SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--McKesson Corporation (NYSE:MCK) today announced the acquisition of Physician Micro Systems, Inc., known as Practice Partner, a leading provider of integrated software for electronic health records (EHRs), medical billing and appointment scheduling for independent physician practices. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The acquisition, along with recently acquired Per-Se Technologies, Inc., supports McKesson’s commitment to provide a complete solution – including software, billing and collection services, supplies and connectivity – to physician practices regardless of size, specialty or geographic location.

“We’ve built strong momentum with our Connecting PhysiciansSM strategy, which is focused on helping hospitals to reduce traditional Electronic Health Records adoption barriers by collaborating with local physician practices to provide a single record for inpatient and ambulatory care,” said Pamela Pure, president, McKesson Provider Technologies. “With Practice Partner, McKesson is now positioned to automate independent physician offices and to deploy EHR technology to help drive safer, more efficient care.”

Practice Partner has achieved strong market success by developing a comprehensive set of clinical and administrative tools that improve patient care while streamlining practice management for small to mid-sized independent medical practices. The Practice Partner solution includes an electronic health record system certified by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHITSM); a sophisticated multi-clinic scheduler; and a comprehensive practice management system. Practice Partner’s customer base includes more than 1,500 practices representing approximately 6,000 physicians.

“Joining McKesson is an important step in Practice Partner’s evolution and strategy for rapid growth,” said Andrew G. Ury, M.D., founder and CEO of Practice Partner. “As part of the world’s largest healthcare services company, we can extend our reach to help even more physicians in independent practices increase productivity and improve quality of care.”

Through its Connecting PhysiciansSM strategy, McKesson will continue to maintain a strong focus on hospitals that wish to partner with physician practices in creating an integrated healthcare community. As the centerpiece of Connecting Physicians, Horizon Ambulatory Care™ provides hospitals and medical groups with a single, secure online patient record flowing across care settings. The addition of the Practice Partner solution provides McKesson with a strong, powerful offering for the independent physician segment.

“McKesson now has a technology footprint with 20 percent of the nation’s physicians,” said Pure. “Our comprehensive portfolio is designed to satisfy the diverse requirements of physician practices of every size and specialty, giving them one-stop shopping with the backing of a Fortune 16 leader in healthcare.”

McKesson’s comprehensive array of physician practice solutions includes:

• CCHIT-certified electronic health records to automate clinical practice. McKesson’s Horizon Ambulatory Care™ Release 9.4 and Practice Partner Patient Records 9.1 are certified and meet CCHIT ambulatory EHR criteria for 2006.
• RelayHealth connectivity solutions that make it possible for physicians to seamlessly interact with other physicians and providers as well as patients, payors and retail pharmacies
• Practice management solutions that streamline registration, scheduling and billing
• Revenue cycle outsourcing services that improve collections, cash flow and business office productivity
• Medical imaging solutions to capture, retrieve, view and store diagnostic images
• Medical-surgical equipment and supplies