Detroit-Area Mental Health Clinics to Implement OpenVista Electronic Health Record

Detroit-area mental health care providers partner with Medsphere to implement affordable, interoperable clinical support platform

DETROIT and CARLSBAD, Calif., Oct. 21, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Medsphere Systems Corporation, the leading provider of affordable and interoperable behavioral health IT platform solutions, today announced that the Behavioral Center of Michigan and Samaritan Behavioral Center, providers of inpatient behavioral health and related services in and around Detroit, will implement the company’s OpenVista® electronic health record (EHR).

The Behavioral Center of Michigan, a 42-bed inpatient facility in the Detroit suburb of Warren, manages Samaritan, a 55-bed adult inpatient facility located in revitalizing Detroit.  

"The decision to go with OpenVista was based on both the reputation of VistA-based systems at VA and Indian Health Service hospitals and the success other Medsphere clients like Silver Hill Hospital have had with the system,” said Behavioral Center of Michigan CEO Ryan Gunabalan. “The Multi-Disciplinary Treatment Plan is a genuine asset for mental health professionals working in a team environment, and we really appreciate that Medsphere developed that application from the ground up in collaboration with Silver Hill. This commitment to partnership and improving the system, as well as the affordability and flexibility of OpenVista, made our final decision pretty straightforward.”

Irv Lichtenwald, Medsphere president and CEOThe OpenVista Multi-Disciplinary Treatment Plan (MDTP) module Gunabalan referenced enhances clinical workflows and enables clinicians and other care team members to plan, coordinate and document individual components of the care plan and track progress toward overarching goals. MDTP also uses plan update prompts and notifications to support treatment team compliance with regulatory requirements.

“Both the Behavioral Center of Michigan and Samaritan Behavioral Center are making a significant contribution to the ongoing rebirth of Detroit, and Medsphere is proud to help provide better and safer care to area residents,” said Irv Lichtenwald, Medsphere president and CEO. “Samaritan, in particular, is a key component in an integrated urban care community, which we think will serve as a model for many areas where chronic illnesses are common but financial resources are limited.”

The 30,000 square foot Samaritan Behavioral Center occupies the third floor of the Samaritan Center, which also includes urgent care, medical diagnostic services, a pharmacy and a 120-bed nursing home. A convenience store, job placement services and spiritual ministries make Samaritan Center a central hub where local residents can meet, organize and socialize.

Medsphere's OpenVista is the commercialized version of the VistA-based EHRs created and developed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Indian Health Service (IHS) and credited with helping turn the agencies into national leaders in quality patient care. Using open source code available from these agencies through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), OpenVista can be implemented much more quickly and affordably than traditional proprietary solutions.

Medsphere has implemented the company’s OpenVista EHR in several behavioral health hospitals. Currently, OpenVista is up and running at Silver Hill Hospital, a nationally recognized inpatient facility in New Canaan, Connecticut; the seven state-run hospitals that make up the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources; and Houston-based IntraCare North hospital.

About Medsphere and OpenVista

Founded in 2002 and based in Carlsbad, Calif., Medsphere Systems Corporation is an award-winning organization of clinical and technology professionals working to make quality health IT solutions accessible to organizations of virtually any size, shape or budget. Medsphere’s OpenVista is a portfolio of clinical products and services that leverages an electronic health record (EHR) system developed by the Indian Health Service and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The VistA EHR is widely credited with helping transform the VA into the nation's most efficient and clinically effective healthcare organization. OpenVista, the most fully commercialized VistA offspring, is a responsible reapplication of the VA’s $8.5 billion investment, which recent studies show have yielded billions in benefits, primarily from the near elimination of medication administration issues and duplicate testing.

Medsphere’s subscription-based pricing model enables hospital systems and integrated delivery network customers to pay for OpenVista from their operating budget with no upfront costs or back-end balloon payments. Expert implementation and other services facilitate rapid transition to a paperless clinical environment based on best practices and evidence-based medicine in six to nine months. Medsphere also actively nurtures the OpenVista Ecosystem, a global community of customers, partners, and other collaborators who drive innovation to the benefit of all.

Learn more about Medsphere at www.medsphere.com.

Click here to view the release on the Medsphere website. 

Contacts

Medsphere Systems
David Macfarlane
760-692-375
[email protected]