blog

New Feature- Note Status

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:46:33 -0800

Never miss completing a note again. With our new Note Status feature you are able to see the status of all your Notes directly in your appointment calendar. This is an optional feature that can be included in the EMR and will need to be enabled through our Support Department. Please contact Support at support@valantmed.com, if you are interested in activating this free feature.

With Note Status your appointment calendar will automatically update itself based on the status of your notes. Assuming that you are creating your notes from either the calendar or note reminders, the progress of your note will be visually displayed in the appointment calendar. The various statuses are:

Below is an example of the icons as they appear in the Appointment calendar

Please contact Support at support@valantmed.com, to activate this free feature.

New Feature: Appointment Check-in

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:29:46 -0800

Appointment Check-in is designed to be a direct line of communication between Providers and their front office staff. With this new feature you can be notified when your patient has checked in, avoiding long wait times. This new feature will be automatically available with the 4.2 install and you can begin using it immediately.

Below are the steps to check in a patient:

Select Appointments from the Tool menu.
Right Click on the Patient’s name to check them in.
Select Check-in Patient from Drop Down menu.

4. A small check mark will appear next to the Patient’s name

5. Provider will receive a pop-up notification that Patient has checked-in

This new features will be accessible following the 4.2 install.

New Feature- Electronic Remittance Advice (BETA)

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:37:05 -0800

Valant is continuously striving to make running your practice easier and we know our newest feature will make your billing staff very happy. With Valant's Electronic Remittance Advice (BETA), your back office billing staff will save much needed valuable time.

Features of Valant’s Electronic Remittance Advice:

Automatic payment posting functionality to save you valuable time.
Reduces manual posting of claim payments and reconciling patient accounts.
Review detailed adjustment reason and remark codes and save payments once processed.
View and print all of your remittance reports in a standardized format.

Here are some screen captures to visually show how to access this new feature:

After logging into the EMR select “Billing” from the left hand side of the screen. Then select “ERA” from the dropdown.

In the ERA tab you will see a list of all payments that have been received and need to be posted to your patient accounts. Select the line with the check number that matches the check you received in the mail (or the electronic payment you received in your bank account) and then click the “Next” button at the bottom of the screen.

Here you will see the payment information attached to that check.

To get further details about the patient or payment click the “Details” button on the right hand side.

If the payment information looks correct select “OK”, and then “Apply Payment”!

If you have questions about the color of the payment hover your mouse over the “Legend” for an explanation of the color alert

Valant is always striving for ways to make your office run more efficiently. Our new ERA feature will save your billing staff valuable time by simplifing their workflow.

Introducing Automatic Appointment Reminders!

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:32:20 -0800

Based on user demand Valant is releasing a new automated Appointment Reminder feature. This feature is meant to help minimize the amount of time spent on reminder calls while still helping to decrease no shows or late cancellations. The automated reminders can be a combination of email reminders (to both a listed Home and Work email address) and a choice of an automated voice reminder or an SMS text message. Automated Appointment Reminders will be available as an add-on product for $240/year.

Automated Appointment Reminder Features:

HIPAA compliant automated messages to maintain confidentiality.
Customizable schedule for reminders; 24 hours, 48 hours or 36 hours prior to appointment.
Fax, Telephone or Text options per patient.
Customize who receives reminders on behalf of the patients; guardians, guarantors, caregivers.
Reporting based on message status; received, left message, human answer.

Here is a preview of how this new feature works.

The first step in setting this up is to configure the ‘Reminders advance days notice’ threshold value on the ‘Preferences’ tab of the ‘Persons and Institutions -> Practice’ screen. That is shown below.

Once that value is set you simply have to apply it to your patients. Let’s see how that’s done.

The first thing you have to do is verify that you have the information required to send a reminder. Remember, the choices are the two email addresses and either an automated voice reminder to a phone number or an SMS text message. You would need to have those values entered into the EHR before the system would allow you to utilize that delivery method. Shown below is the location of the patient’s primary phone number as listed on the ‘Demographics’ tab in the Patient information screen. In our case, the patient, Rain Canterbury, has chosen to receive reminders to both her home email and as an SMS text message. We see that her primary contact number is in fact her cell phone.

She has also opted in to receiving an email sent to her Home email address, moving to the ‘Contacts’ tab we see that Rain does, in fact, have an email address listed.

The final step is to navigate to the ‘Appt. Reminders’ tab and select the appropriate choices based upon Rain’s preference. That is seen below.

As you can see, we have selected both the Home Email checkbox and the Phone checkbox. Please note the two radio buttons which follow the phone number drop-down selection. This is a modifier which allows you to select either an automated voice reminder or an SMS text message reminder.

The last thing we will discuss is the cycle which results in an Appointment Reminder. Below we see how the process works. On Wednesday at 11:59 pm your Appointment Calendar for Friday will be examined and a list created of all the patients along with their contact information who have opted to receive reminders. On Thursday, between the hours of 10:00am and 8:00pm the appropriate reminders will be sent. Note: Any changes to the appointment which occur after midnight on Wednesday will not be reflected in Thursday’s reminder.

Below we see the cycle for Monday’s appointments. The list is created at 11:59pm on Thursday and the reminders are sent on Friday. We will not transmit reminders during the weekends.

The last case we need to discuss is what happens if the appointment itself is on a Saturday or a Sunday. In both of these cases the information would be captured to the list on Thursday and the reminders themselves would be sent on Friday. That means that on Friday EVERYONE with an appointment which falls on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday will get notified of their impending appointment. The image below shows that timeline.

Valant strives to constantly improve our products and services to benefit your practice. We hope this new release and all future releases will continue to improve the operations of your practice. If you would like to take advantage of this new feature, please call our Sales Department at 888-774-0532 ext

New Feature- Electronic Faxing

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:47:15 -0800

In the immediate future we will be rolling out a new faxing module* in the Valant EMR. This feature has been included to allow you to fax certain documents quickly, simply, and painlessly directly from within the Valant EMR itself. You no longer need to print Lab Requests, Clinical Notes, or other practice documents so it can be manually faxed to another office or facility.
The Fax dialog will be available in three locations within the Valent EMR suite. The first is a Fax button on the Practice Documents screen; the other two are located directly within the individual patient charts. The first location in the patient chart is a Fax button on the Documents Tab, the second is the addition of a Fax choice in the fly-out Action menu on the ‘Lab Requests’ tab.

The images below illustrate the exact locations:

The Practice Documents Screen

Patient Chart Documents Tab

Patient Chart – Lab Requests

All three of these choices provide the same dialog as seen here:

Fax Dialog

This dialog can be filled in manually or you can select an entry from the drop-down list at the top. This list contains all of the entries in your ‘Outside Providers’ list.
A basic Cover Sheet and notes can be added using the checkbox and text field at the bottom.
Once you have either entered or selected a recipient you simply need to click the ‘OK’ button on the bottom of the dialog and your fax is on it’s way!
The following image is a sample Cover Sheet:
Cover Sheet Example

We hope you enjoy the new simplicity of this feature. Please contact our support team at support@valantmed.com or by calling 1-888-774-0532 (Option 2) to activate this feature.

*Additional per fax fee applies.

Valant Software is 5010 Compliant!

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:48:12 -0800

We are proud to announce that Valant software is 5010 compliant and ahead of schedule!

In order for your practice to be 5010 compliant, we’ll automatically update your software. We have made the changes on our end and you will receive notification when the update has occurred. Because there are some new requirements for 5010 compliant EDI submissions, we have compiled a list of changes in the software for your reference.

Below is a list of the changes and what you can expect:

The Billing Provider and Practice addresses cannot be a PO Box, it has to be a physical location. If a PO Box has been used for any of these addresses in the past, the address will need to be updated with a physical address. If the address in the Billing Provider Address Field is changing, we recommend contacting your payers about updating your enrollment information. Many payers use the address in the provider files to validate the physician so claims may pend or reject if there is a different address on the claim.

The 5010 EDI updates allow the transmission of 3 different addresses for providers and practices. They are the practice location address, the billing provider address, and the pay-to address. PO Box addresses for payments and EOBs are allowed to be entered in the “Pay-To” address. Valant EMR has added a new tab on the Practice Screen for a “Pay-to Address” to be added for the practice. This is where the PO Box for payments can be listed.

New "Pay-To" Tab

Zip Codes must include the “+four” ending. Valant EMR has added a pop up message box that will remind users a zip plus 4 must be entered for the practice, provider, and all facility addresses.

Zip Code Warning Message

Insurance ID numbers with a suffix must have the suffix entered as part of the patient’s insurance ID number, without any spaces, dashes, or characters.

We love our customers, and they love us too!

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:26:46 -0800

We are so greatful to our customers and we are always so delighted to hear that you like us too! Today we received the best surprise from one of our Billing Admin Service clients-Treats! Lots of treats and they are as delicious as they look.

A warm thank you to Dr. Brody for his business and kindness.

Happy Holidays!

Valant to Bring EMR Solution to North Carolina Psychiatric Association

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 16:30:00 -0700

Valant will be exhibiting at the North Carolina Psychiatric Association's annual meeting Friday, September 16th through Saturday, September 17th in Asheville, NC.

We are excited to meet psychiatrists, as well as visit with our North Carolina customers, this weekend as we demo our EMR software for psychiatrists! We'll also have information on the EHR incentive programs and meaningful use, so feel free to stop by and ask us any questions you may have.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Treating the Whole Patient - Newport Beach

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 13:52:40 -0700

We had a great time exhibiting at the Treating the Whole Patient conference in Chicago last weekend! We had the opportunity to educate people on the EHR incentive programs and talk about the Valant EMR with some great Chicago-area psychiatrists.

Where will be headed next? Newport Beach, California! Valant will be attending another of the Treating the Whole Patient sessions on August 6th from 7:30am-5pm at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel. We will be available to answer questions on the role of EMRs in improving patient care, demo our behavioral health software, and discuss how an EMR can work in your practice.

See you soon!

Valant EHR Solution for Psychiatry in Chicago

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 09:20:53 -0700

We’re packing our bags! Why? Because this Saturday, 7:30am-5pm, is the Treating the Whole Patient CME event in Chicago and our team will be there!

We’ll be demoing our psychiatric EMR, discussing meaningful use, and answering questions about EHR incentive programs.

So, stop by and say “hello” to Sally and Micah, our resident EMR specialists!

Treating the Whole Patient - Chicago

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 08:51:38 -0700

Valant will be attending the Treating the Whole Patient conference for behavioral healthcare in Chicago on July 23rd. While there, we will be demoing Valant EMR 4.0 and will be available to answer any questions you may have about switching to an EMR or meaningful use for the EHR incentive programs.

CME LLC’s Treating the Whole Patient conference will focus on the connection between physical and mental health. In an increasingly connected healthcare community, the promise of coordinated care is on the horizon, with EMRs set to play an important role in the process.

The Westin Michigan Avenue will host the one-day conference from 7:30am-5pm, with Valant exhibiting for the duration.

We hope to see you there!

Stage 2 of Meaningful Use to be Delayed

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:04:53 -0700

Need another reason to attest meaningful use in 2011? Here’s one: Medicare and Medicaid providers eligible for incentives will be happy to hear that Stage 2 of meaningful use is set to be delayed until 2014.

Without a delay, early adopters would have been obligated to implement upgrades and use their EHR to accommodate Stage 2 requirements in October 2012. With the delay in implementation of Stage 2, providers will be able to continue to attest at the level of Stage 1 requirements for an additional year.

While it may seem like just a difference of semantics between Stage 1 and Stage 2, that’s not entirely the case. Stage 1 is less stringent in reporting measures than Stage 2, so an extra year of receiving incentives using Stage 1 criteria is a reward for those attesting early. If you haven’t started yet, there’s still time to attest in 2011 and cash in on the early adopter reward!

To find information on how to get started and important dates, visit our EHR incentive program timeline.

Exciting Times

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 15:20:57 -0700

A lot has happened at Valant in the last week. Two of our amazing Account Managers were promoted, we exhibited at WSPA, we released 4.0, oh yeah - and we received certification for meaningful use! Like I said, a lot has happened in the last week!

I can’t decide which is more exciting - certification or 4.0, but I will discuss certification first because I think that is probably what everyone wants to hear about!

So, as of 04/05/2011, the Valant Premium Psychiatric Suite 4.0 is officially certified for meaningful use by an ONC-ATCB (Office of the National Coordinator - Authorized Testing and Certification Body) as a complete EHR! This means that eligible providers looking to qualify for Medicare or Medicaid EHR incentive programs can rest assured that our product contains all of the features necessary to report meaningful use. It took a lot of hard work from everyone here at Valant (especially the development team - can I get a big round of applause for them?), but it really paid off.

Next up is the Valant EMR 4.0, which was released on Monday. Like certification, this has been in the making for some time and we are really proud of it. There are so many new features, but I think the one we all can’t stop talking about is the improved clinical documentation system. After all, who doesn’t want to complete their notes by using drop-down boxes and check boxes? If you are like the providers we’ve talked to, the customizable templates with these features will leave you speechless!

Another topic I wanted to touch on is the promotion of two employees that happened recently. Both Account Managers, Tien has been promoted to Account Manager Lead and Grace has been promoted to Accounting Specialist. They are shining examples of customer service and are a valued asset to the Valant team. Congratulations, Grace and Tien!

Working at Valant

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 01:16:55 -0700

My name is Kaylie and I am the Marketing Coordinator for Vālant. In other words, I get to spread the word about our mental health care suite of products. Knowing what I do for Vālant, you might think I have a degree in business or communications. However, like many other Vālant employees, my educational background is in psychology.

While attending the University of Washington to earn a BA in psychology, I decided I needed to earn some real world clinic experience. I wanted to know what I was getting myself into on a day-to-day basis. I did some research and, a few weeks later, I found myself interning at a great group practice in Seattle.

When I first started, the practice had a fairly complicated filing system and the first day it took me close to 2 hours to file all the documents. Then there were the eligibility checks; spending 20+ minutes on hold and, when I finally got in touch with an insurance representative, being told I needed to call a different number. As you may imagine, it was during my internship that I realized I have no love for the administrative side of mental healthcare.

Several months after finishing my internship, I went in for a meeting with David Lischner, CEO of Vālant. I was being offered a position in marketing; I was going to be responsible for making sure that psychiatrists and other mental health practitioners knew there was an alternative to the time consuming tasks I had done as an intern.

What did I do? Well, of course I took the job! As I said, I always knew I wanted to help people, but I had never even considered the option of helping mental health practitioners so they could provide better care to their patients. I still want to go to graduate school for clinical psychology, but getting the word out about Vālant is something I can contribute in the interim. And, while I do that, I get to work with a great group of people who share the same goals and genuinely care about our customers and the service we provide.

Valant in the News!

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 10:01:00 -0700

Vālant was recently in the news!

Web-based Electronic Medical Records (EMR) Equals Better Patient Care for Leading Psychiatrists

Seattle, WA / PRBuzz / February 28, 2011 -- Dr. David Lischner is a classic example of practicing what you preach. He founded Vālant Medical Solutions (valant.com) because his own administrative burdens were affecting his ability to focus on patient care. Vālant's 100% Web-based EMR and Practice Management System for psychiatrists and other mental health professionals is quickly becoming the industry standard.

Dr. David Brody has been in private practice since 1986. He currently serves on the Medical Board of Beth Israel Medical Center and is a fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine. Brody trained at St. Vincent's Medical Center New York and completed a Psychopharmacology fellowship at NYU. "Like David, administrative burdens were seriously affecting not only the quality of care for my patients but, equally important, my overall professional demeanor," said Brody. "Vālant's software products have enabled me to practice more effectively, maintain balance in my life, and create deeper connections with, and better outcomes for, my patients."

The Vālant Psychiatric EMR is approaching a milestone with industry certification. Other product updates this year include a template creation module for its clinical documentation system, a patient portal and a mobile application.

"My goal was to create an organization with deep commitment to, and knowledge of, behavioral health care practitioners and their patients," said Lischner. "The strong relationship we have with our customers enables us to provide transformative technology and services that dramatically improve the quality of work and life for providers."

Vālant has secured close to one million dollars financing from the Seattle-based Alliance of Angels and Revenue Loan to expand product development. "What's unique about David is the fact that he's also a customer," said Andy Sack, Founder, Revenue Loan. "We're excited about the future of Vālant based on his early successes."

To determine whether or not you are eligible for federal stimulus incentives associated with the Vālant EMR solution visit valant.com

For a complimentary assessment and product demonstration call (888) 774-0532 or email sales@valantmed.com

A Segment of Our Staff

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 19:50:57 -0800

Within the Vālant office, we have six employees that hold degrees in psychology. They also all interned at Evidence Based Treatment Centers of Seattle, which was co-founded by Dr. David Lischner.

Having the educational background, as well as the administrative experience that came from their internships, they have a unique perspective from which to help our customers. After all, our software is mental health specific, so doesnʼt it make sense for our employees to not just have experience with the product, but with the real world consequences of running a practice?

Vālant thinks so, too. We also think that these employees have a special insight into our products, and how they are changing mental health care, that is worth sharing. Which is why, without further ado, I present to you the Vālant Psych Team:

Carol - Account Manager for Billing

Grace - Account Manager

Tien - Account Manager

Kaylie - Marketing Coordinator

Brooke - Account Manager

Sally - Account Manager

Find out more about them in the company bios section and keep an eye out for their blog articles!