Accounting Challenges

The pediatric biller’s job would be easier if accounts all paid on time and insurance companies always reimbursed the correct amount. Unfortunately, accounts build up balances and credits and insurance companies overpay, underpay, and demand “takebacks”.

Read and watch from the list below to learn how to use PCC’s tools to handle common accounting challenges.

As always, contact PCC support at support@pcc.com or 802-846-8177 or 800-722-7708 for help. We can walk you through any of these procedures and help you make configuration changes to meet your practice’s needs.

Practice Management Program Name Index

PCC’s previous product software suite, Partner, was a collection of individual programs. The programs all had a single-word name for easy reference.

This document is a glossary of the old program names, with brief descriptions of their function.

Deprecated: In most cases, the programs or tools list below have been replaced by a modern solution in PCC EHR. Contact PCC Support for help finding the right tool for your office’s needs.

activity
The Insurance Activity Summary (activity) provides a quick review of all activity for each insurance group for any date range. Because activity displays the number of visits and charges, you can quickly see which companies make up the largest part of your business. Since payments per visit are also on the report, you can use activity to begin evaluating which companies are paying you well and which are paying you poorly.
addblock
The Add Blocks (addblock) program adds a single block to the Partner schedule for a given date, provider, block type, and time range. Use addblock to quickly block a specific time from a provider’s schedule. You can also review existing blocks, read block notes and remove blocks from within addblock.
aging
The Insurance Accounts Receivable Summary (insaging) shows an aged summary of your practice’s outstanding charges broken down by insurance group. Use it to see which carriers owe you the most money and how old those balances are. insaging is also a quick way to see your total A/R, and it can help you determine which insurance carriers need special attention. The report lists the percentages of your A/R for which each insurance group is responsible.
autopip
Autopost Insurance Payments (autopip) automatically processed and posted adjudication from ERAs sent to your practice. This functionality has been replaced by the Electronic Remittance Advice tool in PCC EHR. See Post Insurance Payments.
AniTa
AniTa was a Windows program that some clients used to connect directly to PCC practice management tools before PCC EHR. TeraTerm was an older program used for the same purpose. PCC did not write AniTa or TeraTerm. These tools have been replaced by Practice Management in PCC EHR.
appts
The Appointment Summarizer (appts) is a powerful scheduling analysis report. In appts, you can list appointments by a variety of criteria and subtotal by provider, visit reason, and other items.
ardays
The A/R Days (ardays) report ages your accounts receivable and shows the number of days of work outstanding in each aging category. ardays can tell you, for example, how many days of your accounts receivable are over 90 days old.

autoflag
Partner can automatically mark patients who haven’t visited recently as “Inactive”. Partner can also automatically add any other status flag based on any set of criteria available in the Patient Recaller (recaller). You can work with your PCC account team to create up to six sets of unique criteria for assigning status flags. Later, you can use autoflaglog to see what flags were assigned to patients. Contact PCC Support for help configuring autoflag.

autoflaglog
When your practice uses autoflag, you can review which patients were marked as Inactive with the autoflaglog program. After you run autoflaglog and enter a date range, you will see a list of all patients who received the Inactive flag.
backups
The backups program makes backups of your PCC Server. Backups occur every night, automatically, either into a cloud backup service or onto a local backup tape. You can run backups manually if you need to create an additional backup or if the nightly backup failed.
bills
The bills program generates personal bills.
bump
The bump program lists overlapping appointments for any given day.
byins
The byins report lists all insurance plans by their insurance group. Insurance groups are important because many financial reports use them. Use byins to review your insurance groups and find problems, then make changes to the groups in the Tables tool in PCC EHR.
byproc
The byproc report lists all procedures by their procedure group. Procedure groups are used by various reports. Use byproc to review your procedure groups and find problems, then make changes to the groups in the Tables tool in PCC EHR.
byprov
The byprov report lists all of your providers sorted by provider group. Provider groups are used by several programs and reports. Use byprov to review your provider groups and find problems, then make changes to the groups in the Tables tool in PCC EHR.
caprep
The Capitated Plan Member Report (caprep) provides usage numbers which can help you evaluate the pros and cons of a capitated plan.
ced
The Configuration Editor (ced) contains lists of questions that control the behavior of some PCC programs.
cfs
The Special Accounts Editor (cfs) generates an interactive list of accounts. The available lists are based on your office’s status flags or one of several built in criteria, such as overdue accounts or accounts with credits.
chart
The Appointment Book Displayer (chart) was written to help users pull charts. It displays a single provider’s appointments for a single day without showing spaces for available appointments. chart is usually shorter than the scan report, making it easier to read and print.
checkin
The Patient Checkin (checkin) program is a Practice Management program used to confirm or update a patient’s demographic, insurance, and balance information. It has been replaced by Patient Check-In in PCC EHR.
checkout (formerly chuck)
The Checkout program (checkout) is a Practice Management program used to posts procedures, diagnoses, payment, and accompanying claim information. It has been replaced by Post Charges in PCC EHR.
chuck -d
The chuck -d command runs a report that displays all of the charge-posting screen data and HCFA configuration data for your system. If there are any apparent errors, the word “ERROR” will appear in the report’s output. When you run chuck -d, you can use the pipe symbol to send the output to less. At a command prompt, type “chuck -d | less”. This will prevent the report’s text from scrolling off your screen.
coll
The Collection Report (coll) shows detailed information about outstanding charges for a single account. Basic demographic information and payments for any date range are also available in the report. coll can also display all payments from a family during a certain time period, such as a full tax year. The Collection Report has been replaced by the Encounters with Outstanding Personal Balances function available during Patient Check-In, in the Payments tool, and in other screens in PCC EHR.
cscb
The Consistent Sick Call Blocker (cscb) places multiple blocks in Partner’s schedule according to a specified date range and list of providers. cscb works from block template files that must be edited before running the program.
csedit
The Charge Screen Editor (csedit) allows you to configure which diagnoses and procedures appear on the charge posting screen in checkout, the charge posting tool found in Practice Management. You can link custom lists of procedures and diagnoses to different locations, providers, and visit reasons.
curimms
The Current Immunization (curimms) report and the Epidemic Prevention (epidemic report both check for missing immunizations. The curimms report output can be added to any encounter form and will show you if your system does not have a record for a specific immunization for the patient. The epidemic program can be run on an entire age group and will list all patients who do not have immunization records that meet your system’s configurable immunization standards.
cvxreport
The Immunization CVX Configuration Reports (cvxreport) program lists your practice’s immunizations and diseases, along with the CVX codes currently assigned in your Immunization and Disease table. When you have a CVX code assigned to an immunization, the report also displays that code’s official CDC name. Use this report to get a quick look at your configuration and spot any immunizations with missing or incorrect CVX codes.
dailycheck
The Daily Check program (dailycheck) lists all visits posted on a single day and includes every diagnosis, procedure, amount charged and payment posted. Use dailycheck to review a day’s postings and compare them against the encounter forms. Many office managers run dailycheck every evening or early the following morning.
daysheet
The Daysheet report shows all charges, payments, and adjustments for any date range or a single day. If problems arise while balancing out at the end of a day, the daysheet report can help reveal why. Every entry includes the poster’s username. The report includes erased or “oops-ed” items, and there are many useful sorting and subtotal options.
deposit
The deposit report lists all cash, check, and charge payments posted on a single day or date range. Check deposit against your cash drawer at the end of the day or the end of a shift. Each item includes the username of the person who posted the payment. This report has many powerful sort and subtotal options.

dsscan
The Daysheet Scan (dsscan) lets you view all daysheet entries for one particular account. You can see every charge, payment, or adjustment that was posted or deleted on the account, along with the user who performed the action. dsscan is useful when a charge is posted by one user and deleted by another user, or when the account or deposit report is difficult to understand.
duplicates
The Duplicate Account/Patient Report (duplicates) shows all accounts and patients that have a duplicate entry in Partner. If your office frequently adds a new account or patient when they should be editing an old one, duplicates can help you clean up the double entries.
ebs
The Submit Electronic Bills (ebs) program runs the bills program for electronic personal billing. ebs sends your personal bills to a company that prints and mails them for you. You must have a contract with the company before you can run this program.
ECS
The ECS Submission (ECS) program, along with the preptags program, were used to process and submit your insurance claims electronically. They have been replaced by Submit Claims in PCC EHR.
ecsreports
The ecsreports program displays electronic claim submission reports, ebills reports, and electronic remittance advice (ERAs). The program displays incoming reports by date and includes a category view and various search features for finding and working with old reports. Run ecsreports when you need to find out why a claim was rejected or need proof of timely filing. A full catalog and explanation of the reports inside ecsreports is available in the EDI Reports ([prog]ecsreports[/prog]) manual.

elig

The Eligibility (elig) program displays patient insurance eligibility. Use the program to view a list of appointments and their accompanying eligibility information, request an eligibility update, or make notes or set a status about eligibility. While using the program, you can also contact the patient’s family and update insurance information.
epidemic
The Epidemic Prevention program (epidemic) creates a list of children who are missing a specified immunization. The output is based on your immunization configuration and patient records, so a review of your configuration and patient records is essential before running the program. See also: currimms.
escb
The Extended Sick Call Blocker (escb) places blocks in Partner’s schedule based on a selected date, time range, and provider. Use escb to add extra blocks, of any type or size, for a certain week.
fame
The Family Editor (fame) manages account information. Run fame to update family demographics, add a new insurance policy to an existing account, or add a new account to Partner. From within fame, you can also review a billing summary, run a collection report, or review an account’s transaction history.
findem
The Advanced Find Routines (findem) allow you to find and list patients by a wide range of criteria. For example, you can use findem to find patients by insurance certificate number, home address, or immunization lot number.
full
The full report displays an abbreviated daily schedule for several providers, side-by-side. Along with the time and provider, the report lists the length of each appointment, the patient’s first initial and last name, and the visit reason.
hcfa
The HCFA Form Generation program (hcfa) prints paper insurance claims.
hmo
The HMO report generates an age distribution for each primary-care physician for any of your practice’s insurance groups. Run hmo to find out how many patients under five years old have BCBS and Dr. Smith as their primary care physician. The same information is available in the recaller, but hmo lists all physicians for all age ranges in a single report, and includes subtotals.
immcheck
The immcheck report will list all of the details surrounding immunization and physical configuration at your office. When you run immcheck, you should use the pipe symbol to send the output to less. At a command prompt, type “immcheck | less”. This will prevent the report’s text from scrolling off your screen.
imms
The Immunization Record (imms) stores an immunization record for every patient. Run imms to review immunizations or print an immunization record.
immsreg
The Immunization Registration (immsreg) sends your patient immunization records to a state or commercial immunization registry.
inquire
The Scheduler’s inquire program displays a list of any patient’s appointments. You can review a patient’s appointment history, see details about upcoming appointments, and cancel or reschedule any appointment.
insaging
The Insurance Accounts Receivable Summary (insaging) shows an aged summary of your practice’s outstanding charges broken down by insurance group. Use it to see which carriers owe you the most money and how old those balances are. insaging is also a quick way to see your total A/R, and it can help you determine which insurance carriers need special attention. The report lists the percentages of your A/R for which each insurance group is responsible.
inscoar
The Insurance Accounts Receivable Detail (inscoar) report provides a detailed, charge-by-charge accounts receivable report for your insurance companies. Use inscoar to find unpaid insurance charges and to work on old, overdue charges. You can also run inscoar interactively, allowing you to jump into different programs and research or modify charge information while viewing the report.
inscows
The Insurance Company Work Sheet (inscows) program generated a worksheet for planning the behaviors of a new insurance plan. The worksheet helped a user visualize which procedures would require a copay, appear on a claim, be adjusted off at time of service, and so forth. As PCC Support now handles the creation of custom insurance configuration files (“Special Information Files”), they no longer use this worksheet with practices.
ira
The Insurance Company Reimbursement Analysis (ira) produces a number of different reports with a wide range of customizable options. You can use ira to show procedure and charge activity for an entire year, compare the work done by different providers, evaluate the reimbursement levels of different insurance companies, and track payment of individual charges. With powerful subtotal and criteria options, ira is a catch-all report that can answer many important questions when you are making financial decisions for your practice.
lab
The Lab Work Database (lab) stores lab orders, prints lab order forms, and records lab results.
listins
The List Account/Patients By Insurance (listins) report produces lists based on insurance plan effective dates for any plan or group of plans. Use listins to find all patients who have a particular insurance plan during a specified date range.
maketags
Resubmit HCFA Forms (maketags) is an insurance billing program that finds and rebatches large groups of unpaid or paid claims. After running maketags, you can send the batched claims using ECS or hcfa.
ministats
The ministats report produces a break-down of your practice income for a given date range. How much money did you receive from credit card payments? How much did Aetna pay you last month? What was the total of all personal checks for 2005? ministats can answer those questions and more.
nimms
The Nurses Immunization (nimms) program adds immunizations to a patient’s record. The advantage of nimms over imms is that you can add multiple immunizations quickly while adding provider and immunization lot information.

notify

The Patient Notification Center(notify) is a configuration tool for creating one-time or recurring notifications for appointment reminders, patient recall, and other purposes. After creating a notification, Partner automatically contacts patients by phone, text, or email.
notjane
The Patient Editor (notjane) manages patient information. Run notjane to update patient information, view an immunization record, research visit history, or read about a patient’s major diagnoses and allergies.
oops
The Correct Mistakes program (oops) can make changes to posted procedures, including the insurance status and many visit details that appear on a claim. Use oops to change a procedure’s diagnoses or add a resubmission number.
oopslog
The Daily Corrections Log (oopslog) can help you research daily activity in the oops program. If you are having trouble understanding what happened with various charges or payments, the oopslog can show you a complete record of all activity in the oops program for any day.
openpmts
The Open/Unlinked Payments (openpmts) report lists credits and payments that are not linked to a specific charge. Partner automatically applies unlinked payments towards each account’s balance, but payments are difficult to locate or understand if they are not linked. openpmts can be subtotaled in various ways to help you clean up accounts with unlinked payments.
pam
The Post Regular Payments (pam) program, posts personal payments or adjustments to an account. pam can quickly post a stack of checks or a single co-pay.
patinfo
Within the Patient History report (patinfo) are the Visit History report and the Diagnosis History report. The Visit History includes a section with major diagnoses and a section that lists each visit date along with the provider, diagnoses, and procedures for that date. The Diagnosis History shows each diagnosis that has been posted for the patient and lists each date that diagnosis was given.
pen
Phone Encounter Notes (pen) records and reports on phone calls. Nurses can use pen to record details of a phone call and jump into scheduling or a patient’s record. Providers can later review and process flagged phone calls using pen‘s interactive reporting features.
persview
The Personal Money Tracking Assistant (persview) is an interactive report for managing accounts with outstanding personal balances. Use persview to manage personal billing. You can limit persview to show families that are extremely overdue or who owe more than a specific amount. From persview‘s output, you can mail bills or form letters for one or many accounts. You can also jump directly into other programs for more information about an account on the report.
pip
The previous Post Insurance Payments program (pip) was used to manually post insurance payments and adjustments. It has been replaced by Insurance Payments in PCC EHR.
pnpscan
The Appointment Book Displayer by Location (pnpscan) shows scheduled appointments for one or more providers and can be limited to a specific location.
policy
The policy program was used to manage an account’s insurance information. It was available directly from the Practice Management interface as well as in checkin, fame, or checkout. It has been replaced by the policy component in PCC EHR.
policylog
The policylog program displays a log of all changes made to a patient’s insurance policy records. If an insurance policy was accidentally deleted or edited, you can use policylog to review what changes were made. You can run policylog from within the policy program or from a command prompt.

prenc
The prenc program, also called the “Print Encounter Forms” program, was used in Partner to print encounter forms for the day. It has been replaced by the Print Visit Forms tools in PCC EHR.
prepare
The prepare program recompiles your schedule with new hours. Whenever you make changes to a provider’s hours in profile, you must run prepare for them to take effect.
preptags
The preptags program prepares insurance claims that are waiting to be submitted and runs the ECS program.
printpatstats and specstats
The Print Patient Statistics (printpatstats) program generates a series of printed charts on demographic data such as sex and age distribution. While this information is available in other reports, some prefer the visual representation of printpatstats. Run specstats to use the recaller screens to limit the patients included in the report.

If you would like to see a comparison chart of patient age but want to exclude patients who have left your practice, run specstats and use the recaller screens to exclude various patients. After you are finished making criteria selections, printpatstats will run automatically.

profile
The Provider Profile Machine (profile) sets the work hours for each provider. Run profile when you need to edit providers’ IN and OUT times. You can have more than one “profile” or set of work hours.
provids
The Provider ID Editor (provids) allows you to override providers’ standard ID numbers submitted with insurance claims.
prscprint
The prscprint report will show every provider’s in and out times for a given date or date range. When you are configuring multiple providers’ schedules and need a quick view of who is in and out of the office, prscprint is a quick and easy reference.
ra
The Partner Windows (ra) is a collection of pick-lists for running different Partner Programs. New Partner users use the ra windows to find and run Partner Programs. Most Partner users see the ra program automatically when they log in. The alternative to using ra is to run programs from a command prompt.
recaller
The Patient Recaller (recaller) builds patient or account lists based on a wide range of criteria. In addition to producing customizable lists, the recaller can generate form letters and address labels.

Use recaller to recall patients for physicals, find patients who received a certain procedure, list patients based on a status flag, generate appointment reminder postcards, review a list of patients with asthma diagnoses, or view patients who have a particular insurance plan. You can mix and match these and other options and modify the report output to include information about the patient or their account(s).

referral
Referral (referral) records referral information, tracks referrals for each patient, and generates referral forms and referral reports.
refund
Post Refunds (refund) posts refunds, account adjustments, and penalty fees. Items posted in refund behave similarly to charges posted in checkout. For example, you can link a payment or a credit to a refund, and each refund type can be found in the procedure table in ted.
rmscb
The Remove Sick Call Blocks (rmscb) program removes blocks of any type based on a date range and provider list. Run rmscb to remove lots of blocks from your schedule at once.
rolo
The Rolodex (rolo) is a basic address list storage program. It can manage many different rolodex lists for different purposes and includes a basic search function.
sam
The Scheduling Appointment Minder (sam) schedules appointments for patients.
scan
The Appointment Book Displayer (scan) displays the day’s schedule for one or more providers. In scan, you can flip through the days of your schedule using the right and left arrow keys.

PCC can customize the information shown in the scan report. Along with normal schedule information, it could show you who scheduled each appointment and the date the appointment was made.

scrod
The Provider Schedule (scrod) program tells Partner which days providers work and which days they are off. scrod is a calendar on which you configure a provider to work their regular hours, work a special profile, work other “strange” hours, or go on vacation.
spectstats
See printpatstats.
squish
The squish report displays an abbreviated schedule for any provider for an entire week. The report lists each visit reason, the length of the appointment, and the patient’s name.
srs
The Smart Report Suite (srs) is a report library in Partner. srs contains dozens of powerful, customizable reports, all run with a consistent interface.
tater
The Account History Report (tater) provides a complete history of all transactions on an account. tater reports on all charges, payments, refunds, and other transactions. Use tater to track a running balance or produce a detailed financial report on a family.
TeraTerm
TeraTerm is a Windows program that connects a PC computer to Partner. You run all Partner programs by first running TeraTerm and logging into Partner. AniTa is a newer program used for the same purpose. PCC did not write AniTa or TeraTerm.
ted
The Table Editor (ted) contains a list of lists used by Partner. It was replaced by the Tables tool in PCC EHR in 2025.
tickle
The Tickler Module (tickle) is an automatic email reminder program. Use tickle to create reminders or messages about patients and accounts that will be delivered at a later date to a specified email account. Some offices use a list of tickle messages as a cancelation list for appointments.
twomonths
The twomonths report sends a calendar-style schedule directly to your default Partner printer. You can run the twomonths report from a command prompt.
useradmin
The User Administration (useradmin) program adds or locks-out Partner users, changes passwords, and modifies permission lists for some Partner functions.
utilize
The Insurance Utilization (utilize) report shows you all of the patients who visited during a given date range and had a certain insurance carrier as their primary payor. For example, utilize shows you who your Aetna patients were last year, how many times they visited, and how much was charged to them.
waffle
The Friendly Form Letter Editor, waffle, makes changes to Partner’s form letters. Use waffle to modify existing form letters or create new ones.

CPT II in PCC

Your PCC system supports the American Medical Association’s CPT II code specification, a subset of the standard CPT codes used for procedures.

CPT II codes, commonly used for Medicare billing, report performance measures and can show how well offices are meeting quality measures (PQRI – Physician Quality Reporting Initiative). They are not like regular procedure codes, and they have no associated price. They identify a condition and the clinical component for assessment of that condition.

Should You Participate?: Some insurance carriers may offer pay-for-performance bonuses to practices that use CPT II codes. You can enroll in these programs with your insurance carriers, use the codes during checkout and billing, and payors will then evaluate whether clinical improvement was achieved and send you an incentive bonus.

Procedure Code Guidance: The procedure codes discussed in this article are intended only as examples. You should consult the AMA’s current CPT Coding Guide and work with your insurance payers to verify what codes you should report on claims. Your practice updates and maintains your billable procedure list, codes, and prices in the Procedures table in the Tables configuration tool on your PCC system.

Coding with CPT II, an Overview

How do CPT II codes relate to ICD-9/ICD-10 and regular CPT codes?

Providers use ICD-9/ICD-10 diagnosis codes to indicate patient conditions. They use CPT codes to record the office visit and clinical procedures. The provider may use CPT II in addition to CPT codes in order to indicate how diagnoses and treatment relate. Some CPT II codes are redundant with ICD-9 codes.

What are CPT II modifiers?

There may be extenuating circumstances for why particular care is not performed. If you report those circumstances using CPT II codes with special modifiers (1P, 2P, etc.) you can remain in compliance with a carrier’s Pay for Performance goals. This may happen when a family refuses care, for example.

What CPT II codes and measures are common for pediatrics?

Only a small subset of the total CPT II codes are of interest to pediatricians. The most common relate to Asthma and Pharyngitis. The table below lists common pediatric CPT II codes. Note that new PQRI measurs and CPT II codes are added regularly.

Code Description
4015F Use this code for patients diagnosed with asthma to indicate whether or not they were prescribed long-term medication or acceptable alternative treatment.
1005F Use this code for patients diagnosed with asthma to indicate whether the patient was evaluated for frequency (numeric) of daytime and nocturnal asthma symptoms.
4120F Use this code for patients diagnosed with URI (Upper Respiratory Infection) or Pharyngitis who were prescribed antibiotics on or within 3 days of visit.
4124F Use this code for patients diagnosed with URI (Upper Respiratory Infection) or Pharyngitis who were *NOT *prescribed antibiotics on or within 3 days of visit.
3210F Use this code for patients diagnosed with pharyngitis who received a group A strep test.
4130F Use this code for patients diagnosed with Acute Otitis Externa who were prescribed topical preparations
1116F Use this code for patients diagnosed with Acute Otitis Externa who were assessed for Auricular or periauricular pain.
4132F Use this code for patients diagnosed with Acute Otitis Externa who were *not* prescribed Systemic antimicrobial therapy.
4131F Use this code for patients diagnosed with Acute Otitis Externa who were prescribed Systemic antimicrobial therapy.
2035F Use this code for patients diagnosed with OME (Otitis Media with Effusion) who had assessment of tympanic membrane mobility with pneumatic otoscopy or tympanometry.
3230F Use this code for patients diagnosed with OME (Otitis Media with Effusion) to indicate documentation of hearing test performed within 6 months prior to tympanostomy tube insertion.

You can learn more about CPT II by visiting the American Medical Association’s web site about CPT II. Visit http://www.ama-assn.org/ and search for CPT II.

Get Started with CPT II in PCC

Read the procedure below to learn more about CPT II and the steps for PCC system implementation.

Research and Evaluate Your Options

Work with your carriers to understand the guidelines of their CPT II, PQRI and pay-for-performance agreements. Evaluate the additional work your providers, front desk, and billing staff will need to perform to implement CPT II on your encounter forms, charge screens, and during the checkout and billing process.

Sign Up or Enroll

In some cases, you may need to adjust your contract or “opt in” to a carrier’s pay-for-performance program before beginning.

Decide What CPT II Codes to Implement

Study the CPT II codes your carriers accept and develop a plan for the codes your office will use. PCC’s coding expert can answer basic questions, and you can learn more about CPT II from the AMA.

Add CPT II Codes to Your PCC System

Use the Tables tool to create the CPT II code entries in the Procedures table.

  • Assign a $0 price for these new procedure codes. Your carriers may have special guidelines or require a $.01 charge for all procedures, so double-check their coding requirements.
  • Assign the accounting type of “Revenue – CPT II”. This will ensure that the codes are cataloged properly during reporting.

Adjust Your Office Workflow and Configuration

Work with your providers and your billers. Teach them how to select the correct CPT II codes along with tradition diagnosis and procedure codes. You may need to adjust your encounter forms and charge screens. Contact PCC Software Support at 800-722-1082 for help.

Post Charges and Use CPT II

Once you begin using CPT II, you will be able to run procedure-based reports and track your posting compliance. Contact PCC Support for help finding specific reports.

Post Pay-for-Performance Bonuses

If your pay-for-performance work results in an incentive payment from an insurance carrier, post that money into a holding account. You may create a holding account and patient named for the insurance company.

For your accounts to balance, PCC recommends you post an adjustment when you post the payment. To learn more about posting pay-for-performance bonuses or other unusual income, read Post Capitation Checks, Incentive Payments, Interest Payments, Overpayments, and Withhold Payments. You may wish to create new incentive payment types in the Payments table with the name of the insurance carrier.

Reporting: As CPT II procedures have no revenue, they should not adversely effect your reporting. You can run procedure-based reports to watch CPT II coding trends as with any other code. Posting CPT II codes (which should all have a $0.00 amount) will not affect per-visit reimbursement analysis.

Installation Specifications for PCC Systems

Introduction

Welcome to PCC. The instructions below contain a detailed explanation of the hardware installation requirements for PCC systems. These specifications define what is included in your PCC Customer Care Plan and provide information to help you avoid problems during the design and installation of your office network.

Please read these instructions carefully, whether you are a new PCC client, opening a new office, or upgrading your existing PCC hardware. Offices that do not adhere to these guidelines violate the terms of their subscription agreements with PCC and may also experience system problems and service delays.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call PCC Support at 802-846-8177 or 800-722-7708, or send your question to support@pcc.com. We are always glad to help!

Read a Summary of Network and Equipment Services: PCC's Technical Solutions Team provides a Network and Equipment Services guide which includes answers to common questions around what PCC installs, how equipment is maintained, how backups are performed, and more.

The PCC Server

Unless otherwise specified, your PCC system will be a LINUX-based server network. This section includes important guidelines for the placement and maintenance of your server.

  • PCC recommends that you place the PCC Server away from the front-desk area to limit its exposure to physical activity.
  • The PCC Server consists of the computer itself, a monitor, and keyboard. The monitor and keyboard are often called “the console.” The console must be within two feet of the Server.
  • A typical layout places the PCC Server on a firm, level desk or held vertically in a computer stand. The PCC Server may have a number of peripheral devices attached directly to it (an uninterruptible power supply, a modem, a backup drive, network switches, etc.), so make sure you have ample space for the PCC Server.
  • Do not use the PCC Server console as a workstation. It is for system operations, backups, error messages, or emergency access to your system.
  • The PCC Server and attached equipment should be positioned so that your practice’s System Administrator has easy access to them for daily backup maintenance and troubleshooting. Ideally, a phone should be nearby for support assistance.
  • Dust is a computer’s worst enemy. Please make sure that the new home for your PCC system is thoroughly cleaned before the computer is installed. Also, please make arrangements for the area around the computer to be cleaned on a weekly basis. Cleaning should be done by someone familiar with the computer system so that if cables or adapters are accidentally knocked loose they can be properly reconnected.
  • Ventilation is also very important for your computer. It is preferable to set up the system on a shelf where it is free from other objects and can ventilate properly. If you plan on putting the computer in a closet, make sure the closet is properly ventilated and that the server has ample space around it.
  • During a typical install visit, PCC installs your server and connected equipment. However, PCC cannot cut holes in your walls, ceilings, or furniture for cabling. You are responsible for arranging such work to be completed before the PCC Server is installed.
  • If you need to reinstall or move your practice’s PCC Server (such as in the event of an office move), PCC can provide free telephone assistance, given 2 weeks notice. PCC can also visit your office and reinstall the hardware for a standard per-day on-site charge.

Other Approved Hardware

The purchase and installation cost of your PCC Server and some associated equipment is included in your subscription plan. The purchase and installation cost of your individual PCs, printers, or other workstations is not. For complete details regarding approved hardware, read the PCC Supported Hardware Guide at learn.pcc.com.

  • Placement: Place workstations, terminals, printers, and personal computers where they will be most useful to you. Carefully consider how the hardware will be used. For example, each workstation should have enough room in front of it for a keyboard and should be located near a network outlet and power supply. Laser printers need space to open their paper feed drawers.

  • Security Updates and Virus Protection: It is important to perform security updates and maintain virus protection on your personal computers. You should have someone in your office learn how to perform these updates or contract with a local vendor for this service.

  • Printers: PCC recommends you purchase network capable, PCL or postscript printers that can meet the demands of a busy office. A typical office might choose to purchase a front-desk printer, a lab area printer, a billing printer, and a centralized copier/printer/scanner. Contact PCC Support at (800)722-1082 or support@pcc.com to discuss your printer options or to check on the compatibility of a specific printer model.

  • Setup and Installation Help: PCC can help you install recommended hardware. Hardware purchased after your initial installation will be installed by your System Administrator using phone assistance from PCC.

  • Other Included Hardware: A standard PCC installation includes one or more network switches, an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), and an external modem. You may wish to purchase other equipment, such as additional surge protectors for your individual PCs, but you do not need to supply one for your PCC Server.

Internet Requirements

Operation of your PCC products requires a reliable internet connection of sufficient bandwidth and speed. Business-class internet service over fiber or cable is strongly recommended. PCC will verify that the service you currently have is adequate. If you are ordering new service or upgrading existing service, PCC can help you with your internet service order. PCC requires that your internet service be operational before we install your server and network equipment.

PCC will work closely with you to help you chose the right service. PCC’s minimum requirements are an internet connection with a download speed of 10 Mbps and an upload speed of 3 Mbps. Internet service with download speed of 25 Mbps or better and an upload speed of 5 Mbps or better will give your office superior performance. These requirements may change over time. If you have remote offices that will be connecting to your main office over the internet, there may be additional requirements. PCC requires that your internet service be provisioned with a static IP address. If fiber or cable is unavailable at your office location(s), or you cannot otherwise purchase service that meets our requirements, PCC will work with you to see what other options are available.

Your internet service provider’s (ISP) equipment should be terminated near your PCC router, typically at the PCC server location. Your ISP may require the purchase of a cable modem or similar device, but you do not need to purchase a router or firewall (PCC will provide one). PCC will manage routing of the internet connection and sharing it with the computers in your office.

Electrical Requirements

PCC recommends that you install a dedicated, 3 prong, 110 volt, negative-grounded outlet for the PCC Server’s power supply. PCC will supply a power backup unit, also know as an uninterruptible power supply, to protect the PCC Server from power fluctuations and outages. Please make any necessary arrangements with your electrician to ensure that you have a dedicated electrical outlet.

If a dedicated outlet is not installed, you may use a regular wall outlet, provided that it is properly grounded and that there is no electronic equipment on the same circuit with a heavy electrical draw. Equipment that causes problems often includes (but is not limited to) photo copiers, microwave ovens, refrigerators, coffee makers, air conditioners, and most medical equipment. Hardware on a non-dedicated electrical circuit is more likely to experience difficulties due to power draws and surges.

PCC also recommends the use of surge protectors for each of your peripheral devices (PC workstations, printers, modems, etc.).

Cable Requirements and Specifications

PCC requires that your office has a gigabit Ethernet network using Category 5e cabling (or better). PCC will install and maintain network equipment to support a TCP/IP network in your office, including a firewall(s), Ethernet switch(es), and wireless access points as required. PCC will not install the premise cabling upon which the network operates.

You must contract with a local vendor to install or make changes to your office’s network cabling.

General Cabling Guidelines and Recommendations

  • All cabling for devices (printers, PC workstations) must run to one central location in the office where PCC will install a network switch and the PCC Server. The design should look a lot like an octopus, with many arms returning to a central location. Do not run a ringed network, resembling a big circle, around the office.
  • If you cannot run all cables to the same central location where the PCC server will reside, you can run them to a central location where the switch and hub will be located. You may then need two or more cables running to the PCC Server location from the switch. Contact PCC for help designing your wiring plan.
  • Cables must be labeled at both ends for PCC to identify the cables correctly. Installation delays and additional charges can result if cables are not properly labeled.
  • For peripherals located more than a few feet from the PCC Server, cables are typically run through the walls, ceilings, and floors of your office. This not only has aesthetic advantages, but it eliminates exposure of your cables to tugging, tearing, and disconnecting. Plan a path for running each cable. Avoid running cables outside of the walls. Where unavoidable, use wiring guides to cover cables that cross between walls. Ideally, there will be a “home run” through which all cables will travel to a patch bay.
  • Finally, PCC suggests that you consider running additional cabling to locations that could house workstations or printers in the future. This will save the expense of rehiring an electrician when you expand your office.

Important: Once you have decided where the servers, workstations, and printers will be located in your practice, you need to arrange to have your office cabled properly by an electrician. PCC cannot install cable in the walls, ceilings, or floors of your office.

 

Technical Details about Your Network

The details below are for network support personnel or your practice’s System Administrator. In the event that you need assistance from a local network support group or if you are really interested in the technical underpinnings of your network configuration, this is where to look first.

Please Note: The information below describes our desired configuration. Your office may use a different network configuration, especially if you had an existing network before your PCC installation.

IP Address Assignment

Your network will be configured using a DHCP server provided by your PCC Server. This means that whenever you turn on a machine that is connected to the network, it will query the DHCP server on the PCC Server for its IP configuration. This allows PCC to keep the entire configuration of your network in one place and makes it easy to expand, enhance, and adjust your network configuration.

Your network will not use static IP addresses entered into each machine. While this is a very easy way to set up a network initially, it is very inflexible and time-consuming to maintain.

Your DHCP server will assign a specific IP address to each network device, based on that device’s unique MAC address. This will allow PCC software to route printing tasks to the appropriate printer.

Please note: If there is an existing network with a DHCP server, the old DHCP server must be disabled so that the PCC Server can provide DHCP services. A network can only have one DHCP server.

Email

Your PCC Server includes an email server and an available e-mail account for each user at your practice. Users can access their email from any browser using the Roundcube mail software. PCC provides training and support for Roundcube.

PCC will only assist you with configuration, support, and troubleshooting of your PCC email account.

Remote Offices

There are many different ways to connect to your PCC Server from a remote location. PCC will help you design and select solutions to meet the needs of your practice.

Remote connections usually require high-speed internet access in both locations and may also involve additional connections, routers, or other equipment.

The wiring in your remote location needs to accommodate the type of remote office connection used. The termination of the internet connection in your remote location must be in an area near the PCs or routers they serve. As with your main office, the wiring design should look like an octopus, with many arms returning to a central location.

You may have a choice of remote office connection solutions with varying prices and features.

DSL or Cable Internet Connections

Cable and DSL internet connections are the two most commonly available high-speed internet solutions. They are usually sold by your local cable television or telephone service provider. In most situations, routers and additional equipment are not necessary.

When each location has a high-speed internet connection using DSL or Cable service, PCC connects the two locations with single or multiple virtual private network connections, as previously described.

PCC Downloads

This page contains software downloads that help you connect to PCC’s software or that facilitate PCC services. Some of these items were created by a third-party. If you are uncertain what download you need, please contact PCC Support at 802-846-8177 or 800-722-7708.

PCC Downloads Page

Each client has their own download page that can be accessed with a web browser and gives you direct access to important PCC downloads, as well as links to PCC support and our online documentation at learn.pcc.com.

The url is simply your PCC acronym followed by pcc.com/downloads. So, if your acronym was ABCD, your downloads page would be at https://ABCD.pcc.com/downloads

PCC EHR

If you need to download or update PCC EHR software for your individual PC or Macintosh computers, follow these instructions:

Macs running the Sequoia operating system may require additional steps when installing PCC EHR for the first time. Please reach out to PCC Support for assistance.

Tools for Connecting From Home

PCC SecureConnect is a secure way to log into your full PCC system from a supported web browser on any laptop or computer that is connected to the internet. Every practice has a PCC SecureConnect login page from day one.

To learn more about how to log in via SecureConnect, read Connect to Your PCC System from Home 

You can find information about how to authorize your staff to use SecureConnect in Authorize Users for PCC SecureConnect.

ScreenConnect and ConnectWise View

Your practice can use ScreenConnect and ConnectWise View tools to grant PCC live access to your workstation for faster support, troubleshooting, and training.

To learn more about how to share your screen with PCC during triage calls, read Share your Screen with PCC.

ICD-10 Training Resources

ICD-10-CM is the official diagnostic code language for U.S. medical insurance billing, as defined by CMS and NCHS. It is a national variant of the international ICD-10 language, and it was officially adopted on October 1, 2015.

This article includes training opportunities, useful links, and other resources to help practices with ICD-10.

Many of the materials below were prepared around the time of the ICD-10 transition. They may still be useful to your practice. In 2015 and 2016, PCC provided free consultation, classes, and system configuration for the ICD-10 transition. Now that ICD-10 is in use by every medical practice, we are happy to help clients as they encounter new coding challenges. Call or e-mail PCC to learn more about our training opportunities, software configuration tools, and other ways we can help you get ready for October.

Attend or Watch PCC Pediatric Coding and ICD-10 Web Lab Training

During the ICD-10 transition, PCC offered a monthly web lab on coding and related topics. We continue to offer periodic web labs as well as “billing drop-in” events. PCC’s certified coder, Jan Blanchard, provides insight on code set conventions, how to document different kinds of visits, and answer your questions about ICD-10 implementation.

Register for a Web Lab: To sign up for a PCC web-lab, visit http://www.pcc.com/weblabs/ to pick a date and sign up.

Watch a Recorded Web Lab: You can review past web labs to get caught up and see more examples of ICD-10 in action. Watch Archived Coding Web Labs

Listen to an ICD-10 Podcast Presentation (2015)

The first episode of PCC’s “Confessions of a Pediatric Practice Management Consultant” podcast is all about ICD-10.

Chip Hart explores the impact of ICD-10 on pediatrics with PCC’s Jan Blanchard, CPC, CPEDC. They discuss the importance of documentation, the state of readiness of pediatric practices, EHR vendors and carriers, the role of episodes of care in coding, resources available to pediatricians, and more.

Click here to visit the podcast page

Watch an All-Day ICD-10 Training Course (2015)

In 2015, PCC offered twelve all-day ICD-10 seminars in cities around the country. Students learned about pediatric coding for ICD-10, both from the clinician and biller point of view.

This video is a 4-hour cutting of our session in Texas. Contact support@pcc.com to learn more.

Watch a 4-Hour Session Video: Click to Watch “2015 PCC ICD-10 Training Seminar“.

You can also download:

PCC’s ICD-10 Don’t Panic Guide (2015)

PCC prepared the following guides in the lead up to the ICD-10 transition.

  • PCC Software ICD-10 To-Do List: This at-a-glance checklist shows you all the various configuration tools and issues in PCC Software that you may want to consider in preparation for ICD-10. Use this as a last-minute review to be sure your PCC configuration will be ready for October 1st. If any of the issues on this list surprise you, contact PCC Support for help.
  • ICD-10 Notes for Notes: How can you make it easier to select the best ICD-10 codes for each patient issue? PCC’s Jan Blanchard has created a quick reference on pediatric-specific topics, from ADHD and asthma to UTIs and Well Care visits. For each problem, this document provides keywords for quickly looking up the best diagnosis descriptions on the chart note. ICD-10 Notes for Notes is a guide to the details clinicians should be sure they include in encounter notes in order to support choosing the most specific possible ICD-10 codes available. PCC’s ICD-10 training workshops taught attendees how to make their own reference sheet, but in the absence of your own, you can use this one to get started.
  • CMS’s ICD-10-CM Tabular Lists and Indexes of Diseases and Injuries: CMS.gov’s page with index and tabular lists of ICD-10 tables.
  • Common Pediatric Unspecified Codes: This is a list of common pediatric codes for which the “Unspecified” version may be appropriate and defensible. When you have more detail, you should always document and code for it. This list, however, shows common circumstances where the additional detail may not be available.
  • Sample Superbill from AAP

Look Up ICD-10 Codes for Patient Diagnoses

If you are filling out a form or need the ICD-10 code for a patient’s diagnosis, you can use the Diagnosis Flowsheet in a patient’s chart to quickly get the codes you need.

For more information, read the Look Up ICD-10 Codes for Referrals, DME, Requisitions, and Pre-Authorizations article.

Other Links, Resources, and Publications

Here are some other useful links to ICD-10 materials. This list was collected from various seminars and training that PCC either attended or led.

Call Us

Call or e-mail PCC Support at any time to talk about ICD-10 and the specific needs of your practice.

We can work with your office to create custom solutions, provide additional training, and work with you to get your practice ready for the changes.

Diagnostic Code Sets (SNOMED-CT, ICD-10, ICD-9) in PCC’s Software and Services

PCC’s software and services include support for several diagnostic taxonomies.

How does PCC software support SNOMED-CT, ICD-10, and ICD-9?

Overview

  • SNOMED-CT: In the patient’s chart, clinicians record all diagnoses with SNOMED-CT. They select SNOMED terms during assessment or when updating a patient’s Problem List, for example. SNOMED is a detailed vocabulary that is ideal for charting and is required by industry standards. Programs such as PCMH and ARRA’s “Meaningful Use” prefer SNOMED-CT for the identification of patient diagnoses.

  • ICD-10: When billing for a visit, a practice must use ICD-10. Physicians select SNOMED-CT diagnoses in the chart, and PCC EHR can automatically select or suggest the appropriate ICD-10 codes for billing. Physicians can make additional coding choices (such as laterality) in the chart, and a practice’s biller or a billing service can also make adjustments when they review charges for the claim. Each practice can directly adjust the automatic mapping between SNOMED-CT and ICD-10 in order to meet their billing needs.

  • ICD-9: While ICD-9 is no longer an active or maintained code set, patient medical records may still contain ICD-9 descriptions and codes. ICD-9 may appear on old chart notes in PCC EHR, in billing records, and even on a patient’s Problem List. As you work with a patient’s chart, PCC recommends that you replace the ICD-9 Problem List entries with appropriate SNOMED descriptions.

Reporting: PCC’s reporting tools, including the customizable Report Library in PCC EHR, the Smart Report Suite, and your Practice Vitals Dashboard, all understand and report on both SNOMED and ICD-10 diagnoses. Some reports also support ICD-9 filtering. Consistent implementation of a coding taxonomy leads to excellent reporting. In addition to meeting requirements for insurance carriers, mandates, or incentive programs, consistent diagnosis language leads to improved patient recall and powerful tools for evaluating your practice’s clinical and financial health.

Look Up ICD-10 Codes for Patient Diagnoses

If you are filling out a form or need the ICD-10 code for a patient’s diagnosis, you can use the Diagnosis Flowsheet in a patient’s chart to quickly get the codes you need.

For more information, read the Look Up ICD-10 Codes for Referrals, DME, Requisitions, and Pre-Authorizations article.

Software and Configuration Considerations

As your office works with SNOMED-CT and ICD-10, here are some configuration topics you should consider. Feel free to contact PCC Support to discuss any of these issues.

  • Billing Configuration for PCC EHR: PCC EHR includes a diagnosis billing code mapping for common pediatric codes, but your practice can configure which SNOMED diagnosis descriptions map to which ICD-10 billing codes with the Billing Configuration tool. If you wish to review and update all of your common code mappings, you may find the snomedmap report useful.

  • Charge Screens and Posting Charges: Your practice can customize PCC’s software and services to meet their workflow. For example, your practice may adjust both the electronic encounter form that appears in PCC EHR and the charge posting screens to make selection of appropriate codes faster and easier.

  • Custom Diagnoses Descriptions: The ICD-10 and SNOMED-CT lists on your PCC systems are a national standard (based on a broader, international standard) and can not be edited. However, your practice can select which alternative or preferred SNOMED description appears in your charts in the Diagnosis Configuration Tool.

  • Favorites: When you start to type a diagnosis in PCC EHR, it automatically searches for matching diagnoses to help you. First, it looks from a subset of the complete list, your practice’s diagnosis “Favorites” list. You can customize which diagnoses appear in this smaller Favorites list. Next, you can also right-click in a diagnosis field to search the entire SNOMED-CT list.

2015 Transition to ICD-10

As the medical industry moved away from ICD-9 and towards ICD-10 and SNOMED, PCC offered educational opportunities and created special tools to help practice’s handle the interaction between the different taxonomies. We now continue to offer web labs, videos, and coding classes to help your practice with your ongoing coding challenges.

Read the ICD-10 Resources article to learn more.

Call Us

Call or e-mail PCC Support at any time to talk about SNOMED, ICD-10, and the specific needs of your practice.

We can work with your office to create custom solutions, provide additional training, and work with you to meet your coding needs.

How to Chart for Each Clinical Quality Measure in PCC EHR

You can use PCC EHR to collect data for the Clinical Quality Measures (CQMs) required by PCMH, the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program (“Meaningful Use”), and other mandate and pay-for-performance programs.

Read the article below to learn how to chart and configure your system in order to record medical information for each of 9 pediatric Clinical Quality Measures. By following these recommendations, and training your practice on charting workflow for CQMs, you can make sure that PCC EHR records the correct data to calculate your CQM performance.

Important Steps to Chart for Any CQM in PCC EHR

The issues below affect every Clinical Quality Measure that PCC EHR measures, along with other reporting in PCC EHR.

Who is the Provider of Encounter?

Clinical Quality Measures are calculated based on patient visits with specific eligible professionals, where the professional is the provider of encounter (PoE).

The PoE for a visit is listed at the top of every chart note. By default, it is defined when the visit is scheduled or when the chart note is created (for a walk-in visit). However, your practice can change the PoE when a different clinician sees the patient.

  • Check Your Practice Workflow: You should review your practice’s workflow to make sure that the provider at the top of the chart note is not changed for billing or patient management reasons. You should only change the provider of the encounter if a different clinician actually sees the patient.

  • Check Your Scheduling Providers: You should review your practice’s provider configuration to make sure the correct provider appears at the top of each chart note. For example, if you do not have a clinician listed correctly, or your practice schedules for a placeholder physician, you may want to review your configuration with PCC Support or review the steps in Add and Configure a Clinician.

  • Individual Clinicians vs. Practice Wide Reporting: As you review your list of providers, keep in mind that the EHR Medicaid Incentive Program (“Meaningful Use”) required CQM reporting individually, for each eligible professional. PCMH programs require CQM reporting in aggregate for your entire practice.

Know Which Codes (Value Sets) to Use for Each CQM

The NIH maintains a repository of codes used for public reporting purposes in its Value Set Authority Center (VSAC). The CMS eCQM Value Sets specify the various codes required for each Clinical Quality Measure.

For a few of the CQMs, PCC recommends using specific codes, such as when creating screening orders for depression. If this is the case, the recommended codes will be provided. Otherwise, links will be provided to the appropriate eCQM Value Set, on the VSAC website, and you can choose from the list of acceptable code(s) published for that data element.

Following is an example of a note from the ADHD Follow-up Care CQM section of this article:

You will need to have a username and password to access the eCQM Value Sets. It is a simple process to get access to the site; you will be directed to the application page from the login screen if you do not already have an account, or you can click here to request one.

It only takes a couple of minutes to fill out the request, and it generally takes only a day or two to receive your password.

What If I Don't Have Time/Don't Want a VSAC Account?: If you prefer not to setup and account on the VSAC website, or want access to the list of codes while you wait for your account to be approved, you can download the eCQM Value Sets spreadsheet and manually search for the list of codes you need. Each CQM has its own tab, and you can filter or sort by the “Value Set Name” column. The “Code” column displays the codes used within the measure.

Use Visit Codes to Record that a Visit Occurred

To correctly populate Clinical Quality Measures, your office should always use the “Bill” button, review the diagnoses and procedures for each visit, and select an appropriate visit code.


If your office does not use the electronic encounter form, contact PCC Support for help getting started.

What Visit Codes Should My Practice Use?: Valid encounter codes may vary from CQM to CQM, but generally include standard sick and well visits.

For example, the Childhood Immunization Status CQM calculation is based on patients who have an encounter code in one of the following Value Sets: “Office Visit”, “Face-to-Face Interaction”, “Home Healthcare Services”, “Preventative Care- Established Office Visit, 0 to 17”, and “Preventive Care- Initial Office Visit, 0 to 17”.

If you have questions about whether a specific SNOMED-CT, CPT, ICD-10, or other code meets the requirements for any CQM, you can reference the VSAC website. Alternatively, you can open the downloaded eCQM Value Sets spreadsheet, click on the tab for the appropriate CQM, and search/filter by the QDM Category “Encounter”.

How to Run the Clinical Quality Measures Report and See Your Practice’s Current Results

You can check your practice’s numbers for each CQM at any time.

The Clinical Quality Measures Report is available in the Reports menu in PCC EHR. Read the Run the Clinical Quality Measures Report article to learn how to run the report and e-mail the results.

Some of Your “Scores” May Be Low or May Be Zero

Clinical Quality Measures are designed to evaluate certain patient populations and compare chart activity to coding. You do not need to have a “high score” in order to qualify for the EHR Medicaid Incentive Program or to achieve PCMH recognition. The overall goal of CQM is to show improvement over time, and you can not show improvement for patient populations you do not serve.

It is important that you chart in such a way that the CQM tool can evaluate your score, but it is often not as important that you have a non-zero score. In fact, the new Dental Decay measure works in reverse, where decreasing your percentage over time is the goal. This is in contrast to the Meaningful Use Measures, for which your practice must meet certain threshold percentages in order to qualify for the ARRA incentive.

Pediatric CQMs Overview Chart: Adjust Your Practice’s Configuration and Visit Workflow

For a quick understanding of each measure, use the table below. You can click the “More Details” or “Show Me How” links to jump directly to a longer description, accompanied by screenshots and examples.

CMS NQF Measure Name Calculation Description Configuration in PCC Clinician Workflow
2 0418 Preventative Care and Screening: Screening for Clinical Depression and Follow-Up Plan For all patients seen by the eligible professional during the reporting period, who were 12 years old or older before the beginning of the reporting period, who did not have a depression diagnosis or contraindication, who did not refuse the service, what percentage received a depression screening, and, if the result was positive, received additional followup care, such as a suicide risk assessment?
(More Details)
  1. Add appropriate SNOMED-CT procedures and/or LOINC tests to screening orders, such as adolescent depression screening and suicide risk assessment orders.
  2. Add SNOMED-CT procedures to psychiatric or other depression-related referral orders.
  3. Add depression screening orders to your chart note protocols for any visit that could be charted for a patient who is 12 years or older.

(Show Me How)

  1. When you see a patient who is twelve or older, order and perform an age-appropriate depression screening.
  2. Enter a result to indicate the order is complete.
  3. If the result is positive, order and perform an additional depression evaluation, followup, or suicide risk assessment, or refer the patient for additional help or prescribe an appropriate medication.
  4. Alternatively, enter a depression diagnosis or a contraindication diagnosis in the Diagnoses component or in the patient’s Problem List, and/or click “Refused” for either order.
  5. Make sure the correct clinician is indicated on the chart note, click “Bill”, and select an appropriate visit code.

(Show Me How)

75 N/A Children Who Have Dental Decay or Cavities For all patients seen by the eligible professional during the reporting period, who were between 0 and 20 years old, what percentage had tooth decay or cavities?
(More Details)
PCC EHR’s standard installation includes all of the configuration required in order to chart for this measure. Optionally, your practice can edit your chart note protocols to make it easier to record dental health and/or order followup dental care.

(Show Me How)

  1. When you see a patient and perform the exam, evaluate dental health.
  2. If a patient has dental caries, add an appropriate diagnosis description to the Diagnoses component and/or to the patient’s Problem List.
  3. Make sure the correct clinician is indicated on the chart note, click “Bill”, and select an appropriate visit code.

(Show Me How)

117 0038 Childhood Immunization Status For all patients seen by the eligible professional during the reporting period and turning 2 years old during the reporting period, what percentage had four diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP); three polio (IPV), one measles, mumps and rubella (MMR); three H influenza type B (HiB); three hepatitis B (Hep B); one chicken pox (VZV); four pneumococcal conjugate (PCV); one hepatitis A (Hep A); two or three rotavirus (RV); and two influenza (flu) vaccines by their second birthday, or had a documented history of the illness, seropositive result for the antigen, or a contraindication for a specific immunization?
(More Details)
PCC EHR’s standard installation includes most of the configuration required in order to chart for this measure.

    • Depending on the specific brand of immunization your practice uses, and when your practice came online with PCC, your practice may need to review and update your immunization CVX codes.
    • Optionally, your practice may want to review and update your chart note protocols to ensure they display the Immunizations component and display each age-appropropriate immunization order on every chart note.

(Show Me How)

  1. When you see a patient, review their immunization history and update their immunization record.
  2. Order and administer age-appropriate immunizations.
  3. Enter any relevant contraindications, allergic reactions, or evidence of immunity on the patient’s Problem List or in the Diagnoses component on the chart note.
  4. Make sure the correct clinician is indicated on the chart note, click “Bill”, and select an appropriate visit code.

(Show Me How)

126 0036 Use of Appropriate Medications for Asthma For all patients seen by the eligible professional during the reporting period, who were between 5 and 64 years old, and have an active, persistent asthma diagnosis during the reporting period, what percentage were prescribed or had an active prescription for an appropriate medication?
(More Details)
PCC EHR’s standard installation includes all of the configuration required in order to chart for this measure.

(Show Me How)

  1. When you see patients, chart any appropriate asthma diagnoses in the Diagnoses component and/or the patient’s Problem List.
  2. When appropriate, prescribe asthma-related medications.
  3. Review medications with all patients at every visit. If a patient is prescribed asthma-related medications by a specialist or other clinician outside of your practice, update their medication history with that information.
  4. For each visit, make sure the correct Provider of Encounter clinician is indicated on the chart note, click “Bill”, and select an appropriate visit code.

(Show Me How)

136 0108 ADHD: Follow-up Care for Children Prescribed Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Medication For all patients who were newly dispensed a medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during the reporting period, who were between 6 and 12 years old, what percentage had appropriate followup care, including a follow-up visit with a practitioner with prescribing authority during the 30-Day Initiation Phase, and, if remaining on the medication for at least 210 days, had at least two additional follow-up visits with a practitioner within 270 days (9 months) after the Initiation Phase ended?
(More Details)
PCC EHR’s standard installation includes all of the configuration required in order to chart for this measure. Optionally, your practice can maintain an ADHD-specific chart note protocol, and include follow-up visit orders within that protocol.
(Show Me How)
  1. When you see patients, prescribe ADHD-related medications when appropriate.
  2. Review medications with ADHD patients at every visit. If a patient is prescribed ADHD-related medications by a specialist or other clinician outside of your practice, update their medication history with that information.
  3. Schedule at least one follow-up visit with a prescribing clinician during the 30-day Initiation Phase, dated from when the ADHD medication is dispensed.
  4. If the patient is remaining on ADHD medication for a longer period, schedule periodic follow-up visits with a prescribing clinician. Specifically, after the 30-day Initiation Phase, make certain the patient is seen for a follow-up at least twice within the following 9 months.
  5. For every visit, make sure the correct Provider of Encounter clinician is indicated on the chart note, click “Bill”, and select an appropriate visit code.

(Show Me How)

146 0002 Appropriate Testing for Children with Pharyngitis For all patients seen by the eligible professional during the reporting period, who were between 2 and 18 years old, who were diagnosed with pharyngitis during the reporting period, who were prescribed an antibiotic within three days of an encounter, for what percentage of those encounters did patients receive a group A streptococcus (strep) test?
(More Details)
PCC EHR’s standard installation includes all of the configuration required in order to chart for this measure. You may want to review your order configuration for group A streptococcus (Rapid Strep) orders, and/or edit your chart note protocols to make it easier to diagnose pharyngitis and create orders.
(Show Me How)
  1. When you see patients, chart any appropriate pharyngitis diagnoses in the Diagnoses component and/or the patient’s Problem List.
  2. When appropriate, create and complete lab orders to test for group A streptococcus and enter results in the lab order.
  3. When appropriate, prescribe antibiotics.
  4. Review medications at every visit. If a patient is prescribed antibiotics by a specialist or other clinician outside of your practice, update their medication history with that information.
  5. For every visit, make sure the correct Provider of Encounter clinician is indicated on the chart note, click “Bill”, and select an appropriate visit code.

(Show Me How)

153 0033 Chlamydia Screening for Women (Summary) For all female patients seen by the eligible professional during the reporting period, who were between 16 and 24 years old, who were sexually active, what percentage had at least one chlamydia test during the reporting period?
(More Details)
  • Review and update your Chlamydia test lab orders, as well as Pregnancy test orders and medical procedures that indicate a patient is sexually active, to include appropriate LOINC tests and (in some cases) SNOMED-CT procedures.
  • Review and update Radiology orders to include appropriate LOINC tests, as female patients with a pregnancy test followed by an x-ray are not considered sexually active for the purposes of this measure.
  • Optionally, update your practice’s chart note protocols to make it easier to record sexual activity (by adding default diagnoses to age-appropriate chart notes, for example) and order and administer Chlamydia tests.

(Show Me How)

  1. When you see patients, chart any appropriate diagnoses that may indicate sexual activity, such as pregnancy, genital herpes, etc., in the Diagnoses component and/or the patient’s Problem List.
  2. When appropriate, order a Chlamydia test and enter results.
  3. For each visit, make sure the correct Provider of Encounter clinician is indicated on the chart note, click “Bill”, and select an appropriate visit code.

(Show Me How)

154 0069 Appropriate Treatment for Children with Upper Respiratory Infection (URI) For all patients seen by the eligible professional during the reporting period, who were between 3 months and 18 years of age, who were diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection, what percentage were not dispensed an antibiotic prescription on or three days after the episode?
(More Details)
PCC EHR’s standard installation includes all of the configuration required in order to chart for this measure. You may want to edit your chart note protocols to make it easier to diagnose URI.
(Show Me How)
  1. When you see patients, chart any appropriate URI diagnoses in the Diagnoses component and/or the patient’s Problem List.
  2. When appropriate, prescribe antibiotics.
  3. Review medications at every visit. If a patient is prescribed antibiotics by a specialist or other clinician outside of your practice, update their medication history with that information.
  4. For every visit, make sure the correct Provider of Encounter clinician is indicated on the chart note, click “Bill”, and select an appropriate visit code.

(Show Me How)

155 0024 Weight Assessment and Counseling for Nutrition and Physical Activity for Children and Adolescents For all patients seen by the eligible professional during the reporting period, who were between 3 and 17 years of age, what percentage had their height, weight, and BMI recorded, and what percentage received counseling for nutrition and/or physical activity?
(More Details)
  1. Add two medical procedure orders in PCC EHR, for nutrition and physical activity counseling.
  2. Add the specified SNOMED procedure codes to those orders.
  3. Add nutrition and physical activity counseling orders to your chart note protocols for any visit that could be charted for a patient who is over 3 years old.

(Show Me How)

  1. Collect height and weight during normal office visits, well exams and other appropriate visit types.
  2. On the chart note, order your practice’s nutrition and physical activity counseling medical procedures when appropriate.
  3. For each visit, make sure the correct Provider of Encounter clinician is indicated on the chart note, click “Bill”, and select an appropriate visit code.

(Show Me How)

CMS2: Preventative Care and Screening: Screening for Clinical Depression and Follow-Up Plan

This measure calculates the percentage of patients aged 12 years and older who are screened for clinical depression on the date of their encounter using an age-appropriate standardized depression screening tool AND if positive, a follow-up plan is documented on the date of the positive screen. (CMS at eCQI)

  • Denominator: PCC EHR calculates the denominator of this measure by counting all patients who had an eligible encounter code billed in the electronic encounter form during the reporting period and who were 12 or older before the reporting period.

  • Numerator: PCC EHR calculates the numerator of this measure by counting all of the patients in the denominator who had a LOINC test for depression screening, generally inside a Depression Screening order, with a positive or negative result, on the encounter date. If the result was positive, the patient must have additional care in the form of a completed LOINC test for suicide risk assessment, follow-up or additional evaluation for depression, and/or a referral for depression, and/or a prescription for a depression medication, on the same date as the depression screening, in order to be included in the numerator.

  • Exclusions: If a patient had an active diagnosis for Depression or Bipolar Disorder on their Problem List or in the Diagnoses component for the visit, they will be counted in the Exclusions for the measure.

  • Exceptions: If a patient refused the screening, or had a medical contraindication for it being performed, such as an urgent medical situation or a lack of functional capacity to complete the screening, they are excepted from the denominator (and the numerator) for the calculation and will be counted in the Exceptions for the measure.

Recommended PCC EHR Configuration for CMS2 Depression Screening

In order to chart depression screenings, followup, and suicide risk assessment, your practice can create screening orders and add the specified LOINC tests or SNOMED-CT descriptions to those orders. You can also configure referral orders so that they are recorded with an appropriate SNOMED-CT. Finally, you can add the orders to chart notes so they are easy to select at every visit.

For a step-by-step procedure on how to add codes to orders and add specific orders to chart notes, read Use Orders to Track Measures for Mandates.

Configure Your Depression Screenings

Add SNOMED-CT and LOINC codes to your adolescent depression screening orders in PCC EHR.


For the initial depression screening, you should add SNOMED-CT procedure code 171207006, and LOINC test code 73831-0, “Adolescent depression screening assessment”. (You could also add LOINC 73832-8, “Adult depression screening assessment” for an order for patients 18 years or older.) The test should have a Negative/Positive result.

What About Other Depression Screening Tests?: Your practice might perform other depression screenings and use other LOINC tests to record discrete results. You can add more than one test to a single order. For example, if you perform a PHQ-9 at each visit, you might first add the “Adolescent depression screening assessment” test, which is used by the clinical quality measure, and then also add the “Patient Health Questionnaire 9 item (PHQ-9) total score” test in order to record the patient’s numerical result.

Configure Followup Depression Care

When a patient has a positive result on a depression screening, your practice might perform one or more additional evaluations, followup orders, or a suicide risk assessment screening order. Click “Add” to create a new screening order, or double-click on an existing order to make changes. Repeat the steps above to configure the order, and add any appropriate tests.

In order to affect the clinical quality measure for this additional evaluation, followup, or suicide risk assessment, your practice must also add SNOMED-CT procedures to the screening order. For each order, click “Add a Procedure” and search for the appropriate SNOMED-CT description.


Examples:

  • Suicide Risk Assessment: For a suicide risk assessment screening order, you should add SNOMED-CT code 225337009, “Suicide risk assessment (procedure)” to the order.

  • Followup For Depression: You could also create and add SNOMED-CT descriptions (and LOINC tests, if appropriate) for any number of depression followup orders, such as Completion of a Mental Health Crisis Plan, or Coping Support Management. Other options are included in the NIH’s Follow-up for depression – adolescent value set, found on the VSAC website. You can also find the “Follow-up for depression – adolescent” value set within the CMS2v4 tab of the downloaded eCQM Value Sets spreadsheet.

  • Additional Evaluation: For an additional evaluation for depression order, you could add one of the SNOMED-CT descriptions for psychiatric evaluation listed by NIH for Additional evaluation for depression – adolescent. The “Additional evaluation for depression – adolescent” value set can also be found within the CMS2v4 tab of the downloaded eCQM Value Sets spreadsheet.

Configure Depression Referral Orders

Add SNOMED-CT procedures to your Referral orders for Depression.

Your practice may have one or more referrals related to depression. For example, you may have referrals for an initial psychiatric evaluation or a specific depression referral. Click “Add” to create a new order, or double-click on an existing order to make changes.

In order for the referral to be tracked as part of a clinical quality measure, you must add a SNOMED-CT description from the NIH’s list for “Referral for Depression Adolescent”.



Which Procedure Codes Can I Use for Referral Orders?: Your SNOMED-CT descriptions for depression-related referrals must be taken from the NIH’s Referral for Depression Adolescent value set, found on the VSAC website. Common selections include “Referral to psychiatry service” and “Referral for mental health counseling”. You can also find the “Referral for Depression Adolescent” value set within the CMS2v4 tab of the downloaded eCQM Value Sets spreadsheet.

Your practice may have other referrals that may follow a positive depression screening. Add new orders, or double-click on an existing order to make changes.

Add Depression Screening, Suicide Risk Assessment, and Referral Orders to Your Chart Note Protocols

After you make changes to the various orders your practice uses, you can add them to chart note protocols to make them easier to order. Your clinicians will then see the “Depression Screening” order, for example, on every chart note.

For information on how to add specific orders to a chart note protocol, read Use Orders to Track Measures for Mandates.



Recommended Charting and Workflow for CMS2 Depression Screening

When a patient twelve or older visits your practice, click “Order” to order a Depression Screening.

Optionally, you can assign the screening to another clinician, or complete the screening immediately. If the screening is refused, select “Refused”. If the screening is contraindicated, select “Contraindicated” and enter an appropriate contraindicated diagnosis in the Diagnoses component on the chart note.

When the screening is complete, enter a result.

Unless refused or contraindicated, a positive or negative result is required. Result interpretation, in the Interpretation field, is not required for the clinical quality measure, though your practice may have configured it to be required for completion of the order.

If the result is positive, record whatever additional care follows.

For example, you may prescribe appropriate medication, order a Suicide Risk Assessment or order a referral.


Enter results and take any other appropriate followup steps.

When you are finished charting, remember to click “Bill” and select an appropriate visit encounter code. In addition to billing, the visit encounter code is used to calculate the CQM.

CMS75: Children Who Have Dental Decay or Cavities

This measure calculates the percentage of patients aged 0-20 who have a visit during the reporting period and have an active diagnosis of tooth decay or cavities during the measurement period. (CMS at eCQI)

  • Denominator: PCC EHR calculates the denominator of this measure by counting all patients who had an eligible encounter code billed on the electronic encounter form during the reporting period and who were between 0 and 20 years old.

  • Numerator: PCC EHR calculates the numerator of this measure by counting all of the patients in the denominator who had a dental decay or cavity diagnosis in the Diagnoses component for a visit during the reporting period or an active dental decay or cavity diagnosis listed in their Problem List.

  • Exclusions: There are no exclusions for this measure. All patients can qualify for the numerator.

  • Exceptions: There are no exceptions for this measure. All patients can qualify for the denominator.

Recommended PCC EHR Configuration for CMS75 Dental Decay

There are no recommended PCC EHR configuration changes for recording data that will affect the dental decay clinical quality measure.

Your practice may want to review your chart note protocols and make adjustments for recording dental health. For example, your physical exam component may benefit from a “Teeth (caries, white spots, staining)” or “Dental Health” item. Your practice may want to add other items to chart note protocols, such as a “Child has a dental home” option in the History component, which is a recommendation in the AAP’s Bright Futures materials. However, those changes will not affect this clinical quality measure.

If your practice administers fluoride varnish or does dental evaluations, you may want to review your chart note protocols and create and add appropriate orders to your chart notes. However, those changes will not affect this clinical quality measure.

Recommended Charting and Workflow for CMS75 Dental Decay

When a patient visits your practice, evaluate and chart their dental health.

Optionally, you might record details in one or more components on the chart note.

If the patient has tooth decay or cavities, enter an appropriate diagnosis code in the Diagnoses component.

Which Diagnoses Should I Use for Dental Decay?: The NIH lists several acceptable SNOMED-CT diagnosis descriptions in the “Dental Caries Grouping Value Set” (2.16.840.1.113883.3.464.1003.125.12.1004). Diagnoses range from “Dental caries” to “Secondary dental caries associated with failed or defective dental restoration”.

Optionally, you might order and perform additional evaluations or treatment, or provide educational materials. Those actions do not affect this clinical quality measure.

When you are finished charting, remember to click “Bill” and select an appropriate visit encounter code. In addition to billing, the visit encounter code is used to calculate the CQM.

CMS117: Childhood Immunization Status

This measure calculates the percentage of patients turning 2 years old during the reporting period who have a visit during the reporting period and have four diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP); three polio (IPV), one measles, mumps and rubella (MMR); three H influenza type B (HiB); three hepatitis B (Hep B); one chicken pox (VZV); four pneumococcal conjugate (PCV); one hepatitis A (Hep A); two or three rotavirus (RV); and two influenza (flu) vaccines with evidence of administration prior or on their second birthday. (CMS at eCQI)

  • Denominator: PCC EHR calculates the denominator of this measure by counting all patients who turned 2 years old during the reporting period, who had an eligible encounter code entered on the electronic encounter form during the reporting period.

  • Numerator: PCC EHR calculates the numerator of this measure by counting all of the patients in the denominator who have evidence of meeting all the immunization requirements, either ordered, added manually to the patient record, or billed. In order to allow for “grace periods”, the timing requirements for each immunization (three shots, four shots, etc.) require a minimum of only a single day between each shot, and allow that the shots may occur at any time between birth and age 2 after each shot’s minimum age. For example, a patient’s first DTaP must be administered when the patient is at least 42 days old, but otherwise the four shots may occur at any time before or on the patient’s 2nd birthday, as long as they are at least a day apart.

  • Exclusions and Exceptions: There are no across-the-board exclusions or exceptions for this measure. However, there are numerous reasons that a patient may be included in the numerator even if they did not have a particular shot.

    For the MMR, hepatitis B, VZV and hepatitis A vaccines, numerator inclusion criteria include: evidence of receipt of the recommended vaccine; documented history of the illness; or, a seropositive test result for the antigen. For the DTaP, IPV, HiB, pneumococcal conjugate, rotavirus, and influenza vaccines, numerator inclusion criteria include only evidence of receipt of the recommended vaccine. Patients may be included in the numerator for a particular antigen if they had an anaphylactic reaction to the vaccine. Patients may be included in the numerator for the DTaP vaccine if they have encephalopathy. Patients may be included in the numerator for the IPV vaccine if they have had an anaphylactic reaction to streptomycin, polymyxin B, or neomycin. Patients may be included in the numerator for the influenza, MMR, or VZV vaccines if they have cancer of lymphoreticular or histiocytic tissue, multiple myeloma, leukemia, have had an anaphylactic reaction to neomycin, have Immunodefiency, or have HIV. Patients may be included in the numerator for the hepatitis B vaccine if they have had an anaphylactic reaction to common baker’s yeast.

    The measure allows a grace period by measuring compliance with these recommendations between birth and age two. (From the “Guidance” section of CMS’s definition of the CQM.)

    For the above exclusions, PCC checks the patient’s diagnosis history, Problem List, and Allergies List.

Recommended PCC EHR Configuration for CMS117 Childhood Immunization Status

When your practice implemented PCC software and services, the initial setup and configuration was sufficient to allow clinicians to chart in order to meet this CQM.

However, if your practice implemented PCC software before the introduction of CVX codes, which are used to uniquely identify immunizations, you may need to add them to the Immunization and Disease configuration in your PCC system. CVX codes are the industry-standard unique identifier for each vaccine or combination vaccine. Contact PCC if for help.

For more information on CVX and MVX codes in your PCC system, read CVX, MVX, VIS and NDC Codes in PCC.

What CVX Codes Are In Use?: Different combination vaccines and different formulations have different CVX codes. To review what CVX codes you administer, visit your immunization refrigerator. PCC Support can also help you compare the CVX codes in your PCC system with the CDC’s library of CVX codes. Common CVX codes for each immunization as of 2019 are as follows: DTaP 20, IPV 10, MMR 03, HIB 49, Hepatitis B 08, Varicella (chicken pox) 21, Prevnar 13 (pneumococcal conjugate PCV) 133, Hepatitis A 83, Rotavirus 116, Influenza (Flu) Preservative Free 140.

Add Age-Appropriate Immunizations to Your Custom Chart Notes

Do all of your custom chart notes have age-appropriate immunization orders ready, easy for your clinicians to click?

If not, follow the procedure below to update your chart note protocols.

Add Age-Appropriate Immunizations to Your Custom Chart Notes

Recommended Charting and Workflow for CMS117 Childhood Immunization Status

When a patient visits your practice, review their immunization history in the chart note or in the Immunization History section of the chart.

Optionally, you can review Forecasting Results and Forecasting Warnings to see what immunizations a patient may be missing.

If you need to update a patient’s past immunization history, visit the Immunization History section of the chart, click “Add Imms” and add any immunizations they received that are not in the chart record.




Use the Immunizations component on the chart note to order any age-appropriate immunizations.


Use the same component (or “Edit Orders” orange indicator tool on Schedule screen) to record that the immunization is administered, refused, contraindicated, or canceled.

When Should Each Shot Be Given?: PCC EHR can display Immunization Forecasting, with results and forecasting calculated by STC’s implementation of the ACIP immunization schedule guidelines from the CDC. Your practice may have their own set of standards for how these guidelines are implemented, and CMS has their own published clinical recommendation based on ACIP’s guidelines. The rules for reporting for the Childhood Immunization Status CQM, however, are much simpler, only requiring the correct number of shots, given more than a day apart.

If you make a decision not to give an immunization, chart the reason in the following manner:

    • Contraindications: If a patient has a contraindication for an immunization, click “Contraindicated” in the order, and add the appropriate diagnosis description to the Diagnoses component in the chart note and/or to the patient’s Problem List or Allergies list. For example, if a patient has acute HIV infection, or an allergy to an immunization component, you should record that information in the Problem List and the Allergies List respectively.

    • History of an Illness: If a patient has a history of an illness for which an immunization would otherwise be administered, add that illness to the patient’s Problem List or chart it in the Diagnoses component.

    • Evidence of Immunity: If your practice performs titers, or receives a test result showing that the patient is seropositive for an antigen, record that result as a diagnosis or on the Problem List.

When you are finished charting, remember to click “Bill” and select an appropriate visit encounter code. In addition to billing, the visit encounter code is used to calculate the CQM.

CMS126: Use of Appropriate Medications for Asthma

This measure calculates the percentage of patients 5-64 years of age who were identified as having persistent asthma and were appropriately prescribed medication during the measurement period. (CMS at eCQI)

      • Denominator: PCC EHR calculates the denominator of this measure by counting all patients who had an eligible encounter code billed on the electronic encounter form during the reporting period, who were between 5 and 64 years old, who had a diagnosis of persistent asthma.

      • Numerator: PCC EHR calculates the numerator of this measure by counting all of the patients in the denominator who were dispensed at least one prescription for a preferred therapy during the measurement period or had an active medication listed during the measurement period.

      • Exclusions and Exceptions: Patients will be excluded from the denominator if they have a diagnosis of emphysema, COPD, cystic fibrosis or acute respiratory failure during or prior to the measurement period.

Recommended PCC EHR Configuration for CMS126 Use of Appropriate Medications for Asthma

There are no required PCC EHR configuration changes for recording data that will affect the Appropriate Medications for Asthma CQM.

Your practice may want to review your chart note protocols and make adjustments for reviewing medication history for a patient. For example, you could add the Medication History component to chart notes, or add a “Reviewed Medications” checkbox.

Your practice or clinicians may want to review your prescription Favorites lists, found in PCC eRx, the prescription module in PCC EHR. For example, you could add common asthma medications to the list.

Recommended Charting and Workflow for CMS126 Use of Appropriate Medications for Asthma

When a patient visits your practice, chart any appropriate asthma diagnoses in the Diagnoses component and/or the patient’s Problem List.

When a patient has a diagnosis of persistent asthma, use the Prescriptions section of the chart to prescribe appropriate medications.


What Specific Diagnoses Count as Persistent Asthma for this CQM?: The four SNOMED-CT descriptions that are considered persistent asthma by CMS are Persistent asthma, Mild persistent asthma, Moderate persistent asthma, and Severe persistent asthma. There are additional ICD-10 billing codes, which are included in the NIH’s Persistent Asthma value set, found on the Value Set Authority Center website. You can also find the “Persistent Asthma” value set within the CMS126v3 tab of the downloaded eCQM Value Sets spreadsheet.

What Are Appropriate Medications for Persistent Asthma for This CQM?: The NIH includes a number of medications in its Preferred Asthma Therapy value set, including common medications such as fluticasone, cromolyn, salmeterol and fluticasone combinations, theophylline, etc. You can also find the “Preferred Asthma Therapy” value set within the CMS126v3 tab of the downloaded eCQM Value Sets spreadsheet.

Review medications with all patients at every visit.


If a patient is prescribed asthma-related medications by a specialist or other clinician outside of your practice, update their medication history with that information.


When you are finished charting each visit, remember to click “Bill” and select an appropriate visit encounter code. In addition to billing, the visit encounter code is used to calculate the CQM.

CMS136: ADHD: Follow-up Care for Children Prescribed Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Medication

This measure calculates the percentage of children 6-12 years of age and newly dispensed a medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who had appropriate follow-up care. Two rates are reported:

Measure 1 (Initiation Phase): Percentage of children who had one follow-up visit with a practitioner with prescribing authority during the 30-Day Initiation Phase.

Measure 2 (Continuation Phase): Percentage of children who remained on ADHD medication for at least 210 days and who, in addition to the visit in the Initiation Phase, had at least two additional follow-up visits with a practitioner within 270 days (9 months) after the Initiation Phase ended. (CMS at eCQI)

      • Denominator 1 (Initiation Phase): PCC EHR calculates the denominator of this measure by counting all patients who had an eligible encounter code billed on the electronic encounter form during the reporting period, who were between 6 and 12 years old, who were dispensed an ADHD medication 90 days before the start of the reporting period through 60 days after the start of the reporting period.

      • Denominator 2 (Continuation Phase): PCC EHR calculates the denominator of this measure by counting those patients from the Measure 1 denominator who remained on the ADHD medication for at least 210 days of the 300 days following the medication date.

      • Numerator 1 (Initiation Phase): PCC EHR calculates the numerator of this measure by counting all of the patients in the denominator who had at least one face-to-face visit with any EP within 30 days after the ADHD medication date.

      • Numerator 2 (Continuation Phase): PCC EHR calculates the numerator of this measure by counting all of the patients in the denominator who, in addition to the first visit during the Initiation Phase, had at least two additional follow-up visits with a clinician within 270 days (9 months).

      • Exclusions and Exceptions: Patients will be excluded from the denominator if they were actively on on an ADHD medication within the 120 days prior to the newly dispensed ADHD prescription; if they have a diagnosis of narcolepsy during or prior to the measurement period; and/or if they had an acute inpatient stay with a principal diagnosis of mental health or substance abuse during the 30 days after the ADHD medication date (for the Initiation Phase) or 300 days after the ADHD medication date (for the Continuation Phase).

Recommended PCC EHR Configuration for CMS136 ADHD Follow-up Care

There are no required PCC EHR configuration changes for recording data that will affect the ADHD Follow-up Care CQM.

Optionally, your practice may want to use a chart note protocol specifically for patients on ADHD medication that includes follow-up orders as a reminder to schedule visits into the future, depending on how long the patient is expected to be on the medication.

These options might help you to keep track of the patients that need follow-up visit, but will not affect this clinical quality measure.

Recommended Charting and Workflow for CMS136 ADHD Follow-up Care

When appropriate, use the PCC eRx section of the chart to prescribe ADHD-related medications.


Which ADHD Medications Count for This CQM?: A number of medications count toward this measure, including dexmethylphenidate hydrochloride, methylphenidate, clonidine, and guanfacine. The NIH includes the full list of medications in its ADHD Medications value set, located on the VSAC website. You can also find the “ADHD Medications” value set within the CMS136v4 tab of the downloaded eCQM Value Sets spreadsheet.

Review medications with ADHD patients at every visit. If a patient is prescribed ADHD-related medications by a specialist or other clinician outside of your practice, update their medication history with that information.



For patients on a newly prescribed ADHD medication, schedule at least one follow-up visit with a prescribing clinician during the 30-day Initiation Phase, dated from when the ADHD medication is dispensed.

You can use the Followup orders component to create a task for your nurse or scheduler to schedule another visit within 30 days.

If the patient is remaining on ADHD medication for a longer period, schedule periodic follow-up visits with a prescribing clinician. Specifically, after the 30-day Initiation Phase, make certain the patient is seen for a follow-up at least twice within the following 9 months.

Follow-up visits during the Continuation Phase do not need to be with the same provider.

You can also use the Measure 1 (Initiation Phase) Details report as a recall tool to identify kids with newly prescribed ADHD meds during the reporting period, who will need follow-up visits scheduled.

When you are finished charting each visit, remember to click “Bill” and select an appropriate visit encounter code. In addition to billing, the visit encounter code is used to calculate the CQM.

CMS146: Appropriate Testing for Children with Pharyngitis

This measure calculates the percentage of patients 2-18 years of age who were diagnosed with pharyngitis during the reporting period, were prescribed an antibiotic within 3 days, and received a group A streptococcus (strep) test. (CMS at eCQI)

      • Denominator: PCC EHR calculates the denominator of this measure by counting the number of visits for patients who had an eligible encounter code billed on the electronic encounter form OR an emergency department (ED) visit during the reporting period, who were between 2 and 18 years old, had a diagnosis of pharyngitis AND an antibiotic ordered on or three days after the visit.

      • Numerator: PCC EHR calculates the numerator of this measure by counting the number of visits for patients in the denominator who received a group A streptococcus (strep) test in the 7-day period of 3 days prior through 3 days after the diagnosis of pharyngitis.

      • Exclusions and Exceptions: Patients will be excluded from the denominator if they were taking antibiotics in the 30 days prior to the diagnosis of pharyngitis. Patients who were in hospice care during the measurement year are also excluded.

Recommended PCC EHR Configuration for CMS146 Appropriate Testing for Children with Pharyngitis

There are no required PCC EHR configuration changes for recording data that will affect the Appropriate Testing for Children with Pharyngitis CQM.

You may want to review your order configuration for group A streptococcus (Rapid Strep) orders, and/or edit your chart note protocols to make it easier to diagnose pharyngitis and create orders.

Which Codes Can I Use for Strep Test Orders?: Your LOINC lab test result codes must be taken from the Group A Streptococcus Test value set, from the NIH’s Value Set Authority Center. PCC recommends using “Streptococcus pyogenes Ag [Presence] in Unspecified specimen by Immunofluorescence”. You can also find the “Group A Streptococcus Test” value set within the CMS146v3 tab of the downloaded eCQM Value Sets spreadsheet.

Recommended Charting and Workflow for CMS146 Appropriate Testing for Children with Pharyngitis

When a patient visits your practice, chart any appropriate pharyngitis diagnoses in the Diagnoses component and/or the patient’s Problem List.

What Specific Diagnoses Count as Pharyngitis for this CQM?: You can select diagnoses from either the Acute Pharyngitis or the Acute Tonsillitis value sets, from the NIH’s Value Set Authority Center. Examples include: Acute pharyngitis, Acute tonsillitis, Streptococcal sore throat, and Viral pharyngitis. You can also find both the “Acute Pharyngitis” and the “Acute Tonsillitis” value sets within the CMS146v3 tab of the downloaded eCQM Value Sets spreadsheet.

When appropriate, create and complete lab orders to test for group A streptococcus and enter results in the lab order.


When appropriate, prescribe antibiotics. (To be included in the measure, antibiotic needs to be ordered on or within three days of the visit.)


Which Antibiotics Count for This CQM?: A number of medications count toward this measure, including common antibiotics such as minocycline, azithromycin, doxycycline, and amoxicillin. The NIH includes the full list of antibiotics in its Antibiotic Medications for Pharyngitis value set, found on the VSAC website. You can also find the “Antibiotic Medications for Pharyngitis” value set within the CMS146v3 tab of the downloaded eCQM Value Sets spreadsheet.

Review medications at every visit. If a patient is prescribed antibiotics by a specialist or other clinician outside of your practice, update their medication history with that information.


When you are finished charting each visit, remember to click “Bill” and select an appropriate visit encounter code. In addition to billing, the visit encounter code is used to calculate the CQM.

CMS153: Chlamydia Screening for Women

This measure calculates the percentage of women 16-24 years of age who were identified as sexually active and who had at least one visit with the clinician and at least one test for chlamydia during the measurement period. (CMS at eCQI)

      • Denominator: PCC EHR calculates the denominator of this measure by counting all female patients who had an eligible encounter code billed in the electronic encounter form during the reporting period, who were between 16 and 24 years old, and who were considered sexually active by evidence of a charted diagnosis, problem on the Problem List, billed diagnosis, lab test, order, or prescribed medication.

      • Numerator: PCC EHR calculates the numerator of this measure by counting all of the patients in the denominator who had a LOINC test for Chlamydia, generally inside a Chlamydia test lab order, with a positive or negative result, on an encounter date within the reporting period.

      • Exclusions: If a patient would be considered sexually active because of a pregnancy test, but they had a radiology LOINC test afterwards or were prescribed certain qualifying medications, they will be excluded from the denominator as the pregnancy test could have been done solely as a precautionary measure.

      • Exceptions: None.

Recommended PCC EHR Configuration for CMS153 Chlamydia Screening for Women

In order to properly record Chlamydia tests, your practice should review your lab order configuration and add appropriate LOINC tests to your order or orders.

Additionally, you might want to review the following optional steps:

      • In order to chart sexual activity, your practice may want to make adjustments to your chart note protocols and add LOINC tests to pregnancy tests or other orders.
      • Optionally, you may also wish to review and update Radiology orders to make sure they include appropriate LOINC tests so they can be counted by the report. Female patients with a pregnancy test followed by an x-ray are not considered sexually active for the purposes of this measure.
      • Optionally, you can also update your practice’s chart note protocols to make it easier to record sexual activity (by adding default diagnoses to age-appropriate chart notes, for example) and order and administer a Chlamydia test (by adding it as a default test to age-appropriate chart notes).
Review and Update Chlamydia Lab Orders to Include LOINC Tests

Open the Lab Configuration Tool

Click on the Tools menu and select Lab Configuration.

Edit or Add Chlamydia Test Lab Order

Double-click on your Chlamydia test order, or click “Add” to create one.

Configure Basic Order Details for Your Chlamydia Test Order

Review the order name and set any other configurable options. For example, you may want an order to be private by default, in which case you would deselect the “Include on Patient Reports” option.

Review and/or Add Tests

Review tests for the order. To add a test, use the drop-down menu for each e-lab vendor or the manual result entry section.

Which Codes Can I Use for Chlamydia Tests?: Your LOINC lab test result codes must be taken from the Chlamydia Screening value set, from the NIH’s Value Set Authority Center. One example is “Chlamydia trachomatis Ag Presence in Vaginal fluid”. You can also find the “Chlamydia Screening” value set within the CMS153v3 tab of the downloaded eCQM Value Sets spreadsheet.

Repeat for Other Lab Orders

If you have other chlamydia screening orders, such as an entry for e-labs and one for manually entered lab results, review each one and check that appropriate LOINC tests are tracked for each.

Recommended Charting and Workflow for CMS153 Chlamydia Screening for Women

When you see patients, chart any appropriate diagnoses that may indicate sexual activity, such as pregnancy, genital herpes, etc., in the Diagnoses component and/or the patient’s Problem List.

What Specific Diagnoses Indicate Sexual Activity for this CQM?: The Chlamydia value set includes a number of diagnoses that count for this measure. Diagnoses are also taken from the Complications of Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Puerperium, Genital Herpes, Gonococcal Infections and Venereal Diseases, HIV, Inflammatory Diseases of Female Reproductive Organs, Other Female Reproductive Conditions, and Syphilis value sets, all found on the VSAC website. All of these value sets are available within the CMS153v3 tab of the downloaded eCQM Value Sets spreadsheet.

You might also complete lab tests that indicate sexual activity, such as pregnancy tests.

Which Lab Tests Might Indicate Sexual Activity for this CQM?: The Pregnancy Test value set includes lab tests that count for this measure. Lab tests are also taken from the Lab Tests During Pregnancy, Lab Tests for Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Pap Test value sets, all found on the VSAC website. All of these value sets are available within the CMS153v3 tab of the downloaded eCQM Value Sets spreadsheet.

In addition, some prescriptions that you order might indicate sexual activity, such as birth control pills.

Which Medications Might Indicate Sexual Activity for this CQM?: The Contraceptive Medications value set includes medications that count for this measure. The Isotretinoin value set also includes prescriptions that count. Both of these value sets are found on the VSAC website. The “Contraceptive Medications” and “Isotretinoin” value sets are also available within the CMS153v3 tab of the downloaded eCQM Value Sets spreadsheet.

When appropriate, order a Chlamydia screening test in the Lab Orders component on the chart note. Later, enter results.


For each visit, make sure the correct Provider of Encounter clinician is indicated on the chart note.

When you are finished charting each visit, remember to click “Bill” and select an appropriate visit encounter code. In addition to billing, the visit encounter code is used to calculate the CQM.

CMS154: Appropriate Treatment for Children with Upper Respiratory Infection (URI)

This measure calculates the percentage of patients 3 months-18 years of age who were diagnosed with upper respiratory infection (URI) during the reporting period, and were not dispensed an antibiotic prescription within 3 days of the visit. (CMS at eCQI)

      • Denominator: PCC EHR calculates the denominator of this measure by counting the number of visits for patients who had an eligible encounter code billed on the electronic encounter form during the reporting period, who were between 3 months and 18 years old, and had a diagnosis of upper respiratory infection (URI).

      • Numerator: PCC EHR calculates the numerator of this measure by counting the number of visits for patients in the denominator who did not receive a prescription for antibiotic medication on or 3 days after the visit.

      • Exclusions and Exceptions: Patients will be excluded from the denominator if they were taking antibiotics in the 30 days prior to the diagnosis of URI.

Recommended PCC EHR Configuration for CMS154 Appropriate Treatment for Children with URI

There are no required PCC EHR configuration changes for recording data that will affect the Appropriate Testing for Children with Pharyngitis CQM.

You may want to edit your chart note protocols to make it easier to diagnose URI.

Recommended Charting and Workflow for CMS154 Appropriate Treatment for Children with URI

When you see patients, chart any appropriate URI diagnoses in the Diagnoses component and/or the patient’s Problem List.

What Specific Diagnoses Count as URI for this CQM?: You can select diagnoses from the Upper Respiratory Infection value set, from the NIH’s Value Set Authority Center. Examples include: Acute upper respiratory infection and and Acute laryngopharyngitis. You can also find both the “Upper Respiratory Infection” value set within the CMS154v3 tab of the downloaded eCQM Value Sets spreadsheet.

When appropriate, prescribe antibiotics. (To be included in the measure, antibiotic needs to be ordered on or within three days of the visit.)


Which Antibiotics Count for This CQM?: A number of medications count toward this measure, including common antibiotics such as minocycline, azithromycin, doxycycline, and amoxicillin. The NIH includes the full list of antibiotics in its Antibiotic Medications for Pharyngitis value set, found on the VSAC website. You can also find the “Antibiotic Medications for Pharyngitis” value set within the CMS154v3 tab of the downloaded eCQM Value Sets spreadsheet.

Review medications at every visit. If a patient is prescribed antibiotics by a specialist or other clinician outside of your practice, update their medication history with that information.


When you are finished charting each visit, remember to click “Bill” and select an appropriate visit encounter code. In addition to billing, the visit encounter code is used to calculate the CQM.

CMS155: Weight Assessment and Counseling for Nutrition and Physical Activity for Children and Adolescents

This measure calculates the percentage of patients 3-17 years of age who had had a visit during the reporting period, and had their height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) documented, and/or received counseling for nutrition, and/or received counseling for physical activity. (CMS at eCQI)

      • Denominator: PCC EHR calculates the denominator of this measure by counting all patients who had an eligible encounter code billed on the electronic encounter form during the reporting period and who were between 3 and 17 years old.

      • Numerator 1: PCC EHR calculates the first numerator of this measure by counting all of the patients in the denominator who had a height, weight, and BMI percentile recorded during the measurement period.

      • Numerator 2: PCC EHR calculates the second numerator of this measure by counting all of the patients in the denominator who received counseling for nutrition during a visit that occurred within the measurement period.

      • Numerator 3: PCC EHR calculates the third numerator of this measure by counting all of the patients in the denominator who received counseling for physical activity during a visit that occurred within the measurement period.

      • Exclusions and Exceptions: Patients will be excluded from the denominator if they have an active diagnosis of pregnancy during the measurement period.

Recommended PCC EHR Configuration for CMS 155 Weight Assessment and Counseling

In order to chart counseling for nutrition or physical exercise, your practice can create medical procedure orders and add the specified SNOMED-CT procedures to those orders. Then you can add the orders to chart notes so they are easy to select at every visit.

For a step-by-step procedure on how to add codes to orders and add specific orders to chart notes, read Use Orders to Track Measures for Mandates.

Configure Your Nutrition Counseling Order

Create or edit a medical procedure order for nutrition counseling.



For the nutrition counseling order, you should select SNOMED-CT code 61310001, “Nutrition education”.

Configure Your Physical Activity Counseling Order

Create or edit a medical procedure order for physical activity counseling.



For the physical activity counseling order, you should select SNOMED-CT code 281090004, “Recommendation to exercise”.

Use the Specified SNOMED Codes: Please note that the 2018 ICD-10 code Z71.82, “Exercise counseling” will not work with PCC EHR reporting.

Add Nutrition and Physical Activity Counseling Orders to Your Chart Note Protocols

After you create the new medical procedure orders, you can add them to chart note protocols to make them easier to order. Your clinicians will then see the “Nutrition Counseling” order, for example, on every chart note.

For detailed instructions on how to add orders to a chart note protocol, read Use Orders to Track Measures for Mandates.

For each protocol, find or add the Medical Procedures Orders component, and then add the nutrition and physical exercise orders.



Recommended Charting and Workflow for CMS 155 Weight Assessment and Counseling

Collect height and weight during normal office visits, well exams and other appropriate visit types.

When appropriate, order your practice’s nutrition and/or physical activity counseling medical procedure.

When you are finished charting, remember to click “Bill” and select an appropriate visit encounter code. In addition to billing, the visit encounter code is used to calculate the CQM.

PCC’s Current Certification Status and Required CQMs for PCMH

PCC EHR is Prevalidated for PCMH: By using PCC EHR, your practice is pre-validated for automatic credits towards PCMH recognition. Many pediatric practices have used PCC to achieve PCMH recognition.

Please contact PCC for help understanding and applying for PCMH programs in your state. PCC Support and our Pediatric Solutions team can show you what you need to apply and help you evaluate your options.

What CQMs Are You Required to Report On

You have several options for reporting on Clinical Quality Measures at your practice, depending on whether you applied for the EHR Medicaid Incentive Program or are applying for PCMH recognition.

Learn About PCMH Programs: Just getting started? Read Become a Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH).

CQMs that Were Required for the EHR Medicaid Incentive Program

When you completed your Meaningful Use attestation each year, you calculated and submitted each clinician’s numbers for 9 Clinical Quality Measures, from a total of 64. Those nine measures needed to be drawn from at least three of six domains (Patient and Family Engagement, Population/Public Health, Patient Safety, Care Coordination, Efficient Use of Healthcare Resources, Clinical Process/Effectiveness).

In order to simplify the selection of measures, CMS identified a set of 9 CQMs for pediatric populations that meet all the requirements of the program. These recommended measures “focus on conditions that contribute to the morbidity and mortality of most Medicaid beneficiaries. They also focus on areas that represent national public health priorities or disproportionately drive health care costs.” (CMS.gov)

PCC built charting and workflow technologies, and our CQM report, around these 9 recommended pediatric CQMs.

Below are the 9 measures for which PCC EHR tracks and provides calculations under the EHR Medicaid Incentive Program 2014-edition CQM rules:

  • CMS2: Preventative Care and Screening: Screening for Clinical Depression and Follow-Up Plan

  • CMS75: Children Who Have Dental Decay or Cavities

  • CMS117: Childhood Immunization Status

  • CMS126: Use of Appropriate Medications for Asthma

  • CMS136: ADHD: Follow-Up Care for Children Prescribed Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Medication

  • CMS146: Appropriate Testing for Children with Pharyngitis

  • CMS153: Chlamydia Screening for Women

  • CMS155: Weight Assessment and Counseling for Nutrition and Physical Activity for Children and Adolescents

  • CMS154: Appropriate Treatment for Children with Upper Respiratory Infection (URI)

While you consider workflow and configuration adjustments, remember that there is no threshold for these measures; the program required that clinicians simply submit data as it pertains to each CQM.

CQMs for PCMH

There are many different ways a pediatric practice can achieve PCMH recognition. Reporting on CQM measures is not required. That being said, reporting on Clinical Quality Measures can help you complete element 6a of your PCMH application. It would be very difficult to proceed beyond PCMH recognition level 1 or level 2 without CQM reporting.

Element 6a requires that a practice measures and receives data on at least two immunization measures, at least two other preventive care measures, and at least three chronic or acute care clinical measures. Additionally, the performance data must be stratified for vulnerable populations.

The nine Pediatric CQMs described in the “CQMs For Meaningful Use” section above, and available in PCC EHR’s Clinical Quality Measures report, meet or exceed these requirements. However, your practice could choose other measures.

For example, you could use PCC’s Practice Vitals Dashboard to report on:

  • Seasonal flu vaccine rates (vaccine measure)
  • Asthma patients up-to-date on flu vaccine (vaccine measure)
  • ADHD Followup Rate (chronic/acute measure)
  • Well Visit Rates (preventive measure)
  • Developmental screening rates (preventive measure)

For your PCMH application, your practice could use the 9 CMS recommended CQMs that are described in this document, or use data from Practice Vitals Dashboard to report on other CQMs, or use an entirely different set of CQMs, or forego CQM reporting altogether and aim for a lower level of PCMH recognition.

Meet Meaningful Use Measures with PCC

How can you use PCC EHR to meet the Meaningful Use measures required for your EHR incentive attestation? How should you chart and configure your system, in order to record medical information so that your numbers are accurate?

PCC EHR includes a Meaningful Use Measures report that calculates how well your eligible professionals meet each statistical Meaningful Use measure. You can adjust your office’s workflow and use PCC EHR differently in order to satisfy the requirements for your clinicians. Read below for configuration and usage tips.

PCC’s Current Certification Statuses for MU and PCMH

PCC EHR is 2015E Cures Update-certified and is listed on the Certified Health Product List (CHPL) maintained by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). Please contact PCC Support if you’d like an update or for help understanding and attesting for the EHR Medicaid Incentive program or PCMH programs in your state. A member of our team can show you what you need to apply and help you evaluate your options.

Things to Consider Before You Begin

Here are some other topics to consider as you use PCC EHR to chart for and measure Meaningful Use.

Run the Report, Review Your Meaningful Use Scores

The Meaningful Use Measures report, available in the Reports menu, calculates your eligible professionals’ compliance with the Meaningful Use measures.

Before you run the report, make sure that you exclude visit reasons that aren’t actually physician visits (such as vaccine-only visits, nurse-only visits, lab-only visits, etc.).

It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with these reports, and to check them periodically, to make sure you are seeing the results you expect.

Read the Meaningful Use Measures report help article to learn how to run the report.

Meaningful Use Measures Outside of PCC EHR

You may evaluate some of your Meaningful Use measures using other methods, such as your office’s record-keeping or policies outside of PCC EHR. For example, some of the measures are not statistical and merely require attestation, and some require evaluation based on all patients, whether they are in PCC EHR or not.

Eligible Professionals

Your whole office can make workflow and policy changes to help meet Meaningful Use and CQM, but the reporting and evaluation is always done based on eligible professionals who see a certain percentage of Medicaid patients.

Eligible professionals under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program include:

  • Physicians (primarily doctors of medicine and doctors of osteopathy)
  • Nurse practitioner
  • Certified nurse-midwife
  • Dentist
  • Physician assistant furnishing services in a Federally Qualified Health Center or Rural Health Clinic that is led by a physician assistant.

To qualify for an incentive payment under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, an eligible professional must meet one of the following criteria:

  • Have a minimum 30% Medicaid patient volume
  • Have a minimum 20% Medicaid patient volume, and is a pediatrician
  • Practice predominantly in a Federally Qualified Health Center or Rural Health Center and have a minimum 30% patient volume attributable to needy individuals

Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) patients do not count toward the Medicaid patient volume criteria.

The MU and CQM reports evaluate a specific provider’s visits from a certain time period. Your whole office may institute a policy of providing patient handouts, recording vitals and charting in a certain way. The reports, however, will reflect how well the eligible professional meets those standards for the patients.

End of Visit: Sign Visits and Use the Electronic Encounter Form

You should always have an eligible professional sign their visits, and your office should use the “Bill” button and review the diagnoses and procedures for each visit.

If your office does not use the electronic encounter form, contact PCC Support for help getting started.

Learn More About Meaningful Use

There is more information about Meaningful Use at pcc.com. Visit cms.gov to learn more about Meaningful Use. You can read more about the modified stage 2 program requirements for 2017 on the CMS website.

What Measures Am I Required to Meet and Report On?

Beginning in 2015 and extending through the end of 2018, eligible professionals (EPs) can meet Meaningful Use requirements by following the Modified Stage 2 Objectives and Measures.

In addition, eligible providers must report on nine Clinical Quality Measures, although there are no required thresholds for these measures. Read How to Chart for Each Clinical Quality Measure in PCC EHR for more information.

Overview of Modified Stage 2 Objectives and Measures

For a quick understanding of each objective, use the table below. You can click the “More Details” links to jump directly to a longer description, accompanied by screenshots.

MU Objective Objective Description Attestation Requirements Configuration in PCC Clinician Workflow
Objective 1:
Protect Patient Health Information
Protect electronic health information created or maintained by the certified EHR through the implementation of appropriate technical capabilities Y/N
(must answer “Yes”)
N/A Conduct or review a security risk analysis of certified EHR technology, and implement updates as necessary

(More Details)

Objective 2:
Clinical Decision Support
Measure 1: Implement 5 clinical decision support interventions related to related to 4 or more clinical quality measures (CQMs)Measure 2: Enable drug-drug and drug-allergy interaction checks Y/N
(must answer “Yes” to both measures)
Measure 1: Create clinical alerts related to four or more CQMsMeasure 2: Set up PCC eRx user access for each EP Measure 1: Acknowledge clinical alerts as they appear while charting for affected patientsMeasure 2: PCC eRx automatically checks all medication orders for drug or allergy interactions

(More Details)

Objective 3:
Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE)
Use computerized provider order entry (CPOE) for medication, laboratory, and radiology orders directly entered by eligible providers Measure 1: >60% of medication ordersMeasure 2: >30% of laboratory orders

Measure 3: >30% of radiology orders

Measure 1: Set up PCC eRx user access for each EP; work with PCC Support to ensure that each provider is correctly linked to a PCC EHR user. Measure 2: Set up lab orders in PCC EHR, and add them to chart note protocols

Measure 3: Set up radiology orders in PCC EHR, and add them to chart note protocols

Measure 1: Use PCC eRx to generate and send prescriptions electronicallyMeasure 2: Use the Lab component to order labs when charting in PCC EHR

Measure 3: Use the Radiology component to order radiology tests when charting in PCC EHR

(More Details)

Objective 4:
Electronic Prescribing
Generate, query for a drug formulary, and transmit permissible prescriptions electronically >50% of prescriptions written
  • Set up PCC eRx user access for each EP
  • Work with PCC Support to ensure that each provider is correctly linked to a PCC EHR user.
  • Use PCC eRx to generate and send prescriptions electronically
  • PCC eRx automatically queries all prescriptions for a drug formulary

(More Details)

Objective 5:
Health Information Exchange
Generate a summary of care record through the EHR and electronically submit to the receiving provider for patients who are referred or transferred to another setting of care >10% of referral orders and transitions of care
  • Set up referral orders in PCC EHR, and add them to chart note protocols
  • Contact PCC support to set up Direct Secure Messaging for your practice
  1. For patients who you are referring to an external provider, use PCC EHR to create a referral order
  2. Generate a Summary of Care Record report and select either the relevant referral order, or select “Related to an outbound transition of care”
  3. Use Direct Secure Messaging to send the Summary of Care Record electronically, as a C-CDA file

(More Details)

Objective 6:
Patient Specific Education
Use certified EHR technology to identify clinically relevant patient-specific education resources and provide them to patients >10% of patients seen during the reporting period N/A
  1. Open the Patient Education report
  2. Select a problem, diagnosis, medication or lab test for the patient
  3. Select a handout
  4. Either print the handout for the patient, or upload it to their patient portal

(More Details)

Objective 7:
Medication Reconciliation
Perform a medication reconciliation whenever a patient is transitioned into the eligible provider’s care from another setting of care >50% of incoming transitions of care
  • Set up PCC eRx user access for each EP
  • Add the Transition of Care (ARRA) component to all of your chart note protocols
  • Contact PCC support to set up Direct Secure Messaging for your practice
During visits:

  1. Determine if the patient is transitioning to your care from another setting (hospital or other practice)
  2. Review the patient’s medication history in PCC eRx
  3. Document the med rec using the Transition of Care (ARRA) component within the visit protocol

When receiving incoming DSM:

  1. Receive an incoming C-CDA on your Messaging queue
  2. Document the med rec by clicking the “Reconcile” button

(More Details)

Objective 8:
Patient Electronic Access
Measure 1: Provide patients (or authorized representatives) the ability to view online, download, and transmit their health information within 4 business days

Measure 2: Patients or their authorized representative view, download, or transmit to a 3rd party their health information

Measure 1: >50% of patients seen during the reporting period

Measure 2: >5% of patients seen during the reporting period

Measure 1: Contact PCC support to enable the patient portal, My Kid’s Chart, for your practiceMeasure 2: Use the Patient Portal Manager tool to customize what data your practice will share with patients Measure 1: Use the Patient Portal Manager tool to create portal accounts for patients or their authorized representative within 4 business days of the visitMeasure 2: Encourage patients and their families to use My Kid’s Chart

(More Details)

Objective 9:
Secure Electronic Messaging
Use secure electronic messaging to communicate with patients about relevant health information >5% of patients seen during the reporting period
  • Contact PCC support to enable the patient portal, My Kid’s Chart, for your practice
  • Use the Patient Portal Manager tool to turn on the Messaging feature
  • Respond to portal messages through the Messaging queue in PCC EHR
  • Send new messages to patients/their families through the portal, from PCC EHR

(More Details)

Objective 10: Public Health Reporting Actively engage with a public health agency to submit electronic public health data from a certified EHR except where prohibited and in accordance with applicable law and practice Y/N
(must answer “Yes” to 2 of 3)
Measure 1: Immunization RegistryMeasure 2: Syndromic SurveillanceMeasure 3: Specialized Registry
Contact PCC support to discuss any needed configuration changes Measure 1: Contact PCC support to determine if you are submitting to your state or if a connection can be establishedMeasure 2: Check with your state/AAP to see if your jurisdiction has a public health agency that is capable of receiving electronic syndromic surveillance data

Measure 3: Check with your state/AAP to determine if a specialized registry exists. Document your efforts

(More Details)

You can download specification sheets for each measure from the EHR Incentive Program Modified Stage 2 Objectives and Measures chart, provided by CMS.

Adjust Your Workflow to Meet MU Objectives

What actions do you need to take to meet each of the Meaningful Use measures, and which measures require tracking statistical data through PCC EHR?

Objective 1: (Y/N) Protect Patient Health Information

This objective requires the protection of electronic health information created or maintained by the certified EHR through the implementation of appropriate technical capabilities.

This is a Yes/No objective.

You must be able to answer “Yes” in order to meet this objective.

Your practice needs to conduct or review a security risk analysis of certified EHR technology, and implement updates as necessary. The risk analysis or review needs to be completed prior to the end of the reporting period. If you are reviewing an existing risk analysis, be sure to document and date that review. States can (and will) audit your analysis and/or review.

Security Risk Analysis online resources:

Objective 2: (Y/N) Clinical Decision Support

This objective requires the use of clinical decision support to improve performance on high-priority health conditions.

This is a Yes/No objective, with two separate measures.

You must be able to answer “Yes” to each of the measures in order to meet this objective.

Measure 1: Implement Clinical Decisions

You need to attest that you have implemented five (5) clinical decision support interventions, related to four or more clinical quality measures at a relevant point in patient care for the entire reporting period.

PCC recommends using PCC EHR clinical alerts to meet this measure.

If your practice prefers not to use clinical alerts, CMS has identified the following alternative examples of “clinical decision support”:

  • Clinical guidelines (consider developmental or depression screening templates built into PCC EHR)
  • Condition-specific order sets
  • Documentation templates
  • Diagnostic support
  • Contextually relevant reference information

Measure 2: Enable Drug-Drug and Drug Allergy Interaction Checks

This is a built-in default feature of PCC EHR, so you can attest “Yes”.

Objective 3: Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE)

This objective requires the use of computerized provider order entry (CPOE) for medication, laboratory, and radiology orders directly entered by eligible providers.

This objective has three separate measures.

You must meet the required threshold for each of the measures in order to meet this objective.

Measure 1: Use CPOE for >60% of Medication Orders

In order to meet this measure, you must use CPOE to create more than 60% of prescriptions for patients who visit your practice.

  • Denominator: Number of medication orders created by the EP during the EHR reporting period
  • Numerator: Number of medication orders in the denominator recorded using CPOE
  • Exclusion: If you wrote fewer than 100 prescriptions during the reporting period, you can take an exclusion for this measure

Each eligible provider (EP) needs to have PCC eRx enabled on their user account in PCC EHR. In addition, each EP needs to be correctly linked to a PCC EHR user and an underlying system provider. Contact PCC Support for assistance. If this isn’t done, all measures for this objectives will show 0%.

Using PCC EHR’s electronic prescriptions screen (PCC eRx) to create new prescriptions will meet this measure.

For help prescribing with PCC eRx, read the Prescribe Medications article on learn.pcc.com.

Measure 2: Use CPOE for >30% of Lab Orders

In order to meet this measure, you must use CPOE to order more than 30% of your lab orders.

  • Denominator: Number of lab orders created by the EP during the EHR reporting period
  • Numerator: Number of lab orders in the denominator recorded using CPOE
  • Exclusion: If you wrote fewer than 100 lab orders during the reporting period, you can take an exclusion for this measure

If you use PCC EHR to create lab orders, then you are doing what is needed to meet this measure.

For help setting up lab orders in PCC EHR, read the Lab Configuration article on learn.pcc.com.

For help ordering labs in PCC EHR, read the Order a Lab, Procedure, Supply, or Other Order article on learn.pcc.com.

Measure 3: Use CPOE for >30% of Radiology Orders

In order to meet this measure, you must use CPOE to order more than 30% of your radiology orders.

  • Denominator: Number of radiology orders created by the EP during the EHR reporting period
  • Numerator: Number of radiology orders in the denominator recorded using CPOE
  • Exclusion: If you wrote fewer than 100 radiology orders during the reporting period, you can take an exclusion for this measure

If you use PCC EHR to create radiology orders, then you are doing what is needed to meet this measure.

For help setting up radiology orders in PCC EHR, read the “Configure Radiology Orders with Discrete Results” section of the Order Configuration Examples article on learn.pcc.com.

For help with radiology orders in PCC EHR, read the Order a Lab, Procedure, Supply, or Other Order article on learn.pcc.com.

Objective 4: Electronic Prescribing

This objective requires permissible prescriptions to be generated, queried for a drug formulary, and transmitted electronically, using a certified EHR.

In order to meet this measure, more than 50% of prescriptions that you write need to be queried for a drug formulary and transmitted electronically. You may choose to include or not include controlled substances.

  • Denominator: Number of prescriptions written for drugs requiring a prescription in order to be dispensed (including or not including controlled substances) during the EHR reporting period
  • Numerator: Number of prescriptions in the denominator generated, queried for a drug formulary and transmitted electronically using a certified EHR
  • Exclusion: If you wrote fewer than 100 prescriptions during the reporting period, you can take an exclusion for this measure

Your practice must be using PCC eRx in order to generate and transmit prescriptions electronically.

Each eligible provider (EP) needs to have PCC eRx enabled on their user account in PCC EHR. In addition, each EP needs to be correctly linked to a PCC EHR user and an underlying system provider. Contact PCC Support for assistance. If this isn’t done, this measure will show 0%.

PCC EHR’s electronic prescribing system (eRx) automatically queries all prescriptions for a drug formulary.

If you use PCC eRx to record and transmit most of your prescriptions to pharmacies, then you are doing what is needed to meet this measure.

You may choose whether to include controlled substances in your totals, if your state allows it. PCC’s MU report can include or exclude controlled substances.

Prescriptions that are generated through the eRx, but are then printed instead of being sent electronically, will not count toward meeting this measure. They will however be counted toward your total prescriptions for the reporting period.

Objective 5: Health Information Exchange

This objective requires summary of care records to be sent electronically for patients who are referred or transitioned to another setting of care.

In order to meet this measure, you must generate a summary of care record through the EHR, and electronically submit it to a receiving provider for more than 10% of referral orders and transitions of care.

  • Denominator: Number of referral orders during the reporting period where the EP was the provider for the visit, combined with the number of Summary of Care Records generated where “Related to an outbound transition of care” was selected
  • Numerator: Number of referrals and outbound transitions from the denominator where a Summary of Care Record was sent electronically to another clinician or practice via Direct Secure Messaging
  • Exclusion: If you initiated less than 100 transfers or referrals (to another setting of care) during the reporting period, you can take an exclusion for this measure

When you refer a patient to a provider outside of your practice, use PCC EHR’s Referral component to create a referral order.

After you have documented the referral – or for patients who you did not refer, but are transferring to an external provider – you will generate a Summary of Care Record report and select either the relevant referral, or “Related to an outbound transition of care” from the drop-down list.

Finally, you need to send the Summary of Care Record to the receiving clinician or practice as a C-CDA file, via Direct Secure Messaging (DSM).

For step-by-step directions on how to generate the report, indicate the referral, and send the file via DSM, read the Summary of Care Record Report article on learn.pcc.com.

If your practice is not currently using DSM, read the Direct Secure Messaging article on learn.pcc.com, and contact PCC Support to get set up.

Objective 6: Patient Specific Education

This objective requires the use of a certified EHR to identify clinically relevant patient-specific education resources, and to provide those resources to patients.

In order to meet this measure, you must use EHR technology to identify and provide an appropriate patient handout or other resource to more than 10% of the patients who visit your office during the reporting period.

  • Denominator: Number of unique patients with at least one office visit, seen by the EP during the EHR reporting period
  • Numerator: Number of patients in the denominator who were provided patient-specific education resources identified by the certified EHR

While the measure applies to patients with office visits during the reporting period, the education material only needs to have been given during the same calendar year.

To meet this measure, you must access the education source through the Patient Education report, and you need to select one of the patient’s problems, medications, or lab tests from the drop-down field before you select a handout.

Once you select a handout, you can either print it or save it to the patient portal. Either option will satisfy this objective.

PCC EHR has a built-in library of resource materials for patients. Read Patient Education and Handouts for more information.

Objective 7: Medication Reconciliation

This objective requires a medication reconciliation to be performed whenever a patient is received from another setting of care.

In order to meet this measure, you must perform a medication reconciliation for more than 50% of patients who are transitioned into your care, or for whom you receive an incoming Direct Secure Message with a C-CDA.

  • Denominator includes:
    • Any visit for the EP where the “Patient transitioned to my care” checkbox is checked in the Transition of Care (ARRA) component
    • Direct secure messages received by the EP that include a C-CDA
  • Numerator includes:
    • Visits from the denominator where the “Medication Reconciliation performed” checkbox is checked in the Transition of Care (ARRA) component
    • Direct secure messages from the denominator where the “Reconcile” button has been clicked

Medication Reconciliations During Visits

If you are meeting with a new patent, or if your established patient was seen elsewhere since their last visit with you, review their medications using the Medication History component in PCC eRx. You can add and remove medications to their chart as appropriate.

For help with conducting a review of a patient’s medications, read the Review and Update Medication History article on learn.pcc.com.

In order to track this measure during a visit, make sure that you are using the Transition of Care (ARRA) component within all of your visit protocols, and check the boxes to indicate that a patient has transitioned into your care, and that you performed a medication reconciliation.

Medication Reconciliations With Incoming Direct Secure Messages

Direct Secure Messages that you receive on the Messaging queue are also considered incoming transitions of care.

When you see an incoming C-CDA in a Direct Secure Message, you can click “Reconcile” to review and import medication data (along with problems and allergies).

For help with receiving incoming messages, read the “Receive Direct Secure Messages, Including Inbound C-CDA For Transition of Care” section of the Direct Secure Messaging article on learn.pcc.com.

Objective 8: Patient Electronic Access

This objective requires the practice to provide patients the ability to view online, download, and transmit their health information.

This objective has two separate measures.

You must meet the required threshold for each of the measures in order to meet this objective.

Measure 1: Timely Online Access

In order to meet this measure, more than 50% of patients seen during the reporting period need to have a My Kid’s Chart user with access to their records.

  • Denominator: Number of unique patients seen by the EP during the EHR reporting period
  • Numerator: Number of unique patients (or their authorized representatives) in the denominator who have had a patient portal account created within 4 days of their visit
  • Exclusion: If you are located in a county where >50% of patients do not have 3Mbps broadband availability, you can take an exclusion for this measure

PCC EHR includes an optional patient portal, My Kid’s Chart (mykidschart.com).

My Kid’s Chart gives patients and families 24-hour access to their medical history, visit summaries, and other helpful information.

Contact PCC to set up My Kid’s Chart. Once the portal has been enabled for your office, you can sign up patients or their authorized representatives using the Patient Portal Manager tool through PCC EHR.

For help creating portal accounts, read the My Kid’s Chart User Account Administration article on learn.pcc.com.

A portal account needs to be created within 4 days of the patient’s visit in order to be counted toward the measure.

If age-based privacy is enabled, patients who meet the emancipation age will still be included in the denominator but will not count in the numerator unless portal access is individually enabled.

To get started with using My Kid’s Chart, read What is My Kid’s Chart, PCC’s Patient Portal.

Measure 2: View, Download, or Transmit Health Information

In order to meet this measure, at least 5% of patients seen in the reporting period need to view, download, or transmit their health information.

  • Denominator: Number of unique patients seen by the EP during the EHR reporting period
  • Numerator: Number of unique patients (or their authorized representatives) in the denominator who have viewed online, downloaded, or transmitted to a third party the patient’s health information
  • Exclusion: If you are located in a county where >50% of patients do not have 3Mbps broadband availability, you can take an exclusion for this measure

When your patients or their authorized representatives log in to My Kid’s Chart, PCC will record their actions. Simply viewing their account will count toward this measure.

To help your patients and families with using My Kid’s Chart, you can print out and share the My Kid’s Chart User’s Guide, found on learn.pcc.com.

Objective 9: Secure Electronic Messaging

This objective requires the use of secure electronic messaging to communicate with patients about relevant health information.

For more than 5% of patients seen by the EP during the EHR reporting period, a secure electronic message must be sent using the patient portal to the patient (or their representative), during the reporting period. The message may be a reply to an incoming message.

  • Denominator: Number of unique patients seen by the EP during the EHR reporting period
  • Numerator: Number of patients in the denominator for whom a secure electronic message is sent, or in response to a secure message sent by the patient (or authorized representative)
  • Exclusion: If you are located in a county where >50% of patients do not have 3Mbps broadband availability, you can take an exclusion for this measure

Patients or their representatives must use PCC’s patient portal, My Kid’s Chart, to send secure messages to their provider. The provider can respond through PCC EHR’s Messaging queue.


Contact PCC to set up My Kid’s Chart. Once the portal has been enabled for your office, you can turn on the Messaging feature using the Patient Portal Manager tool through PCC EHR. For help with portal configuration, read the Patient Portal Practice Settings and Configuration article on learn.pcc.com.

The EP may also send messages through PCC EHR that will show up on the patient portal. These messages will also count toward the measure, for patients who had an office visit during the EHR reporting period.


For help with portal messages, read Receive and Respond to Portal Messages from My Kid’s Chart.

Objective 10: (Y/N) Public Health Reporting

This objective requires the EP to be in active engagement with a public health agency to submit electronic public health data from a certified EHR except where prohibited and in accordance with applicable law and practice.

This is a Yes/No objective, with three separate measures.

You must be able to answer “Yes” to two out of three of the measures in order to meet this objective.

An EP must be in active engagement with a public health agency to be able to answer “Yes”.

Active engagement may include any of the following options.

  • Option 1: Completed Registration [with Public Health Agency or Clinical Data Registry] to Submit Data
  • Option 2: Testing and Validation: The EPis in the process of testing and validation of the electronic submission of data
  • Option 3: Production: The EP has completed testing and validation of the electronic submission and is electronically submitting production data to the PHA or CDR

Measure 1: Immunization Registry Reporting

In order to meet this measure, the EP must be in active engagement with a public health agency to submit immunization data.

PCC EHR currently submits immunization data to many state registries.
Contact PCC support to determine if you are submitting to your state or if a connection can be established.

  • Exclusion: Any EP that meets one or more of the following criteria may be excluded from this measure:
    • Does not administer any of the immunizations to any of the populations for which data is collected by their jurisdiction’s immunization registry or immunization information system during the EHR reporting period
    • Operates in a jurisdiction for which no immunization registry or immunization information system is capable of accepting the specific standards required for CEHRT at the start of their EHR reporting period
    • Operates in a jurisdiction where no immunization registry or immunization information system has declared readiness to receive immunization data from the EP at the start of the EHR reporting period

Measure 2: Syndromic Surveillance Reporting

In order to meet this measure, the EP must be in active engagement with a public health agency to submit syndromic surveillance data.

  • Exclusion: Any EP that meets one or more of the following criteria may be excluded from this measure:
    • Is not in a category of providers from which ambulatory syndromic surveillance data is collected by their jurisdiction’s syndromic surveillance system
    • Operates in a jurisdiction for which no public health agency is capable of receiving electronic syndromic surveillance data from EPs in the specific standards required to meet the CEHRT definition at the start of the EHR reporting period
    • Operates in a jurisdiction where no public health agency has declared readiness to receive syndromic surveillance data from EPs at the start of the EHR reporting period

Measure 3: Specialized Registry Reporting

In order to meet this measure, the EP must be in active engagement to submit data to a specialized registry.

Check with your state and specialty society (the AAP) to determine if a specialized registry exists that will accept pediatric-specific data. This action should be documented.

  • Exclusion: Any EP that meets one or more of the following criteria may be excluded from this measure:
    • Does not diagnose or treat any disease or condition associated with, or collect relevant data that is collected by, a specialized registry in their jurisdiction during the EHR reporting period
    • Operates in a jurisdiction for which no specialized registry is capable of accepting electronic registry transactions in the specific standards required to meet the CEHRT definition at the start of the EHR reporting period
    • Operates in a jurisdiction where no specialized registry for which the EP is eligible has declared readiness to receive electronic registry transactions at the beginning of the EHR reporting period

PCC uses both billing and charting data to calculate Meaningful Use Measure percentages. Each EP needs to be correctly linked to a PCC EHR user and an underlying system provider. PCC completes this step upon your initial installation. Contact PCC Support for assistance.

Become a Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH)

Depending on the state you live in, pediatric practices using PCC software can receive payment incentives from payers by becoming a Patient Centered Medical Home.

By adopting the functions of PCMH, you help your patients and families gain access to care and you gain additional benefits for your practice.

What is a Patient Centered Medical Home?

PCMH encompasses a philosophy of patient care as well as a set of standards. It is an approach to care where “practices seek to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of the care they deliver while responding to each patient’s unique needs and preferences.” (AAFP.org) The core principles of a medical home are defined in the Joint Principles of the Patient-Centered Medical Home document, and endorsed by the AAP, AAFP, ACP, and AOA.

Summarized, the principles are:

  • Physician-led practice: Patients have access to a personal physician who leads the care team within a medical practice.

  • Whole-person orientation: The care team provides comprehensive care, including acute care, chronic care, preventive services, and end-of-life care, at all stages of life.

  • Integrated and coordinated care: Practices take steps to ensure that patients receive the care and services they need from the medical neighborhood, in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner.

  • Focus on quality and safety: Practices use the quality improvement process and evidence-based medicine to continually improve patient outcomes.

  • Access: Practices commit to enhancing patients’ access to care. (AAFP.org)

Various state and local organizations, insurance carriers, and other governing bodies have adopted the PCMH standard and created paid incentive programs for practices that implement these principles.

What is the Process of Achieving PCMH Recognition?

As of 2017, NCQA’s PCMH Recognition program includes six concepts that align with the principles of primary care. Within each concept are competencies which are meant to organize the criteria within each concept area. Criteria are the individual structures, functions and activities that indicate a practice is operating as a medical home.

The program includes ongoing, sustained recognition status with annual reporting.

To achieve PCMH recognition, practices must:

  • Meet all core criteria
  • Earn 25 credits in elective criteria across 5 of 6 concepts.

This ensures a minimum set of capabilities and gives practices the flexibility to focus on activities that not only mean the most to their patient population, but are feasible to accomplish with their resources and the resources of their community.

How Can My Practice Use PCC to Achieve PCMH Recognition?

PCC’s tools and services can help you meet the goals and requirements for PCMH recognition.

PCC has organized the 2017 PCMH Standards on our public wiki website, to provide quick reference to the 2017 standards themselves and, where applicable, documentation showing how PCC functionality applies to individual PCMH factors.

The PCMH standards and guidelines ask practices to show that they meet PCMH principles through using a certified EHR, attestation, and providing report details on meeting Meaningful Use Measures, Clinical Quality Measures, and other standards. Many program requirements are similar to those defined by CMS in the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program (renamed Promoting Interoperability in 2018).

To learn more, read:

You can also get data for your PCMH application with PCC’s reports. For more information, read:

  • Meaningful Use Measures Report: The Meaningful Use Measures report in PCC EHR calculates your office’s performance on the Meaningful Use standards indicated in ARRA’s EHR Medicaid Incentive program and referenced in PCMH requirements.
  • Clinical Quality Measures Report: The Clinical Quality Measures report in PCC EHR calculates your clinicians’ performance on CQMs (Clinical Quality Measures).
  • PCC EHR Report Library: The PCC EHR Report Library contains several reports specifically designed to help you calculate numbers needed for your PCMH application, including “Care Plans By Date”.
  • Practice Vitals Dashboard: Your Practice Vitals Dashboard contains numerous measures that you can use for your PCMH application.

PCC Prevalidation: As of March 2018, practices utilizing PCC can benefit from reduced documentation for criteria designated as “partially met criteria” and have criteria designated as “fully met criteria” marked as “met” in full. If you are interested in learning more about using PCC EHR to achieve PCMH recognition, please contact your Client Advocate.

After Recognition, Are There Annual Requirements?

Once a practice has gone through PCMH for the first time, they are required to meet some annual reporting requirements. These requirements are comprised of a small subset of the 2017 PCMH requirements. Contact PCC support for assistance.

What Are Other PCC Practices Doing to Achieve PCMH Recognition?

PCC sponsors and maintains a public wiki where we share information gathered from PCC clients who have successfully achieved PCMH recognition.

The website includes screenshots and descriptions of how to use PCC’s software to complete your PCMH process. We welcome your input!

http://pcmh.pcc.com

What PCMH Programs Are There in My Area?

PCMH programs vary from region to region. You can find out what’s available in your region at the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative map.

PCMH Consultation with the Verden Group

PCC has partnered with the Verden Group to offer discounted consultation services to PCC clients looking to achieve PCMH recognition.

Get in touch with pedsol@pcc.com to learn more.

Storm and Emergency Preparation

When bad weather or other emergencies approach, your practice’s medical and financial data may be the last thing on your mind. By taking a few simple precautions, you can protect your equipment as well as your patient database and accounts receivable records.

PCC’s Support Team recommends the following emergency preparation measures. If you have any questions or concerns, call us at 802-846-8177 or 800-722-7708. Follow these steps whenever there is a risk of power failure, electrical storm, or flooding in your region.

What if I'm in a hurry? And what does my PCC equipment look like?: If you need to shut down your server immediately, follow the instructions on the Shut Down Your Server article. You can see photos of the PCC equipment in your office on the PCC Hardware Overview article.

Print Out a Week’s Schedule

If there’s a risk you may be without Internet or a working computer system, PCC recommends you open the Report Library in PCC EHR and generate a report for upcoming appointments. You can customize your report to include patient contact information or any additional information you may need.

Protect the On-Premises Physical PCC Server at Your Practice

If you have a physical PCC server located at your practice, perform the following steps.

Perform a Backup

Run a System Image Backup of your server. Although a backup is run automatically every night, you can perform one manually at any time.

First, ask all users to log off the system. Next, type backups at a command prompt or choose “Backup the System” from the System Administrator window. From the list of options in the backups program, choose “System Image Backup.”

Contact PCC Support for a Remote Backup: Please contact PCC support as soon as you know you want to shutdown your PCC equipment, and at least four hours before you plan to shut your system down, so that we can initiate a remote backup. A remote backup may take several hours to complete and the system should only be used for lookup purposes during that time. Any changes you make once the remote backup is started could be lost if we need to restore your system. Once the remote backup is complete, you may shutdown your system.

Shut Down the Server

Shut your server(s) down and turn off the power. Follow the instructions on the Shut Down Your Server help article.

For most systems, simply run the Shutdown program in the System Administrator window, or log in as the root user and type shutdown -h now at a command prompt. Once you see the “Power Down” message on the console screen, your system may power down automatically. If not, press and hold the power button on the front of the server until the machine turns off.

Nightly Backups Will Not Occur While Server is Off: If your server is shut down overnight, normal nightly cleanup programs will not run. They will run the first night after the server is turned back on. Some complex financial aging reports, for example, may not be up-to-date after a night with no power.

Turn Off and Unplug the APC UPS

Your server and other PCC hardware are plugged into an APC UPS battery backup device in your office or server location. The device provides some protection against unexpected surges and brown-outs.

If you know ahead of time that your power may fail or office may flood, you should turn off the APC and unplug it from the wall for added protection.

Use Caution When Working with Your UPS: Your APC UPS device is a large battery. Even when it is unplugged, it has enough current to cause harm or death. Treat it as you would any live electrical outlet.

Turn Off and Unplug Other Equipment

Turn off your printers, PCs, and all other electrical equipment. Even if you use surge protectors around your office, unplugging your PCs and printers will better prevent electrical damage.

Unplug Internet, FAX, and Other Communication Devices

If possible, disconnect your ISP modem (cable, DSL, etc.) and FAX machine phone lines. A power surge on a phone or coaxial cable internet line can also damage your equipment. Contact your phone system provider for information about protecting that equipment.

Consider Covering or Moving the Server and Other Equipment

If there is a possibility of flooding, you should raise the server and other equipment off of the floor and use plastic tarps to prevent water damage. Do not wrap your server in a plastic tarp while it is still running.

Move to a Safe Location

As always, remember that your safety and the safety of your patients is far more important than your equipment. Do not return to your office to perform the above steps unless it is safe to do so.

Stay In Touch

Please call PCC Support (802-846-8177 or 800-722-7708) if you need assistance performing the above steps or if you have any questions. Remember that we are available 24 hours a day and seven days a week for emergency calls.

Prepare for a PCC Software Update

When a software update for PCC is ready for your office, what should you do to prepare?

Notify Your In-House System Administrator and/or Third-Party IT Consultant

PCC EHR updates require the workstation’s administration password. Inform your in-house system administrator or office manager that each workstation will need their attention, and the administration password, on the morning of the update.

Does your practice have a local system administrator or a contract with a local IT professional who updates and services your computers? Do you implement an office-wide network, not monitored and updated by PCC, that requires administrative permissions to make changes? Contact appropriate entities so that they know a PCC update is coming.

Learn About the New Features Ahead of Time

With every software release, PCC answers client requests and implements new features and tools that can improve your office workflow and save you time. You should review the new software feature list and arrange for your staff to attend a training web lab, when needed.

Review Important Update Configuration or Workflow Considerations

Some new tools or features in PCC EHR require configuration, or may make your office’s workflow faster and easier. When there are significant configuration or software usage changes, PCC publishes a Migration Considerations document.

Tell Your Doctors and Other Staff

Once PCC schedules your update, inform all of your PCC EHR users. The PCC EHR login screen helps you out the week before the update by notifying all users that an update is coming.

Remind users to log out on the date of the update and encourage them to review the “Details” link on the login screen, which points to the PCC Release article.

Log Out of All EHR Logins, Close the Login Window

The evening before your PCC EHR update, be sure and visit all the computers that use PCC EHR and log out. Completely close the login window on each workstation.

PCC recommends that all users log out of PCC EHR and close the login window whenever they are not working. PCC cannot update your software if you are not logged out. The PCC EHR application must be closed.

After the Update: Review New Options, Work with PCC Support

Once your update is complete, you may wish to return to the PCC Release and Migration Considerations documents and implement the recommended configuration changes.

Remember that PCC Support (support@pcc.com, 802-846-8177 or 800-722-7708) can help you review your setup and work with you to optimize your PCC EHR work environment.

Backing Up Your Practice Data

Your practice’s PCC Server, either located in a secure cloud or in a physical server at your practice, contains the record of your A/R as well as important patient medical information. A backup protects that data from fire, natural disasters, or a server crash.

Because backups are so important, your PCC Server is configured to perform an overnight backup every night. Your server is backed up to both a secure remote location as well as a local network drive. You can also perform a backup manually at any time.

The sections below describe PCC’s different backup solutions, how to run a manual backup.

Your Office’s Custom Backup Solution

Every office is different, and PCC works to find the best backup solution depending on your location, office configuration, and other factors.

Here is a summary of PCC’s different backup solutions:

  • Network Accessible Storage: PCC typically installs a networked hard drive in each practice’s office that automatically backs up all data. The NAS drive is a fast, local backup that makes data recovery easy.

  • Remote Backup: PCC uses a secure, encrypted internet connection to backup your data on a remote server. This solution requires very little maintenance and ensures that data is encrypted and safely stored offsite.

  • RAID Array: If your practice has a physical server in your office, that server includes a RAID array, one or more extra hard drives that automatically duplicate all information on the server. RAID is not a backup solution and can not be used to recover deleted files. Instead, your RAID array prevents data loss in the event of a hard drive failure. One faulty drive can be swapped out for a working drive without any interruption of service.

Contact PCC Support at 802-846-8177 or 800-722-7708 or support@pcc.com to discuss backup solutions for your practice. We periodically review the technical needs of your practice to ensure your data is safe and secure from theft, natural disaster, and hardware failure.

PCC Does Not Keep a Copy or Store Your Data: PCC does not maintain a copy of your data at our central office. Your data is kept on a server and on an encrypted local storage device, both of which remain under your office’s oversight at all times. An encrypted copy is also stored at secure remote “cloud” location.

Perform a Manual Backup (backups)

When a nightly backup fails, or when you need to move a physical PCC server or shut it down for an extended period, or a major storm is due in your area, you may wish to do a manual backup of your data.

Ask PCC: You can call PCC support at any time and ask them to begin an immediate back up of your data. Please allow several hours for the backup to complete. If you anticipate needing to restore from that backup, you should stop working on your system after that backup has begun as new changes will be lost.

You can also begin a backup yourself, without contacting PCC Support. Follow this procedure:

Warn Your Staff and All Users

Tell your office staff to log off the system. Make sure everyone has finished their current task and logged off.

Open a Practice Management Window

Run the Backups Program

Run the “Backup the System” option from the System Administration menu in th Practice Management window.

You can also run backups from a UNIX prompt.

Select a Local-Only or Remote Cloud Backup

Select “S) System Image Backup” to backup your PCC server to your NAS device, which is located in your office.

Select “T) System Image Backup (also to cloud)” to backup your PCC server to both your local NAS device as well as to a remote, cloud backup service.

Wait for Backup to Finish

Depending on the option you select and the size of your practice, your backup will take from one to three hours.

Check that the Backup Was Successful

You will see a message telling you whether or not the backup was successful.

Network Vulnerability Scan

Every quarter, PCC performs a network vulnerability scan on your PCC server and network infrastructure. This service is included in your PCC support contract.

What Do We Check?

PCC uses vulnerability scanning software to review connections to your server or router and firewall. We check known vulnerabilities on commonly used system ports available from the internet. For example, we scan the services on your server that run your e-mail, manage remote connections and remote offices, and your built-in web server.

We automatically send your office’s system administrator an e-mail letting you know the results of the scan.

What Happens When a Problem Is Found?

If a high-risk vulnerability is found, an email is automatically sent to support@pcc.com.

We treat that security vulnerability as a top priority. Our Technical Solutions team resolves the issue, and then notifies your office.

Sometimes even high-risk vulnerabilities cannot be remediated without negatively affecting your system, due to an unusual configuration or because your firewall or network is managed by a third-party. When that happens, PCC can help you communicate problems to whomever manages your firewall.

If PCC manages your office’s router, we can apply any required updates or patches. If you use a local or in-house IT technician to manage your network, they must handle the update and upkeep of your router.

Medium or Low-Risk Vulnerabilities

In addition to high-risk vulnerabilities, your network vulnerability scan will find many other medium or low-risk vulnerabilities. Some normal aspects of your network configuration may be labeled as low or medium-risk vulnerabilities, such as when a port is opened to allow communication between remote offices.

Your system administrator can review the e-mailed report and take appropriate action. Contact PCC Support for any questions about the results of the scan.

Shut Down Your PCC Server

If you need to move equipment or are preparing your office for a bad storm, you may want to shut down your PCC server. This might also be needed if a technician is visiting your office.

Follow this procedure:

Tell Your Staff to Log Off

Ask your staff to log out of your PCC system. You should make sure they are finished with their tasks and have logged off before proceeding.

Turn Off Your PCC Server

There are three different ways you could shut down your PCC server. First, you can just press the power button, located in the top-left of the front panel of your server (or under the grille, for some models). Press it once to begin the shutdown procedure.

If you can’t find the button, you could also log into a Practice Management window and select System Administration, and then “Shut down the system”.

Alternatively, you can always ask your PCC CA or PCC technician. They can turn your server off remotely.

Watch Your Server’s Console

Watch the monitor attached to your server as the system shuts down or reboots. If you are rebooting, you can tell your staff that they can log back in once you see the log in prompt. If you are shutting down, your server will turn off on its own.

Do I Have to Perform the Shut Down at the Main Console?: You can perform a shut down or reboot from any PC or terminal in your office. Using the main console is recommended only because it will show you the full range of messages as the system shuts down and it will be easier to observe when the system comes back up after a reboot.

Password Required on Start Up: When you push the power button to turn your PCC server back on, you will need your practice’s decryption passphrase. PCC shares this passphrase only with your practice’s office manager or PCC system administrator.

A Pediatric Practice Hardware Map

Here is a typical hardware and network layout for a PCC office. Your practice may have different equipment or a different configuration, but the image below identifies how a PCC Support technician works with your local IT vendor to arrange the PCC Server, network, and firewall equipment in a pediatric practice.

A Remote Office Hardware Map

Your practice may have one or more remote office locations. PCC can design a custom network configuration for your remote connection needs. This image depicts a typical remote office hardware map.


PCC Router and Firewall

PCC installs a Fortinet Fortigate in each practice as part of your PCC subscription. This router/firewall device connects your office to the internet and secures your network from unauthorized access.

My Practice Already Has One: In some cases, you may already have a suitable router/firewall provided by another IT consultant. In that case, PCC will work with you to ensure the existing device is adequate and configured correctly for use by your PCC equipment and applications. PCC prefers to provide and administer your router/firewall. It is a critical component of your network infrastructure and is the gateway through which PCC updates and administers your PCC server and other network devices.

The router/firewall performs the following functions in your office:

  • Router: Your router/firewall device routes traffic between network segments.

  • Firewall: Your router/firewall device helps prevent unauthorized access to your network and can help block incoming network attacks.

  • Internet Sharing: Your router/firewall device provides a gateway to the internet for all of the devices on your network.

  • Remote Connection: Your router/firewall device establishes secure Virtual Private Networks (VPN) between locations, such as your main and remote office or your office and a remote billing service. Your router/firewall devices are the endpoint for the connection at each location. PCC strongly recommends that clients with multiple offices install dedicated point-to-point connections between offices (typically fiber). In select cases, or when those services are not available, PCC may set up a persistent VPN connection between your offices.

  • DHCP and DNS Services: Your router/firewall device may also provide DNS and DHCP service to your network devices. (DHCP provides IP addresses to your network devices. DNS resolves domain names to IP addresses so traffic can be properly routed.) Generally DNS and DHCP services run on your PCC server, but in some cases your router/firewall may perform these functions.

Your office’s PCC-installed router/firewall is a configurable unit, allowing PCC’s Technical Solutions Team to add features and change the configuration as your office’s needs change.

Device Specifics

The Fortinet Fortigate is a high-performance, commercial firewall with optional Universal Threat Management (UTM) features. Fortinet is a major provider of network security appliances and solutions.

More Questions?: If you or your network consultant needs more information about the router/firewall devices provided by PCC, contact PCC’s Technical Solution Team at (800)-722-1082.

Hardware Guide: Your PCC System Hardware

PCC may install a server, peripherals, and other hardware in your office. This article is a quick reference to that equipment. You can use the sections below as a photo guide to your PCC hardware.

Contact PCC Support with any questions about your practice hardware.

Read a Summary of Network and Equipment Services: PCC's Technical Solutions Team provides a Network and Equipment Services guide which includes answers to common questions around what PCC installs, how equipment is maintained, how backups are performed, and more.

What About Equipment that Your Practice Purchases?: Read the Personal Computer and Equipment guide to learn about PCs, printers, and other equipment that your practice purchases and maintains.

Introduction: What Does PCC Install at Your Practice?

PCC typically installs the following equipment:

  • a PCC server (typically a Dell PowerEdge server) (If your practice is hosted in a cloud service, PCC will not install a server)
  • one or more network switches
  • an APC UPS battery backup unit
  • a router/firewall (either Netgate or Fortigate)
  • a network-attached storage device (NAS)
  • one or more wireless access points

The PCC Server

Unless your practice will host your PCC server in the cloud, PCC installs one or more servers in your practice. The PCC server runs PCC EHR, the Patient Portal, and other PCC software and services. Your personal computers connect to the PCC server using a network connection.

PCC servers use the CentOS Linux operating system and require internet connectivity.

A PCC server includes provisions for failure and redundancy. PCC provides a guaranteed 4-hour response for onsite service. We typically include a monitor, keyboard and mouse for the server, but the server can not be used as a user workstation.

Current Server Installations

When PCC installs a physical server, we currently use a Dell PowerEdge server.


Height: 430.3mm (16.94 in)
Width: 218mm (8.58 in)
Depth: 603 mm (23.7 in)
Weight: 26 kg (55.67 lb.)

How to Turn Off Your PCC Server: Whenever possible, your PCC server should be rebooted or shutdown from the System Administration menu in the Practice Management window. Should that not be possible, you can use the illuminated green power switch on the front of the server. Push and release the button. When pushed and immediately released, the server should go through a proper shutdown procedure before powering down. In exceptional circumstances, you can also press the power button and hold it for several seconds to immediately power down the server. If you have any doubt about when or how to reboot or power down your server, please contact PCC support.

Network Switch

For a typical pediatric practice, PCC installs and maintains one or more network switches.

Switches are the center of your PCC network. All network devices, including PCs and your PCC Server, plug into a port on the switch, through cabling in your wall. If you have a wireless access point, it also plugs into the switch directly or through a cable in the wall.

You can plug devices into any port on a switch, the ports do not need to be individually configured.


HP 1910 24-port Gigabit Network Switch
(You may have a similar-looking 48-port model)
Height:44 mm (1.73 in)
Width:440 mm (17.32 in)
Depth:173 mm (6.81 in)
Weight:2200 g (4.85 lb)

Netgear GS748T 48-port Network Switch
(You may have a similar-looking 24-port model)
Height: 43 mm (1.7 in)
Width: 440 mm (17.3 in)
Depth: 260 mm (10.25 in)
Weight: 4.0 kg (4.0 kg)

UniFi 24-port Gigabit Network Switch
(You may have a similar-looking 48-port model)

Height: 485.04 mm (19.1 in)
Width: 44.45 mm (1.75 in)
Depth: 285.6 mm (11.25 in)
Weight: 3.7 kg(8.16 lb)

Dell 24-port Gigabit Network Switch
(You may have a similar-looking 48-port model)

Height: 41.25 mm (1.62 in)
Width: 209 mm (8.23 in)
Depth: 250 mm (9.84 in)

To reset a switch or router, unplug the power cable from the back of a unit, wait fifteen seconds, and plug it back in.

UPS Power Backup System

If your practice has an in-office PCC server, then PCC installs a UPS battery device that supplies power. It protects anything that is plugged into it from power surges, brown-outs, and black outs.

A UPS works silently until a power problem occurs. Then the UPS will begin to beep loudly and supply filtered power to devices plugged into it. The UPS will supply five minutes to an hour of power to your PCC server when the power fails completely.

When your power fails, shut down your server as soon as possible. When five minutes of battery remain, the UPS will attempt to safely shut down the PCC server for you automatically.

CyberPower Models

A typical PCC-installed CyberPower UPS:


  • Height: 221mm (8.7in)
  • Width: 170mm (6.7in)
  • Depth: 432mm (17in)
  • Weight: 24.49KG (54.0lbs)

You can read technical specifications for this UPS at cyberpowersystems.com.

APC Models

A typical PCC-installed APC UPS:


  • Height: 219mm (8.62in)
  • Width: 171mm (6.73in)
  • Depth: 439mm (17.28in)
  • Weight: 20.45KG (45.0lbs)

You can read technical specifications for this UPS at apc.com.

Replace the Battery in an APC UPS: You can watch a tutorial video to learn how to replace an APC UPS battery.

Router or Firewall Device

PCC installs and maintains a firewall for each of your offices. This device connects your office to the internet, connects remote offices, and provides connections to approved third-parties, such as a remote billing office. The firewall provides security features that help protect your network. At this time, PCC provides Fortinet firewalls.


Height: 38mm (1.5 in)
Width: 216mm (8.5 in)
Depth: 160mm (6.3 in)
Weight: 0.9 kg (1.9 lb)

Network Attached Storage Device (NAS)

Depending on your practice’s configuration, PCC may install an NAS device. PCC’s NAS device is a RAID array of hard drives connected to your network that is used to store backups. PCC currently installs two different brands of NAS device:

Synology NAS


How to Turn Off Your Synology NAS: The power switch for the NAS is on the front, illuminated in blue, in the lower righthand corner.

FreeNAS (network-attached storage backup)

How to Turn Off Your FreeNAS: The power switch for the NAS is on the front, in the upper lefthand corner.

Wireless Access Points

Depending on your practice’s configuration, PCC may install one or more wireless access points. A WAP is a radio transceiver that allows your wireless devices to transmit and receive data without a wired ethernet connection.


Height: 48.1 mm (1.89 in)
Width: 220 mm (8.66 in)
Depth: 220 mm (8.66 in)
Weight: 830 g (1.83 lb)

In most cases, a WAP is mounted on the ceiling and connected via a cable to your wiring closet. WAPs can be distributed throughout your office to achieve better WiFi coverage.

Most installations use a power injector which plugs into the wall; one cable goes to the wiring closet and one cable to the WAP. In some cases we may use a power-over-ethernet switch for this purpose.

Note: For new installations, your PCC TST technician will advise you on the WAP location(s) for your contractor to install appropriate cabling prior to PCC’s arrival.

Replacing Hardware

Before purchasing new or replacing any equipment or services that PCC typically provides at no cost to you as part of your contract, please contact PCC Support for guidance.

PCC manages all or most of the network for the majority of our clients. In most cases it is more effective, and less expensive, to let PCC provide network equipment and install and support your backbone network (firewall, UPS, switches, wireless, server and backup). Local IT is great for administering your Windows network, workstations and printers.

Details about equipment and services that PCC provides can be reviewed in the fine print accompanying your PCC contract.

Patient Care Centers in PCC Software

If your practice has multiple locations that operate independently, you can turn on the Care Center features in PCC software. Once the feature is turned on, you can assign patients to a specific care center.


When you assign a patient to a care center, a special location flag is added to the patient’s record and many new features and abilities are available in PCC EHR and the patient portal.

The Care Center features will help large practices or multiple-practice partnerships where different office locations operate independently. Read below to learn more.

Use Care Center When Searching for Patients

When you search for a patient chart, you can see the patient’s care center in the search results.

Any office location can open any patient’s chart. When you search for a chart, you can use the Care Center column to know if you have found the correct patient.

Filter the Messaging Queue By Care Center

When your practice uses the Care Center features, the Messaging queue includes a Location filter.

Use the filter to see messages that relate only to the care center location where you work.

By default, all incoming, new messages or tasks on the Messaging queue will have the patient’s care center set as the item’s care center.

If a nurse creates a phone message task, as shown above, or a physician creates a new order follow-up task, the message will be assigned to the patient’s care center location.

However, any user can open the message task and change its care center location to redirect the message to a different care center.

Messages for Patients With No Care Center: If a patient does not have a care center assigned, messages about that patient will be visible to all locations on the Messaging queue.


You can open any message (created after your PCC 6.27 update) and assign it to a care center to make sure the correct office handles the issue.

Review Patient’s Care Center While You Work

When a patient has a care center, the care center information can appear during patient checkin, during scheduling, and elsewhere in PCC EHR.

Display the Care Center’s Address on Form Letters, Reports, and in MyKidsChart

If you assign patients to specific care centers, you can use new care center variables to produce form letters that contain the care center location. You can also configure the care center address to appear on the Health Information Summary report and in MyKidsChart.

Read the PCC 6.27 Migration Considerations document to learn more.

Use Care Center Flag for Recaller and Other Reports

When a patient has a care center, that care center appears as a patient flag. You can filter by the care center flag when you run the Recaller, SRS, or other reports.


Use the care center flag, along with other report options, to report on or contact a precise patient population.

Review Care Center Information When You Add Patients in MyKidsChart

When your practice adds patients to a MyKidsChart user account, you will see the care center information for each search.

Use the Care Center column to correctly identify the patients you should add for a patient portal user.

Turn On and Configure Patient Care Centers

If your practice has multiple locations that operate independently, you may want to turn on the patient Care Center feature. Contact PCC Support to discuss the feature and decide if it is right for you.

Read the sections below to learn how to configure care centers for your practice locations.

Configure Your Location Flags and Practice Locations

After PCC Support turns on the Care Center feature at your practice, you should double-check your location configuration. PCC can intelligently assign care centers based on the flags you are already using, or you can create new flags and locations and assign them to users.

First, each care center should have a location flag in the Patient Flags table in the Table Editor (ted). You may already have this configured at your practice. If not, clone or create new flags.

Next, each care center should have a scheduling location in the Places of Service table in the Table Editor (ted). You may already have this configured at your practice. If not, create new locations.

Make sure that each of your scheduling locations is also designated as a login location.

To activate a care center, enter the matching patient flag in the Care Center Patient Flag field, as shown above. All patients with the flag will be automatically assigned to the care center.

As you adjust address and other information for each Place of Service in each Care Center, consider how encounters will be billed. If a location is a subpart of another location for billing purposes, you can indicate that at the bottom of the screen.

PCC will then automatically use the correct logic to include (or leave out) service facility location information based on electronic claim standards and your practice configuration.

Assign Login Locations to Care Centers

When you schedule appointments using care centers, PCC scheduling tools need to know which locations belong to each care center.

This is done by a PCC Administrator, using login locations.

Talk to PCC Support about mapping your login locations to the correct care center.

Assign Users to Care Centers

An office manager or other administrative user at each care center location should review and set the care center for each PCC EHR user.

Many features in PCC EHR, including order assignment, provider lists, the Appointment Book and MyKidsChart administration will refer to a user’s care center.

Use the User Administration tool to edit a user’s care center.


The Care Center field controls who each PCC EHR user will see in various pull-down menus, and controls which MyKidsChart location they will access when using the Administration tab of the Patient Portal Management tool.

If your practice uses the Appointment Book in PCC EHR, your scheduling staff will only be able schedule for the locations that are mapped to the care center location(s) that they are assigned to. Similarly, when setting up providers’ default hours, only those locations that are mapped to the care center(s) which the provider is assigned to will be available for selection.

If a user floats between multiple locations, you can leave their care center blank. A user with no care center assigned will see, and be visible to, all other users, regardless of care center.

Have You Linked Clinicians to Billing Providers?: Some PCC features, including Care Center features, rely on having PCC EHR users linked to the providers in the under-the-hood configuration settings found in the Practice Management interface. You can see whether or not your clinicians are linked up in the Provider column in the User Administration tool.

If you believe a provider is not correctly assigned, open the Providers table your Practice Management window and enter the appropriate PCC EHR user.

Move the Care Center Component in Messaging Protocols

After PCC Support turns on the Care Center features at your practice, all message protocols, such as your phone notes, will include the Care Center component at the top.

New messages automatically receive the care center of the patient, but users can change that care center to redirect a message to a different location.

You can use the Protocol Configuration Tool to move the component anywhere in the ribbon.


Clean Up Unassigned Messages

After turning on the Care Center features at your practice, you may need to spend some time answering and completing old message tasks that do not have an assigned care center. All new messages can have a care center, but your practice may have a backlog of message tasks.

Any message without an assigned care center will appear for every location, regardless of the user’s location filter setting.

Train Your Staff to Assign Care Centers for Every Patient

During patient checkin, or whenever you create a new patient record, your practice should assign a care center.

Your staff can select a care center on the Demographics section of PCC EHR, anywhere the Demographics component is added (on a chart note, for example), as well as in checkin, checkout, and the Patient Editor (notjane).

One Care Center Only: Note that if you add a new care center to a patient, PCC will automatically remove the old care center (and flag) for them.

Configure User Selection Lists

In the User Administration tool, you can customize your drop-down user lists for your care center. You can sort users in three ways: by first name, by last name, or in a manually arranged order.

Set Location Filters and Save Your Defaults

On the Messaging queue, your staff can set their location. If they are responsible for handling tasks for patients from several care center locations, they can select more than one.

After setting their location, your staff can click “Save My Defaults” and PCC EHR will remember their preferences the next time they log in.

Any Messaging queue items that do not have an assigned care center will appear for all users, regardless of their Location filter.

Change Your Form Letters to Display the Care Center Address

When you generate a school excuse letter or other form letter, should it display your practice’s default address, or the patient’s care center address?

Review your practice’s common form letters and work with PCC Support to change your form letter variables to display the preferred address.

Configure the Address for the Health Information Summary and MyKidsChart

Use the Practice Preferences tool to set which location address appears on the Health Information Summary report and in the patient portal, MyKidsChart.


After setting this option, the Health Information Summary report and the patient portal will automatically display either your practice’s default address or the patient’s care center address. If the patient has no care center assigned, they will see the practice’s default address instead.

If a parent has several patients who visit physicians at different care centers, both addresses will appear for them when they log in to MyKidsChart.

Other Care Center Features

PCC continues to add and update PCC EHR features to support the needs of offices that use the Care Centers feature. Some of the recent additions include:

  • If you assign your PCC EHR users to a care center (see above), the various lists of users found in PCC EHR and pocketPCC will show only those users who share your care center or who have no assigned care center.
  • If you assign your PCC EHR users to a care center (see above), when you use the My Kid’s Chart administration tool your settings will refer to your assigned care center so families will see the correct care center-specific practice names and addresses.
  • If you assign your PCC EHR users to a care center (see above), and your practice uses the Appointment Book, your scheduling staff will only be able to schedule within their assigned care centers, and your providers will only be able to be scheduled for appointments within their assigned care centers.

Connect to Your PCC System from Home

You can use PCC SecureConnect to remotely access all of PCC EHR and your Practice Management system.

Video: Watch how to remotely connect to your PCC system using PCC SecureConnect.

About PCC SecureConnect

PCC SecureConnect is a secure way to log into your full PCC system from a supported web browser on any laptop or computer that is connected to the internet. Every practice has a PCC SecureConnect login page from day one.

PCC SecureConnect uses two-factor authentication to keep your data safe. Two-factor authentication is a system that requires you to enter a security code at login in addition to your username and password. The security code is generated on your smartphone, which only you should have access to.

Once you log into PCC SecureConnect, you can access all of PCC EHR and your Practice Management system.

Supported Web Browsers: SecureConnect requires Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. While SecureConnect may work on Safari, Microsoft Edge, or other browsers, PCC only tests and explicitly supports PCC SecureConnect on Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox web browsers.

Is PCC SecureConnect Different from pocketPCC?: pocketPCC is a curated version of your PCC system that you can access from any internet-connected device, including a smartphone or tablet. It does not require two-factor authentication and your practice can set users up without calling PCC Support. SecureConnect grants access to your entire PCC system but requires two-factor authentication and works best on a laptop or computer. Additionally, you must call PCC Support to authorize users. If you are only looking for access to your schedule, certain parts of patient charts, phone notes, and portal messages, get started with pocketPCC. If you need remote access to your full PCC system, read on.

Authorize Users for PCC SecureConnect

Every practice has a PCC SecureConnect login page from day one, but not all users are authorized to connect.

PCC keeps your system locked down so that only approved users can connect with SecureConnect. Your practice’s system administrator decides which users should be allowed to connect from home, a remote office, or while traveling.

Manage User Access Yourself: User administrators can add or remove users from the authorized SecureConnect list. Learn how.

Set Up Two-Factor Authentication

After your practice’s system administrator has added you to the list of authorized PCC SecureConnect users, you can set up two-factor authentication for your account.

Sync Your Phone and Computer Time Settings: Two-factor authentication is time-based and will not work if the time settings on your phone and computer are wrong or do not match. Be sure that the date and time settings on your phone and computer are correct before you begin this process.

On Your Phone, Install and Set Up the Authy App

Each time you log into PCC SecureConnect, you will need to enter a security code in addition to your username and password. Security codes for PCC SecureConnect are generated in a smartphone app called Authy.

If you don’t already have the Authy app on your smartphone, follow these instructions to download it, create an account, and register your device before moving on to the next step.

On Your Computer, Log Into PCC SecureConnect

Set aside your phone, but keep it awake and ready.

Use a supported web browser on your laptop or computer to navigate to your practice’s PCC SecureConnect login page, then enter your PCC username and password.

Upon logging in, the website displays a QR code.

Keep this page open while you turn back to your phone.

What’s My PCC SecureConnect Login Page?: You can reach your PCC SecureConnect login page by typing https://your-practice-acronym.pcc.com/secureconnect/ into your web browser and replacing “your-practice-acryonym” with your practice’s PCC acronym (e.g., https://abc.pcc.com/secureconnect/). Note that the prefix is https, not http.

On Your Phone, Open the Authy App and Tap “Add Account”

Open the Authy app on your phone and tap the “Add Account” button.

Use Your Phone to Scan the QR Code on Your Computer Screen

Tap the “Scan QR Code” button in the Authy app on your phone.

Allow the Authy app to access your camera, then point your camera at the QR code on your computer screen.


Authy automatically scans the QR code and links to your PCC SecureConnect account.

On Your Phone, Customize How PCC SecureConnect Displays in Authy

As soon as Authy links to your PCC SecureConnect account, you can save the connection. Before you save, you have the option to customize how it displays in Authy.

Your PCC SecureConnect account will appear in the Authy app with whichever name and image you choose.

On Your Phone, Save Your Work

Tap “Save” to finish linking your PCC SecureConnect account to the Authy app.


Once saved, you can use the security codes generated in your Authy app to log into PCC SecureConnect.

Optionally, Test It Out

After linking your PCC SecureConnect to the Authy app, your phone will display a six-digit security code on a 30-second timer. To test that your two-factor authentication is properly configured, you can enter this code into the PCC SecureConnect login page on your computer.

The security code should allow you to log into PCC SecureConnect and access your PCC system. Once logged in, click the “Start” button to open PCC EHR.

Security Codes Regenerate Every 30 Seconds: Authy security codes are only valid for 30 seconds. When the time runs out, a new one generates automatically. If you don’t enter the first code before it times out, don’t worry. Just use the next code that appears on your smartphone.

Multiple Authy Accounts?: If you prescribe controlled substances in PCC eRx or have used Authy for two-factor authentication before, you will see multiple accounts in your Authy app. Each account generates a unique code for a specific service. Make sure you have your PCC SecureConnect account selected in Authy when you are finding your security code to log in.

Log Into PCC SecureConnect

After you set up two-factor authentication, it’s easy to log into your PCC system from anywhere.

Go to Your PCC SecureConnect Login Page

Open a supported web browser on your laptop or computer, then type in the URL for your practice’s SecureConnect login page. You can reach your PCC SecureConne
ct login page by typing https://your-practice-acronym.pcc.com/secureconnect/ into your web browser and replacing “your-practice-acryonym” with your practice’s PCC acronym (e.g., https://abc.pcc.com/secureconnect/). Note that the prefix is https, not http.

Then, enter your PCC username and password.


Enter Your Code from the Authy App

Open the Authy app on your smartphone and tap on the PCC SecureConnect account. Use the six-digit security code on your Authy screen to finish logging into PCC SecureConnect on your computer.


Security Codes Regenerate Every 30 Seconds: Authy security codes are only valid for 30 seconds. When the time runs out, a new one generates automatically. If you don’t enter the first security code before it times out, don’t worry. Just use the next code that appears on your smartphone.

Multiple Authy Accounts?: If you prescribe controlled substances in PCC eRx or have used Authy for two-factor authentication before, you will see multiple accounts in your Authy app. Each account generates a unique code for a specific service. Make sure you have your PCC SecureConnect account selected in Authy when you are finding your security code to log in.

Log Into PCC EHR

Once you are connected to your PCC system, click the “Start” button to open PCC EHR.



From here, you can access all software functions of PCC EHR and your Practice Management system.

Sign Out Before Closing Secure Connect: Please make sure to sign out of PCC EHR before closing your Secure Connect tab or window to avoid multiple login instances.

If you need additional access to remote resources such as printers when working from home, contact PCC Support. PCC can help set up alternate remote connection methods on a case by case basis.

Helpful Authy Links

Sometimes there are hiccups and you need to reset your two-factor authentication account in the Authy app. PCC has found the following links useful for resolving issues in the Authy app.

Contact Physician’s Computer Company Support

All PCC clients have a guaranteed support plan. You should always feel free to contact PCC for help with our software, hardware, or services. Talk to PCC when you are considering new hardware or software, making major configuration changes, or moving your office. Let us know so we can help!

How to Contact Support

PCC sets up regular Client Advocate calls with every pediatric practice. You can also email, call, or fax PCC Support at any time.

  • PCC Calls You: Your practice’s Client Advocate will reach out and chat with someone at your office at a time that works best for you. These regularly scheduled optional calls are the perfect time to ask for configuration changes, learn how to implement new features and tools at your practice, or get additional training.

  • Email PCC: Send all PCC emails to support@pcc.com. We will route your email to PCC Support, your practice’s Client Advocate, or the appropriate specialist.

  • Call PCC: PCC’s support phone is 802-846-8177 or 800-722-7708. Live support techs are available between 8:30am and 8pm ET (5:30am to 5pm PT), except for a few days during the year. Emergency help is available 24/7, 365 days a year.

  • Fax PCC: You can also fax PCC a problem at 1-802-846-2197. This works particularly well for work on form letters, reports, or other visual problems. Be sure and identify your office and yourself on the fax and include a number where you can be reached.

What Happens After I Call?

PCC Support solves many problems immediately, during your first call or in response to your first email.

If we can’t talk right away, we’ll call or email you back. Either way, we’ll open a support ticket for you. You’ll get an automated email describing your support ticket.

Can I Follow-Up On Unresolved Support Tickets?

You can visit https://support.pcc.com to review all of your support tickets. PCC Support can help you set up an account.

You can decide which users at your practice should have access to this tool, and whether they should be able to see all support tickets practice-wide, or just the tickets they open.

PCC Support tracks every ticket until it is completed to your satisfaction. If you need something we can’t help you with, we’ll open a development enhancement request or help you find a different tool or workflow.

Your PCC Data Conversion

When you start using PCC at your practice, will your patient and account records already appear in PCC, or will you be entering everything from scratch?

For most practices, PCC performs a data conversion from your previous vendor. You will need to request an export from your previous vendor that we will import into PCC.

Many different factors determine what data can and can’t be converted. The success of the data conversion relies on PCC’s efforts, your communication with your previous vendor or practice, and the cooperation of that vendor. When we work together to convert your previous data, your first few months with PCC will be much easier for you, your patients, and your staff.

This document will explain the data conversion process and help set expectations. By reading it, you will learn:

  • The step-by-step data conversion timeline
  • What data we can usually convert, and what data we cannot convert
  • What PCC does and what your practice needs to do to ensure a successful data conversion

As always, please feel free to call or email us to discuss any of the details in this document.

The Data Conversion Process: Who Does What, and When?

Even before you sign a contract with PCC, your practice will need to communicate with your previous vendor about a data export. This process can take time so you want to start the discussion and request the export as soon as possible.

Two Types of Data Conversion: A data conversion involves two types of data: practice management data and clinical data. Practice management data includes your patient and account demographic, appointment, and charge data. Clinical data includes labs, visit history, visit notes, and similar data. While PCC can retrieve practice management data from your system, clinical data requires an export from your previous vendor.

Practice Export: If your patients’ data is housed on a software system belonging to another practice, we require an export for clinical data. Your practice is responsible for communicating with the other practice to obtain the data export.

Below is a timeline of a successful data conversion. For each step, you can see what happens, what PCC does, and what your practice needs to do.

Practice Management Conversion

PCC can usually retrieve practice management data, such as patient demographics, policies, billing history, and appointments, from your current system once you grant access.

Conversion Stage 1: Take Stock of Your Existing System

Before you sign with PCC, or any other vendor, we recommend that you understand the location and service contracts related to your existing data. We cannot guarantee the success of any data conversion, as there are many unforeseen technical obstacles and sometimes difficulties getting cooperation from other vendors. Even the data exported from distinct practices using the same system can differ in subtle or significant ways. However, PCC has experience converting data from dozens of systems of various complexity, from homegrown systems to advanced EHRs.

What Your Practice Does: First, we recommend that you make a list of all the data you have in different software systems and review their related contracts. Do you have an existing EHR, a billing system, a contacts database? Where is your data? Next, ask your previous vendor what type of export is available.

What PCC Does: PCC will provide you with information on how your data can be converted.

Conversion Stage 2: Research Data Availability

As soon as you sign with PCC, we begin asking questions and researching the reports we can generate for your practice management data. If we have worked with your vendor in the past, we may have an existing conversion process that we can start adapting for your system. For example, we may already be aware of the reports available for your practice management data. The scope of the practice management conversion will depend on the availability and format of available reports.

What Your Practice Does: First, you will provide PCC with a description of where your patient and account records are currently stored. Second, you will provide PCC with remote access to your existing computer system with login credentials.

What PCC Does: PCC will maintain your patients’ privacy in accordance with HIPAA regulations. Our data conversion specialists log into your existing system and evaluate the reports available to convert practice management data, which is your patient and account demographic, appointment, and charge data.

As we do this research, we will send your practice questions and sample data to review.

Conversion Stage 3: Map Available Data

For most practices, PCC can retrieve your practice management data. You must request a separate clinical data export from your previous software vendor.

What Your Practice Does: Your practice will communicate with your previous vendor for help exporting the clinical data. Your practice will assist with data mapping as needed.

What PCC Does: PCC will inform you of the reports available on your system for the practice management data conversion. PCC will ask for assistance mapping data as needed.

PCC can provide a written description of the data we typically convert to help you facilitate communication with your previous vendor about the data export.

Other Important Notes

  • Prepare for Unexpected Costs: Your support agreement with your previous vendor may specify a cost for helping you access and export your patient data. Depending on the size of your practice, this may be a significant fee. PCC’s approach to the practice management conversion helps you avoid extra costs when possible.

  • Your Practice Is in Charge of Communication About Your Data Export: It is important to remember that your practice must be the manager of communication with your previous vendor. All communication occurs in the context of your practice’s existing support contract with your previous vendor, as you are their paying customer. PCC does not have the authority to deal directly with your previous vendor.

Conversion Stage 4: Review, Correct, and Verify Initial Conversion

For most practices, PCC performs an initial conversion of the practice management data for review. Your practice must log in to PCC, look closely at the data and report any problems.

What Your Practice Does: Your practice will log in to PCC, review the data conversion, and report any problems. Did the practice management data come over correctly? Are patient insurance policies appearing? Do you also want to retain additional data, like the previous system’s account numbers?

What PCC Does: PCC will run an initial data conversion of the practice management data. PCC will help you log in and review your converted data.

PCC will work with you to correct issues that you found during your review. Timely and thorough examination, as well as frequent communication during this stage are vital to a high-quality data conversion.

Conversion Stage 5: Review, Correct, and Verify the Final Data Conversion

A day or two before your go live day, PCC runs the final practice management data conversion from your previous system to PCC.

What Your Practice Does: Your practice will review the data conversion one last time. Is the practice management data ready for your go live?

What PCC Does: PCC will complete a final conversion for the practice management data. We will use the data conversion process we developed in the previous steps to import your practice’s patient and family data into your PCC system.

Authorize That Data Conversion Was Complete: For some practices when there needs to be communication between many different physicians or different office locations, PCC may ask a physician or office manager to sign a statement that the data was reviewed, and the conversion was acceptable. We do this so that all parties involved understand that the conversion was completed and reviewed, and so everyone knows that the data expected in PCC is present.

Go Live with PCC

PCC trainers are available to you, usually on site at your office, for the first two days of charting in PCC EHR. This short period is your PCC “Go Live”. Once you start charting in PCC EHR, the practice management conversion is complete.

Clinical Queue Waiting Period

Your practice enters the clinical conversion queue once PCC receives a complete clinical export from your previous vendor. The duration of this period varies based on several factors, including how quickly vendors send the complete export.

Your previous vendor should pull the clinical data export once you have seen your last patient in your previous system. Therefore, the clinical data conversion occurs after you go live with PCC.

Until PCC has converted the clinical data, you will need to access your previous system for clinical information.

Clinical Data Conversion from Vendor Export

The clinical data conversion involves mapping and importing the exported data from your previous vendor. Clinical data may include labs, visit history, visit notes, and similar patient and medical data. Clinical data conversions repeat the same conversion stages as described above: evaluation, research, sample review, correction, and verification. As with the practice management conversion, PCC needs your input to ensure the clinical data is converted correctly.

Until PCC has converted the clinical data, you will need to access your previous system for clinical information. This process may take a few weeks from when your previous vendor provides the export.

What Your Practice Does: Your practice will follow the same stages as described above to complete the clinical data conversion. That is, your practice will assist with mapping, review sample data, provide corrections, verify the conversion, and communicate in a timely way.

What PCC Does: PCC will research, map, and import your practice’s clinical data into PCC. Once the data is reviewed, PCC will make corrections and complete a final import of your clinical data.

Conversion Complete

Each conversion, even coming from the same vendor, is slightly different. PCC works hard to make sure that your converted data lands in the correct location. We will communicate with you at every step along the way. As a PCC client PCC Support is available to you at any time. Please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Authorize That Data Conversion Was Complete: For some practices when there needs to be communication between many different physicians or different office locations, PCC may ask a physician or office manager to sign a statement that the data was reviewed, and the conversion was acceptable. We do this so that all parties involved understand that the conversion was completed and reviewed, and so everyone knows that the data expected in PCC is present.

Once you sign off on your clinical conversion, the entire conversion process is complete. Happy charting!

What Does My Practice Need to Do to Ensure a Good Data Conversion?

The procedure above walks through each step of the data conversion process. But what are the most important points you need to know? What are the issues that practices sometimes overlook or underestimate about saying goodbye to your previous system?

  • Keep Your Previous System Up and Running: You will need your existing software system for verification of data conversions, for understanding any discrepancies, and for working down your practice’s existing accounts receivable. We recommend that every practice keep their previous system tools available until several months after your final clinical conversion.

  • Who Knows the Previous System Best?: Who at your practice will be the go-to for information about your previous system? As PCC designs your data conversion, we will contact your practice to ask questions about logging in and other details about your previous system.

  • Prepare For Data Verification: Your practice will need to schedule time for verifying data conversions. We may do a series of data conversions and verifications, and your practice plays a crucial role in making sure all data is brought over correctly. We can’t do it without you!

  • You Are the Communication Hub with Your Previous Vendor: All responsibilities for communicating with your previous vendor rests with you.

  • Inform Your Previous Vendor of Your Departure: As long as your practice has a paid contract with your previous vendor, they are obligated to provide you with service. For this reason, we always recommend being up-front and direct with your previous vendor.

  • Data Export From Your Previous Vendor: Your clinical data conversion, and in some cases your entire data conversion, will require an export from your previous vendor. PCC can provide a list of the data we typically convert to help facilitate your communication with your previous vendor. Do not specify “all data” as vendors may skip important details, creating delays.

Data Conversion Results: What Data Will We Get?

PCC knows that your practice’s transition will be much smoother if your new PCC system has as much useful data from your previous system as possible. Here’s a list of what we can usually convert, and what we don’t. The data in your practice’s conversion will be dependent on the reports available for the practice management data and the export received from your previous vendor.

Data We Almost Always Convert

Your PCC data conversion will potentially include the following:

  • Demographics: patients, families, family relationships, addresses, and other demographic data
  • Insurance policies and your insurance plan list
  • Charge History, including diagnoses, CPTs, and procedure pricing
  • Appointments, including past and future scheduled appointments

Data We Are Usually Able to Convert

Your PCC data conversion will probably also include the following, though the level of detail varies depending on the export received from your previous vendor.

  • Patient and Family Notes, Flags, Etc.
  • Patient Problem Lists, Allergies, Family History, Medical, and Social History
  • Immunization Records
  • Visit Chart Notes
  • Vitals and Diagnoses from Each Visit
  • Phone Notes
  • Scanned Documents
  • Lab/Order History (as text)
  • Medication History (as text)

Data We Do Not Convert

PCC does not convert the following information.

  • Account Balances: Outstanding balances are stored in a way that is too specific to your previous software vendor. We cannot convert your accounts receivable, as the payment and adjustment history between the two systems would not match up. Keep your previous system operational until you have finished outstanding claims and personal balances.

  • Open Tasks: Typically we can convert order history, but only as text for reference. Open tasks will not appear in PCC. We recommend generating a report from your previous system to keep track of those tasks and when they are completed.

  • Audit Logs: Your previous system may track an audit log of which users viewed and edited data. User accounts cannot be brought over from your previous system, so the audit log cannot be converted. If your practice wishes to preserve your audit logs, your may wish keep a backup of your previous system or maintain a relationship with your previous vendor.

Review Your PCC Data Conversion

Once PCC completes your practice’s data conversion, you must review the new information to ensure that the conversion was successful. Were all patients and accounts transferred to the PCC system? Are patient demographics identical between your old system and PCC? Are some appointments missing or do any duplicates appear? Are vitals correct? Do all chart notes appear?

The sections below describe PCC’s recommended process for reviewing your data conversion. Use this article when PCC asks you to review your data conversion.

If you find discrepancies, contact PCC. If you are working in a New Client Basecamp project, please do not post Private Health Information (PHI) to that project. Instead, please refer to the patient’s PCC number and not their name. Let us know what you see in PCC EHR and what you were expecting to see. The more details you provide, the easier it will be for us to research and resolve the issue. If you find the same issue with all patients, provide a few examples (using PCC numbers).

PCC recommends that you review a random selection of patients, and that you include some patients with complex names and detailed histories.

Results May Vary: PCC designs a unique data conversion for every customer. We may not have been able to convert every item listed below, and we may have converted extra information specifically for your practice. While following the guide below, keep these potential discrepancies in mind. For more information, read Your PCC Data Conversion.

Review Patient Demographics

For this review, log in to the live database in PCC EHR and select fifteen patients. Open their charts, and visit the Demographics section using the anchor button on the left-hand side of the screen. Verify that the information in PCC EHR matches the information in your old system. Report any discrepancies to your PCC contact or your on-site support technician.

Information to review includes:

  • Patient Demographics
    • Name
    • Date of birth
    • PCP (if you track this currently)
    • Sex
  • Siblings
  • Billing and Home Account
    • Name
    • Address
    • Phone Numbers
  • Insurance Policies
    • Insurance plan name
    • Copay amount
    • Subscriber ID (which appears as “Certificate”)
    • Group number
    • Subscriber name

Review Billing History

Billing history can be found under the History anchor on the left side of a patient’s history. Pick several patients and review:

  • Dates for each visit
  • ICD-10 codes
  • CPT codes
  • Provider
  • Location

Review Appointments

Next, review appointments in the same live database. Pick two dates on which you have several scheduled appointments.. Do not pick a date after the appointment data was gathered from your old system, as it may be missing appointments. In PCC EHR, click on the Appointment Book icon and click on each appointment to review the full details.:

  • Patient
  • Date and time
  • Visit Reason
  • Provider
  • Location (if you have more than one)
  • Length of visit

If you find information that does not match between the Appointment Book and your previous system, please track details in a separate document with the associated patient PCC number. Describe what you see in PCC and how it differs from the appointment record in your previous system.

Review Clinical Data

For clinical data, please make sure you log in to the Sample database, not the live database. At the EHR login screen, click on your practice name, which should appear as a blue link. The login window will display three databases. Pick the one which starts with “Sample”. Use the same login and password for this database.

As with the patient demographics review, you should review 15 patients to review clinical data.

Open the patient’s chart and verify the following details in the chart section indicated:

  • Medical Summary
    • Allergies
    • Problem List
    • Medical / Family / Social History
  • History
    • Visit History
      • Previous visits (note that visits may be labeled as “Historical EHR Visit”)
        • Visit dates (do all visits appear?)
        • Notes, orders, results, and diagnoses for each visit
      • Phone notes (note that phone notes may be labeled “Historical EHR Phone Note” and should include a subject line if available)
        • Phone note dates
        • Text, contact information, or other data from your previous system
    • Immunizations History
      • Dates for each immunization
    • Flowsheet
      • Diagnoses
      • Vitals data
    • Documents
      • Documents are under the correct Category, linked to the correct visit date (if applicable), and that multi-page documents have all pages

Connect to PCC’s Web Conferences and Web Labs

PCC uses the WebEx service to connect you to online training courses and training sessions.

When you sign up for a web lab, PCC will send you a direct link to a class or one-on-one session when you sign up.

You can also view available meetings, register, and begin your webinar at one of these links:

PCC Annual Users’ Conference

The PCC Users’ Conferences offers three to five days of pediatric practice management-focused learning opportunities, along with advanced PCC EHR and Practice Management training, financial analysis help, pediatric coding lectures, and more!

In 2023, PCC’s Annual Users’ Conference celebrated PCC’s 40th birthday in Burlington, VT. In 2024, the Users’ Conference was in Denver, Colorado. See UC 2023 and UC 2024 to watch session videos and download materials.

PCC's Coast-to-Coast UC History: The 2009 PCC Users’ Conference was held at Walt Disney World® Resort, Florida. The 2010 and 2011 conferences were in Burlington, Vermont. The 2012 PCC Users’ Conference was back at Disney. In 2013 and 2014, we returned to Vermont. In 2015, the conference was in San Francisco, California. In 2016 and 2017, PCC returned to Burlington, Vermont. In 2018, we were in Denver, Colorado. In 2019 we returned to Burlington, VT. UC Courses during 2020 and 2021 were held online using new remote conference tools. In 2022 and 2023 the conference returned to Burlington, VT, and in 2024 we returned to Denver, Colorado!

Stay tuned to pcc.com to see the schedule and get registered for next year!

Conferences and Training In Your Area

In addition to PCC’s annual conference, we sponsor and take part in numerous conferences and events around the country. Come see us at your local event! Get in touch to learn more, and check out the event sections on PCC.com.

Archived Handouts

You can access some of the handouts from past Users’ Conferences here:

 

PCC-ers Living it Up w/ Donald and Goofy at UC 2012!