ONC Terminates Certification For SkyCare EHRs
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
The move comes in response to company failure to comply with routine surveillance efforts.
SkyCare 4.2, developed by Platinum Health Information Services, has lost its certification for two versions meaning it can no longer be used by providers to attest to meaningful use incentive programs. The certification was pulled by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) in response to the failure of the company to &participate in routine surveillance by the ONC Authorized Certification Body (ACB), Infogard Laboratories. Products that are certified may be used as part of the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Program.
This decertification underscores the important of researching your EHR vendors to ensure that your healthcare organization will remain compliant and eligible for MU progress and incentives. The ONC Health IT Certification Program helps to ensure that health IT conforms to the standards and certification criteria adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
According to the ONC, InfoGard made “good faith efforts” to initiate surveillance activities for SkyCare, but PHIS was unresponsive.
The decertification means healthcare providers using EHR software developed by Platinum Health Information Systems may have their Meaningful Use (MU) certification in jeopardy. There are 48 eligible professionals who attested to Stage 1 MU using SkyCare, which means that they must transition to a new certified EHR in order to proceed with the MU process, according to ONC.
The SkyCare site is now inactive, according to Healthcare IT News, and multiple complaints about the electronic records products are listed on RipOffReport.com.
“We take our responsibility to provide appropriate oversight of certified EHR products seriously and have every expectation that users will have systems that meet the technological capabilities and requirement adopted by Health and Human Services and will take action accordingly, “Karen DeSalvo, M.D., M.Sc., M.P.H., national coordinator for Health IT asserted in a statement.
According to the ONC statement, “Providers who are currently using the SkyCare EHR products can apply for a hardship exception from the meaningful use payment adjustments under the Medicare EHR program as they transition to new certified EHR technology. For more information about applying for a hardship exception, providers should visit CMS.gov.”