Azalea Health delivers electronic health records (EHR), revenue cycle management (RCM), and integrated telehealth solutions for rural community practices and hospitals, especially those focused on underserved populations. EHR systems unify clinical documentation and practice management software to seamlessly handle charting, scheduling, billing, and patient engagement.
Azalea helps healthcare providers improve patient care and profitability with cloud-based solutions that are specifically designed to meet the unique demands that rural caregivers face. Many healthcare IT companies consider this segment an afterthought in their software design and delivery, but Azalea has made it their focus. What started as an idea in southern Georgia has become a fully integrated healthcare management and medical billing solution created for all rural hospitals and clinics. With disproportionate disease rates, aging patients, and geographical barriers to care, rural facilities have historically struggled to serve their communities.
“Healthcare in the early 2000s was very complex and fragmented, and the systems were antiquated,” says Baha Zeidan, CEO and Co-founder of Azalea. “I knew we could make an impact with cloud solutions. At the time, I was also working for a company in rural Georgia, and I also knew if we focused on the most underserved segments, we could make traction and build a solid business with a great mission.”
Making a Difference
The healthcare situation has recently become even more grim for these rural and underserved communities. Rural hospitals suffer devastating staff attrition following COVID, and their communities are now seeing an increased need for geriatric and mental health care. These urgent challenges are compounded as profitability declines and technology becomes more cumbersome, expensive, and time-consuming.
Azalea believes everyone should have access to affordable, easy-to-use technology, tools, and services that help keep communities and their patients healthy and happy. Its platform is an intuitive, simplified solution designed to help providers work more effectively with their colleagues and holistically with their patients to improve overall care. Its solutions streamline administrative and clinical workflows to improve cash flow and patient outcomes so that providers can deliver care with clarity and confidence.
“Azalea delivers a product that simplifies billing and reporting, is customizable to our workflow, and is supported by a team that cares about my clinic and me,” shares Morgan Pinholster, VP of Operations at a multi-location pediatrics clinic. “The Azalea Health solution represents a better generation of EHR that brings capabilities once reserved for only the most expensive solutions and largest providers to everyone, everywhere.”
Azalea remains committed to understanding the unique circumstances of rural communities and delivering specific health IT solutions that support them. Azalea handles split claim billing, produces cost report data, and can handle both UB-04 and CMS 1500 claim formats to set rural facilities up for financial success. It built quality measure reporting such as EHR eCQM and IQR into an integrated analytics platform for the audit trail that Critical Access Hospitals require. AzaleaOne unites patients, hospitals, and outpatient clinics, supporting a common dynamic in rural communities. Additionally, Azalea’s patient engagement tools include integrated telehealth, allowing providers to see patients from anywhere and provide care to those who may not otherwise receive it because of mobility or distance restrictions.
“Having worked with dozens of critical access hospitals and EHR vendors over the last 17 years, Azalea is the only one that truly understands the need for critical access hospitals,” states one hospital CEO. “The truth is, larger IT vendors are not collecting payments at the level needed to sustain small hospitals like ours. This threatens the access to care that rural communities depend on.”
“Azalea delivers a product that simplifies billing and reporting, is customizable to our workflow, and is supported by a team that cares about my clinic and me.”
Solutions that Work
Azalea’s powerful yet easy-to-use tools have delivered demonstrable results for both rural hospitals and clinics. The ‘EHR Value Study’ conducted by Hobson & Company found that Azalea’s technology solutions have already had a profound impact on the efficiency and cost effectiveness of its customers. A remarkable 50% reduction in both time and cost associated with managing EHR infrastructure has been achieved. This significant improvement translates to substantial resource savings and optimized workflows for healthcare professionals.
Moreover, charting times have been significantly reduced, leading to increased productivity and improved patient care. Ambulatory settings have experienced a notable 30% reduction in charting times, while hospital environments have seen a 15% decrease. This time-saving allows customers to dedicate more time to patient interactions and deliver higher-quality care.
Additionally, billing management times have been drastically cut in half for ambulatory settings and reduced by 10% in hospital settings. Streamlining financial processes and reducing administrative burdens have positively impacted the providers’ bottom line. As a result, the medical system can allocate more resources towards patient care and other essential services.
Another notable achievement is the 10% decrease in days in Accounts Receivable. This improvement indicates enhanced cash flow and financial stability, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the hospitals and clinics. “I would say that Azalea has honestly been a godsend,” says Dr. Brian Griner, owner of Griner Medical Group. “It not only saved my practice, but it has allowed me to grow and grow and grow.”
Advanced Technology
Company leadership understands that utilizing technology is a strategy health providers can employ to tackle current challenges. “The most significant promise of EHRs is their potential to reduce provider burnout,” remarks Zeidan. “Properly deployed, EHR systems simplify processes and increase efficiencies, helping providers gain time rather than adding to their day-to-day administrative burdens. Electronic records do not just document patient encounters; it’s about looking at the data captured and determining the best path forward.”
Azalea believes integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into healthcare IT systems is a powerful addition and a logical next step. Company leaders have announced a revolutionary approach to AI designed to enhance healthcare workflow efficiency, accuracy, and personalization while maintaining the highest standards for patient privacy and data protection.
“AI holds the potential to revolutionize healthcare IT, empowering providers to deliver better patient care,” states Brian Kenah, CTO of Azalea. “Our AI-driven solutions are carefully engineered to automate mundane and repetitive tasks, enabling clinicians to focus on what matters most – providing high-quality, compassionate care to their patients. We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring the privacy and security of patient data, adhering to the highest ethical standards.”
In recent years, Azalea has earned widespread recognition for its innovative healthcare technology solutions. It received Merit Awards for excellence in digital health records, health-tech patient care, and healthcare IT. It has also been highlighted as an innovation leader with the TAG Technology Award and celebrated with the MedTech Breakthrough Award. Inclusion in Georgia’s Titan 100, high KLAS Research scores, and a spot on the Inc. 5000 list three years in a row affirm Azalea’s commitment to delivering patient-centered, cutting-edge healthcare solutions.
Azalea recognizes that its achievements over the last 15 years are directly attributed to its employees’ dedication and hard work. It believes that the commitment, hard work, and talent of team members have enabled them to make a positive impact on the healthcare industry, especially in underserved rural communities. The company is committed to attracting and retaining top talent and providing them with opportunities for growth and development.
“This journey is all about people at the end of the day,” says Zeidan. “Over the years, we’ve attracted and grown people. We’ve enabled them to make changes across our company, in our industry, for themselves, and within their communities. For people to make changes, they need to be focused on incremental enhancements that, over time, will make a difference. That’s what we are focused on: building teams and helping our customers improve.”
