June 10, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nandip Kothari, CEO, SMARTMD Corporation
+1 914-282-8409 (mobile direct)
nkothari@SMARTMD.com
SMARTMD AND NTAKT SELECTED BY MCLEOD HEALTH TO PROVIDE SUPPORT
FOR LAUNCH OF HOME-BASED PALLIATIVE CARE PROGRAM
Thanks to a supporting grant from The Duke Endowment, McLeod Health teams up with SMARTMD and nTakt to provide software and process support, respectively, to meet the needs of underserved patients in the South Carolina communities they serve.
(Florence, SC – June 4, 2019) SMARTMD Corporation recently announced that its software for mobile providers was chosen by McLeod Health for their new Home-Based Palliative Care Program which was established to address the needs of underserved patients in Florence and Horry Counties in South Carolina. McLeod Health selected nTakt Corporation to define and establish processes to kickstart the program.
In 2018, McLeod Health identified a growing need for palliative care in their region. Supported by a generous grant from The Duke Endowment, McLeod Health launched a home-based palliative care program to augment their already established hospice care services. The program is designed to provide medical support to adult patients affected by progressive, chronic conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, cancer and dementia through visits to patients’ homes by nurse practitioners.
The nurse practitioners work on a consultative basis with primary care physicians to enhance the patient’s quality of life by alleviating symptoms related to their chronic illnesses. This improves the patient’s ability to perform daily activities and to tolerate continued medical treatment. The nurse practitioners also help patients and their families understand their disease processes, options for treatment and establish goals of care.
Bryan Brandon, Vice President of Patient Services for McLeod, states, “Our communities are seeing a rapid increase in patients with serious illness who require symptom management in the home after they leave the hospital. In order to establish a palliative care program quickly, we chose nTakt for their experience in establishing new palliative care programs and SMARTMD for their palliative care software platform.”
“SMARTMD is honored to work with McLeod to address the needs of underserved patients in their communities,” indicates Nandip Kothari, CEO of SMARTMD. “Our apps are designed for the unique needs of palliative care clinicians and the administrative teams that support them, streamlining every step of the process from intake to discharge. We were pleased to see the significant role clinicians played in choosing SMARTMD. For McLeod leadership, an intuitive product that minimized documentation burden (and stress) for the clinicians ranked high in the decision-making matrix.”
Mark Hendrix, CEO of nTakt, added, “In our experience, establishing a new palliative program is not a simple process, even for successful hospice organizations. Success requires the right people, the right technologies, and processes that tie it all together. Hospice and Palliative Care are very different; however, a successful palliative care program can provide an extra level of care to those patients who are not yet appropriate for hospice. We’re pleased to work with McLeod Health to put in place ‘best-in-class’ technology and operations, and we are dedicated to helping them become the model for home-based palliative care.”
SMARTMD and nTakt have worked together to develop a set of processes that uncomplicate caring for patients in the home by simplifying the role of providers and allowing them to focus on delivering exceptional patient care. The project will positively impact the community and will allow McLeod Health to create a model home-based palliative care program that provides underserved patients with symptom management and care.
About SMARTMD Corporation
Founded in 1999, helps healthcare organizations streamline operations, reduce costs, and comply with industry regulations so they can dedicate more time and resources to providing quality care for their patients. With offices in Wisconsin, Georgia, Florida and Connecticut, SMARTMD serves physicians throughout the United States and Canada.
About McLeod Health
Founded in 1906, McLeod Health is a locally owned and managed, not for profit organization supported by the strength of approximately 750 members on its medical staff and more than 2,000 registered nurses. McLeod Health is also composed of approximately 8,500 employees and more than 90 physician offices throughout its 18-county service area. With seven hospitals, McLeod Health operates three Health and Fitness Centers, a Sports Medicine and Outpatient Rehabilitation Center, a Behavioral Health Center, Hospice, and Home Health Services. The hospitals within McLeod Health include: McLeod Regional Medical Center, McLeod Health Darlington, McLeod Health Dillon, McLeod Health Loris, McLeod Health Seacoast, McLeod Health Cheraw and McLeod Health Clarendon.
About nTakt Corporation
Founded in 2003, nTakt focuses on uncomplicating healthcare. They’ve learned that no matter how game-changing the technology, desired results can only be achieved through a combination of simplified processes, meaningful technology, and hands-on training. They apply their services in a variety of healthcare settings including hospitals, physician practices, clinics, billing offices, and administrative areas.
About The Duke Endowment
Based in Charlotte and established in 1924 by industrialist and philanthropist James B. Duke, The Duke Endowment is a private foundation that strengthens communities in North Carolina and South Carolina by nurturing children, promoting health, educating minds and enriching spirits. Since its founding, it has distributed more than $3.7 billion in grants. The Endowment shares a name with Duke University and Duke Energy, but all are separate organizations.
###
For more information about SMARTMD Corporation please contact Mark E. Strauss at SMARTMD Corporation directly at +1.917.327.5885 or by email at mstrauss@SMARTMD.com.
SHARE
