Triad Hospitals, Inc. Chooses LYNX Medical Systems' Emergency Department E/Point Online Charge Capture Solution

LYNX will help consistently capture E/M charges and increase regulatory compliance at 53 Triad healthcare sites

January 3, 2007—Bellevue, WA—LYNX Medical Systems (LYNX), the leading provider of emergency medicine documentation and revenue management solutions, today announced that an agreement had been reached with Triad Hospitals, Inc. (Triad) to implement LYNX E/Point Online facility charging software throughout their system of 53 hospitals nationwide.

In early 2006, Triad announced a 45-month initiative focused on designing and implementing a standardized health information system. The Triad IT Initiative will position the health system as the leader in clinical excellence and business transformation by standardizing health information. This will be achieved by employing a core set of highly integrated and functional clinical and revenue cycle applications. These standardized applications are expected to enhance the care delivery capabilities of its hospitals and will help provide the technology platform required to support long-term growth.

Soon after this announcement, Triad and LYNX initiated a pilot E/Point Online program by implementing the software at 7 Triad hospitals in five different operating divisions. The program was to gauge the ease and effectiveness of the application in capturing E/M charges, and whether it would integrate with Triad’s earlier IT investments in McKesson and Perot Systems. After employing the E/Point Online application at 7 sites, Triad determined that LYNX E/Point Online met or exceeded Triad’s stringent requirements and contracted to deploy E/Point Online at all 53 Triad sites in the U.S. Implementation of the software is scheduled through 2007.

“The LYNX product is the most effective system we’ve used. It’s both easy and effective in capturing the most accurate ER-level charges,” stated Bill Huston, Triad’s senior vice president of Finance.

E/Point Online is a browser-based ED facility charging application that will allow Triad ED staff to accurately record work performed during the course of patient care. Employing the proprietary LYNX Outpatient Facility Charging Algorithm, the software automatically and objectively calculates the ED visit level. E/M charge assignment is consistent, compliant and complete. Once assigned, the application then extracts charges to the hospital billing or financial system. E/Point Online helps ensure that facility charging is based on complete patient documentation, thereby increasing both compliance and defensible reimbursement. Hospital management can also access a variety of financial and clinical reporting tools to better manage ED operations and enhance the quality of patient care.

Founded in 1999, Triad Hospitals, Inc. is the third largest hospital company in the United States. Triad, through its affiliates, owns and manages hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers in small cities and selected larger urban markets. The Company currently operates 53 hospitals (including one under construction) and 12 ambulatory surgery centers in 17 states with approximately 9,790 licensed beds. In addition, through its QHR subsidiary, the Company provides consulting, education, intensive resources and management services to hospitals and health systems throughout the United States.

“LYNX shares Triad’s vision and passion for continuously improving the quality and delivery of healthcare,” said Gene Cattarina, president and CEO of LYNX Medical Systems. “We are proud that Triad selected LYNX as one of its partners in this system-wide endeavor.”