One of the biggest challenges for channel partners looking to help
customers take advantage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
– also known as the economic stimulus package – has been to find EMR
vendors who work with the channel.
There’s also been a gap between when the solutions must be implemented
and when the funding is available. IBM Global Financing is seeking to
help.
Looking to bridge the gap between billions of dollars in spending
earmarked for electronic medical records (EMR) and the timeline for
reimbursements for the recipients, IBM Global Financing has struck a
deal with four EMR providers.
IGF will work with Siemens Healthcare, Lavender & Wyatt Systems
Inc., Healthcare Management Systems and SCC Soft Computer to provide
competitive-rate financing for client-hospitals, labs and medical
practices, according to the finance arm of IBM.
“Customers of electronic health care records solutions soon realize
that while health IT technology is necessary, it’s also expensive,”
said Richard Dicks, general manager for North America, IBM Global
Financing, in a statement.
“Costs have today become a non-technological barrier to health IT
adoption. It’s a chicken-and-egg scenario facing medical providers,” he
said. “Many are waiting for government funding working its way through
the system, but need the benefits of the technology today. Technology
financing helps speed up implementation in a more cost-effective
manner.”
IT analyst firm Ovum said it expects more health IT companies to add
financing to their go-to-market strategies since it helps customers
manage costs and accelerate deployment in advance of the deadlines set
by the U.S. government. Today, IBM provides thousands of health care
clients and partners with technology hardware, middleware and services
that accompany EMR applications.
“Even at the niche level, financing is key,” said Brad Feller,
president, Lavender and Wyatt Systems, in a statement. “Many of our
clients have seen reduced funding from public and private sources, but
still understand the need to start implementing solutions today.”
The company provides an IGF quote with every proposal that includes
projected monthly payments to make it easier for customers to act now
and get a step up on the benefits gained by EMRs, according to IGF and
Lavender and Wyatt.
