BlueWare’s founders recognised that hospitals were drowning in paper. Even the smallest hospital on their client base generated two million pieces of paper a year. A software solution that created a secure repository for all that paper was becoming imperative by sheer volume. But perhaps even more important was how all that paper could affect the actual quality of care.

BlueWare was founded in 1993 with the vision to create an all digital health record for all populations by a group of IBMers including Rose Harr. BlueWare’s software, now called BestBond, aggregates patient information from disparate systems (as well as paper) and merges the information into a common view of a patient’s entire health history that is extremely user-friendly. From the north woods of Michigan, BlueWare has become a principle player in healthcare technology. The BestBond software suite is now used by more than 200 healthcare facilities through the United States and Europe

BlueWare’s stellar solution has not only lead the company to massive growth, but to numerous awards as well, including: 2008 IBM Beacon Award for Innovation Excellence in Healthcare, 2006 Michigan Top 50 Companies to Watch, 2005 IBM Beacon Award for Best DB2 Solution Worldwide.

Benefits

Our EDM solution brings benefits for numerous stakeholders involved in delivering the best possible patient experience:

• Instant access to patients’ entire medical history from any location is a critical factor in creating more efficient processes and achieving Department of Health objectives
• Centralised digital storage eliminates the possibility of lost records
• Linking clinicians, lab results and the wider care community in one integrated system helps promote greater patient safety and faster and more effective care
• Our modular solution means hospitals can start at the entry level that suits them, with minimum capital expenditure
• It requires no immediate upgrade of current Health Information or EPR systems, but it provides a very cost‐effective platform for future improvements
• The system is guaranteed to be resilient regardless of any other hospital systems failing

All of these benefits and features offer the opportunity to reduce operational costs, cut waiting times, achieve more patient consultations per day and reduce the possibility of litigation. The workflow and ordering functions deliver back‐office efficiencies, creating even more hospital‐wide benefits.

Security

BestBond manages clinical risk and aids in clinical governance and compliance by providing a complete audit trail which tracks:

• Who accessed information
• What was accessed
• When information was accessed
• Why information was accessed
• Any action that was taken

System Administrators set up various user profiles and manage who can see what types of information. Physician groups manage which users are associated with which patients. Documents can be locked down and viewing restrictions can be placed on certain patients, or specific documents to ensure patient privacy. Automatic time‐log out and warning messages offer preventative privacy control.

Global Expansion

In 1999, BlueWare went nationwide across the USA. 2005 marked BlueWare’s global expansion with the opening of BlueWare’s International Headquarters in Andover, England.

Information Research

BlueWare's interoperability and cutting edge leadership comes from working world wide with HIMSS, customers in England, Ireland, China 2010, Scotland, USA, & Guam, the NHS, and US for profit and not for profit customers.

Technology Innovation:

Going Digital

Whilst ‘going digital’ is undoubtedly a major undertaking, it is also a fundamental requirement to achieving organisational, operational, strategic, departmental and patient‐relevant goals. For many hospitals, creating an EPR system at acceptable cost and without disruption to daily services poses a major challenge. For example, many hospitals have an integrated PAS system, but it is likely to include only some interfaced applications. Other clinical systems remain standalone with the whole enterprise still dependent on error prone, time‐consuming, multiple‐entry paper based records.

The main purpose of creating and maintaining an Electronic Patient Records (EPR) system are to make critical diagnostic information available at the point of need, whenever and wherever that may be; to link records to other patient care providers and administration systems; and to give patients themselves ownership of their own records.

Our Electronic Document Management (EDM) solution moves from scanning and storing a paper record in a centralized computer system, to integration with other hospital systems and devices, and then to making patient information available to the wider care community.

The result is accurate, easily updatable electronic patient records that are information rich. The solution can store video, sound and images, as well as graph data such as laboratory results. As it integrates with other hospital and patient administration systems, it provides a complete view of the patient’s health, as well as workflow capabilities.

A Single Portal View

Once the system is up and running, everyone who needs it has every patient’s entire medical history instantly at their fingertips, via a single, secure web portal.

Secure access is assured from every location, including remote locations such as a patient’s or clinician’s home.

This single portal view enables users to have a single login to access multiple sources of information. If, however, access is required via other means, we can offer the following access options:

• Via a ‘hot key’ from any clinical information system or EPR screen
• Via other portal technology

Key Components

• Base with Electronic Capture
• Clinical Document Scanning
• B‐Forms
• Digital Pen
• Clinical Multimedia & Integration Engine
• Patient Accounting Document
• Registration & Convenience Scanning
• eChart (with Security)
• Health Information Exchange
• Ambulatory Health Record
• eSignature with Workflow
• Chart Completion with Release of Information
• Document Conversion
• Medical Records Scanning
• Legacy Document Management
• PACS Integration
• eForms Generator – create and deploy eForms instantly.
• Training Tutorial
• Human Resources Document Management
• Purchasing & Receiving Document Management

In 2008, with a new Application Development Team, BlueWare released the most significant new software release in half a decade, BestBond Version 4. The new version offered significant Revenue Cycle Management workflows and was a Software as a Service offering. BestBond Version 4 continued to expand with the addition of biomedical device support, an electronic training module and electronic data entry capabilities in 2009.

2009 marked the release of Version 5 as well, which was the initial cross platform release of BestBond.

In 2010, BlueWare launched BestBond Version 6 at Smart Healthcare in London with great success.

BlueWare continues to bring healthcare IT advancements that facilitate secure information sharing among large populations and communities. Regardless of working with small US community hospitals, large US multi sited healthcare corporations, or large hospital trusts in the United Kingdom, BlueWare’s goal is to connect the healthcare community, whether large or small.

Management Expertise:

Rose Harr, is a dynamic entrepreneur and humanitarian. She is the sole owner of BlueWare, which is a certified Women Owned Enterprise and IBM Premier Business Partner. With electronic health records in the forefront of the future in Healthcare IT, Harr envisions a worldwide Health Information Exchange with BlueWare’s software leading the way. Prior to launching BlueWare, Harr graduated from Michigan State University and was employed by IBM as an Advisory Systems Engineer, Health and Image Specialist, and an AS/400 Advances Application Team Leader. During her 13-year tenure with she implemented two HBOC systems, resulting in $4.5 million in revenues.

As a member on the IBM PartnerWorld Advisory Board and member of the Health Information Management Systems Society, she continuously increases her knowledge and network within the technology industry. Harr is committed to being a voice for women in business and holds memberships with the Women Presidents’ Organization--South East Michigan Chapter and the Enterprising Women Board of Directors.

Harr’s successful management of BlueWare and innovative application of technology to the healthware industry has led to the company’s worldwide growth and recognition:

• 2010 release of BestBond v6.0 revolutionizes EHR industry with icon based interface, multiple platform capabilities and new consumer driven modules for increased patient care and provider response capabilities
• 2010 Harr was a featured Panelist Speaker on ‘Leading Internet Based Enterprises’ at the Global Summit of Women in Beijing, China, with over 1,000 women from over 80 countries in attendance
• 2009 BestBond v4.0 continues to expand with the addition of biomedical device support, an electronic training module, and with electronic data entry capabilities
• 2009 BlueWare was a finalist for the ‘Top Women Owned Businesses in West Michigan’
• 2008 under Harr’s direction, BlueWare released the most significant new product release in half a decade, BestBond version 4.0. The new version offered significant Revenue Cycle Management workflow and revolutionized Software as a Service offering.
• 2008, 2007, 2006 BlueWare awarded the IBM Beacon Award—Innovation Excellence in Healthcare
• 2007 BlueWare was listed in INC Top 5,000 Companies
• 2007 Harr honoured with distinction of an Enterprising Woman of the Year, by Enterprising Women Magazine
• 2007 Harr spoke to women business leaders at the Global Summit of Women, Berlin, Germany.
• 2006 BlueWare received the distinction of being one of Michigan’s Top 50 Companies to Watch.
• 2005 BlueWare expanded internationally and opened an office in Hampshire, United Kingdom.

BlueWare’s Clinical Document Management System has been instrumental in saving hospitals time, money and patient lives in more than 200 facilities across the United States and Europe. BestBond’s unobtrusive and quick installation allows hospitals to immediately use digital technology for the storage and retrieval of patient health records. Hospitals that have implemented our software have seen a return on investment in six months or less, while physicians using the system now spend three extra hours a day on patient care instead of patient charts.

In 2009, BlueWare continued to enhance its management capability by hiring Nick Geaney as Managing Director. His impact was immediately realized by a 33% growth in sales and a 35% improvement in productivity.

Also in 2009, Deena Edwards received a deserved promotion to Vice President of Finance which contributed greatly to the 33% growth in sales and 35% improvement in productivity through Finance, Human Resources and Cost Containment.

In 2010, BlueWare promoted Donald Blodgett to Vice President of Professional Development.

Client Importance

BlueWare's track record in the EMR/EHR market can be linked directly to customer input. BlueWare has a user group every year where we discuss clients' ideas and product improvement.

Giving Back to the Community

BlueWare is a an avid supporter of:
Muscular Dystrophy Association
Oasis
United Way
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Local High School Band
Local Fire Fighters
and many more causes

Corporate Profile

Our View

BlueWare believes in a healthcare environment where information is accessible, accurate, and comprehensive. We devote our work to advancing a lifelong electronic health record repository that interoperates with various systems to create the most complete record on the market. We believe that we can utilize each system within an integrated healthcare delivery network to coordinate all patient information together in one user-friendly system, creating the all digital health record from “cradle to grave”.

Our Passion

BlueWare employs a staff of highly skilled and certified professionals, teachers and healthcare leaders to perform in two distinctive areas, Industry Consulting and Product Software Development Specialization in healthcare. Our associates are proficient in healthcare and information systems, and are familiar with the issues of today’s healthcare provider.

Our Commitment

BlueWare strives to address challenges and develop software solutions that take into consideration the concerns of healthcare providers; cost, installation time and training. We are committed to the integrity of our service and to building relationships with our clients as they grow and prosper. Our undertaking is to build upon the platforms currently in place. Leading the industry in interoperability is one of our initiatives, and we devote much of our research and development efforts to assisting the healthcare industry in creating interoperable health records for health information exchange.

Our Vision

BlueWare is creating a world where healthcare is improved by giving the right people the access to the right information at the right time. We believe that working collectively; we have the tools to lengthen the life expectancy of mankind. We carry this worldwide vision to each and every community we serve.