American HealthTech Hosts LTC Trends Webinar With McKnights Long-Term Care News

JACKSON, Miss., Aug. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- American HealthTech (www.healthtech.net), a Jackson, Mississippi-based leader in LTPAC EHR software, announces it has hosted a webinar in conjunction with leading publication, McKnight's Long-Term Care News, to help LTC operators learn how to successfully navigate core changes taking place in the long-term care industry. Operators are tackling a myriad of changes as a result of the Affordable Care Act, including increased regulation, changes in reimbursement models and greater independency across points of care.

Devin Simmons, Vice President of Market Development for American HealthTech joined Carla Ellzey, RN, Chief Nursing Officer for Louisiana-based LTC operator Management Seven LLC, in a wide-ranging discussion hosted by John O'Connor, editorial director of McKnight's Long-Term Care News. Three key areas addressed by Simmons and Ellzey included:

• How electronic health records can deliver what ACOs and MCOs demand. EHR has become a critical component of creating interoperability with acute-care partners, together with strong ROI through optimized billing, reimbursement, staff efficiency, and improved patient care quality.
• Why clinical outcomes are the new gold standard. Hospitals and MCOs are examining your metrics more closely than ever, including rehospitalization rates, ALOS and CMS five-star quality ratings. Your data must now drive a process of continuous improvement in clinical performance.
• Specific strategies to improve care – and the bottom line. Traditional fee-for-service models are going away in favor of bundled payment models and capitation arrangements. This means that the focus must shift from price to volume, with integrated technology linking clinical, enterprise, resident and financial accounting.

Ellzey provided powerful real-world examples of how automation has led to dramatic changes in outcomes across a 14-facility LTC chain. "Using EHR, smart charting and outcomes reporting, deficiencies across our facilities on surveys have dropped from 10-12 to two, and we've even had some deficiency-free surveys," she said. "Case mix and Medicare audit results have been excellent, and hospital readmission rates have decreased across the board."

According to Teresa Chase, President of American HealthTech, "Technology such as EHR, outcomes reporting and resident and financial accounting has become critical to linking you and your acute-care partners, as well as developing a data story that drives collaborative care at lower costs. We were proud to host the webinar with McKnight's to help lay out a solid game plan for how LTC facilities can succeed in 2014 and beyond."

Response to this webinar has been extremely strong within the industry, with nearly 850 registered attendees and close to 1,000 subsequent downloads. To view this webinar at no charge, visit www.healthtech.net.

About American HealthTech
Based in Jackson, MS American HealthTech is among the nation's largest providers of financial and clinical solutions in post-acute care, connecting skilled providers to the healthcare continuum. American HealthTech serves a fifth of the nation's providers across the U.S. More information is available at www.healthtech.net.

SOURCE American HealthTech