As the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) continue to require Meaningful Use implementation, many medical practices need assistance in meeting those prerequisites. To help with this transition, the NCMS offers support through PractEssentials, a practice management consulting service program available to physicians. NCMS members receive these services at a discounted rate.

Recently, PractEssentials assisted Forest Dermatology, PA of Asheville obtain Meaningful Use. A major issue that the practice experienced was that the available information about Meaningful Use was not helpful when it came time to complete the process. “There were a lot of resources available online about Meaningful Use but very little practical information to help our practice move forward,” said Carroll Ann Wykoff, RN, BSN, practice administrator for Forest Dermatology, PA. “Terri Gonzalez, a consultant forthe NCMS PractEssentials program, was able to translate vague terminology for us during and after implementation that made the transition easier.” With the help of the NCMS, Forest Dermatology was able to understand the reports on their EHR software and anticipate how long it would take to receive payment for reporting Meaningful Use.

NCMS member Hugh Duncan Dorris, Jr., MD credits Terri’s ability to “take a baffling system and make it clear, concise, and entirely practical,” providing the practice with invaluable Meaningful Use resources. “Had it not been for Terri, we would still be floundering. I cannot stress how grateful I am for her insight and availability to my office,” said Dr. Dorris.

In addition to consulting services, PractEssentials provides regular education webinars pertaining to HIPAA 5010 and Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) readiness, program integrity, and finance benchmarking. Practices that need help achieving or reporting Meaningful Use can contact Terri Gonzalez, Director of Practice Improvement, at 800-722-1350 or [email protected], or visit the HIT Resource Center for more information.