Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (NBI) announced the launch of its first comprehensive electronic health information exchange, which will offer a shared clinical data repository to its partner institutions, physicians, other care givers and patients. The solution offers a leading portal and interface engine. NBI has selected, New Jersey-based IGI to power the exchange by implementing the ORBIT^® portal which provides a cost-efficient way to share clinical information both inside the hospital setting and with the community, external health information networks, state agencies and Medicaid. To build the internal and external interfaces, NBI has selected Intel's SOA Expressway for Healthcare. The combined solution is a collaboration between IGI and Intel that creates next generation solutions for hospitals and IDNs, and enables healthcare providers to securely exchange patient information at the point of care - key to providing better services and reducing integration costs.

"NBI faced a challenge to provide interoperability among key stakeholders, deliver a unified comprehensive patient record, and create a flexible and scalable platform that can meet our community's needs now and in the future," said Tom Gregario, CIO of Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. "The IGI-Intel solution offers an affordable, cost-effective and highly-valued solution that leverages our investment in our disparate legacy systems and positions us to be able to share valuable clinical information within the Newark community, thus creating an efficient health delivery system and reducing the cost of health within NBI and across the community and state agencies."

By implementing the Health Information Exchange, NBI will empower its healthcare community stakeholders by: giving clinicians in area hospitals and neighboring Federally Qualified Health Centers web-based access to an integrated patient information common look and feel among area facilities; and allowing clinical and administrative users of the system to collaborate. Additionally, NBI will serve its patient community by providing a patient-centric portal that aggregates complete patient demographics, encounters and clinical results into one common view. The initial offering of interoperable services includes building an interface to the NJ state immunization system, accessing NJ Medicaid medication histories, offering lab and radiology results in the emergency departments, implementing an electronic version of the Universal Transfer form and then sharing all of this same information with the 6 federally qualified health centers in the Newark area.

"As the healthcare industry looks to optimize interoperability amid steep budget cuts, we realize the critical need for hospitals and IDNs to extract meaningful clinical value from their HIE investments in months rather than years," said Arthur Kapoor, CEO of IGI. "We are excited to partner with an industry leader such as NBI who is looking to leverage their existing technology investments without compromising on data exchange or communication. ORBIT^® is an open architecture framework, which means that cost reduction begins at an early stage of implementation."

"This implementation is a showcase for how Intel SOA Expressway for Healthcare's packaged standards implementation integration/translation capabilities can generate immediate ROI by reducing the number of system interfaces," said Girish Juneja, Director of SOA Products at Intel Corporation Software and Services Group. "By leveraging our modern SOA infrastructure, clinical portal providers like IGI are able to deliver rapid, affordable, high value, solutions to the Provider community."

About Newark Beth Israel Medical Center
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, a 673-bed regional care, non-profit teaching hospital, provides comprehensive health care to its local communities and is a major referral and treatment center for the northern New Jersey metropolitan area.

About Intel^® SOA Products Division
Intel^® SOA Products division is part of Intel's Software and Services Group. The SOA Products division delivers innovative platform technologies that are optimized for speed and performance through Intel's multi-core processors and servers. Intel^® SOA Expressway is a software application solution purpose-built to implement the functions and high-performance characteristics of SOA/XML architectures. At its core, Intel^® SOA Expressway is designed to reduce the processing complexity and overhead of expensive XML operations that commonly occur when routing services across domains. It has been deployed in the most demanding environments and achieved the industry's best price for performance benchmarks.

About IGI Health
IGI leads in developing health care IT solutions focused on connecting trading partners, a critical part of emerging initiatives, such as Health Information Exchanges (HIE), Electronic Medical Records (EMR), and Personal Health Records (PHR). ORBIT^® software provides the foundation for custom and packaged portal solutions, such as the ORBIT^® Payer-Provider Portal, that allow health care providers, payers, pharmacies, labs, application vendors and financial institutions to reduce administrative costs, improve financial transparency, and enhance healthcare information exchange.

IGI announces PIMA Health Systems' selection of IGI Health to power a single, unified Electronic Data Interchange that will support medical, hospital and dental claims submission to PHS. This gateway will be powered by IGI Health's ORBIT^®, a platform that allows health care stakeholders to reduce administrative costs, improve financial transparency, and enhance clinical information exchange. ORBIT^® will replace over 20 different electronic submission systems that currently send claims to PHS. By streamlining submission through this single pathway, the goal is to reduce overhead costs and errors related to managing multiple connections.

The ORBIT^® Electronic Data Interchange will accept non-standardized electronic claims from providers and institutions, and convert them into secure, HIPAA-compliant formats ORBIT will also route EDI transactions such as Electronic Remittance Advice files, to other trading partners and clearinghouses on behalf of PHS and create a provider portal through which small providers can efficiently submit claims to PHS, check patient eligibility, and receive electronic remittance data. Additionally, the ORBIT^® solution is scalable and as PHS expands to serve an increasing number of providers in the area, ORBIT^® will scale to help PHS meet the challenge. The county expects 200,000 medical claims to be filed, and 15,000 electronic remittance advice transactions to be submitted by over 5,000 providers annually.

"IGI's Health's ORBIT^® is a proven one-stop solution that is poised to meet PIMA Health System's most critical requirement - to create a single, unified EDI - with the ability to adapt as we adapt to provide services to our health care community," says Mark Hart, PIMA Health System's Manager.

"We are excited that ORBIT^® has been selected to bring electronic transactions to PIMA County," says Arthur Kapoor, CEO of IGI Health. "IGI Health is committed to bringing cutting-edge tools for revenue cycle management, and to facilitate PIMA Health System's goal to reduce administrative expenses by streamlining health care transactions across their system."

About PIMA County
Pima Health System is part of Pima County Government, under the authority of the Pima County Board of Supervisors. PHS operates three main programs: an acute/ambulatory managed care organization in Pima County; a long term care (LTC) managed care program in Pima County and Santa Cruz County; and a non-medical model of home support programs called the Community Services System in Pima County. PHS provides services directly through PHS staff and contract professionals and utilizes the services of numerous contracted independent health care providers and group practices. Ancillary services, specialty services and social services are provided through contracts with a variety of health care providers and community agencies

About IGI Health
IGI leads in developing health care IT solutions focused on connecting trading partners, a critical part of emerging initiatives, such as Health Information Exchanges (HIE), Electronic Medical Records (EMR), and Personal Health Records (PHR). ORBIT^® software provides the foundation for custom and packaged portal solutions, such as the ORBIT^® Payer-Provider Portal, that allow health care providers, payers, pharmacies, labs, application vendors and financial institutions to reduce administrative costs, improve financial transparency, and enhance healthcare information exchange.

IGI announces that Wood Mackenzie -- a global leader in offering research and consulting expertise to the energy, mining and metals industries -- has selected IGI Health to implement the ORBIT^® Enrollment, an online benefits management system. This system allows Wood Mackenzie's employees to opt into new benefits programs; track yearly changes to their benefits; communicate with human resources departments; calculate payouts for life, long-term disability, flexible savings, and health savings accounts; and transfer their benefits eligibility information directly to providers. Currently, such activities are conducted manually; by adopting an electronic platform, Wood Mackenzie will reduce administrative costs, simplify the enrollment process, and improve the delivery of benefits and services to its employees.

The ORBIT^® Online Enrollment application can interface directly with both Human Resources Management Systems and external applications, which will eliminate any excess costs related to updating legacy systems. Additionally, the software is implemented in a SaaS model (software as a service), thereby streamlining application management.

"Wood Mackenzie's success has been built on our people's experience and intelligence," says Steven Sfamenos, Wood-Mackenzie Americas Head of Human Resources. "We're proud to offer our employees IGI's ORBIT^® Enrollment Application, which will provide seamless electronic access to their benefits options."

"The ORBIT^® solution can be reconfigured and customized to meet the specific needs of Wood Mackenzie's employees," says Arthur Kapoor, CEO of IGI Health. "IGI is happy to transform a cumbersome process into a successful information exchange for a respected, world market leader."

About Wood Mackenzie
Wood Mackenzie has been providing its unique range of consulting services and research products to the Energy, Metals, & Mining industries for over 30 years. With our foundation in quality analysis, our detailed industry understanding and our wealth of experience, Wood Mackenzie is able to offer clients a unique skill combination that sets us apart from other solution providers. Our market proposition is based on our ability to provide forward-looking commercial insight that enables our clients to make better business decisions.

About IGI Health
IGI leads in developing health care IT solutions focused on connecting trading partners, a critical part of emerging initiatives such as Health Information Exchanges (HIE), Health Information Networks (HIN) and Electronic Health Records (EHR). ORBIT^® software provides the foundation for custom and packaged portal solutions, such as the ORBIT^® Affiliated Physicians Portal, that allow health care consumers, providers, payers, pharmacies, labs, application vendors and financial institutions to reduce administrative costs, improve financial transparency, and enhance clinical information exchange. IGI provides IT and BPO services that enable organizations to integrate diverse systems, translate data, enhance workflow, improve administrative efficiencies and meet federal and state mandates for administrative simplification and health information exchange.

Atlanta-based MedsFile.com announced today that it will integrate the IGI ORBIT^® platform to power their enhanced Personal Health Record.  IGI’s ORBIT^® will enhance the ability for MedsFile subscribers to easily and securely exchange their medical information with their health care providers and other key stakeholders within their health care community, such as pharmacies, labs and health insurance plans. By participating in this new service, patients will empowered to: transport their PHR information anywhere and at anytime; control what information is shared and with whom; improve communication with physicians, pharmacists, care givers and loved ones; and make better, more informed health care decisions — before, during, and after the point of care.

MedsFile’s Personal Health Record allows subscribers to enter vital personal health information, such as immunization and allergy information into a HIPAA compliant repository.  The new integrated version utilizes the IGI ORBIT^® platform to allow for portability and secure data exchange with other industry aggregated sources, such as immunization registries and claims data sources.  Data exchange will follow federal guidelines for interoperability among other facilities and care providers.  Registration for the online service is quick and easy and can occur in a matter of minutes with subscription costs around $9.99 to $14.99 a month for a typical plan.  MedsFile’s PHR can be accessed, added to, or printed from the Web anytime, anywhere.  

MedsFile was founded in 2004 by CIO Mark Holland as a way for consumers to begin to take charge of collecting and managing their own personal and family health information as the medical community seeks out an agreement on a common method and platform for tracking and exchanging health information. “With the IGI ORBIT^® integration, MedsFile’s PHR can now act as that common platform,” Holland says, “and an engine that powers smarter, better delivery of health care services initiated by both the patient and the practitioner.  Consumers will be able to come to our site, grant permission for us to gather their medical data, and subsequently view their medical records online like a credit report.  It’s revolutionary.”

“Providing the secure portability and interoperability of Personal Health Records is a top priority in the industry,” said Arthur Kapoor, CEO of IGI Health.  “By integrating the power of IGI’s ORBIT^® platform, MedsFile will be able to offer premium interoperable service to their client base and IGI is proud to work with a team that is dedicated to improving the lives of patients.”

About MedsFile
MedsFile aims to improve the overall health care community by providing access to and portability of a patient’s electronic medical records; become the pre-eminent global facilitator of a patient’s electronic medical records derived from multiple health care sources easily accessed by patients and patient-approved entities; and strive toward excellence, accuracy and the highest level of customer satisfaction by leveraging discipline, professionalism, integrity and innovative technology.

About IGI Health
IGI leads in developing health care IT solutions focused on connecting trading partners, a critical part of emerging initiatives such as Health Information Exchanges (HIE), Health Information Networks (HIN) and Electronic Health Records (EHR). ORBIT^® software provides the foundation for custom and packaged portal solutions that allow health care stakeholders to reduce administrative costs and enhance clinical information exchange.

IGI announces that one of the largest New York state-owned enterprises has selected IGI Health to implement the ORBIT^® Enrollment Program, an online benefits management system.  This system allows the provider’s 1800 employees to opt into new benefits programs, track yearly changes to their benefits, communicate with human resources departments, calculate payouts for life, long-term disability, flexible savings, health savings accounts, and transfer their benefits eligibility information directly to providers. Currently, such activities are conducted manually; by adopting an electronic platform, the provider will reduce administrative costs, simplify the enrollment process, and improve the delivery of benefits and services to its employees.

The ORBIT^® Online Enrollment application can interface directly with both Human Resources Management Systems and SAP applications, which will eliminate any excess costs related to updating legacy systems. Additionally, the software is implemented in a SaaS model (software as a service), thereby streamlining application management.

About IGI Health
IGI leads in developing health care IT solutions focused on connecting trading partners, a critical part of emerging initiatives such as Health Information Exchanges (HIE), Health Information Networks (HIN) and Electronic Health Records (EHR). ORBIT^® software provides the foundation for custom and packaged portal solutions that allow health care stakeholders to reduce administrative costs and enhance clinical information exchange.

HIMSS, Chicago, Apr. 7, 2009 – Infotech Global, Inc. (IGI) announced today that after months of planning and training, Meridian Health, a not-for-profit health system in Central New Jersey is piloting the electronic version of the draft Universal Transfer Form (UTF).

The draft UTF was tested with providers in five regions in its hard copy version in 2008. This work was made possible through the cooperative efforts of the New Jersey Hospital Association (NJHA), the Health Care Association of New Jersey and many other provider representatives, stakeholders, the Department of Health and Senior Services and Rutgers University.

While the paper pilot was occurring IGI, a New Jersey based information technology company, worked to create an electronic version of the tool. The search for a health system that had many provider types where the electronic UTF could be trialed led to Meridian.

NJHA and the other partners in this effort thank the nursing and management teams at Meridian’s Riverview Medical Center and Riverview Rehabilitation Center, Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Ocean Medical Center, Meridian at Home and Meridian Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers for the time and energy they dedicated to this project.

As the pilot progresses, stakeholders will look at trends and examine utilization of the UTF to prepare a comprehensive evaluation. The ultimate goal is to offer providers the option of using the UTF electronically when discharging patients to other healthcare settings.

As the pilot moves forward, so too does the work with DHSS to develop the regulations that will govern the implementation of the UTF statewide for all providers licensed by DHSS. NJHA is working closely on this important aspect of the project.

In addition, NJHA will continue to work with the Health Care Association of New Jersey and other stakeholders to keep providers informed about the progress of this implementation, including education on how to use the form.

About Infotech Global, Inc. (IGI)
IGI is a Healthcare information technology solutions provider focused on emerging initiatives such as: Electronic Health Records (EHR), Health Information Exchanges (HIE) and trading partner connectivity to Health Information Networks. We have developed a niche set of portal solutions and connectors for the Healthcare Industry that allows trading partners to leverage our domain expertise to assist in their implementation of revenue cycle and clinical transaction systems. Our ORBIT^® portal, exchange and framework has been adopted by health care entities including: healthcare providers and hospitals, patients, employers, health plans and system vendors.

About Meridian Health:
Meridian Health is a family of not-for-profit health care organizations comprising Jersey Shore University Medical Center and K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital in Neptune, Ocean Medical Center in Brick, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, and Meridian Partner Companies that include home health services, skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers, ambulatory care, ambulance services, and occupational health located throughout Monmouth and Ocean counties.

Meridian Health was the first health system in the nation to receive the prestigious Magnet status for nursing excellence, and has repeatedly been named one of the Most Wired and Wireless health systems in the nation and among best places to work in New Jersey. For more information, please visit www.meridianhealth.com

About NJHA:
As the Garden State’s premier statewide healthcare association, NJHA is a leader in advocacy, education and information. It partners with its members to help them provide accessible, affordable and quality healthcare to their communities.  Contact regarding this press release should be directed to Theresa Edelstein, 609-275-4102, tedelstein@njha.com