CTG Health Solutions, a provider of healthcare information technology (IT) consulting and a business unit of CTG, as well as an IT solutions and services company, recently revealed three big projects it is working on to help medical organizations expand their electronic medical record (EMR) systems.

The company said in its press release that a not-for-profit health system, which includes hospitals, outpatient services, assisted and long-term care facilities and healthcare centers, has teamed with CTG for additional support on a large EpicCare EMR project for the work needed before implementation can begin.  

In addition, an operator of general acute care hospitals with facilities in more than 25 states has signed an agreement with CTG to provide more support for the “pre-implementation and optimization, of its clinical system,” according to the release.  An  academic medical center – which includes emergency, inpatient and outpatient services to underserved regions – has also expanded its on-going contract with CTG to implement and improve Cerner PowerChart EMR.

Under the Affordable Care Act, clinicians across the country have been required to move from paper files to electronic records by 2014 for sizable financial incentives, or be penalized with reduced Medicare reimbursements.

EMRs are designed to make patient data more accessible to both patient and doctor, and make it easier for them to be shared by specialists so diagnosis and treatment can be more easily decided upon.

"Our significant Epic experience makes CTG an ideal partner to provide more support for this major Epic pre-implementation project that is one of several other projects already underway at the same client. The expansion of our role in these two other major projects is indicative of the increasing scope and size of the EMR implementation, application management and integration support that CTG is providing to our clients," said James R. Boldt, CTG chairman and CEO, in a statement. "As the industry continues to evolve through the advent of healthcare reform and emerging models of care and reimbursement, CTG understands the impact that EMRs can have on both patient care and a provider's revenue cycle. CTG Health Solutions continues to provide unparalleled clinical, operational, and technical expertise to manage the successful selection, implementation, and optimization of today's advanced EMR systems."