Hospital Takes EHR Heavyweight To Court

Cites breach of software agreement as cause

A rural Montana hospital has filed suit against big name electronic health record system provider NextGen Healthcare, alleging the company violated its contract by both failing to install an EHR system by the set deadline and not providing a system that meets 2014 federal meaningful use criteria.
 
In September 2012, the six-bed Mountainview Medical Center in White Sulphur Springs, Mont., entered into a software agreement with NextGen which stipulated the EHR provider would install a system no later than June 1, 2013, a system which allowed the hospital to meet meaningful use requirements. However, NextGen failed to meet the go-live deadline and subsequently requested a four-month extension to October 2013, the complaint alleges.  
 
Moreover, the critical access hospital, after spending more than $441,000 to install the EHR, discovered the EHR system did not meet 2014 MU standards, which took effect Oct. 1, 2013.