iMedicor To Create USA MCO Health Info Exchange

iMedicor has signed a deal to create a health information exchange for managed care organization USA MCO's nationwide network of 350,000 physicians.

The HIE will support secure messaging for more simple electronic communication -- such as email -- between USA MCO healthcare providers, as well more robust interoperability supporting the transport and exchange of standardized data such as continuity of care records and documents, medical images and other information, said Tom Dorsett, iMedicor VP of business development.

USA MCO, based in Austin, Texas, is one of the nation's largest preferred provider organizations. The company will also use the new National Healthcare Communications Network to correspond electronically with its network of 350,000 physicians, said Dorsett in an interview with InformationWeek.

Currently, much of the communication between USA MCO and its doctor network is via faxes, he said.

The new National Healthcare Communications Network, or NHCN, will be "easy, accessible and affordable" for USA MCO doctors to use, and will be "like a social network coupled with a health information exchange," said Dorsett.

Doctors can go onto NHCN's portal, register, authenticate, and "create a profile and a private network" within the exchange, allowing the physicians to invite other doctors, staff and patients to securely exchange information."

The new HIPAA-compliant exchange will also help USA MCO doctors meet data exchange requirements of the HITECH Act's meaningful use criteria, said Dorsett.

While the exchange can be used for secure communication between doctors who don't yet have e-health record systems running in their practices, iMedicor is also planning in the near future to make available to USA MCO physicians "other applications" that address meaningful use requirements, said Dorsett.

Among those applications will be an electronic health record for doctor practices, said Dorsett. iMedicor is in the process of evaluating various third-party EHR platforms but hasn't yet decided which package to offer to USA MCO doctors, he said.

The NHCN will also comply with the federal government's evolving National Health Information Network Direct protocols and utilize the NHIN Connect interoperability tools, Dorsett said.

Unlimited use of the NHCN will be $19.95 per month per physician. Additional healthcare providers and doctor practice staff members connected to the originating physician's subscription will be charged a discounted rate relative to the originating physician's subscription, said iMedicor.

The federal government recently released requirements that doctors and hospitals must meet to qualify as meaningful users of electronic health records and be eligible for incentive funds. We take a look at the core requirements, the government's intentions, potential pitfalls, and reaction from the medical community.Download the report here (registration required).

http://www.informationweek.com/news/healthcare/interoperability/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=226600373&queryText=imedicor

iMedicor to Provide Physicians' Alliance of America With HIPAA-Compliant Communications System

http://www.healthcareitnews.com/press-release/imedicor-provide-physicians-alliance-america-hipaa-compliant-communications-system

NANUET, NY – iMedicor (OTCBB: VMCI), a leading provider of HIPAA-compliant communication systems for the healthcare community, today announced that Physicians' Alliance of America, a non-profit professional organization for physicians and their practices, has selected iMedicor's secure messaging system as the recommended communications system to their members.

The 20,000 plus members of the Physicians' Alliance of America (PAA) network will receive a special non-profit rate of $14.95 per month, a $5.00 discount to the regular subscription rate of $19.95 per month. The iMedicor subscription-based service is scheduled to go into effect August 1, 2010.

This deployment will provide one of the key components addressing the "Meaningful Use" requirements developed by the Federal government under the Department of Health and Human Services, specifically in the area of interoperability. The system will provide participants with affordable, secure health information technology solutions with a HIPAA-compliant communications network and the benefits of a social community portal. In addition, doctors participating in the PAA Communications Program will have access to the latest educational and product resources through iMedicor's ClearLobby service.

"This agreement is a significant milestone for iMedicor," said CEO Fred Zolla. "The 20,000 members of the Physicians' Alliance network represent the early adopters of a monthly subscription model in which iMedicor will deliver a wide range of features and services to the healthcare community. The PAA Network is the first of several physician and dental organizations expected to enter into similar agreements with iMedicor this year."

The iMedicor subscription-based model will enhance healthcare delivery by providing a number of critical services, including:

• A HIPAA-compliant secure messaging service that allows physicians and their staff to attach files, medical records and images and transport patient-specific information in a secure environment.
• A social community in which physicians can invite peers into their community, expand collaboration and referral networks and the invited physicians can create their own community.
• Access within the iMedicor portal to one of the most extensive libraries of Continuing Medical Education programs available, by specialty, offering credit hours, skill development and product specific information.

"PAA recognizes the opportunity to work with iMedicor as a big step toward upgrading and providing a secure, HIPAA compliant interoperable communication system for the entire healthcare community," said Robert Chalmers, Executive Director of the PAA network, "We see the iMedicor service as a key component of any national healthcare communications initiative, and we are excited by the potential this alliance represents in benefiting our members."