Busy Florida Pediatrics Practice Thrives with Automation from Advanced Data Systems

Comprehensive Childcare Associates (CCA) is a thriving Sarasota County (FL) group serving patients ranging from newborns to young adults. CCA always had a steady eye on having automated systems play a key strategic role in the operation of the practice, ultimately to the benefit of its patients.

Because automation is key to them, CCA launched its relationship with ADS in 2005 by implementing the MedicsPremier billing and practice management system. CCA’s software vendor at the time had actually endorsed MedicsPremier as being better than that vendor’s own system. CCA reviewed MedicsPremier, agreed with their then current vendor, and implemented it.

CCA subsequently implemented the MedicsCloud EHR as well as being an ideal clinical charting and reporting platform for pediatrics.

“We’ve always enjoyed a rewarding relationship with ADS,” explains Donald Scott Featherman, MD, head of the CCA group.

Dr. Featherman went on to say, “ADS was eager to work with us to meet our goals. Their support has always been outstanding. When we presented ideas for the MedicsCloud EHR platform, ADS never brushed us off. Quite the opposite: they generally tried to put our ideas right into development.”

According to Dr. Featherman, both the practice management and EHR systems have significantly stepped up CCA’s workflow and added to its profitability by streamlining clinical documentation and billing, saving time, reducing expenses, and enabling an increase in patient services while continuing to provide high quality care.

Dr. Featherman notes that vaccine support is among ADS’ special features, and is optimized for pediatrics. “Vaccines can be very difficult and time consuming to track, to transmit to immunization registries, and to submit for reimbursement.”

CCA submits its immunization data by way of an interface from the MedicsCloud EHR to the Florida SHOTS program, resulting in significant savings in immunization reporting time.

ADS has interfaced with numerous other state and county mmunization registries as well.

Dede Perry, CCA’s Practice Administrator remarked, “The integration between MedicsPremier and MedicsCloud EHR works well from the point of scheduling appointments to submitting claims.

Only two percent of CCA’s accounts receivable is over 65 days past due which Ms. Perry said can be credited to the variety of reports that are offered through MedicsPremier to monitor patient accounts.

“Their Medics FlowText plays well with the Dragon®. We have the option of either dictating directly, or rapidly entering via keyboard our pertinent clinical findings into an endless series of self-designed encounter templates,” Dr. Featherman said.

The reports available through the MedicsCloud EHR have been able to support CCA in successfully in complying with CMS initiatives.

Currently four physicians and six nurses use the EHR while five of CCA’s administrative staff use MedicsPremier. "Everyone is extremely happy with the systems’ workflow and ease of use," notes Dr. Featherman. "The technology is very flexible and supports the way we work, rather than making us conform to a rigid IT set up."

In addition, CCA uses the MedicsPortal allowing patients’ guarantors to access and complete forms in advance of their office visits, and to perform a number of other tasks.

As for ADS, Dr. Featherman added, "Just as important as how well a system runs is how well the system’s vendor responds to an inevitable IT-related bump along the way. ADS’ ongoing customer support is excellent. I clearly recall a few years ago something had come up during the July 4th weekend. We were able to speak to ADS Support to immediately resolve the situation. That was definitely impressive, but not really surprising for ADS.”

“The medical field is changing so rapidly that just keeping up with it is a challenge for any healthcare software system,” said Dr. Featherman. “But for all these years, ADS has succeeded in keeping us ahead of the curve and has brought us a range of important new pediatric features, significantly benefitting our practice.”

Dr. Featherman closed by saying, “We would not hesitate to recommend ADS and their MedicsCloud Suite to pediatrics practices, or any specialty!”