Going with the Patient Flow Newsletter
The Next Generation of Health Care
Allison Shirreffs, Laurel-Ann Dooley and Drew Ermenc, Business
to Business
As the rising cost of health care becomes a significant issue in
2009 - both politically and it's effects on already-suffering
balance sheets - innovation will take hold once again. Tough times
breed innovation. So here's a preview of the people, products and
services that are committed to changing the way the health care
game is played, saving money, saving lives and creating solutions
for today's problems in health care. All are based in metro
Atlanta, and all are poised to make a difference. What if hospital
wait times could be reduced, more people could be seen and it would
take less people to do so? That's what Rick Jackson, founder and
CEO, Jackson Healthcare, believes his StatCom software will help
accomplish.
http://www.btobmagazine.com/Articles/2009/March/The_Next_Generation_Of_Health_Care.html
IBM and Partners Help Healthcare Clients Adopt
Electronic Health Records and Improve Operations with Cloud
Software
MSNBC.com
IBM, American Occupational Network (AON) and HyGen Pharmaceuticals
are improving patient care by digitizing health records and
streamlining their business operations using cloud-based software
from IBM Business Partners MedTrak Systems and The System House. By
accessing technology that handles various tasks -- from electronic
health records (EHRs) to on-line appointment scheduling -- as a
service through the Internet instead of developing, purchasing and
maintaining technology on-site, AON has been able to update its
clinical processes and increase key efficiencies to improve patient
care.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29735725/
The Emergency Department as the Front Door of the
Hospital
Blackdiamondhealth blog
A significant portion of a hospital's admissions enter through its
Emergency Department (ED). Unfortunately, many hospitals exhibit
broken processes, long wait times and fundamentally poor
coordination of care. As a result, most hospital organizations view
their EDs as cost centers and a necessary, though frustrating,
component to delivering quality care to its community.
http://blackdiamondhealth.wordpress.com/2009/03/19/the-emergency-department-as-the-front-door-of-the-hospital/
Health Providers Must Be Educated on Stimulus Package,
Experts Say
Kathryn Foxhall, Government Health IT
Speakers at an Institute for e-Health Policy briefing said that
more needs to be done to educate health providers on the health IT
provisions included in the federal stimulus law, including
timetables, incentives and penalties associated with health IT
adoption.
http://govhealthit.com/articles/2009/03/17/stimulus-rewards.aspx
Poll: More Doctors Using Health IT, But Cost Concerns
Remain
Andis Robeznieks, Modern Healthcare
The use of electronic medical records, computerized physician
order entry systems and other forms of health IT among doctors has
grown in the past five years, according to an American College of
Physician Executives survey. The poll, which involved about 1,000
ACPE members, found that 64.5% have set up EMR platforms while
43.8% are using CPOE applications. The report also noted that 40.9%
of respondents cited insufficient funds and resources as the main
reason for not deploying IT. (May require registration)
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090313/REG/303139994/1153
Healthcare Overhaul Cost May Reach $1.5
Trillion
Yahoo.com news
Health policy experts say guaranteeing coverage for all Americans
may cost about $1.5 trillion over the next decade, more than double
the $634 billion "down payment" President Barack Obama set aside
for health reform in his budget. The potential for runaway costs is
raising concerns among Republicans and some Democrats as Congress
prepares to draft next year's budget.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090318/ap_on_go_pr_wh/health_overhaul_cost_14
Report: Canada's EMR efforts could help U.S. devise
adoption strategy
Joseph Goedert, Health Data Management
Government initiatives to implement and maximize the benefits of
electronic medical records across Canada could help U.S.
authorities develop an effective strategy for adopting such
technology, according to a report from consulting company Sierra
Systems. Though the U.S. has a bigger population than Canada, both
countries face "remarkably similar" health IT challenges, the
report contended.
http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/EHR27837-1.html
Wal-Mart, eClinicalWorks Deal Exposes Need for EMR Price
Transparency
Kathryn Mackenzie, HealthLeaders Media IT
The big health information news is that Wal-Mart's Sam's Club is
partnering up with electronic medical record vendor eClinicalWorks
and Dell Inc. to sell electronic medical records to physicians.
Sam's Club will offer the package this spring starting at under
$25,000 for the first physician in a practice and $10,000 for each
additional doctor. Ongoing costs will be $4,000 to $6,500 per year.
The reaction to the news of an "EMR-in-a-box" has been
remarkable.
http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/229907/topic/WS_HLM2_TEC/WalMart-eClinicalWorks-Deal-Exposes-Need-For-EMR-Price-Transparency.html
Study: IT Could Help Address Communication Problems in
Hospitals
Joseph Goedert, Health Data Management
Inefficient communication among clinicians and other personnel
costs U.S. hospitals $12 billion a year, according to a study from
University of Maryland researchers. IT systems, including
location-based applications that could improve the discharge
process, could help improve communication among clinicians and save
money, the study found.
http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/communications27855-1.html
Arizona-Based Organization Set to Begin Work on HIE
System
John Moore, Government Health IT
The Southern Arizona Health Information Exchange unveiled plans to
begin working on a statewide data-sharing system in the first half
of 2009. The move comes after the group chose technology from
Wellogic to power its network. Phase 3.1 of the project will focus
on three areas, including the transfer of key medical information
to emergency departments when patients are admitted.
http://govhealthit.com/articles/2009/03/13/arizona-exchange-ready-to-roll.aspx
Coordination Between CIOs, Clinicians Key To Reaping
Health IT Benefits
Mark Hagland, Healthcare Informatics
Health care organizations are deploying IT solutions to address
key concerns including accountability and transparency, and CIOs
need to work with clinicians to ensure that investments in such
systems result in tangible benefits, according to this article.
Illinois-based Cancer Treatment Centers of America is using an EMR
system and IT applications to manage doctor documentation,
closed-loop medication and other processes. Heartland Health, a
400-bed facility in Missouri, reported a 50% drop in drug errors as
well as $47.5 million in savings five years after implementing EMR
technology.
http://www.healthcare-informatics.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=EC317F2597454797AF09413D7814774F
C-Side
Five Action Steps to Help You Lead in Times of Economic
Crisis
Dan Sinnott, HealthLeaders Media
A former boss used to tell me that "every crisis is an
opportunity." I've had a lot of opportunities since my entire
career has been spent in healthcare, an industry that has been in
crisis mode for the past 20 years. In that time, I've learned how
to turn a crisis into an opportunity. Here are five actions that
enable leaders to do the same.
http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/229981/topic/WS_HLM2_LED/Five-Action-Steps-to-Help-You-Lead-in-Times-of-Economic-Crisis.html
Collaborate, Don't Crush
Carrie Vaughan, HealthLeaders Magazine
Hospital CEOs are often schooled in the art of attack-grab market
share, grow service lines, be the best healthcare provider in the
region. But many executives are discovering that crushing the
competition may not be the best way to achieve those goals. The
challenge for CEOs is finding ways to build beneficial
relationships with other healthcare institutions that, in many
cases, also happen to be their biggest competitors. "It is not the
strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent,
but the one most responsive to change. "Sometimes you have to
decide what you can do the best and truly do it in a way that
provides excellent quality service, then partner with others to
fill in where you can't be the best."
http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/229633/topic/WS_HLM2_MAG/Collaborate-Dont-Crush.html
Good Staff Ties, Honesty Could Help Senior Health Care
Leaders Keep Jobs
Carrie Vaughan, HealthLeaders Media
Health care providers including hospitals are reporting net
losses, putting off projects and implementing layoffs amid the
recession, and CEOs could lose their posts even if they have
successful track records. Leaders need to be honest in their
dealings, maintain good relationships with employees and zero in on
efficiency in order to keep their jobs, according to this
article.
http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/229714/topic/WS_HLM2_LED/Is-Your-Job-Secure.html