i-net - IPHCA's SIMIS Network

Information on the i-net network is organized into the following sections:

Overview

Software Vendor

Technical Overview

Several years ago, the idea of a Shared Integrated Management Information System (SIMIS) was conceptualized. Community health leaders, including the Bureau or Primary Health Care, believed that an integrated information system would significantly improve the health center’s ability to collect, manage and use information, in order to improve its ability to be more cost-competitive.

As a result, the Bureau developed the Shared Integrated Management Information System Initiative, whose focus is to “strategically align health center information systems with business objectives in an effort to meet demands driven by competition in the marketplace. Health centers that are funded through this program will achieve improved coordination, greater efficiency, enhanced quality, effective information analysis, increased access, greater economies of scale, and a larger market share.”

In response to this Initiative, the Illinois Primary Health Care Association began taking steps toward turning the idea of a statewide practice management network for Illinois CHCs into reality. In mid-2000, IPHCA formed a committee of members, CHC information technology professionals, and IPHCA staff to develop a Request for Proposals (RFP) to obtain a software vendor. Six companies responded to the RFP, and after an extensive road trip to view vendor demonstrations around the Midwest, the committee unanimously selected Companion Technologies as the software vendor for IPHCA’s SIMIS Network. In November 2000, IPHCA applied for, and subsequently received, funding from the Bureau of Primary Health Care for the Illinois SIMIS system, later branded the “i-net network”. The idea became reality in March of 2002, when the first community health center “went live” on IPHCA’s SIMIS Network.

The goal of the i-net network is to allow participating health centers to continue the services they provide to their community while realizing significant cost savings and benefits as a result of being a part of a SIMIS system. There are several direct benefits for both IPHCA and the participating members. Our goal is to establish a network which helps facilitate further integration and use of new technologies to enhance communication, trust and renewed working relationships between diverse health center partners. Specifically, we believe the network will afford the following advantages to IPHCA and its participating members:

For health centers applying for New Start and Expansion grants, acquiring or maintaining an adequate management information system can significantly strengthen the “Organizational Capabilities and Expertise” section of your grant application. Participation in the i-net network would demonstrate administrative effectiveness in leveraging resources by utilizing the skills, talent and expertise available through the network. This would also demonstrate an appreciation and understanding of the benefits and value of collaboration and integration on a statewide level. Referencing the involvement of your CHC as a member of the i-net network would greatly enhance your grant application and underscores the advantages of being a member of IPHCA.
The collection and storage of raw health center data in the proposed IPHCA Data Warehouse will enable the association to be better prepared for strategic planning, and resource allocation through the Market Place Analysis. In addition the data in aggregate form can be manipulated to serve a number of different purposes including the use of the data to secure additional resources from both state and federal policy makers.
The i-net network will create a new way of conducting business with health care payers whether they are the State of Illinois, Medicare or third party payers. A significant benefit will be the establishment of a claims submission clearing house, operated from IPHCA’s central location in Springfield. IPHCA already performs extensive claims processing for the Department of Human Services’ Early Intervention program, which provides health care services to developmentally disabled or delayed children up to three years of age. In 2003, IPHCA submitted over $66 million in claims for the program. In the future, IPHCA plans to submit claims for Medicaid, Medicare, and other third party vendors on behalf of i-net network participants.
IPHCA utilizes internal network staff to maintain and provide first and second level technical support services to participating members. This includes providing on-site support for hardware problems, as well as online and phone support. Again, the cost of maintaining individual systems will no longer be a burden to participating members.
Finally, the i-net network has created a new working environment among health center partners. The network allows for the free exchange of ideas and information between entities hundreds of miles away. It has created commonality among partners and has eliminated old excuses for not working together on common ground issues. Electronic messaging, direct telecommunications capabilities and videoconferencing are all part of the system.

While the i-net network first began as a response to the volatile practice management software market, it has now become an enormous business opportunity for almost every community health center in Illinois. The economies of scale offered provide i-net network participants significant cost savings. As the system becomes an even larger and more technically advanced network, those savings will only increase. Currently, our network is one of the largest community health center practice management networks in the country. Today, we are in discussions with public health departments and other networks about possible network management services. It is also likely that in the future, out-of-state health centers will be utilizing the i-net network for their practice management needs. Together we are truly at the ground level of something whose sum is larger than its parts, and that’s exciting!

HealthPort (formed from the merger of Companion Technologies and SDS) is a privately held organization that has been delivering comprehensive information technology solutions to the health care industry for its clinical, financial, operational, and managed care needs. For over 35 years the company has consistently supplied practice management, electronic medical record, document conversion and storage, electronic document management, healthcare consulting, revenue cycle/claims management, and medical release-of-information solutions.

The corporation has over 2,800 employees in offices that support thousands system installations nationwide. HealthPort has the stability needed to survive in today’s competitive market. Key product and service acquisitions have allowed the corporation to secure the strong market presence necessary to be an industry leader.

HealthPort is a major player and a leading supplier of hardware, software, systems, and services. Before becoming HealthPort in June 2007, Companion Technologies was an official subsidiary of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina. In 1997, they acquired MegaWest Systems, the author and developer of HealthPort Practice Management system (HealthPort PM) (formerly called MegaWest Medical Management Suite), in 1997.

HealthPort PM’s software features various modules, including account receivables (AR), insurance claims processing, patient registration, reporting (standard and customized), and systems security. The AR billing features a patient master, transaction posting, and additional features allowing users to maximize reimbursement. The patient registration screen maximizes ease-of-use by combining all patient demographics, financials, and insurance information into one screen.

HealthPort PM clients can develop ad-hoc reports and analyze data using system or industry standard reporting tools. Because HealthPort PM is built using a multi-dimensional database, the software offers a plethora of ways for clients to report on any data element in the system including customized data. In addition, a specialty application module for community health centers (CHCs) is available. This specialty application for CHCs tracks and organizes statistical data needed to complete UDS and other report requirements for FQHCs.

HealthPort is a nationwide provider of practice management and electronic medical record software. They focus heavily in the community health center market and are the choice of over 150 health centers nationwide representing over 750 center sites. As a leading national company, HealthPort continues to be one of the major innovators for the community health center market.

HealthPort PM customers have great things to say about the product. “It’s a money saver because it reduces our staff time and the need to have additional staff to manage our business,” relates Chuck Clark, Information Systems Director of Coastal Family Health Center in Biloxi, Mississippi. “As a community health center, there are certain requirements that we are held accountable to. HealthPort PM allows us to comply very easily. It’s really a couple pushes of a button to get some rather extensive, mandated reporting out of the system,” says Amy Carr, I.S. Manager of Family First Healthcare in York, PA. She continues, “My job has improved by using HealthPort PM through the assistance it gives me in preparing my mandated reports. It saves me hours of work.”

For more information about HealthPort, please visit their website at www.healthport.com.

IPHCA’s SIMIS Network is designed around a centralized server located in Springfield, Illinois. The server is an IBM P570 running IBM Unix AIX V5.2. In its current configuration, the server can sustain up to 30 separate A/R databases with up to 1,500 users. The central server resides at a secure location that is temperature and humidity controlled. Nightly backups are performed Monday through Saturday, and each day these backup tapes are transported off site for disaster recovery purposes. A monthly archival backup is also performed, and all archives are stored in a safety deposit box of a local bank.

Each participating CHC connects to the i-net network’s Wide Area Network (WAN) through a fractional T1. The fractional T1 connects to IPHCA’s primary T1 trunk line, which terminates at the central server. The WAN infrastructure consists of one robust 3640 Cisco router and individual 1751 Cisco routers at the main location of each CHC. Beyond this line of demarcation, it is the responsibility of each member to connect any of their remote locations.

IPHCA has contracted with AT&T to design and maintain the i-net network WAN. The Managed Network Services contract provides remote telephone and on-site support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. While IPHCA owns all of the equipment within the network, AT&T provides maintenance for the hardware.