Wayne State University's Physician Group will adopt a centrally-hosted practice management and billing service for its network of more than 400 providers.
The medical group has signed a contract with athenahealth, Inc., a provider of Internet-based business services to physician practices. WSUPG will implement the company's athenaCollector software.
WSUPG physicians deliver care in some of the area's major medical institutions, including the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, the Kresge Eye Institute and the hospital and clinical systems associated with the Detroit Medical Center, Oakwood Healthcare System and Crittenton Hospital Medical Center.
Jonathan Bush, athenahealth's chairman and CEO, said his company's centrally-hosted platform would allow WSUPG physicians to experience a "network effect" in which shared knowledge from athenahealth's national client base could enable the group's physicians to improve their operational efficiency and outcomes.
The athenaCollector software has a proprietary knowledge base of payer reimbursement process rules, called athenaRules, which is designed to enforce medical provider office workflow requirements. The company says athenaRules acts as a proactive utility that helps prevent billing mistakes that impact operational performance.