Certifications CCHIT 2011 & 5 Star Usability Rating  meridianEMR has achieved CCHIT 2011 certification as well as a 5 Star Usability Rating. The CCHIT 2011 program is differentiated from the Preliminary ARRA program by providing a rigorous multi-faceted evaluation of EHR functionality, security, and interoperability.  Achieving CCHIT 2011 certification is a reflection of our commitment to keeping our EHR product on the leading edge.  We feel that this certification validates all our efforts by providing an impartial assurance that meridianEMR is thoroughly tested and meets CCHIT's consensus-based criteria. To achieve certification, our EHR was subjected to CCHIT's inspection process that is comprised of real-life medical scenarios designed to test products ability against the functionality, interoperability, and security needs of providers.  Cerfitication by CCHIT designates that an EHR product has passed inspection of 100% of CCHIT's 2011 criteria. Including the CCHIT certification, meridianEMR was also tested on ease of use and achieved the highest score of 5 stars.  As meridianEMR performed each of the real-world test we were also judged on how easy the product accomplished the task and how intuitive it was for the user.  Having the highest possible ranking of 5 stars indicates to us just how easy and intuitive our product is in the real world.  The goals of CCHIT product certification are to reduce the risk of health information technology (HIT) investments by providers, ensuring interoperability of HIT products, enhancing the avilability of HIT adoption incentives, and to protect the privacy of personal health information (PHI).  meridianEMR has long been an advocate of EHR adoption and is committed to providing top of the line EHR solutions to the Urology and Surgical specialties.  Surescripts meridianEMR providers are able to electronically and securely exchange prescription information directly with pharmacies and payers in communities in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The Surescripts certification is another validation of our continued efforts to extend our mXchange platform.  The electronic prescribing capabilities have been seemlessly integrated into our EHR without the need for any third party e-prescribing solutions, resulting in faster implementation, better support, and quicker return on investment for our providers.  The surescripts connection allows providers who e-prescribe to access valuable real-time pharmacy and payro information before prescriptions are generated thereby reducing errors and increasing physician effectiveness.  Additionally, the connection to Surescripts also allows for electronic routing of prescription refill requests, with physicians receiving their refills via their EHR instead of their fax machines.  Refills authorization or denials can then be electronically communicated to the pharmacy with just a few clicks, thereby eliminating many of the faxes and phone calls associated with the traditional refill process.  New prescriptions can also be routed directly to pharmacy computers before a patient ever leaves their physician's office. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has reported that more than 1.5 Americans are injured every year by medication errors and recommends that all prescriptions be written and processed electronically.  Eletronic prescribing makes everyone's lives easier and significantly reduces all the unnecessay paperwork and back and forth that typically goes on between doctors and patients when it comes to the prescription and renewal process.  In sort patient safety will be enhanced by the technological capabilities that eliminate prescription errors and reduce drug interaction risk.