Electronic Health Records Vendor ChartLogic Applies for Certification

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ChartLogic, Inc., a leading provider of Electronic Health Records (EHR) to physician practices in the U.S., has announced that they have applied for government certification with newly appointed certifying body, the Drummond Group Inc. This paves the way for ChartLogic providers to receive up to $63,750 from the federal government for use of their product.

“We wanted our customers to be able to be certified as soon as possible”

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that their Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) had completed accrediting two certifying organizations. The ONC - Authorized Testing and Certification Bodies (ATCBs) were named late yesterday. CCHIT, the other ONC-ATCB, announced that they would begin taking applications on September 20, 2010, immediately after a launch of their new certification program. The Drummond Group, however, indicated today that they would immediately begin taking applications for testing.

As such, ChartLogic made the decision to apply to the Drummond Group. “We wanted our customers to be able to be certified as soon as possible,” said VP of Operations, Chris Langehaug. Langehaug continued, “By applying to Drummond, our customers will be able to receive the certified product sooner, and worry less about the impending January deadline.”

Drummond is new to the EHR certification game, but has proven itself as a government certifier for other software products. They publicly expressed their desire to become an ONC-ATCB very early, long before they could apply, and have been involved in the conversation ever since. They give CCHIT some much needed competition, which will likely breed efficiencies in the process.

Efficiency is important, as the government failed to finalize their certification criteria until this year, and didn’t finalize meaningful use until July – long after the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) required. ARRA included the HITECH Act, which gives Medicare and Medicaid physicians a reimbursement bonus for demonstrating meaningful use of certified EHR technology. Eligible professionals have been under the gun to meet meaningful use by January 2011 to receive the maximum money at the earliest possible timeframe.

Many providers have yet to purchase an EHR, stymied by the government’s delay in finalizing the requirements for certification. ChartLogic had helped this situation by delivering a certification guarantee to its users. Now they’ve begun the final stage of completing that guarantee by applying for certification, immediately as the program was launched by Drummond.

Eric Sorenson, VP of Marketing at ChartLogic, commented, “We are excited to become one of the first EHRs certified in the marketplace. Drummond Group gives us the opportunity to demonstrate our technology as certified to the marketplace, long before CCHIT could have.” Sorenson added, “We felt it important to get this process started immediately for our customers and prospective customers.”

ChartLogic had previously announced that their product met the final requirements for meaningful use and was ready for certification testing.

The certification process will likely take 4-6 weeks.

About ChartLogic, Inc.

Electronic Health Records...Better Patient Care since 1994. ChartLogic has helped thousands of practices make the transition from paper to digital medical offices. Guaranteed to meet “meaningful use” requirements, ChartLogic offers two comprehensive electronic health record suites that include electronic medical records, superior medical billing software, document management, and interactive patient education. ChartLogic helps physicians provide better patient care through better technology. For further information, visit www.chartlogic.com.