meridianEMR Top Choice for New North
Carolina Urology Practice
Sampson Urology Associates,
Clinton, North Carolina, Robert Reagan, Jr., M.D.
When
Dr. Robert Reagan, Jr. decided to open his own practice, Sampson Uology Associates, he was faced with a number of new operational
challenges. Location, equipment, and hiring of staff were all priorities, but at the top of Dr. Reagan's list was the
decision about his electronic health record (EHR) system. It would have been seemingly logical to move forward with
an EHR that he had been using at his previous practice. It was a system by a large EHR company and one that he was familiar
with using. Dr. Reagan had invested 18 months of his time creating and customizing Urology templates and content to
suit his needs for that EHR. An enticing offer was presented to Dr. Reagan to stay with that particular EHR system at
a signficantly reduced cost. The offer made perfect sense on the surface. However, from a practice management
standpoint, the EHR system was flawed, and Dr. Reagan knew it.
THE NEED FOR SOMETHING BETTER
The problem with the EHR system that Dr. Reagan had used was the generic and very limited software. "At
my previous practice, I was one of the architects of the content and templates that were being used by the in-house EHR system.
I used this system for 18 months, and I was frustrated the whole time due to the fact that it was not Urology-specific.
When the opportunity presented itself for me to open my own practice, I knew immediately that I wanted a Urology-specific
EHR system that would not only meet my expectations but exceed them.
ENTER meridianEMR
Dr Reagan embarked on an
extensive search for the right EHR and began to focus his attention on meridianEMR. After several detailed demonstrations
(four to be exact), Dr. Reagan was certain that he found the right EHR system for his new practice.
As Dr. Reagan recalls, "I examined every single Urology template in the meridianEMR system and was left speechless
at the depth of each template. I even had the hospital where I was going to be performing surgeries evaluate meridianEMR
and their EHR system to ensure that they were as superior as I had thought. My conclusion was confirmed as the EHR passed
their tests with flying colors. The hospital also determined that meridianEMR as a company is a significant player in
the EHR market. I was excited and wanted to integrate the meridianEMR system into my new practice immediately."
The training period was relatively short, due to the prior EHR experience that
Dr. Reagan had. "My Account Manager was friendly, easy to work with, and very knowledgeable. He walked me
and my newly hired staff through every step of the process and answered all of our questions. It felt like meridianEMR
was part of my staff," Dr. Reagan recalls.
Dr. Reagan
is not shy when it comes to talking about his EHR system to other physicians and even patients. "Patient
feedback is very positive. Patients were initially surprised to see me using the technology and perceived my new practice
as being modern. What is more important is they they are pleased that I have all the relevant information about them
at my fingertips. They seem to put great trust in and opinion that is based on all the information available."
"As an additional bonus, I have discovered that I can connect my tablet PC
to the internet through our network. This gives me the ability to search for clinical information with the patient in
the exam room as the need arises. I have almost unlimited access to high-quality, patient-oriented information on specific
illnesses that I can print out for patients to take home. The point-of-care functionality of meridianEMR is simply amazing,"
Dr. Reagan adds.
STRONG ROI
Physicians
carefully considering EMR will always ask about return on investment in terms of productivity and economics. For Dr.
Reagan, it was about more that that. It was about becoming a better physician. Dr. Reagan comments, "What
better investment than a system that improves your documentation and enhances the quality of your work. Plus, the automatic
coding that includes medicall decision making is fantastic. Pay for performance will only improve the return on investment
with meridianEMR."
THE BOTTOM LINE
Dr. Reagan summarizes, "There is no better Urology EHR out there. If
I had to do it all over again, I would certainly implement meridianEMR."
Choosing a system with the comprehensive, customizable Urology-specific content was the key for Dr. Reagan.
Today Sampson Urology is a thriving practice that operates in complete harmony with Dr. Reagan's vision, which he happily
acknowledges would not have been possible without meridianEMR.
