support for bipartisan legislation recently passed by the United States Senate that authorizes the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to give behavioral health facilities financial incentives for adoption of electronic health records (EHRs). The Improving Access to Behavioral Health Information Technology Act, originally introduced by senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Rob Portman (R-OH), now moves to the House for reconciliation with similar legislation.
The Improving Access bill seeks to build on the success of Meaningful Use legislation focused on acute care facilities, which has resulted in near complete adoption of EHRs by hospitals and clinics nationwide. Similar results in behavioral health would create a digital platform on which to develop a more comprehensive and integrated healthcare system that could be used to improve care and manage costs.
“Medsphere enthusiastically supports the efforts of senators Whitehouse and Portman to create a better behavioral healthcare system,” said Medsphere CEO Irv Lichtenwald. “This bill really is all about co-morbidities and chronic diseases, which are bankrupting individuals and families. An integrated approach to patient care and patient information is essential if we hope to both control rapid rises in costs and ease the crushing burden of mental illness. Financially and morally, resolving the mental illness and addiction crisis in America has become a matter of the highest urgency, and we appreciate the Senate’s efforts.”
Both the House and Senate bills have an overarching goal of reversing the ongoing fragmentation of the American mental health system; in recent years states have cut about $5 billion in mental health services and eliminated more than 4,500 public hospital beds.
Medsphere urges members of the House to engage in open and constructive debate and pass legislation that has measured, tangible impact on America’s mental healthcare crisis.
About Medsphere
Founded in 2002 and based in Carlsbad, Calif., Medsphere Systems Corporation is an organization of committed clinical and technology professionals working to make quality healthcare IT solutions accessible to organizations of virtually any size, shape or budget. Medsphere’s CareVue is an acute and inpatient behavioral health-oriented portfolio of clinical and ancillary products and services that leverages the VistA electronic health record (EHR) system developed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Indian Health Service (IHS). Medsphere’s Government Services Division also applies that VistA expertise to development and testing projects for both VA and IHS.
Using a vendor-independent approach to helping hospitals solve critical challenges, the Phoenix Health Systems division provides a host of healthcare IT services, including systems implementation, project management, remote service desk, end-user device management, application management and IT leadership. Medsphere’s ChartLogic division enables better ambulatory care via physician practice EHR, revenue cycle management (RCM) and practice management systems and services.
Whatever your healthcare IT challenge, Medsphere has a solution.