Physicians’ Institute recognizes McDuffie Medical Associates
Local medical practice receives statewide Health Technology Award
THOMSON, Ga. – McDuffie Medical Associates, PC, is one of four recipients of the inaugural Health Technology Awards for 2007, presented by the Physicians’ Institute for Excellence in Medicine, recognizing Georgia physicians who have implemented technology solutions in their practice.
McDuffie Medical Associates, based in Thomson, received the statewide award for successfully developing and implementing the first electronic medical records system (EMR) in the immediate area. James Lemley, M.D., CEO and Managing Partner at McDuffie Medical Associates, said there were a number of motivating forces for implementing EMR.
“Information technology capacity has progressed sufficiently such that it is now a practical resource in patient management. Technology is becoming a valuable assistant in the delivery of quality medical care and will become even more critical in the future,”
Dr. Lemley said. “The only practical way to track, analyze and report the massive amounts of quality data is by using EMR.”
Physicians’ Institute recognizes McDuffie Medical Associates
Other issues addressed by EMR, according to Dr. Lemley, are improved work flow, better documentation, reduced errors regarding prescriptions, responsibility to the patients regarding recalled drugs, protocols for immunizations and screenings and tracking of lab results, procedures and referrals to other providers.
McDuffie Medical Associates is among four 2007 Health Technology recipients who were chosen from applications submitted by primary care and specialty care practices across the state. The entries were judged by Georgia physicians who have been awarded the prestigious Davies Award from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.
“The purpose of the awards program is to showcase replicable, innovative technology solutions that demonstrate a positive impact on clinical practice,” said Walker L. Ray, M.D., president of the Physicians’ Institute. “Among these are electronic medical records, registries, document management, telehealth and e-prescribing. McDuffie Medical Associates is one of four physician-owned private practices that have each distinguished themselves by having implemented a successful technology strategy that benefits the clinical process, practice management and, most important, patient care.”
McDuffie Medical Associates is a primary care practice consisting of two Family Medicine physicians, Drs. James Lemley and Susan Land, and two Internal Medicine physicians, Drs. Jacqueline Fincher and Robert Lemley.
The Physicians’ Institute created the new health technology awards in collaboration with GMCF, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Georgia. The awards are supported by a grant from the Physicians’ Foundation for Health Systems Excellence and GMCF.
As a not-for-profit (501(c)(3) subsidiary of the Medical Association of Georgia, the Physicians’ Institute focuses on activities to support physicians, including educational programs and tools, in addition to sponsoring applied projects to improve the effectiveness of practices and processes in the physician office. The mission of the Physicians’ Institute is to improve patient safety and achieve clinical improvements for physicians and their patients.
The Physicians’ Institute was one of the few organizations in the country to receive a significant grant award from the Physicians’ Foundation for Excellence in Medicine. During 2006 and 2007, the Physicians’ Institute’s grant has supported the MAG E-Technology Academy, a multifaceted program designed to increase the knowledge base of physicians regarding the use of technology in their offices.
The Physicians’ Institute continues to collaborate on a national level with state medical associations, health foundations, pharmaceutical companies and other health organizations to support office-based physicians in their efforts to improve patient outcomes. For more information, visit www.physiciansinstitute.org.