The Greater Buffalo United Accountable Healthcare Network, or GBUAHN, is one of 33 health homes found in New York State. The company connects healthcare industry professionals to offer housing assistance, physician referrals as well as access to healthy food and transportation. While there are other health homes throughout the state, GBUAHN is the only one that utilizes a CMS-Certified Electronic Health Record (EHR): MEDENT.

“I’ve been using MEDENT for 23 years, and I’ve never had to find another EMR,” said Dr. Raul Vazquez, M.D., president and chief executive officer of G-Health Enterprises in October. G-Health Enterprises consists of GBUAHN, the Greater Buffalo United Independent Physician Association (GBUIPA), the Greater Buffalo United Accountable Care Organization (GBUACO) and Urban Family Practice.

While touting MEDENT’s ability to compete against big players, Vazquez favored MEDENT over companies like Cerner or Epic. This recognition stems from MEDENT’s ability to tailor its services to each of its clients without costing them a fortune. In this audio clip, he also acknowledges MEDENT’s in-house use of its EMR. From the programmers to the hardware techs to the receptionists, everyone at MEDENT uses the EMR to complete tasks and communicate with one another. Like our clients, we are also users.

champions of the kiosk

Jason Isbrandt, Director of Strategic Physician Partnerships for G-Health Enterprises, demonstrates the efficiency of a MEDENT self-check-in kiosk at GBUAHN in Buffalo, New York.

In addition to serving as the only health home in New York to have a licensed EMR, GBUAHN stands out as the only one to utilize check-in kiosks, granting its members access to this technology for nearly two years prior to anyone else.

“The kiosk was a good add-on (for MEDENT), and it was executed well. It’s a check-in tool, but that’s not what it really is. It’s really a way to make sure you’re completing a lot of tasks that are often missed,” Vazquez said, referring to the kiosk’s ability to automatically prompt patients to complete necessary enrollment procedures. The kiosk is also capable of alerting office staff of a patient’s arrival, any updates made to patients’ personal information and if any payments are made — all while complying with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act’s (HIPAA) privacy regulations.

G-Health Enterprises uses five MEDENT kiosks among its locations. Strategically placed in foyers to help prevent congested waiting areas, these kiosks are also programmed with Spanish language modules to be inclusive of a heavy Spanish-speaking constituency.

In the past two years, MEDENT has provided 100 kiosks to health practices in the northeast. More and more providers are realizing how much time can be saved through a kiosk’s efficiency.