Esteam Announces Partnership
with
Pennsylvania Association of Resources
for People with Mental Retardation (PAR)
PITTSBURGH, May 22, 2006 - Esteam, LLC, a leading provider of comprehensive software solutions for human services agencies, today announced that it has entered into a marketing partnership with the Pennsylvania Association of Resources for People with Mental Retardation (PAR). Esteam and PAR will work jointly to inform PAR member-organizations-which provide a full range of support services to individuals with mental retardation-about the benefits of Esteam solutions. These include TOTAL: RecordT, a software application designed to help human services agencies dramatically improve clinical and reimbursement processes, and support continuous quality improvement efforts.
"The right technology solution is a key productivity tool for enabling human services providers to adapt to the state's changing reimbursement requirements and to drive improvements in overall organizational performance," said Shirley Walker, PAR president and chief executive officer. "TOTAL: Record is distinguished by its ease of use and its ability to help streamline the data entry and billing processes to meet current needs. TOTAL: Record provides both the platform and a clear path for compliance with the state's evolving billing requirements."
Providers today cope with a patchwork of billing structures at the state, county and local levels. To meet these complex requirements, a provider must create a unique billing code, negotiate reimbursement rates, and track and bill services against that rate for each person served. In many instances, the submission of improper service codes on an invoice can delay reimbursement by several months when the payor rejects the invoice and returns it to the provider.
The new electronic claims processing and management system now being piloted throughout Pennsylvania, called PROMISe (Provider Reimbursement and Operations Management Information System), also is changing Medicaid service reimbursements and how they are billed. Once fully implemented, PROMISe will provide a single, uniform system-and a detailed set of service codes-for managing an individual service recipient's information and electronic claims processing.
TOTAL: Record supports the PROMISe system and the growing fee-for-service environment by providing a single repository for clinical and financial information. Users can eliminate repetitive data entry and the related potential for human error. Organizations using TOTAL: Record gain the ability to track services more accurately and generate correct invoices that meet each payor's specific requirements. With TOTAL: Record, organizations have greater flexibility to respond and adapt to changes in billing and other paperwork requirements, expand or introduce new services, and scale their organizations to keep pace with new growth opportunities.
Walker notes that PAR's choice of Esteam is the result of a comprehensive evaluation of other available software products and vendors.
"In a highly competitive review, the PAR board of directors, which includes representatives of human services organizations, thoroughly evaluated a number of offerings," said Walker. "TOTAL: Record had a clear edge in a number of important areas including its outstanding support of the clinical and financial tasks required by PROMISe and a fee-for-service billing environment.
"Our board understands the competitive, economic and political landscape in this state and looked closely at the options before concluding that Esteam offered the greatest value to our members, support for their current needs and a foundation for the future," said Walker.
TOTAL: Record and TOTAL: Quality, which are part of the TOTAL: Impact suite of solutions from Esteam, offer a comprehensive solution for the implementation of continuous improvement and assessment. These solutions are already employed by a growing number of PAR members including Lakeshore Community Services, the Dr. Gertrude A. Barber National Institute, Keystone Human Services, The Association for Independent Growth (TAIG), Fayette Resources, Inc., Arc of Mercer County, and Passavant Memorial Homes.
"TOTAL: Record is extremely user-friendly, and this was one of the smoothest transitions to a new software function that we've ever pursued," said Alan Benson, Lakeshore Community Services' chief operations officer. "A key benefit is authorization management. TOTAL: Record eliminates dependence on paperwork-driven processes.
"The ability to track demographic information for each consumer-like case notes, medication information and allergies-along with billing data in a single program makes it even more functional," Benson added.
"The changing reimbursement environment in Pennsylvania presents human services providers with both a significant challenge and a unique opportunity to implement solutions that enable them to improve operations and financial performance," said George Pashel, president of Esteam. "We are focused on helping organizations improve operational excellence, which will enable them to direct their scarce resources to focus even more attention on what really matters-providing high quality services. We're extremely pleased to partner with PAR and look forward to being an important resource for every PAR member."
The Pennsylvania Association of Resources for People with Mental Retardation (PAR) is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving the quality of supports and services provided to people with mental retardation and their families.
PAR has represented providers of community mental retardation services and supports throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for 36 years. With community mental retardation services currently provided in every county in 3,827 residential sites across the state, plus numerous non-residential and in-home supports, PAR's representation of community mental retardation supports and services remains the largest in Pennsylvania.
As an educational organization, PAR provides valid, reliable, up-to-date research and information as one of the services we offer in support of our mission.
About Esteam
Esteam is a leading provider of software, services and expertise focused on improving the quality of human services. Esteam solutions address a significant shortcoming in the human services market. Organizations don't have the resources, time or money to support the increasingly complex regulatory reporting and documentation requirements. Designed to be used throughout the organization, Esteam offers TOTAL: Impact, the most comprehensive suite of software, strategic consulting services and deployment expertise for significantly improving the performance of human services organizations. Esteam provides mission critical solutions for leading human services organizations such as Pressley Ridge, the Dr. Gertrude A. Barber National Institute and Keystone Human Services. For more information please contact us at info@esteam.net or by telephone at (412) 322-0629 or www.esteam.net.
Esteam, the Esteam logo, and the marks relating to other Esteam products and services referenced herein are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Esteam. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Pennsylvania Association of Resources
for People with Mental Retardation (PAR)
Statewide association works to help members evaluate best technology for meeting clinical and financial reporting standards and continuous service quality improvement
PITTSBURGH, May 22, 2006 - Esteam, LLC, a leading provider of comprehensive software solutions for human services agencies, today announced that it has entered into a marketing partnership with the Pennsylvania Association of Resources for People with Mental Retardation (PAR). Esteam and PAR will work jointly to inform PAR member-organizations-which provide a full range of support services to individuals with mental retardation-about the benefits of Esteam solutions. These include TOTAL: RecordT, a software application designed to help human services agencies dramatically improve clinical and reimbursement processes, and support continuous quality improvement efforts.
"The right technology solution is a key productivity tool for enabling human services providers to adapt to the state's changing reimbursement requirements and to drive improvements in overall organizational performance," said Shirley Walker, PAR president and chief executive officer. "TOTAL: Record is distinguished by its ease of use and its ability to help streamline the data entry and billing processes to meet current needs. TOTAL: Record provides both the platform and a clear path for compliance with the state's evolving billing requirements."
Providers today cope with a patchwork of billing structures at the state, county and local levels. To meet these complex requirements, a provider must create a unique billing code, negotiate reimbursement rates, and track and bill services against that rate for each person served. In many instances, the submission of improper service codes on an invoice can delay reimbursement by several months when the payor rejects the invoice and returns it to the provider.
The new electronic claims processing and management system now being piloted throughout Pennsylvania, called PROMISe (Provider Reimbursement and Operations Management Information System), also is changing Medicaid service reimbursements and how they are billed. Once fully implemented, PROMISe will provide a single, uniform system-and a detailed set of service codes-for managing an individual service recipient's information and electronic claims processing.
TOTAL: Record supports the PROMISe system and the growing fee-for-service environment by providing a single repository for clinical and financial information. Users can eliminate repetitive data entry and the related potential for human error. Organizations using TOTAL: Record gain the ability to track services more accurately and generate correct invoices that meet each payor's specific requirements. With TOTAL: Record, organizations have greater flexibility to respond and adapt to changes in billing and other paperwork requirements, expand or introduce new services, and scale their organizations to keep pace with new growth opportunities.
Walker notes that PAR's choice of Esteam is the result of a comprehensive evaluation of other available software products and vendors.
"In a highly competitive review, the PAR board of directors, which includes representatives of human services organizations, thoroughly evaluated a number of offerings," said Walker. "TOTAL: Record had a clear edge in a number of important areas including its outstanding support of the clinical and financial tasks required by PROMISe and a fee-for-service billing environment.
"Our board understands the competitive, economic and political landscape in this state and looked closely at the options before concluding that Esteam offered the greatest value to our members, support for their current needs and a foundation for the future," said Walker.
TOTAL: Record and TOTAL: Quality, which are part of the TOTAL: Impact suite of solutions from Esteam, offer a comprehensive solution for the implementation of continuous improvement and assessment. These solutions are already employed by a growing number of PAR members including Lakeshore Community Services, the Dr. Gertrude A. Barber National Institute, Keystone Human Services, The Association for Independent Growth (TAIG), Fayette Resources, Inc., Arc of Mercer County, and Passavant Memorial Homes.
"TOTAL: Record is extremely user-friendly, and this was one of the smoothest transitions to a new software function that we've ever pursued," said Alan Benson, Lakeshore Community Services' chief operations officer. "A key benefit is authorization management. TOTAL: Record eliminates dependence on paperwork-driven processes.
"The ability to track demographic information for each consumer-like case notes, medication information and allergies-along with billing data in a single program makes it even more functional," Benson added.
"The changing reimbursement environment in Pennsylvania presents human services providers with both a significant challenge and a unique opportunity to implement solutions that enable them to improve operations and financial performance," said George Pashel, president of Esteam. "We are focused on helping organizations improve operational excellence, which will enable them to direct their scarce resources to focus even more attention on what really matters-providing high quality services. We're extremely pleased to partner with PAR and look forward to being an important resource for every PAR member."
###
About PAR The Pennsylvania Association of Resources for People with Mental Retardation (PAR) is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving the quality of supports and services provided to people with mental retardation and their families.
PAR has represented providers of community mental retardation services and supports throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for 36 years. With community mental retardation services currently provided in every county in 3,827 residential sites across the state, plus numerous non-residential and in-home supports, PAR's representation of community mental retardation supports and services remains the largest in Pennsylvania.
As an educational organization, PAR provides valid, reliable, up-to-date research and information as one of the services we offer in support of our mission.
About Esteam
Esteam is a leading provider of software, services and expertise focused on improving the quality of human services. Esteam solutions address a significant shortcoming in the human services market. Organizations don't have the resources, time or money to support the increasingly complex regulatory reporting and documentation requirements. Designed to be used throughout the organization, Esteam offers TOTAL: Impact, the most comprehensive suite of software, strategic consulting services and deployment expertise for significantly improving the performance of human services organizations. Esteam provides mission critical solutions for leading human services organizations such as Pressley Ridge, the Dr. Gertrude A. Barber National Institute and Keystone Human Services. For more information please contact us at info@esteam.net or by telephone at (412) 322-0629 or www.esteam.net.
Esteam, the Esteam logo, and the marks relating to other Esteam products and services referenced herein are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Esteam. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.