HealthPort has boosted its portfolio of healthcare information management products with the acquisition of ChartOne, a Burlington, Mass.-based provider of release-of-information technology and services.
HealthPort, based in Alpharetta, Ga., offers revenue cycle management, electronic medical record, document management, practice management, onsite conversion release-of-information and healthcare consulting services. ChartOne focuses on ROI technology and electronic health record products through its eWebHealth division, providing hospitals with both point-of-care and legal EHRs for clinical and revenue cycle management applications.
The deal, announced September 23, combines two competitors in the busy EMR and PM field. With the acquisition, HealthPort has combined revenues of more than $230 million and serves more than 8,000 healthcare facilities in the United States.
"As the adaptation of technology continues to gain momentum in the healthcare industry, this announcement strongly positions our company to better provide a full spectrum of solutions that can improve business fundamentals and enhance patient care," said Patrick J. Haynes III, HealthPort's chairman, in a press release.
In a recent interview, Carl Cottrell, ChartOne's senior director of product marketing, pointed out that many healthcare providers don't understand the difference between point-of-care EMRs and legal EMRs, and try to get by with one document when they need both. Point-of-care EMRs, he said, are necessary for clinical decision-making, while legal EMRs are longer-lasting documents necessary for all legal concerns and used in revenue cycle management.
"They really have totally different purposes," he said. "And when you try to sneak revenue cycle stuff into point-of-care stuff, it generally makes things worse."
According to HealthPort officials, the combined company, to be based in Alpharetta and headed by HealthPort President and CEO Michael Labedz, will offer a product line that includes ROI technology, electronic document and medical records management, coding services, recovery audit contractor (RAC) services, RCM, cancer registry services and interim health management and consulting.
"We are committed to leveraging these benefits for our existing customers and look forward to pursuing new opportunities as the healthcare information technology sector continues to grow and mature," said Labedz.