One of the most important information technology (IT) issues that hospitals are facing today is updating their legacy systems and infrastructure in a cost effective manner.
“IT Systems must have state-of-the-art technology to run and support the latest healthcare applications such electronic medical records and practice management software,” says Subhash Chander, president of the Pittsburgh-based WOW Global Corporation, an award-winning Healthcare IT company that provides Healthcare IT consulting, Healthcare IT products and Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) solutions to physician practices, hospitals, and healthcare organizations nationwide.
Dan Mattson, VP of Sales & Operations for the company agrees, and adds, “There are a lot of new regulations and technology such as ICD10 and HIPAA 5010 that will require software, hardware and infrastructure upgrades. WOW Global works with clients to develop a strategy, implement, and provide technical support.”
Since its inception in 2002, WOW Global has had tremendous growth and in the past been ranked the #1 fastest growing company in Western Pennsylvania. With a national presence in 35 states, the organization has deployed more than 2,500 consultants on over 350 projects. In the next year, it plans to open up additional sales and delivery offices in the West Coast, Middle East and Europe to support those markets.
WOW Global’s strengths include EMR/EHR implementation and support services, EDI and XML integration, medical billing and claims processing and, HIPAA privacy and security compliance. It has been recognized by Forbes Magazine, Pittsburgh Business Times and other regional and national organizations for its continued excellence. Their secret to success is rather simple.
“We have an excellent IT background,” says Chander. “We are able to understand our client’s needs very well and deliver products on time and on budget. We offer a wide range of healthcare services and can provide coverage around the world. We help companies reduce their back office costs and have cost effective tech support services. Cost reductions of up to 40% have been realized”
As a full service Healthcare IT company, WOW Global specializes in all phases of IT selection, implementation, and support for healthcare organizations.
“We leverage our healthcare IT experience and certified partnerships with several nationally known and leading EMR solution companies to provide a complete solution to our clients,” says Chander. “We don’t just sell a product and walk away. We work closely with our clients to fully understand their requirements and suggest a robust solution that will fit their needs. We then provide services including implementation, custom configuration and data conversion.”
A crucial part of its service is the initial training and after sales support, according to Mattson.
“We have talked to many providers that have purchased an IT solution for their hospital or practice and are not able to productively use the solution,” he says. “This is where our attention to training and post-implementation support is crucial. We are a local company and can help answer any question or resolve problems in person or over the phone.”
Chander has seen the healthcare IT industry expand greatly in the past decade. The availability of broadband services has allowed providers to securely access information inside or outside the office. The expansion of broadband services is one of the factors that has fueled the expansion of certified Electronic Medical Record software companies.
“These solutions have evolved over the last decade into proven technologies that are embraced by physicians and hospitals and result in better patient care,” he says.
Today, advances in Healthcare IT have enabled providers to become more efficient and allow the provider to focus on patient care.
“Solutions such as electronic medical records, voice recognition, eligibility verification, electronic claims, code finding software and many others have become crucial components of the healthcare process,” says Mattson.
As far as the future of IT in healthcare goes, both Chander and Mattson sees one of the trends being the proper capture of information during a physician and patient encounter as an important part of the healthcare process.
“This can include bedside order entry and direct capture of a patient’s vitals,” says Chander. “A lack of information or inaccurate data affects the level of patient care and has a direct influence on the financial reimbursement. EMR solutions can be used to improve the collection and collation of this information.”
Additionally, Mattson adds that upgrading from ICD9 to ICD10 and the introduction and implementation of HIPAA 5010 will be a challenge, “but the end result will be more accurate coding information and better reimbursements. Patient portals and interaction with patients prior to a visit will also make the encounter much more productive.”
As far as its own future, Chander is confident that WOW Global is well-positioned to continue its growth.
“We are fueled for international growth and will continue to expand,” he says. “We are actively looking at additional product development and healthcare technology company acquisitions.”
For more information on WOW Global, visit www.wowglobal.com.
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