I think Jon's post above is an excellent summary of information presented at the Baltimore meeting. One thing that I would add is about what is in the deal for Pri-Med, and the impact that it may have for our future.
Pri-Med's business is providing medical education at low cost to providers. This has been possible because much of the funding came from the pharmaceutical companies who paid for exhibit space and sponsorships. The pharma revenue stream has shrunk dramatically. So, if PriMed is to continue, they need a new source of revenue. They have connections to a network of over 200,000 providers who have attended their CME programs. They now have acquired the EMR with the highest satisfaction rating, and they intend to promote it. Software development cost is the same whether the program has 1000 or 100,000 users. Thus, the purchase price can stay reasonable, but the return for AC/Pri-Med should go way up if many providers buy AC.
For existing users, this will give us strength in numbers. There have been discussions about whether AC would continue to be viable going forward with all of the coming changes and pressures. A large user base, providing cash flow, makes it much more likely that AC will have the resources to continue to adapt and succeed.
Only time will tell how this aquisition plays out. I think all parties realize that much of the strength of AC is the open, fair and reasonable atmosphere that Jon Bertman has created, and a loyal user base. Although we may gain many more users, I hope these core principles can be maintained. It is a culture that is all too rare in today's world. I know that I am not alone in feeling like AC (especially this user board) has given me back a sense of belonging to a medical community of like minded individuals where we can share and help each other. It may be a virtual community, but it is incredibly important. And, with our local user group,we have a real community.It is to AC's credit that open dialogue is encouraged, even when things are not smooth sailing.
And, yes, PM has been greatly delayed, and we have all been disappointed by that. It is a very complex undertaking, and I think it was underestimated what resources would be needed to accomplish it. Hopefully, the additional resources provided by this merger will get it to the finish line.
