FootNotes - January 2023

What's New in AWARDS  

AWARDS Has Earned ONC Health IT Certification - CURES Edition From Drummond Group! 

AWARDS has completed Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC-Health IT) 2015 Edition Health IT certification via Drummond Group LLC, an Authorized Certification Body (ACB). This stamp of approval designates the software delivers the required functionality in support of enabling eligible providers and hospitals to meet the requirements of various regulatory programs that involve the use of certified electronic health records (EHR) technology.

To earn the certification, AWARDS was tested to be in accordance with applicable standards and certification criteria put forth by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

For more information, please see https://footholdtechnology.com/human-services-software/meaningful-use/ 

AWARDS is 2015 Edition compliant and has been certified by an ONC-ACB in accordance with the applicable certification criteria adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. This certification does not represent an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

A Year in Review - Kicking off the New Year Remembering the Great Accomplishments of 2022! 

We are excited about the product development roadmap we've built for 2023, and in the coming weeks, you're going to hear more and more about it. In fact, watch out for an email from our CEO, Alyza Tarmohamed, early next week as she shares our plans for the year ahead! However, we'd be remiss to move forward without taking a few minutes to review the great work accomplished last year, with both AWARDS and FCM. Click here to read a summary of the significant projects we completed in 2022 - many of which have established the foundation for the exciting product development initiatives ahead.

A Look at What's Ahead... 

Change is Coming! - The AWARDS Login Page 

The AWARDS Redesign project is underway and our first stop will be the login page. Here, we will look to introduce new multi-factor authentication methods, streamline our password reset functionality, and enhance the security of your database to keep your clients' data safe.

In order to accomplish this milestone, we'll need your help! Before we can release our redesigned login page, all accounts in AWARDS must be associated with an email address that is unique in your database. (Meaning, each staff or consumer login must have a unique email address - shared emails are not allowed.) Many of our databases already have emails populated and if you're one of those clients - great work! If you have user accounts or consumer accounts in your system that do not have an email associated, these accounts will not be able to access AWARDS after the release. For instructions on where and how to add an email address to your user account, click here. Our targeted launch for these features will be in Q2 of this year.

No need to worry if you have a lot of accounts in your system that need to be updated - we've still got a few months before we plan to release the redesigned login page as our targeted launch will be in Q2 of this year. In the coming weeks, we will be sending out detailed instructions on how to bulk update email addresses for your staff and we will also plan to introduce reminders for users that do not have an email address associated.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your success manager.

Connect With Us! 

To see which training sessions and webinars are coming soon, check out the Upcoming Events in FootholdConnect (accessible from your AWARDS navigation bar). You can also see a current Upcoming Events Calendar in the Resource Center. See something you're interested in?  Register today!

The Faces of Foothold 

Kyle Perras, Group Product Manager 

We at Foothold talk about ourselves collectively all the time. For example, “We” are launching new AWARDS features, or “We” are working on a large-scale initiative to redesign AWARDS. But behind the “we” are some faces that we think you should know. This section of FootNotes - The Faces of Foothold - is a place to spotlight the individuals working hard (sometimes behind the scenes) to make sure your experience of AWARDS is one that elevates the capabilities and the outcomes of the hard work you do every day.

Have you met Kyle Perras? Kyle leads the Product team at Foothold. Specifically, he works with his team to gather, organize, and prioritize the product enhancement requests we receive from our customers. He then works to build out a roadmap that tries to bring as much value to our users as possible. In his own words: I like to think of myself as Tom Smykowski from Office Space. I take the specs from the clients and bring them to the engineers. I have people skills. I’m good with people!

Currently, Kyle is overseeing two large-scope projects: the AWARDS Redesign initiative and the BillingBuilder Revamp. For the AWARDS Redesign, there is a lot of work to do to determine the path Foothold takes from the beginning to the end - to decide which modules to work on and when, as well as what features and functions to include in the redesigned modules. Kyle’s whole goal is to deliver the greatest value to our customers, ensuring that AWARDS is an application that we can all be proud of.

Kyle joined Foothold in May of 2021. He has a long history of working with software, most recently as a product manager at WellSky. We asked Kyle what he loves most about the work he does. His answer: I love a good challenge and this job is full of them. Trying to find the best path forward that will benefit the most people is my favorite part of my job.

Fun Fact: Of all things, Kyle really loves cleaning - especially doing the dishes. He volunteers at a community kitchen every weekend just so he can use the industrial dishwasher!

News You Can Use! 

Tip of the Month 

For this month’s Tip of the Month, Foothold staff have shared a few of their favorite “Did You Know?” tips. This collection includes simple, yet often overlooked, tips that we hope you will find as helpful as we do!

• AWARDS Messages > Adjust Date Ranges - Does AWARDS messages tell you that you have many more messages than you actually see available in the inbox? If so, you simply need to adjust the date ranges. At the top of the screen, set the From and To date options to go back further, or cover the desired time period, click Apply - and voila - you will see all of the messages you are looking for!

• Calendar > Saved Default Views - Do you wish you could easily see your appointments and events for the day or the week ahead, or in some other filtered view that better aligns with your workflow? All you have to do is create a saved view and set it as your default view! In the top, left section of the Calendar you can click on the Saved Views option to both save various views, as well as set one of them as the default view.

• Client History Report - Do you wish you could see a client’s full chart history in one location? Well, you can when you use the Client History Report. This incredibly helpful feature is available to all users who have access to the Client Search feature from the top bar, and allows them to see full records for all clients in programs they have program chart access permissions to. Learn how to View a Client History Report and read about Client History Report Details in our Resource Center!

• FormBuilder Configuration > Set as Default Setting - When creating a FormBuilder form do you need to use the same selection list or checklist repeatedly? If so, when saving the first field to use the list, click the “Set as Default Setting” Option. Then, for each new field you add that uses the list, click the “Use Default Field Setting” option to automatically copy over the list and save you the extra work!

• Intake Cloning - Do you struggle with duplicate client records, especially with clients who are enrolled in multiple programs? If so - check out Intake Cloning! This feature allows you to easily complete a fresh admission into a new program for an existing client without mistakenly duplicating the client record. Check out the Intake Cloning Training Film and the Intake Cloning Instruction Sheet to learn more.

• Progress Notes > Default Text - Do you use FormBuilder forms in Progress Notes and wish you didn’t have to engage with the built-in text box in order to save notes? If so, reach out to the Help Desk or your Customer Experience representative to learn more about the option to have default text of your choice, like “N/A” or “See Above” drop into the text box so that staff can skip over it when completing data entry.

Have a Referral? - Help Spread the Word About AWARDS! 

If you know anyone at a similar agency that would benefit from using AWARDS, we would appreciate your referral to a colleague at that agency. As a thank you for any referrals you pass along, we are happy to offer some additional benefits to your agency. Upon making a referral, you’ll have your pick between a free half day of training or a free ticket to our User’s Conference. And, if we ultimately sign a contract with the organization you refer to us, we have even more benefits you can choose from. These include, but are not limited to, multiple days of free training, free access to the AWARDS certification program, a deep dive conversation with members of our executive and product teams, and a free month of AWARDS for your agency.

Contact your Foothold representative for more details about our referral program. Or, click here to submit your referral.

Help Other Organizations Find AWARDS - Will You Leave a Review? 

We want to hear from you! Have you had a good experience with AWARDS, or has someone from Foothold brightened your day? Please share it on our G2 profile. The survey takes just 5 minutes and helps other organizations find us when they are looking for software. We appreciate your time and kind words in advance!

Follow Us on Social Media - Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook 

We're working to expand the influence of our social media, and we need your help! Please make sure to follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Also, we want to celebrate all the amazing work you do, so tag us in your posts or email [e-mail] and we’ll make sure we help spread the word.

News From the Field - With Radicle Health Board Member David Bucciferro 

David Bucciferro, Senior Advisor at Foothold Technology and Radicle Health, was recently elected Chair of the Executive Committee of the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Association. The Executive Committee, which establishes the Association’s guiding principles and develops and implements strategic plans, announced the results of its annual Executive Committee elections for terms beginning Jan. 1, 2023.

The EHR Association is a trade association of 30 companies that serve most of the nation’s hospitals and ambulatory care organizations using electronic health records (EHRs) and other health information and technology to deliver high-quality, efficient care to their patients.

Additionally, David was selected to join the HIMSS Social Determinants of Health Committee which focuses on advancing the meaningful integration of social needs data and community health into the global health ecosystem to inform care delivery and improve individual and population quality of life. Committee members provide thought leadership on the importance of addressing social needs and advancing person-centered healthcare. Additionally, the committee provides resources that:

• Advance standards-based interoperability and meaningful health information exchange (HIE) to improve health and well-being.
• Promote education and awareness around efforts and best practices anchored in advancing SDOH-data integration and utilization, standards-based interoperability, and meaningful HIE.

Both of these appointments provide a great opportunity for Radicle Health and its array of companies to provide input in the direction information technology is taking throughout the Healthcare landscape. As Senior Advisor at Foothold, David has been incredibly influential in the oversight and subject matter expertise he has provided and we expect him to add great value to these committees. We can all look forward to hearing more from David as he moves forward in these two important roles.