CEO recognizes McClung for Meaningful Use

“This is not a trivial achievement,” said Wiesendanger during the presentation at Edgewood Country Club in Charleston. “Meaningful use of an EHR requires meeting 20 of 25 standards established by the federal government. It means using an EHR in a meaningful way to achieve both health and efficiency goals in the delivery of health care.”

Wiesendanger praised McClung for his commitment to providing exceptional patient care.

“You have not only risen to the challenge of meeting the needs of your patients, you serve as one of our state’s leaders in this national movement to meaningfully use health information technology,” he said.
“For that, I thank you in both my professional role on behalf of the West Virginia regional extension center, and as a health care consumer who clearly sees the benefits of your commitment.”

WVMI is a key partner with the West Virginia Regional Health Information Technology Extension Center, or West Virginia RHITEC for short.

“I am extremely surprised,” said McClung, “but I have to share my deepest gratitude for WVMI for guiding me through this process. WVMI offered me security, and their knowledge was amazing.”

McClung began working with WVMI Project Coordinator Terri Bliziotes early this year in the midst of deciding which electronic medical record (EMR) system to select, she said. McClung had an EMR system in mind, but Bliziotes steered him in the direction of a different one, one geared to solo practitioners with little help running the business end of the practice.

Bliziotes said McClung’s EMR allows him to take care of tasks like monitoring insurance claims without having to do any of the hands-on work. That leaves him free to take care of his patients.

“It’s one thing when you have a group practice with support staff, but it’s another thing when the only person in the office is you,” Bliziotes said of the typical solo practitioner with minimal staff.

In February, McClung’s office began training sessions to learn how to use the EMR. In June, his practice at Saint Francis Hospital began using the web-based platform. In October, he qualified for attestation, which means he was eligible for a financial incentive.

“The vendor made it convenient to qualify for attestation,” said McClung, “and WVMI and West Virginia RHITEC provided the support I needed.”

McClung, who has been a physician more than 25 years, said the EMR has proved more valuable as he and his staff members have developed their skills to become more efficient users.

EMRs offer a number of benefits, said Wiesendanger. They can make records and data easily available while reducing errors. They provide reminders and alerts, and they offer clinical decision support. In addition, they can be used for e-prescribing and automatic refills, he said.

McClung encouraged other physicians to take the leap.

“Don’t hesitate to get help from WVMI and RHITEC,” he said.