Urology San Antonio implemented an EHR and practice management system from McKesson to address plateauing revenues and rising costs. Within 10 months, the practice recouped its investment and began seeing annual savings of $150,000 in transcription, $144,000 in labor, and $40,000 in supplies, along with $360,000 more in annual revenue from better coding. Physicians improved documentation and patient throughput without compromising care. The integrated McKesson system provided efficiencies across scheduling, billing, and records access that strengthened the practice's financial outlook.

1. Case Study
Urology San Antonio
At a Glance
Realizes a Dramatic Return on Investment
Organization
with EHR Solution
Urology San Antonio With revenues hitting a plateau, Partner® Patient Records, Practice
San Antonio, Texas Urology San Antonio boldly Partner® Appointment Scheduler
– 25 physicians implemented an electronic and Practice Partner® Medical Billing
– Six clinical offices health record (EHR) and practice modules. (Practice Partner version
management system. As a result, 9.3 from McKesson is a CCHIT
– One surgery center the practice increased revenue CertifiedSM product for CCHIT
– Centralized business office by raising patient throughput, Ambulatory EHR 2008 and CCHIT
captured missed charges by Child Health 2008. For other Practice
Solution Spotlight optimizing medical coding, and Partner certified solutions, please
cut costs drastically by eliminating visit www.cchit.org.) “The Practice
– Practice Partner® Appointment paper processes and reliance on Partner system has the power and
Scheduler transcription services. Urology flexibility necessary to accommodate
– Practice Partner® Medical Billing San Antonio broke even on its our multisite clinic and a proven track
– Practice Partner® Patient Records investment 10 months after go-live record of installations in offices
and improved its financial outlook similar to ours,” explains COO
and quality of patient care. Michael Dermer.
Critical Issues
– Maintaining and improving Challenge The clinic chose a phased
profitability When the physicians of Urology implementation and devoted
San Antonio met to discuss their almost five months to system
– Reducing costs associated with planning and installation. Initially,
paper charts and paper-driven practice’s future financial status,
they concluded that they needed the group went live with the
processes Practice Partner Patient Records
to cut costs and enhance existing
– Improving coding accuracy revenue streams to maintain or application, using one site as a trial.
– Enhancing clinical efficiency, improve profitability. The practice The 17 remaining offices followed
patient care and service decided to meet this goal by suit a month later.
implementing an EHR solution.
Although a significant investment The physicians and staff at Urology
Results in human and financial capital San Antonio first worked to train
– $150,000 annual savings would be required, the group users and to create Practice Partner
in transcription costs realized that an EHR system Patient Records customized
would boost productivity and templates. The group steadily
– $144,000 annual savings became proficient using the software.
in labor costs yield positive long-term financial
benefits.
– $40,000 annual savings Results
in paper supplies costs Answer Urology San Antonio quickly
– $360,000 annual revenue After evaluating EHR packages experienced the benefits of its
increase resulting from from several vendors, Urology investment. “After the first three
coding efficiencies San Antonio chose an integrated to four months, we were seeing a
– Increased daily visits EHR and practice management substantial and consistent increase
system — McKesson’s Practice in patients — without compromising
Partner® system, featuring Practice our quality of care,” notes
Dr. Clayton Hudnall, lead physician.

2. Case Study
“After the first three The Practice Partner EHR system Patient Records to Practice Partner
helps to significantly improve the Medical Billing, helping to speed
to four months, we were ease and completeness of patient and reduce the labor required to
seeing a substantial and visit documentation, which in turn manage the billing process.
positively affects Urology San
consistent increase in patients Antonio’s top-line revenue. Since the scheduling module links
Physicians use progress note directly to Practice Partner Medical
— without compromising templates to easily and quickly Billing and Practice Partner Patient
our quality of care.” record all aspects of patients’ Records, schedulers know when
visits, enabling more accurate to contact patients for insured
coding and boosting revenue by preventive care treatments. With
an additional $360,000 per year. streamlined scheduling across
Dr. Clayton Hudnall facilities, the practice reduces
Lead Physician Additionally, all patient charts missed and canceled appointments,
are now accessible from any automatically prints patient
Urology San Antonio workstation, laptop or tablet PC — reminder cards and spends
whether remote or onsite. less time scheduling patients.
Physicians and staff no longer have
to worry about transferring patient With the productivity gains resulting
records among locations or hunting from the Practice Partner system,
down patients’ paper files. Urology San Antonio reduced the
FTEs required for each provider,
Prior to implementing Practice saving $144,000 annually in labor
Partner Patient Records, the group costs. Additionally, the elimination
was spending $14,000 per month on of paper charts yields $40,000 in
transcription and waiting two weeks annual savings in clerical and
to receive the information. Now, the mailing supplies. “We are thrilled
majority of the physicians enter data to eliminate the hassles of paper
directly into the Practice Partner supplies and mailings,” notes
Patient Records system, lowering Dr. Hudnall. “Now we can fax
transcription costs to $1,500 per directly from the Practice Partner
month, an annual cost savings system without ever having to
of $150,000. stuff another envelope.”
After completing its EHR Urology San Antonio was named
implementation, Urology San Antonio Practice of the Year in the Financial
added the Practice Partner billing Category by Physicians Practice less
and scheduling modules to create a than one year after implementation.
fully integrated system and gain The group anticipates its investment
additional productivity improve- in Practice Partner will produce
ments. Now, the superbill is sent net returns of $530,000 in each
electronically from Practice Partner of the next three years.
McKesson Provider Technologies Copyright © 2008 McKesson Corporation and/or one of its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. Practice Partner is a
5995 Windward Parkway registered trademark of McKesson Corporation and/or one of its subsidiaries. CCHIT Certified is a service mark
of the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology. All other product or company names
Alpharetta, GA 30005
mentioned may be trademarks, service marks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
PRT272-11/08
http://www.mckesson.com/
practicepartner
1.800.770.7674