Chiropractic Associates Offers "Health IT Jump-Start" To Its Members

BROOKINGS, SD, June 11, 2011 (Press-News.org) Chiropractic Associates (www.chiroassociates.us) announced today that it will be offering a new level of services to its Chiropractic Physician member practices by offering Electronic Health Record (EHR) outreach, education, and direct assistance. Brookings-based Chiropractic Associates has focused on staying ahead of healthcare trends and recognized early on that EHR's will eventually replace paper-based charts across the U.S. To leverage existing regional Health IT expertise for the Chiropractic community, Chiropractic Associates has partnered with Dakota State University's HealthPOINT (www.healthpoint.dsu.edu) , South Dakota's Regional Extension Center, which is based in Madison, SD. Together they will create the Chiropractic Industry Regional Extension Services (CIRES) Program to educate and assist Chiropractic Physician offices.

Chiropractic Associates currently serves nearly 600 Chiropractic Physicians in South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska in a variety of functions including administration services, network development and management, payer contracting, provider relations, credentialing, claims processing and utilization management. Adding EHR services to the list of services Chiropractic Associates provides assures that their Chiropractic Physician members will be ready for the future of healthcare.

"To help prepare and position our Chiropractic Physician members for the changing reimbursement model, which is moving from fee for service to payment for quality and value, along with the benefits to patients and their quality of care, as well as incentive dollars being offered for eligible providers, it makes sense for our members to consider adopting a certified EHR," says Jeff Smith, Executive Director of Chiropractic Associates. "We feel that now is the time to take action and partner with HealthPOINT in this effort. We are confident in the programs HealthPOINT has put together for our Chiropractic Physician members and for their passion to assist independent practices like the ones we serve. Their focus on adoption over implementation is a compelling argument that speaks to their long-term strategy."

The initial stages of the CIRES program will include a free webinar for all members followed by exclusive content for the Chiropractic Physician members of Chiropractic Associates who subscribe to the CIRES program.

About Chiropractic Associates: Chiropractic Associates was founded in Brookings, SD in 1997 by Dr. Scott Munsterman in response to the chiropractic managed care model that had been established previously in South Dakota. The business goals of Chiropractic Associates include providing practice resources, obtaining fair reimbursement, supporting a full scope of practice, increasing access to chiropractic care, ensuring doctor accountability and advocating for the chiropractic profession.

About HealthPOINT: HealthPOINT, part of Dakota State University, is South Dakota's Regional Extension Center. As a federally designated health information technology resource and support center for all South Dakota healthcare providers, HealthPOINT serves as a local resource and an independent, non-profit partner to help facilities maximize any available incentives and to obtain Meaningful Use milestones

The CIRES-EHR Program will be offering a unique level of service by contributing outreach, education, and direct assistance to Chiropractic Physician offices.