PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Council for High Performance Medicine Created to Highlight Best Practices in Electronic Medical Records in B.C.

Dr. Brendan Byrne invites physicians, EMR thought-leaders and technology experts to participate; Microsoft and HP join council

Vancouver, BC – April 27 – 2006 - Dr. Brendan Byrne, president and founder of Wolf Medical Systems, a Canadian leader in Electronic Medical Records (EMR) software, today announced the creation of the Council for High Performance Medicine which has been established to identify and highlight benefits and best practices in electronic medical records in British Columbia.

“The Government of British Columbia has demonstrated a compelling vision for healthcare in our province with its eHealth initiative and goal to create a citizen/patient-centric health environment focused on high-quality, coordinated healthcare,” said Dr. Brendan Byrne, president and founder, Wolf Medical Systems. “In its eHealth initiative, we are excited to see Government recognize the value that electronic medical records bring to improving patient care.”

The council will convene in June 2006 and will be comprised of physicians, EMR thought-leaders and technology experts. Dr Byrne adds, “With its proposed funding to help physicians adopt EMR technology, the Government is taking an important step in improving patient care. In forming the Council for High Performance Medicine, we plan to engage with physicians and thought-leaders to showcase the improvements to patient care that will accrue from the successful adoption of EMRs. Our goal is to create an environment for physicians to share their insight and experiences on designing and implementing an EMR strategy, based on their own experiences in making the move from paper to technology-based medical practices.”

In BC, the most common place to receive healthcare is in physician offices, where doctors often work alone and are paid for each service they provide. Often referred to as ‘the last mile’ in the healthcare continuum of care, many provinces have articulated goals to support and encourage the establishment of an office information infrastructure in the physician office. EMR technologies dramatically improve physician work flow, enrich the physician / patient encounter, enhance patient care, and ultimately are a key link between the individual patient and regional, provincial and national health systems. These technology investments in the physician offices have the potential to keep waiting lists down, lessen the pressure on emergency rooms, make the system more sustainable and above all improve the quality of patient care.

According to Dr. Bryce Kelpin, medical director, Continuum Medical Care, “Our EMR software is a powerful system that allows us to bring together doctors from geographically disparate locations and integrate them in a way so that we can deliver a high level of continuous patient care. From prevention to diagnosis and treatment, this system is extremely impressive; it’s also powerful for patients to see their records and the lifestyle changes they need to make, especially when we’re managing chronic diseases. This council offers an excellent opportunity to focus on the benefits of EMRs from the physicians’ perspective, and to share and highlight these benefits with physicians across BC that have yet to adopt this type of technology.”

Technology leaders, Microsoft and HP have joined the Council for High Performance Medicine to show strong support for the evolution of healthcare in British Columbia. According to Glenn Berg, national partner manager - healthcare, Microsoft Canada Co., “Microsoft is pleased to participate with Dr. Byrne on the Council for High Performance Medicine and to be part of this initiative which assists physicians and medical practitioners to deliver primary care and to further develop and implement electronic medical records in patient care. This is an exciting time for healthcare in BC and we look forward to more dialogue with physicians, vendors and the government to help realize the vision for excellence in primary healthcare delivery.”

“Fragmented systems and cumbersome, outdated record keeping methods have magnified over the past decade making healthcare both inefficient and costly,” said Dave Mosher, healthcare business manager, HP Canada. “Physicians are the gateway to identifying and supporting patients’ well being in BC and we are pleased to see the government recognize the value that EMR technology brings to improving patient care. HP looks forward to collaborating with physicians, vendors and the government to turn the vision of patient-centric, high-quality and coordinated healthcare into a reality.”

Physicians, thought-leaders and technology experts with EMR expertise or knowledge are encouraged to email hpm@wolfmedical.com for information on joining the council.

About Wolf Medical Systems

Wolf Medical Systems is a leading national provider of electronic medical records (EMR) software for physician offices and medical clinics across Canada. Founded in 1998, the company has more than 325 installed sites in Canada and more than 1100 physician users nationwide. Wolf's EMR software includes a complete set of physician-designed applications that automate the unique processes of billing, scheduling, workflow planning and clinical practice for physician offices and medical clinics within the context of each province's unique regulatory environments. Wolf software works the way physicians and medical personnel work, helping them automate manual processes, reduce costs, increase productivity and efficiency, and improve the quality of patient care.Wolf is committed to elevating the standard for patient care in Canada through the adoption of EMR. For more information on Wolf Medical Systems, visit www.wolfmedical.com.

Alexandra Best
Director of Marketing
Email: media@wolfmedical.com
Tel: 1.604.512-3313

<< back to news