Shushoo Connects 1,000 BPN Computers

HEALTHCARE IT

Sushoo System Makes Authorizations Simple

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Many Brevard County patients will find that going to the doctor’s office just got easier, with speedy transfer of patient data between primary physicians, specialists and other healthcare professionals.

They can thank Sushoo, the country’s first independent healthcare information exchange.

In partnership with Brevard Physicians Network, Sushoo has begun the clinical integration of all network members.

For Sushoo founder Naveen Venkatachalam, the project entailed connecting the more than 1,000 computers of the nearly 300 BPN providers in Brevard County, Florida.

“Getting 1,000 computers ready was a pretty big task,” said Venkatachalam.

BPN went live with Sushoo in early December.

The system is initially being used to connect physicians for patient authorizations, but will soon be expanded to include a sophisticated range of patient data exchange.

“We need to get the doctors’ offices used to the system before proceeding,” said Venkatachalam.

“You need to learn to walk before you can run, particularly if you’re talking about a full-fledged network where you can exchange critical information. The first thing we needed to do was make sure that the staff at every doctor’s offices was comfortable with it.”

Rave Reviews

The thumb’s up signal about Sushoo arrived early from medical office staff – the folks in the trenches.

“Sushoo makes authorizations fast and easy,” said Susan Hawk, patient account specialist in Dr. Gopal Gadodia’s Melbourne practice.

“It also helps me to identify the patients’ current insurance information with ease.”

Jacci Gagum, medical assistant with Dr. Ming Lai, was equally enthusiastic.

“Using Sushoo has been an awesome experience,” she said. “Sushoo has really helped the authorization process.”

Comprehensive Network

Sushoo’s goal is to connect all aspects of healthcare, from the primary physician to specialists, hospitals, nursing homes and home health agencies.

In addition to physicians’ offices, PRN Home Health, Melbourne Terrace, Neuro Skeletal Imaging, St. Francis Hospice and Gentiva have all come aboard the network.

For example, Gentiva, which provides home healthcare services, including skilled nursing, cardiac and pulmonary care, neurorehabilitation, wound care, infusion, disease and pain management and hospice care, depends on Sushoo to provide a more efficient and comprehensive record of its patients.

“Sushoo has helped streamline our work tremendously,” said registered nurse Nancy Deardoff, branch director for Gentiva.

“Sushoo has enabled us to maintain the patient chart completely in real time, with notes from the primary care physician, any specialists, the hospital and any other medical professionals who have had interaction with the patient. It’s all now at our fingertips, which allows our staff to have a more complete and immediate understanding of our patients.”

Sushoo In 32 States

Venkatachalam, the former IBM engineer who created Sushoo with his wife, family practitioner Dr. Geetha Priyanka, timed the product perfectly, for physicians have been mandated to comply with electronic records regulations established by health care reform. Launched in 2009, Sushoo is already doing business in 32 states.

The market remains wide open, for 80 percent of physicians’ offices nationwide still depend on cumbersome paper records that must be either faxed or carried by the patient when referred for additional treatment.

Immediate Authorization

With Sushoo, physicians can immediately authorize and make available patient records to other healthcare providers. The product has built-in flexibility that allows it to be customized to a particular provider.

Sushoo, Melbourne Terrace Collaborate To Electronically Coordinate Patient Care

For example, for an assisted living facility, Sushoo can provide not just seamless electronic charting of clinical and non-clinical resident care and real time exchange of data between labs, pharmacies, hospice providers, hospital and physicians, but also connectivity between the patient and family.

The Sushoo portal provides for this type of facility for the sharing of pictures, newsletters and messages, so family members can remain connected with their loved ones regardless of where they may live.

HIPPA Compliant

Sushoo was endorsed by TIPAA, The IPA Association of America, the leading trade association serving Independent/Integrated Physicians’ Associations, or IPAs. IPAs, which assist physicians with insurance contracts, have been tasked by the Federal Trade Commission to help clinically integrate providers with the goal of better patient care and outcomes within a less costly structure.

One of the most stringent guidelines set in place by the FTC was the implementation of a health information exchange, the vehicle for physicians to efficiently and effectively remain HIPPA compliant while sharing information over the internet.

“We feel confident that any TIPAAA member who implements Sushoo will not only gain a fantastic tool but also have money left over to remain in business,” said TIPAAA president Albert Holloway.

For more information about Sushoo Health Information Exchange log on to Sushoo.com or call 321-574-5356

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