8/16/2016 – Tampa, FL

Tampa, FL, August 16, 2016 – Researchers will be able to study whether a group of commonly used drugs affect the onset of Parkinson’s disease, thanks to a new grant partnership between the University of South Florida and HealthAxis Group.

The grant, totaling $63,818, is part of the Florida High Tech Corridor Matching Grant program, which is used to help fund the development of commercially applicable technologies. The new partnership will include HealthAxis Group, along with two areas of USF: the Muma College of Business and the USF Byrd Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center.

The study will focus on the connection between a specific common class of beta blockers, which are normally used to treat heart conditions or high blood pressure, and the effect they may have on the onset of Parkinson’s disease symptoms. The study will use anonymous HealthAxis electronic health record data and could yield results that will affect future prescriptions of beta blockers, as well as scientists’ understanding of Parkinson’s disease itself. The researchers will also look for any medical markers that make it easier to reduce the risk of potentially dangerous and expensive side effects.

He Zhang, an expert in healthcare information and medicine technologies, is a USF business professor who is the lead investigator on the project. Zhang believes this interdisciplinary research will yield important results.

“This is an example of the impact of big data,” said Zhang. “Health care, business, and technology can be used together to improve efficiency, encourage significant savings and inform a doctor’s decision.”

“By analyzing this large database we hope to uncover hidden patterns that would otherwise be impossible to detect,” added Dr. Robert Hauser, director of the USF Byrd Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center. “Any associations we find could have immediate implications for how these medications are used, and laboratory researchers would work to discover how these medications affect the disease process itself.”

“This work is the culmination of a decade of effort in developing and growing comprehensive electronic medical record data with the goal of uncovering unexpected medical findings in a manner that was not possible when we embarked on this mission,” said Dr. Cyril Spiro, Chief Medical Information Officer at HealthAxis Group, and the founder and developer of the electronic medical record system.

“One of HealthAxis Group’s significant long term goals is to build the most complete and actionable repository of healthcare data available anywhere,” explained Shilen Patel, HealthAxis Group’s CEO. “Efforts like this validate the potential of such a resource in facilitating everything from global best practices to fully informed and personalized care protocols, and through collaborative work with extraordinary institutions like the University of South Florida and the healthcare delivery organizations who use our enterprise software solutions, we can maximize the life-changing possibilities of all the insights that emerge from our analytical efforts.”

In order to receive the Florida High Tech Corridor Matching Grant, a high-technology company in Florida must partner with a federal lab or one (or more) of the corridor universities. The corridor consists of three Florida universities: USF, the University of Florida and the University of Central Florida.

The Matching Grants Research Program has invested a total of $62 million in funds to the corridor, which has created an output of $938 million in “quantifiable downstream impacts,” and a grand total project value of $1.18 billion.

About HealthAxis Group, LLC

Through its affiliated companies, HealthAxis Group provides outstanding information technology and service solutions that help payers and providers work more efficiently and collaborate to deliver better health with improved efficiency and lower costs. HealthAxis Group helps healthcare organizations address compliance; improve administrative efficiency; lower cost, and improve quality and delivery of care. Payer solutions include benefits administration platforms, web portals, network & application management, consulting, BPO, and transaction services. Provider offerings include practice management solutions, electronic medical records, and technology services that help providers operate more efficiently and effectively.

About the University of South Florida
The University of South Florida is a high-impact, global research university dedicated to student success. USF is a Top 25 research university among public institutions nationwide in total research expenditures, according to the National Science Foundation. Serving over 48,000 students, the USF System has an annual budget of $1.6 billion and an annual economic impact of $4.4 billion. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference.

Media contacts: Courtney Winstead, HealthAxis Group. courtney.winstead@healthaxis.com

 

11/15/2013 – Tampa, FL

Combined Companies will Enhance User Experience, Establish New Market Opportunities and Enable New Technology & Services

Healthaxis Group, LLC announced that it has acquired Torrance, California based eHealthCare Systems, Inc. This transaction adds eHealthCare Systems’ proven hosted software solutions to HealthAxis Group’s technology portfolio. The acquired technologies will feature in HealthAxis Group’s Provider, Payer, and Coordinated Care Solutions. Paul Woodcock will retain his current responsibilities with respect to eHealthcare Systems’ customers, products and services. To support the eHealthcare’s aniticipated growth, Healthaxis Group has expanded the company’s California based sales and implementation teams, and has supplemented its development team by adding new software development staff to its software team at Healthaxis Group’s Tampa headquarters. “These investments are a first step towards an ambitious long-term vision for information-driven healthcare,” said Shilen Patel, Chairman of HealthAxis Group.

“eHealthCare Systems’ technology and industry focus created a natural fit for our two companies.”, said Patel. “Together, we are creating superior technology and service platforms for the entire Healthcare ecosystem, closing the gaps among patients, providers, and payers. The portfolio of technology and services at HealthAxis Group positions us to be premier partners for the integrated, data-driven healthcare organizations of the future.”

Paul Woodcock, Founder and President of eHealthCare Systems, said, “This transaction serves the long-term interests of eHealthCare Systems’ users and provides compelling new opportunities for our employees, customers, and partners around the country. We have already shared a productive partnership with HealthAxis Group: formally integrating into the Group was simply the logical next move.”

Mr. Patel continued, “In addition to plans to augment the impressive growth in California, Paul (Woodcock) will collaborate with our teams in Florida and Texas benefiting from the wider base of HealthAxis Group resources in areas such as software development, nationwide sales & marketing, and customer support.”

The acquisition of eHealthcare Systems enables Healthaxis Group to enhance its industry leading benefit platform solutions for insurance payers and adds practice management solutions and Electronic Health Records for providers. HealthAxis Group will also incorporate eHealthcare Systems’ technology into its management and reporting system for IPAs, MSOs, and ACOs.

About HealthAxis Group, LLC

Through its affiliated companies, HealthAxis Group provides outstanding information technology and service solutions that help payers and providers work more efficiently and collaborate to deliver better health with improved efficiency and lower costs. HealthAxis Group helps healthcare organizations address compliance; improve administrative efficiency; lower cost, and improve quality and delivery of care. Payer solutions include benefits administration platforms, web portals, network & application management, consulting, BPO, and transaction services. Provider offerings include practice management solutions, electronic medical records, and technology services that help providers operate more efficiently and effectively.

About eHealthcare Systems, Inc.

eHealthCare Systems, Inc. provides Web-based medical, dental, IPA/Managed care, and health plan management application solutions using a software-as-a-service (SaaS) business model. eHealthCare software products provide robust support for managing IPA managed care organizations, commercial health plans, medical and dental practices, Federally Qualified Health Centers, community clinics and rural health centers. eHealthCare Systems also offers professional IT and consulting services to support its customers’ changing needs.

More information about eHealthcare Systems can be found on the web at: https://www.ehealthcaresystems.net/

Media Contacts (for media and analysts only): Courtney Winstead, HealthAxis Group. courtney.winstead@healthaxis.com