eClinicalWorks to develop new software version for NYC

eClinicalWorks will provide software to the New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for its program to supply electronic health records systems to more than 1,300 doctors in community health clinics and other offices that serve New York's low-income residents.

In addition to EHRs, the $19.8 million deal will also give the doctors practice-management functions for billing and appointments and other functions on PCs that the doctors must furnish.

eClinicalWorks President Girish Kumar Navani said the company will develop a new version of its product with new care management features and with metrics requested by the city, along with a patient portal. The new features will become part of the core eClinicalWorks product, Navani said in a statement.

The Westborough, Mass., company also will open an office in Manhattan.

The buy is part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's $43 million project to improve the health of low-income New Yorkers in the Medicaid program or who have no insurance. Bloomberg has said the city will have the country's largest network of community physicians.

By choosing a single vendor, health department officials said, the city will make it easier for doctors to share information about their patients. The city will monitor patient care through the system and inform doctors how their care compares with that delivered by their peers.

The city aims to give the software to half of the doctors for whom Medicaid patients make up at least a third of their practices.

Nancy Ferris writes for Government Health IT, an 1105 Government Information Group publication.