With Medicare’s Recovery Audit Contractor program in full swing and the conversion from ICD-9 code sets to ICD-10 on the horizon, Hyland Software is adding some heft to its coding workflow offerings with the purchase of eWebHealth.
Announced at last month’s HIMSS10 conference and exhibition in Atlanta, the eWebHealth acquisition gives Cleveland-based Hyland a more robust, end-to-end revenue cycle management solution, said Susan deCathelineau, the company’s healthcare solutions manager. She said the deal allows Hyland to bridge the gap between health information management and the revenue cycle.
Based in Reading, Mass., eWebHealth focuses on medical record workflow solutions delivered in a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model to roughly 100 small and mid-sized hospitals and healthcare providers.
“Purchasing eWebHealth … increases our domain expertise in the areas of coding and revenue cycle workflow solutions,” said A.J. Hyland, Hyland Software’s president and CEO. “This acquisition also adds a customer base that has already embraced software-as-a-service (SaaS). It’s a delivery model that’s a key part of our business strategy, and something we offer in the form of OnBase OnLine.”
“For a lot of reasons, SaaS-delivered content management has become a solid, sensible option for more healthcare organizations than ever before,” Hyland added. “Budgets are tight, IT resources are spread thin and staffs are being forced to handle increasingly large workloads. Many providers aren’t in a position to even consider anything but SaaS products right now. This sets Hyland apart. We offer customers SaaS, on-premise and hybrid options – and the choice to switch deployment methods as needs change.”
deCathelineau said the deal is especially important as Hyland customers look for help with RAC audits and ICD-10, which “is going to be a huge change for healthcare organizations.” She said healthcare providers are looking to bridge revenue cycle and clinical content to create a more efficient billing process – and demonstrate meaningful use of healthcare IT to qualify for federal stimulus funding.
The eWebHealth acquisition caps off a busy few months for Hyland. The company has recently secured an expanded endorsement of its OnBase suite from the American Hospital Association, released a new product designed specifically for MEDITECH users, launched a RAC product and acquired Valco Data Systems, a provide of document management, imaging, workflow and health information management intregration solutions.