January 2021
In this newsletter, you will find:
  • New Year Wishes from ERS
  • Reboot - New Year, New Fields, New Rules
  • New in January 2021 - Tip of the Month Series
  • How Do We Rate? We Want to Know What YOU Think of ERS!
  • Reduce Time Spent on Casefinding
  • It's a Girl! Welcome Sarah Pearl Rakestraw!
  • January Employee Spotlight - Elijah Bialik
New Year Wishes from ERS
The staff of ERS would like to wish our clients, partners and friends a very Happy New Year! This past year has been a challenge, to say the least! We hope that 2021 will bring good health and some sense of normalcy back to us all!

We look forward to the many anticipated changes throughout 2021. At ERS, our vision is for pathways for better cancer care by providing distinctive cancer registry services and enhanced insights. We look forward to making our visions a reality through continued collaboration, partnerships and engagement with you.

Happy New Year!
Reboot - New Year, New Fields, New Rules
Save the date for our very first educational webinar of 2021!

Christi Cox, CTR, Manager of Education will present, Reboot - New Year, New Fields, New Rules at 12 pm EST on February 9th and 11th.

The one hour webinar will focus on the new data items and requirements included in NAACCR v21, new STORE requirements such as collecting COVID-19 data and AJCC y classifications. NCRA CE approval is pending.

The CRStar upgrade containing all the new changes is scheduled for release the end of January. Mark your calendars for this information packed webinar. Invitations will be emailed to CRStar clients two weeks prior to the presentation.
Future Webinar Suggestions

What topics interest you for future webinars? If you have suggestions, please contact Christi Cox, Manager of Education at [email protected] with your wish list!
New In January 2021 - Tip of the Month Series
ERS is proud to announce our new Tip of the Month series! Throughout 2021, each newsletter will contain a different tip on how to better utilize the CRStar software as well as other provided services. 
January’s Tip of the month focuses on our client Resource Page. The Resource Page is available to all CRStar users and is accessible from within the CRStar HelpDesk. All CRStar documentation is available on the Resource Page and all users should familiarize themselves with the layout of the page for easy retrieval of documentation. Below are the different sections of the Resource Page:

  • Newly Added Documentation - This section contains all new documentation, upgrade information, CRStar insights, etc. After one month, the documentation is moved to its relevant section and replaced with additional new documentation.

  • CRStar Short Takes - Five minute “how to” videos about new CRStar features.

  • Webinars - After each live webinar presentation, the webinar recording along with the accompanying handouts are posted in this section.

  • ERS Policies and Procedures - This section contains important company policies relating to HIPAA, client support and houses the CRStar User Manual.

  • Enhancements and Corrections - With each monthly upgrade to the software, a document listing everything contained in the upgrade is listed. These are titled with the date of the upgrade.

  • CRStar Insights - These valuable “how to” documents are broken down by section of relevance: Abstracting, Reporting, System Administration and Management, Follow Up and Other. Older Insights are archived and moved to the archived section.

  • Newsletters - Our monthly newsletters are posted in this section with an archive section for older newsletters.

  • Individual State Information - This section is divided by state and contains information that maybe pertinent to that particular state.

We encourage each user to familiarize themselves with the Resource Page. Don’t miss out on valuable educational information regarding the latest enhancements and new features!
How Do We Rate?
We Want to Know What YOU Think of ERS!
Tell us how we are doing!

At ERS, we are proud of our Cancer Program Management & Analytics solution, our educational offerings & webinar series, as well as our customer support. But we know there’s always room for improvement so we are asking for your help in making ERS the best that we can be.

Beginning in the near future, you will receive a survey via email once your service ticket has been resolved. There will only be one quick question and we hope you will take the time to answer. Thank you in advance for your support!
Reduce Time Spent on Casefinding
Over the past few months, we have had quite a few discussions about how Automated Data Exchange could benefit your cancer registry. Both empirical research and our own surveys show that most registry teams spend approximately 15% of their work effort on casefinding, especially reviewing pathology reports. This can be a drain on resources that could be used more effectively in other vital areas.

Let’s consider a typical pre-automation scenario. A registry team sifts through pathology reports to determine cancer eligibility and reportability. It is not uncommon for some registries to manually enter cases after the burden of determining reportability.

Now, let’s look at an alternative solution where the registry utilizes smart integration with the pathology system. This integration begins with identification of eligible cases, eliminating the first round of manual filtering of reportable versus non reportable cases. Reportable cases are now automatically accessible in CRStar for final review and validation, in real time. The small percentage of non-reportable cases that remain following registry review can then be deleted from the system. 

Fortunately, the second solution is available to you today! Some of your peers are already using this type of automation and you can as well. The benefits are quickly realized and more than pay for the initial investment. Additionally, Automated Data Exchange doesn’t simply reduce the cost and time spent on casefinding. You will also receive the benefits of data entry automation, data concurrency, increased productivity - and more importantly, drive value back to your cancer center by providing more timely and accurate data to help support many initiatives such as Clinical Trial accrual and Precision Medicine efforts. 

Would you like to achieve these benefits for your registry team?

Click on the "Let's Talk" button below to schedule a call with Melanie Rogan, CTR, Director of Registry Services, and Todd Carter, Manager, Technology and Implementation Services.
It's a Girl!
Welcome Sarah Pearl Rakestraw!
Our ERS family is growing!

Jonathan Rakestraw, BS, CTR, Client Advocate Specialist, and his wife Bettie Jo (BJ) celebrated the arrival of their first child, Sarah Pearl Rakestraw on December 19, 2020, weighing in at 7.5 pounds and 17 inches long. As you can see, Dad is smitten with his new baby girl.

Please join us in congratulating Jonathan and BJ!
January Employee Spotlight - Elijah Bialik
This month, the ERS Employee Spotlight shines on Elijah Bialik. Elijah joined ERS as a Software Developer in January 2010, after graduating with honors from Evangel University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems (CIS). The CIS program was newly introduced to Evangel at that time, and he had the opportunity of becoming the first CIS graduate of EU.

Elijah has helped develop the reporting and data exchange capabilities of CRStar, and says his favorite part about working at ERS is developing new graphs and faster reporting functions to save users hours of time. "Knowing we are making our clients lives better, and ultimately aiding in the fight against cancer is rewarding and a privilege," says Elijah.

Elijah moved to the northern Cincinnati area 11 years ago, where he lives with his wife and three young sons. Outside of work, he spends much of his time helping homeschool his sons, playing with them at the park or rough-housing at home, as well as reading to them. Elijah also enjoys reading nights, game nights and Bible study with his friends. He is an avid hiker, enjoys watching movies and tackling do-it-yourself projects around the house. As you might guess from a software engineer, he also enjoys learning about the latest advancements in software development.
Refer CRStar - Earn $200
A few months ago, ERS implemented a customer referral program. To date, several loyal CRStar users have earned a $200 gift card. You could be next!

Please click "Refer CRStar" below if you know of any Cancer Programs that could benefit from CRStar and the TLC all CRStar users enjoy and rely on. Should your referral become a CRStar user, you'll earn a $200 Gift Card.

Let's grow our CRStar community together!

Terms and conditions can be found on the CRStar Referral Form.
View a CRStar video
Electronic Registry Systems, Inc. | 1.800.824.9020 | www.mycrstar.com
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