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MedShare Contributes to Ontario Investment in Access to Health Care Services in Rural Ontario
Project delivers on promise of improved health care for rural Ontarians.
The Ontario government’s investment in an integrated software application to enhance delivery of health care services in rural Ontario has yielded immediate success, Liz Sandals, MPP for Guelph Wellington, announced today.
“The McGuinty government is committed to meeting the top priorities for rural Ontario – strong people and strong economies, and better health,” said Sandals. “It is clear that the successful completion of this project will result in enhanced delivery of health care services in rural Ontario. “
In July 2005 the government contributed $300,000 to the project led by Therapy Partners and its partners Professional Rehabilitation Outreach and Microsoft™ Canada. MedShare was retained by the project partners to develop and implement the software.
Funding was used to assist in the development of MedShare’s proprietary home health care software – MedShare HC. MedShare HC streamlines the information and business processes of health care providers in rural Ontario, improving direct client care through greater administrative efficiency.
“We’re grateful for the government support and funding of this initiative,” says Christine Reno, Business Director, Therapy Partners Inc. “Now that we’re at the implementation stage of the project, we’re moving forward to improve the efficiency of community health care delivery in a series of stages that will ultimately result in health care workers spending less time on paperwork and more time on client care.”
“We are fortunate to find two innovative home health care agencies that were willing to tackle the problem of limited information access in Rural Ontario,” says MedShare President Barry Billings. “The seed funding provided by the Ontario government allowed us to build a new MedShare HC application that allows health care workers to access clients' current and historic health records. Assessments, care planning and treatment notes are now completed on the computer using SmartForms. Client information is encrypted and secured to meet Ontario PHIPA regulations.”
MedShare added 12 new software positions in their Guelph Ontario office to meet the growing demand that has been created within the home health care sector for this software solution.
“We’ll use this tool to improve the quality of care to our rural client base,” says Chris Linton, Manager, Professional Rehabilitation Outreach. “The improved access to information also improves working conditions for front line healthcare professionals. This enhances our ability to recruit and retain staff. Everyone benefits from a progressive and connected health care delivery environment.”
“Our company is pleased to have been involved in this exciting initiative,” says Robert Vos, Manager of Central Sales, Microsoft™ Canada. “When technology can be leveraged to improve health care and quality of life in rural communities, everyone wins.”
Investment in the project was made through the Rural Economic Development (RED) program, which invests in projects that support sustainable rural economies and community partnerships, and is a key part of Ontario’s Rural Plan. The rural plan provides a coordinated framework across government agencies, to build on rural Ontario’s strengths – committed people, diverse economic opportunities, unrivalled resources and a solid sense of community.
About MedShare
MedShare is an award-winning provider of electronic health record (EHR) solutions to the North American home health care sector. The MedShare Home Care Suite provides integrated information delivery to caregivers enabling effective information sharing and collaboration. Better medical information results in improved health outcomes, reduced paper burden, and more time available for client care – improving the efficiency and profitability of home health care agencies.
For more information, visit www.medshare.com. Or contact:
Barry Billings, President, MedShare
519-821-1800 x225 or barry.billings@medshare.com
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