HONC Issues Operating Plan for HITEC
Health Data Management
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information
Technology has released to Congress an operating plan for
implementing provisions of the HITECH Act within the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The plan describes 19 upcoming
regulations, guidance, reports and studies regarding the enhanced
HIPAA privacy and security rules, and their due dates under the
law. It also lists six tasks, and due dates, for heightened
enforcement of the rules. The operating plan is available at
hhs.gov.
http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/HITECH-28217-1.html?ET=healthdatamanagement:e873:117429a:&st=email&channel=policies_regulation
http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/reorts/plans/onc_hit.pdf
How the Cost Center Mindset is Costing Hospitals
Millions
Jackson Healthcare white paper
What if today's hospitals were managed as a collection of profit
centers, instead of cost centers? Healthcare thought leader, Rick
Jackson, believes costs and revenues are misleading metrics in
measuring the success of a service line. This white paper
challenges executives to transform their hospital's financial model
in order to remain healthy staples of their communities.
http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/forms/Jackson-05182009/
Health Providers Should Move Forward With EHR
Adoption
Jack Beaudoin, Healthcare IT News
Health care IT experts are urging health care providers not to
delay electronic health record adoption until the federal
government has defined "meaningful use" of EHRs. The economic
stimulus package includes about $20 billion for direct funding and
incentives for health care providers who implement EHRs and
demonstrate meaningful use beginning in 2010. The definition of
meaningful use is left up to the HHS secretary. Mark Leavitt,
president and CEO of the Certification Commission for Healthcare
IT, said, "Just buying a certified EHR is not meaningful use."
However, he said that there is no mystery about what meaningful use
will entail in the near future.
http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/meaningful-use-no-mystery-experts-contend
Precious Commodity -- Beds at a
Premium
Lindsey Getz, For The Record
Some combination of technology, daily assessments, and better
communication across departments can help healthcare organizations
gain efficiencies and improve care. The concern is that poorly
managed patient flow isn't only a hassle for hospitals but can also
have more serious consequences. This is particularly true in
vulnerable areas such as the emergency department, where a lack of
beds could put patients' health and safety in jeopardy. "The
inability to move patients from the emergency department into the
inpatient setting is one of the areas where patient flow problems
are most visible-and can also be the most critical," says Diane
Jacobsen, MPH, CPHQ, director of the Institute for Healthcare
Improvement.
http://www.fortherecordmag.com/archives/041309p20.shtml
Health Outcomes Driving New Hospital
Design
Carol Ann Campbell, The New York Times
In many new hospitals and pavilions, single-patient rooms are now
viewed as an important element of high-quality healthcare. The
benefits of the single room emerged through evidence-based hospital
design. More than 1,500 studies have examined ways that design can
reduce medical errors, infections and falls-and relieve patient
stress. Besides privacy, research shows that single rooms reduce
infections and patient stress, and improve sleep. In 2006, the
American Institute of Architects called for single rooms in all new
hospital construction.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/19/health/19hosp.html?_r=2&scp=14&sq=health%20care&st=cse
Virginia Eyes Health IT Funding From Stimulus to Drive
Growth
The Roanoke Times
Government and health-industry leaders in Virginia have set their
sights on getting a share of the budget found in the stimulus
package for health IT tools. The state is creating an advisory
panel to help providers secure federal funding as well as deploy
EMRs. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., has organized a summit set to take
place today in Richmond that will be attended by Dr. David
Blumenthal, who heads the Office of the National Coordinator for
Health Information Technology.
http://www.roanoke.com/business/wb/205025
The Machinery behind Health-Care
Reform
Robert O'Harrow Jr., Washington Post
A Washington Post review found that the trade group, the
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, had worked
closely with technology vendors, researchers and other allies in a
sophisticated, decade-long campaign to shape public opinion and win
over Washington's political machinery. With financial backing from
the industry, they started advocacy groups, generated research to
show the potential for massive savings and met routinely with
lawmakers and other government officials. Their proposals made
little headway in Congress, in part because of the complexity of
the issues and questions about whether the technology and federal
subsidies would work as billed.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/15/AR2009051503667.html?hpid=topnews
Is It Possible To Provide Adequate Health Care For All?
If Not, What Gives?
McKinsey What Matters
Healthcare reform is front and center these days as the US
struggles to extend affordable coverage to the uninsured while
reining in budget deficits. Can the Obama Adminstration meet both
goals? Yes, but it won't be easy, according to both Harvard's
Regina Herzlinger and Berkeley's Jacob Hacker in new essays.
http://whatmatters.mckinseydigital.com/
VC Firm: Med-Tech, Health IT Ripe For Investment
Molly Merrill, Healthcare IT News
Medical technology and health IT rank as the top areas for
investment in the U.S. this year, as the country prepares to make
major changes to the care-delivery system, according to a report
from Psilos Group, a venture capital company. "Innovation gaps"
need to be filled in order to transform health care, and this
requires the broad adoption of IT solutions across ambulatory,
diagnostic and other clinical settings, the report said.
http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/report-hit-and-medical-technology-are-prime-investments-2009
O-Games Confirms Hysteria Hospital: Emergency Ward for
Wii and DS
Ign.com
Video game Hysteria Hospital is coming to Wii. "Hysteria Hospital
challenges players to race up anb down hospital floors, treating
testy patients with crazy ailments while saving your emergency room
from turning into mass hysteria."
http://ds.ign.com/articles/982/982875p1.html
Shrinking Margins, Shrinking Options?
Tom Day, HealthLeaders Media
Margins at U.S. hospitals are declining as the recession and
growing unemployment impacts insurance coverage, hospital
investments, volumes, and even the health levels of the patients
showing up at emergency rooms. Hospital executives are being
pressured by their communities to save jobs and provide more
community benefit; while at the same time healthcare reform hangs
overhead and the media relentlessly pounds out story after story
about the high cost of healthcare. So what's a hospital CXO, or
C-level, executive to do?
http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/233227/topic/WS_HLM2_FIN/Shrinking-Margins-Shrinking-Options.html
A Cookie for Cost-Cutting
Philip Betbeze, for HealthLeaders Media
Hospitals are cutting costs in a variety of ways. Some are
engaging their employees to help rein in costs, while some are
taking a top-down approach and cutting employees themselves. It's
painful, but it has to be done. Still, cost-cutting is not a
long-term strategy with much staying power.
http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/232723/topic/WS_HLM2_LED/A-Cookie-for-CostCutting.html
New Leadership Needed to Tackle Healthcare's Adaptive
Challenges
Kristin von Donop, for HealthLeaders Media
Healthcare executives are under enormous stress. Trying to improve
quality and safety, increase access, and reduce costs is
exhausting. There is great pressure to satisfy many conflicting and
competing interests. We all agree that deep systemic change is
needed, and the gap between the current reality and where we want
to be continues to widen. Yet many of the key parties behave as
though they want their part in the current system to continue.
http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/232375/topic/WS_HLM2_LED/New-Leadership-Needed-to-Tackle-Healthcares-Adaptive-Challenges.html
How Not To Manage Like Dick Fuld or Genghis Khan
Stefan Stern, Financial Times
A go-getter CEO sometimes has to push people beyond their comfort
zone to get things done. But a boss who pushes hard all the time is
a bully, and management by bullying ends badly, says columnist
Stefan Stern. New research by Buck Consultants shows that managers
who impose change on staff are only moderately successful and that
true two-way communication yields better results.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4aecb04a-38c4-11de-8cfe-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1