"When I think about the impact athenahealth has had on our practice, the first thing that comes to mind is 'quickness.' The set-up was quick, the staff training was quick, our claims are processed more quickly, we get feedback more quickly on denied claims, and getting real data is quick and easy."
Arthur "Skip" Levitt
President, Medical Group Management Division, Clinton, MD
Letter from Jonathan
Our annual User Conference is approaching, and seats are filling up quickly. While I'm most excited about the 300-level courses for executives, it promises to be our biggest, best, and most useful conference to date for lots of reasons. Check out all the details below. Also in this issue: athenaClinicals Year One ROI is exceeding 100% on fax-related costs alone. And in the Compliance Corner, Ann tackles a topic that can be scary and overwhelming: handling security breaches in your computer system. Also in this issue: why is Bob Brady one of our most "colorful" athenistas? Here are this month's highlights.
athenahealth's 5th Annual User Conference is October 10-13, 2006: Early Bird Discount Ends August 18th!
This year's User Conference (UC) has been revamped and expanded to make it the biggest, most in-depth, and hands-on ever. We've added a 300-level executive curriculum this year as well as a social agenda that will knock your socks off - and seats are filling up fast! Click here for the scoop on what's in store this year.
Live Benchmarking Winners: How Did They Do It?
You've seen the Live Benchmarking winners for Q1 and Q2 this year. This month, we find out how our winners did it. What did they do especially well? What advice do they have for other practices hoping to win? Click here for their insider tips.
athenaClinicals: Early ROI Data Looking Strong
You've heard the athenahealth promise: athenaClinicals is the world's first "clinical cycle management solution." And sure enough, early ROI data show that financial returns improve tremendously once practices eliminate faxes coming to the office. Learn more here.
Ann's Compliance Corner
Worried about the security of your electronic data? Here's what you need to know about compliance with Data Breach Disclosure Laws. Click here for more.
athenista Spotlight: Meet Bob Brady
He loves providing excellent service to clients - good thing, since he manages the Client Service Center team. Before you see him at the User Conference in October (he's leading and developing quite a few sessions) meet Bob Brady, this month's featured athenista. Miss one of our athenista profiles? Click here for the archive.
athenahealth Retains Top Ranking in Ambulatory Billing and Scheduling Categories
athenahealth retained its number one ranking in three segments of the ambulatory billing and scheduling solutions category of KLAS Enterprises' Top 20: 2006 Mid-Year Report Card.* athenahealth has led the 6-25 and 26-100 categories since 2004 and took the lead in the 1-5 physician category in 2005. "KLAS bases its rankings purely on customer feedback, which athenahealth feels is the only true measure of success," said Jonathan Bush, chairman and chief executive officer of athenahealth. For the full story, click here.
* Top 20: 2006 Mid-Year Report Card is copyrighted by 2006 KLAS Enterprises, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
New Seminar for Small Practices: Broken Reimbursement
Building on the success of the recent webinar Broken Reimbursement: Eight Critical Revenue Factors for Small Medical Practice Success, athenahealth will be presenting a series of seminars targeted for 1-2 doctor practices. Get an overview of current barriers to small group success, and learn about strategies to overcome those barriers - including the eight revenue factors, performance indicators and potential strategies for each factor, and how to effectively manage the performance improvement process. In addition, learn about ways that athenahealth can partner with your practice to help you drive increased collections and faster reimbursements.
Please click on the location near you for more information and to register. To register by e-mail, click on the e-mail link next to each location.
| August 24, 2006 | San Antonio, TX | 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. | |
| Week of September 18 | Manchester, CT | 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. | |
| Week of September 25 | Thomasville, GA | 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. |
Click here for archived athenahealth webinars and other upcoming events.
Vital Stats
Days in Accounts Receivable (DAR) dropped 0.8% between July 2005 and July 2006, with lost patient care revenue (LPCR) steady at 4.8%. While DAR dropped overall, DAR for Blues, Commercial, Medicare and Medicaid remained about the same. (This is partly due to all the re-adjudicated Medicare payments we've been processing on your behalf.) We're working hard to make sure DAR continues to go down among all the major payer categories.
athenaFunnies: Honeymoon, Anyone?
True stories from the athenahealth vault
A client planned to celebrate her 25th wedding anniversary with a trip to Boston with her husband. Naturally, she contacted athenahealth for help with her itinerary. As an added challenge, the husband was a history buff and they were on a limited budget. athenahealth rose to the occasion and recommended hotels, sites and transportation (mostly the T) as well as other highlights for their itinerary. Nice to know... athenahealth is behind you (and all your adventures) when duty calls!
Best wishes,
Johnathan Bush
