January 31, 2022
Netsmart Media Contact:
Vince Koehler
vkoehler@ntst.com
913.272.2235
The industry’s first base criteria ONC-certified EHR enables palliative care providers to participate in quality incentive programs and alternative payment models
OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Jan. 31, 2022 — Netsmart announced today that it is the industry’s first post-acute technology vendor to achieve 100% of the certification base criteria, earning the myUnity® electronic health record (EHR) the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC-Health IT) 2015 Edition Health IT Certification. The Drummond Group LLC, an Authorized Certification Body (ACB), has tested the software for compliance with the requirements of the federal government’s program.
Hospice and palliative care providers need certified technology to meet the requirements of the evolving healthcare landscape for value-based care and establish compliance with the Medicare Access and CHIPS Reauthorization Act (MACRA), specifically Medicare Incentive Payment System (MIPS). Under the quality payment program, palliative care organizations that bill Medicare more than $30,000 a year and have more than 100 beneficiaries are required to comply with the regulations. Providers using a non-certified system for palliative services are subject to reimbursement penalties.
Netsmart is the first and only post-acute technology vendor to meet all of the base certification criteria, enabling hospice and palliative care providers to meet government compliance and succeed in value-based care programs. There have been announcements by other software vendors who have prematurely declared ONC certification, yet they only meet a portion of the required capabilities. Netsmart has achieved 100% of the base criteria and is able to equip providers to operationalize and receive payment for palliative services. The 2015 Edition qualifications for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) interoperability rules require providers to be equipped with a certified EHR platform and organizational infrastructure to participate in incentive-based payment programs. Due to the rapidly evolving healthcare environment, the ONC certification criteria has progressed, requiring more advanced technology needed for reimbursement, which is a trend that is believed will continue to impact all post-acute care providers.
As a proven innovator, Netsmart was the first technology provider to meet ONC certification for behavioral health in 2017 and was prepared for providers to leverage the platform prior to payment impacts. This track record of innovation leadership continues in the post-acute care community.
“Our investment in ONC certification is going to change the industry landscape,” said Netsmart CEO Mike Valentine. “For the first time, hospice organizations will be able to manage large-scale palliative care programs and do it while qualifying for the CMS reimbursement models. Today, post-acute providers have no choice but to run multiple EHR systems for each of their services lines, causing siloed care and ineffective patient transitions. The certified myUnity solution was fully developed by our Netsmart team without third-party components, and the ONC certification empowers our clients to provide the full continuum of care on a unified enterprise platform, driving efficiencies and improved care.”
Netsmart myUnity is the go-to platform for hospice providers because it’s designed to ease the complex demands of value-based care with intuitive workflows that drive staff satisfaction. The next-generation solution offers a robust set of functionalities that support roles throughout the organization, from front desk staff and clinicians to billing administrators and executive management.
“When we chose Netsmart as a partner, we felt confident that their team was committed not only to meeting our technology needs through the implementation of myUnity but were also dedicated to continuous innovation that would take our organization into the future,” said Ohio’s Hospice CEO Kent Anderson. “Netsmart kept their promise of moving the industry forward by achieving ONC certification, enabling us to achieve a single, seamless platform for all of our service lines.”
To receive ONC certification, myUnity was tested against applicable standards, clinical quality measures and certification criteria put forth by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. The Drummond certification verified that the software offers the functionality that enables eligible providers and hospitals to meet the technology requirements necessary to meet Meaningful Use specifications – one of the benchmarks necessary to qualify healthcare organizations to receive payments under the ongoing EHR adoption program.
Certification Information:
The Health IT Module listed is 2015 Edition compliant and has been certified by an ONC-ACB 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.
About Drummond Group LLC
Drummond Group LLC is a global software test and certification lab that serves a wide range of vertical industries. In healthcare, Drummond tests and certifies Controlled Substance Ordering Systems (CSOS), Electronic Prescription of Controlled Substances (EPCS) software and processes, and Electronic Health Records (EHRs) – designating the trusted test lab as the only third-party certifier of all three initiatives designed to move the industry toward a digital future. Drummond was founded in 1999 and is an ONC-Accredited Certification Body (ACB) and an Authorized Test Lab (ATL) and continues to build on its deep experience and expertise to deliver reliable and cost-effective services. For more information, please visit http://www.drummondgroup.com.
About Ohio’s Hospice
Ohio’s Hospice is a partnership of mission-driven, not-for-profit hospices in Ohio committed to a shared vision of strengthening and preserving community-based hospices. Members of Ohio’s Hospice share the values of serving each patient in an atmosphere of hospitality, respect and caring; attending to the social, physical and spiritual needs of each person we are privileged to serve; preserving and enhancing patient dignity; celebrating the life of each individual we serve; and reducing unnecessary suffering in the communities we serve.
Affiliates of Ohio’s Hospice include: Community Care Hospice, Ohio’s Community Mercy Hospice, Ohio’s Hospice at United Church Homes, Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare, Ohio’s Hospice Loving Care, Ohio’s Hospice of Butler & Warren Counties, Ohio’s Hospice of Central Ohio, Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton, Ohio’s Hospice of Fayette County and Ohio’s Hospice of Miami County.
About Netsmart
Netsmart, a leading provider of Software as a Service (SaaS) technology and services solutions, designs, builds and delivers electronic health records (EHRs), health information exchanges (HIEs), analytics and telehealth solutions and services that are powerful, intuitive and easy-to-use. Our platform provides accurate, up-to-date information that is easily accessible to care team members in the human services and post-acute care (which is comprised of home care and hospice and senior living) markets. We make the complex simple and personalized so our clients can concentrate on what they do best: provide services and treatment that support whole-person care.
By leveraging the powerful Netsmart network, care providers can seamlessly and securely integrate information across communities, collaborate on the most effective treatments and improve outcomes for those in their care. Our streamlined systems and personalized workflows put relevant information at the fingertips of users when and where they need it.
For more than 50 years, Netsmart has been committed to providing a common platform to integrate care. SIMPLE. PERSONAL. POWERFUL. Our more than 2,500 associates work hand-in-hand with our 680,000+ users at our clients across the U.S. to develop and deploy technology that automates and coordinates everything from clinical to financial to administrative. Learn more about how Netsmart is changing the face of healthcare today. Visit www.ntst.com, call 1-800-472-5509, follow us on our CareThreads Blog, LinkedIn and Twitter, like us on Facebook or visit us on YouTube. Netsmart is pleased to support the EveryDayMatters® Foundation, which was established for behavioral health, care at home, senior living and social services organizations to learn from each other and share their causes and stories.