Company Will Offer Allscripts Electronic Health Record and Practice Management
Solution to its Hospital and Healthcare Network Customers
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., and CHICAGO, Nov. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Emageon
Inc. (Nasdaq: EMAG), a leader in enterprise medical information technology
systems for hospitals and healthcare networks, and Allscripts (Nasdaq: MDRX),
the leading provider of clinical software, connectivity and information
solutions that physicians use to improve healthcare, announced today a
strategic alliance and re-seller agreement.
Under the terms of the agreement, Emageon will offer Allscripts
TouchWorks(TM) Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Practice Management (PM)
solutions to its 585 healthcare system and hospital customers for the benefit
of ambulatory physician groups affiliated with, or employed by, those
hospitals, thereby offering another tool to enhance patient care and lower
healthcare costs for physicians and healthcare professionals. Additionally,
Emageon will provide implementation and first-level support for the combined
Allscripts EHR and PM solution to its hospital customers. In the future, both
companies plan to provide integration between their respective solutions,
enabling physicians who use TouchWorks in ambulatory offices to view images
taken in the hospital using Emageon’s Enterprise Visual Medical System(TM)
product platform, including the RadSuite and HeartSuite(TM) product lines.
The agreement between the two companies will help address the opportunity
created by recent changes to anti-kick-back and self-referral regulations,
which govern the scope of hospital-physician relationships. On October 10,
2006 final rules from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”)
and the Office of the Inspector General (“OIG”) took effect, creating a new
safe harbor to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and a corresponding exception
to the federal Stark Act. The new safe harbor and exception permit hospitals
to provide their affiliated physicians with electronic health record and
electronic prescribing technology. As a result, hospitals are actively
seeking EHR and ePrescribing solutions that meet the unique needs of
ambulatory physicians. The agreement enables Emageon to offer its hospital
customers the industry-leading Allscripts solution, which is used by more than
30,000 physicians in over 3,500 clinics nationwide.
“We are delighted to partner with Allscripts in order to provide the
Emageon hospital customer base with the industry’s best ambulatory EHR and
practice management solution so they can offer it to affiliated physician
practices,” said Chuck Jett, Emageon Chairman, CEO and President. “The recent
changes in the regulatory environment will better enable hospitals to serve as
information services providers for more streamlined operations and more
complete integration of the electronic health record across the entire
continuum of care.”
Allscripts Chief Executive Officer Glen Tullman added, “We are excited to
be working with Emageon to provide their hospital customers with our
ambulatory Electronic Health Record and practice management solution.
Hospitals today are challenged to identify information technologies that meet
the unique needs of physicians outside the acute care setting, and this new
partnership lets hospitals access the best imaging solutions and the best
ambulatory solutions to deliver information to physicians at the edge of the
network, closest to their patients and thereby improve the quality of care.”
About Allscripts
Allscripts is the leading provider of clinical software, connectivity and
information solutions that physicians use to improve healthcare. The Company’s
business groups provide unique solutions that inform, connect and transform
healthcare. The Clinical Solutions Group’s award-winning software applications
include electronic health record, practice management, electronic prescribing,
document imaging, emergency department and care management solutions.
Additionally, Allscripts provides clinical product education and connectivity
solutions for physicians and patients through its Physicians Interactive(TM)
Group and medication fulfillment services through its Medication Services
Group. To learn more, visit Allscripts on the Web at www.allscripts.com.
This announcement may contain forward-looking statements about Allscripts
Healthcare Solutions that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements
are developed by combining currently available information with Allscripts
beliefs and assumptions. Forward-looking statements do not guarantee future
performance. Because Allscripts cannot predict all of the risks and
uncertainties that may affect it, or control the ones it does predict,
Allscripts’ actual results may be materially different from the results
expressed in its forward-looking statements. For a more complete discussion of
the risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may affect Allscripts, see the
Company’s 2005 Annual Report on Form 10-K, available through the Web site
maintained by the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.
About Emageon
Emageon provides enterprise medical information technology systems for
hospitals and healthcare networks. Its Enterprise Visual Medical System(TM)
(EVMS) is a family of multi-specialty, advanced visualization and
infrastructure tools for the clinical analysis and management of all digital
medical images, reports and associated clinical content. Emageon’s standards-
based solutions are designed to help customers enhance patient care, automate
imaging workflow, lower costs, improve productivity and provide better service
to physicians. For more information, please visit www.emageon.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements about Emageon which
represent the Company’s current views with respect to, among other things,
future events and financial performance. Any forward-looking statements
contained in this press release are based on Emageon’s historical performance
and on current plans, beliefs and expectations. Actual results may differ
materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements
as a result of various risks, uncertainties and other factors beyond its
control. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others,
the risk that it may not compete successfully against larger competitors,
risks associated with its history of operating losses, the risk that it may
not manage its growth effectively, risks related to acquisitions and
integration of acquired businesses, risks associated with its reliance on
continuing relationships with large customers, the risk of significant product
errors or product failures, its reliance on reseller arrangements for
important components of its solution, the risk that it may not respond
effectively to changes in its industry, its customers’ reliance on third party
reimbursements, and the potential impact on its business of FDA regulations
and other applicable health care regulations. Additional information
concerning these and other factors that could affect Emageon’s financial and
operating results may be found under the heading “Risk Factors” and elsewhere
in the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005, which was
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 31, 2006. Emageon
undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements or any
other information provided in this press release except as may be required by
law.
SOURCE Emageon Inc.; Allscripts
-0- 11/30/2006
/CONTACT: Bill Funderburk of Emageon, +1-205-980-7542, or
bill.funderburk@emageon.com; or Dan Michelson of Allscripts, +1-312-506-1217,
or dan.michelson@allscripts.com /
/Web site: http://www.emageon.com
https://www.allscripts.com /
(EMAG MDRX)
CO: Emageon Inc.; Allscripts
ST: Alabama, Illinois
IN: CPR HEA STW
SU: CON
AP-DS
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8959 11/30/2006 07:46 EST http://www.prnewswire.com