Acumen Physician Solutions is a Nashville, Tenn.-based information technology company that develops management tools for nephrology-specific medical practices and hospitals. The company was founded in 1996 as Health IT Services Group (HITSG). It had its roots in Gamewood Data Systems, a successful Internet service provider. Gamewood Data Systems was founded in 1991 by Drs. Frank and Dugan Maddux, husband-and-wife nephrologists who had developed one of the first laboratory electronic data interchange programs for the dialysis industry.
Tracing our roots back to RENALNET: At the same time they were creating Gamewood, the Madduxes also recognized the need for a kidney disease information clearinghouse and established RENALNET, one of the world’s first medical websites. RENALNET has received many awards since its inception in 1994. In 1995, the RENALNET concept was placed in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History.
Creating a game-changing product – Acumen nEHR: As a pioneer in the field of health care information technology, Dr. Frank Maddux focused considerable research and development during the 1990s on the creation of Acumen nEHR™, a Web-based software solution that enabled physicians – and specifically nephrologists – to convert their patients’ medical records into electronic health records (EHRs) for their clinical medical practices. Acumen nEHR was one of the first EHR systems to become commercially viable. HITSG was formed as an independent entity when Gamewood, Inc., spun off its application service division in late 2006, and its first product was Acumen nEHR. In subsequent years, Acumen nEHR became a catalyst for the development of a highly effective set of online tools for practicing physicians and medical organizations which are all now marketed under the Acumen Nephrology Solutions brand.
Becoming part of the Fresenius family: In 2007, Fresenius Medical Care North America, operator of the nation’s leading network of dialysis facilities, chose Acumen as the digital platform of choice for its nephrologists and dialysis facilities around the country. Selecting Acumen gave Fresenius the ability to leverage the relaxation in the Stark and Safe Harbor laws which allowed for a partial donation of technology to associated physicians. Fresenius acquired HITSG on Nov. 1, 2009. The acquisition allowed Fresenius to increase the integration of technology within the practice of nephrology.
Becoming Acumen Physician Solutions: In 2012, HITSG formally changed its name to Acumen Physician Solutions to align the company’s brand and identity with its primary product line. The company has grown from the developer of a single product into a software development company offering a wide range of digital products for nephrologists.
