USC Care Medical Group, Inc., an academic physicians group affiliated with the University of Southern California, has licensed a unified business software system to support an organization-wide initiative to improve internal processes as the large practice expands and enhances patient services.
The group, known as the Doctors of USC, has inked a deal with St. Paul, Minn.-based Lawson Software. Lawson will provide a technology package containing human resource management, financial management, supply chain management, and performance management software.
The contract was signed during Lawson's fourth quarter of fiscal 2008, which ended May 31, 2008.
USC Care Medical Group's 400 academic physicians offer primary and acute care at six facilities on the Health Sciences Campus of the University of Southern California and in a number of clinics and hospitals throughout Southern California. The medical group also pilots clinical research studies.
"We were impressed with [the technology's] scalability and the applications' abilities to more easily integrate with our GE/IDX practice management system," said Michael Rice, chief financial officer of USC Care Medical Group. "Lawson's strong reputation among academic medical centers was a key factor in our decision to make this long-term investment."
USC Care Medical Group will follow a two-phased approach to implementing the applications across its facilities, starting with the enterprise financial management and supply chain management software. During phase two, the group will deploy the human resource management and enterprise performance management software, which includes business intelligence.
"Healthcare providers need simplified, standardized business processes to help manage soaring labor and supply costs," said Jim Catalino, Lawson's senior vice president of healthcare.