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Family Practice Uses EMR to Keep the Faith with Families

Every morning at 8 a.m. Amanda Price, FNP, owner of Faith Family Medical has a meeting with eight employees before opening the doors of her family practice in Arlington, TN. No, it’s not your typical powwow to discuss how to meet the challenges ahead or to assess the staff’s progress. It’s a prayer meeting.

The group prayer, which is a way to give thanks and to show support for employees or patients who may be struggling with a problem or serious health condition, is also a testament to the importance that Price places on treating her staff and patients as if they were family.

“It’s a blessing to be able to come to work and to get started that way. It really changes the atmosphere. All of us get along great and there is never any conflict or issue that we have to address. We treat our patients as if they are family. Each and every one of us is family. It’s nice to know that when the patients come in that they are cared for and loved. That’s our goal each and every day, from the front office to the patient rooms and when they check out,” said Marie Burriss, Faith Family Medical’s Office Manager.

Good Word of Mouth

Faith Family Medical’s devotion to patients is apparently responsible for a steady influx of new patients. Culled mainly from good word of mouth, about 75 new patients come to the practice each month. Price and Amy Kerns, P.A., serve patients of all ages. “We deal with a lot of sickness and some maintenance patients who come in for medication refills. The majority of our patient load is sick visits. It is typically fairly easy for patients to get seen. We have same day appointments and walk-in availability. We fill up pretty quickly. With two providers, we see between 30 and 45 patients a day,” said Burriss.

With a heavy patient load coming from Arlington as well as Tipton, Fayette and Collierville counties, it is no wonder that in 2010 Price and her husband started searching for a Family Practice EMR to meet the three-year-old practice’s EMR and billing needs.

According to Burriss' testimonial, the Prices evaluated three EMRs. “Compared to a lot of other EMRs, WRS met Amanda’s needs. WRS is a better program. WRS was easy to reach and WRS was able to answer her questions. She felt confident making the decision. WRS was also affordable and that was another reason why they chose WRS.”

On Cloud Nine

Burriss, who started working at the practice in August 2010, is responsible for patient management, registration and billing. “WRS Family Practice EMR is very beneficial. It’s easy to go to WRS with questions about billing and have all of your questions answered. Everything is there at your fingertips. You can file claims from WRS. Clearinghouse Gateway is tied in with WRS, which is really nice.”

Noting in his testimonial that Faith Family Medical has an employee who performs billing functions at the office as well as at home, Burriss said, “Having the opportunity to access WRS web-based software is convenient.  She’s comfortable and things are flowing smoothly with having WRS right there at her fingertips. She doesn’t have to take a bunch of paper charts home. It’s nice to be able to carry a laptop around and be able to pull charts up and submit claims right there. Our billing person has had a few questions and concerns and she’s gotten the answers from WRS. We’re very satisfied with that side of things and the way things are being handled there.” 

Pointing out that ERA (Electronic Remittance Advice) posting of checks is convenient, Burriss stated, “We can go into WRS when we get those checks and automatically deposit them and then we’ve already posted those adjustments to the claims. A lot of the insurances automatically go through their EOB (Explanation of Benefits). They go into our ERA, which is nice because it’s right there at our fingertips. We can go ahead and get those adjustments made and bill the patient for their deductible or their copay if they didn’t pay that when they were seen. That’s very beneficial to the practice, especially with the 90 day collections window that I have.”

Fast Service

Pointing out in her testimonial that the practice previously had another billing system, Burriss said, “WRS is faster. With WRS electronic billing we are able to submit claims with 24 to 48 hours after the patient has been seen. That definitely is quicker versus paper and having to compile things and send them off to your billing agency and have them submit the claims. With WRS, as soon as the patient is seen, and the chart is signed off, the claim can be sent electronically. A lot of the insurance companies will get right back to you within a week or two weeks, within 30 days, so that is nice to see that return.”

Safe, Secure and Convenient

Faith Family Medical is also accruing the convenience that comes with using electronic charts instead of paper charts. “The electronic system has been beneficial at the front (office) end. When checking patients in and out we don’t have to search for charts, and we don’t have to search for a chart that has been misfiled. It’s very nice. Everything is at our fingertips,” stated Burriss.

Having an EMR also provides the practice with confidence that patients’ records are secure. “We don’t have a chart lying out where someone can easily open someone’s chart and have access to it. It’s confined in the computer under each individual patient and there is safety in the confidentiality there,” said Burriss.

Finally, when you walk into Faith Family Medical it’s apparent that the providers are concerned about providing an atmosphere that is cozy and comfortable for families. “There is scripture that goes around the top of the border. We have a fish tank. Kids love to go over and watch the fish while mom and dad are waiting. We have a little area where they can play with toys. Everything is convenient for our patients. We’re able to continue to see new patients daily. We are grateful that the word is out there and it seems to be a good word. It’s good to know that we are constantly getting that new patient load here,” concluded Burriss.

Family Practice Testimonial