First Physician in Hudson County Attests to Meaningful Use

Union City, NJ – August 11, 2011 – Stephen Thomsen, M.D. of Hudson Essex Nephrology in Union City, New Jersey, has emerged as a trailblazer in the movement toward electronic health records (EHRs) in New Jersey. He is the first physician in Hudson County and in Union City to attest to the federal government’s standard of "Meaningful Use" -- i.e. actively using a computerized patient medical record system rather than paper charts.

To reach this milestone, Hudson Essex Nephrology enlisted the assistance of Medical Informatics Engineering (MIE), a web-based, minimally invasive™ EHR provider, and began implementing its WebChart EHR product back in 2005. The practice has transitioned over 11,000 patient files to the electronic health record and is also offering a fully integrated personal health record (PHR) from NoMoreClipboard, allowing patients to take a more active role in their healthcare.

"WebChart EHR from MIE has completely changed the way we practice medicine. It has helped us improve office efficiencies and patient care," said Stephen Thomsen, M.D. "We are thankful to have reached this milestone and we are excited to see how this technology continues to transform our practice and improve healthcare for our patients."

"Our goal is to help our clients improve patient care and lower costs. MIE’s products simplify and speed up the flow of information among physicians, hospitals, labs and testing facilities, giving physicians and patients access to the information they need, when and where they need it," said Bruce Lisanti, President and CEO of MIE. "We congratulate Dr. Thomsen and his staff for being the first clinic in their area to achieve this significant milestone."

"Congratulations to Dr. Thomsen for cementing his place as the first physician in Union City and Hudson County to attest and certify meaningful use of his EHR system. The NJ-Regional Extension Center team is proud to see physicians in our state pave the way for future success in healthcare IT," said Ron Manke, North Jersey Director of The New Jersey Health Information Technology Extension Center (NJ-HITEC).

"We know that Dr. Thomsen’s electronic health records will serve as a valuable tool in providing excellence in patient care in Union City for many years to come."

NJ-HITEC will be honoring Dr. Thomsen and other New Jersey-area physician champions for their achievements in obtaining meaningful use of an electronic health record in a "MUver’s Celebration" on September 20, 2011 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (Campus Center Ballroom). The event will also include a panel discussion on the state of EHRs and an educational session for physicians and healthcare professionals who are looking for more information on "navigating the EMR universe." For more information and to register for the event, click here.