NEWS RELEASE
Health Profesisonals License Renewals Go Online at TennesseeAnytime.org
NASHVILLE - (January 28, 2002) - Life just got a little easier for health care providers in Tennessee, thanks to a new online service provided by the Tennessee Department of Health. Professionals licensed by 68 different health licensing boards can now renew licenses 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year at TennesseeAnytime (www.TennesseeAnytime.org), the State of Tennessee's official website. The patient eligibility verification site, which launched on July 1, was built and is managed by Tennessee Information Division, a wholly owned subsidiary of eGovernment provider NIC (Nasdaq: EGOV).
"Doctors, nurses, dentists and other professionals can renew a license over the Internet with no delays and no additional costs," said Health Commissioner Fredia Wadley, MD. "Offering license renewals online provides a convenience for those who choose to use this option and makes state government more efficient, more effective, and more accessible."
There are about 200,000 actively licensed health professionals in Tennessee. The Department of Health processed 93,000 renewals during the past year. Since the application became available on January 3 of this year, over 700 health professionals have renewed their license online. Feedback for the new service has been very positive, as reflected in an email from one nurse who used the online renewal: "I just wanted to let you know I just used the Online License Renewal. I was very pleased with this process. It made it more convenient for me. I think this was a wonderful idea. Thank you."
Until now, licensees who forgot to renew until the last minute or who failed to report an address change and did not receive a renewal notice faced being unable to work until the renewal was processed. With online renewals, however, health professional will be able to renew a license in just a few moments. The cost for renewing online is the same, with customers having the additional convenience of paying for their license with a credit card. Health professionals will also be able to update addresses online.
The Department of Health has already made a number of services available through its website, including ordering birth and death certificates, checking restaurant inspection scores, and making available information on individual licensed professionals to help consumers select health care providers.
About TennesseeAnytime
TennesseeAnytime built, markets, operates, and maintains the official website for Tennessee (www.TennesseeAnytime.org). Ranked as the most improved state site by the Taubman Center for Public Policy at Brown University, Tennessee's official government portal is consistently recognized among the leading state websites in the nation. TennesseeAnytime is a wholly owned subsidiary of eGovernment firm NIC (Nasdaq: EGOV).
About NIC
NIC, "The eGovernment Company," delivers more Web-enabled government solutions than any other provider in the world. The Company is helping to transform the relationships between government and the communities it serves by providing convenient online government services that make life easier for businesses and citizens. Through partnerships at all levels of government, NIC manages transactions for over 1,000 state & local agencies that serve more than 49 million people in the United States. Recent news releases and other information are on NIC's website at www.nicusa.com.
Contact
- Angela Fultz Nordstrom, TennesseeAnytime
