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I am closing the office and retiring from medical practice 12/31/22.
We have to keep charts for 7 years except kids some years past age 21. Not really sure of specifics -- we get different answers from different people

AmazingCharts is paid up until mid March, but I don't want to keep paying support for a program that I won't be using.

Will it run in "read only" mode so I can access and print charts for administrative and legal needs if I just stop paying for support?
I imagine the server will keep going for 7 years -- these things seem pretty durable.

I make a backup copies, but it seems like I can't install that on a different machine if the server craps out -- so I'm not sure what value that will be.

James says he can convert everything in the database and ImportItems to PDF -- but that sounds pretty clunky. Maybe it's the only way?

Any input, advise, suggestions, anecdotes will be helpful. I have never done this before1

Around here doctors just leave practice and disappear -- it is nearly impossible to get any records from anyone. Nevertheless, there doesn't seem to be any consequence, regardless of what the law says.

Hospitals don't seem to be much better. Try to get surgical operative summaries or image reports from 5-10 years ago -- good luck. Usually "not available".
So I guess I won't worry too much about that!

One of the 3 clinicians in the office retired last Dec 31 -- we had given a six month notice that he was retiring 12/31/21, and that the entire practice was closing 12/31/22, with a deliberate shrinking through the whole of this year. People are slowly getting the idea, but it is amazing how after multiple communications in multiple channels, they still seem surprised.

Of course, the problem is that the hospital clinics, which are now almost the only game in town, are not capable of taking over our practice entirely. Many of the patients are "too complicated" or have problems like chronic pain and chronic insomnia and chronic anxiety that they simply refuse to address. I'm sure it will all sort out eventually -- but it seems like medical practice has taken a huge step backwards since it has been industrialized and forced into hospital-based clinics.

To my fellow physicians..

The most wonderful part (of my terminating practice) was unexpected. I mentioned our offering "exit exams" to those who felt they needed it. By in large these are medically unnecessary... the next provider could really look at our last comprehensive exam, which we do yearly and in which we summarize all current problems, and get what they need.... but a lot of patients felt they needed this. For the most part, they did not need it for any medical reason... they needed it to come say "goodbye" and thank us for what we have done. It has been an amazing, moving experience, like being alive at your own wake. People bring us presents. We cry together (and I am not a terribly sentimental guy). We hug. They send us cards... lots and lots of cards... telling us how much we meant to them.

I am convinced that it is not because we were such amazing physicians. We are good doctors, we try to do good and cost effective medicine, we treat our patients with care and respect.... but no more so than any other good physician. I think they were honoring us as a symbol of what we all do, that we care for those that are vulnerable, that we earn their trust, that we do our best for them. So, for that reason, I want to share that thanks with all of you. Corporate America and the government would have you believe that what is important is about meeting certain metrics, or specific standards. Like "No Child Left Behind" this is an exercise put together by accountants and actuaries, and others with small minds, to try to quantify what is truly important. They may rule the money, but they rule neither reality nor the ethics to which we have promised our lives. In the midst of all the bullshit of Meaningful use, and whether NewCropScreens is working, or anything else that irritates your day, try to remember that what you do is terribly important. And appreciated.