Idaho is not waiting for federal healthcare "reform"

Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter wrote a nice opinion piece (source at the bottom):

It seems like Washington, D.C., is tilting at political windmills these days. The Obama administration and Congress are still promising to slay the fire-breathing dragon of healthcare costs. But the beast they are fighting is, to a large extent, the product of the government-installed cage in which it evolved.

For 35 years now the federal government has been essentially running healthcare in America, masking market signals and supplanting the judgment of patients and physicians with the determinations of politicians, bureaucrats and lawyers. It should be no surprise that healthcare became “health management,” people became statistics, and the fear of liability became the biggest expense of all.

Now the federal government is poised to rescue us from the disaster it created, promising “reform” that amounts to little more than increasing government’s already dominant role in the healthcare system and further reducing the role of states like Idaho, not to mention individual patients and providers.

The public, policy makers and even patients contributed to the problem with their complacence. Having been lulled into a false sense of security by the promise of Medicaid and Medicare, we failed to insist on meaningful change and self-determination. But now the federal government has seized on healthcare reform as its mission in life, which means we should brace for still higher costs.

Largely missing from this discussion is the real work that Idaho and many other states are doing on their own to address healthcare needs, fulfilling their role as laboratories of the republic. That work includes controlling costs and improving access through a market-driven focus on preventive care, health promotion, building public-private partnerships, and application of technology and professional development.

I convened the Idaho Healthcare Summit in 2007 to evaluate Idaho’s healthcare system and recommend ways to make healthcare more affordable. The Governor’s Select Committee on Health Care evaluated the recommendations, gathered additional data and provided its top recommendations for implementation in a report submitted to me in 2008.

The recommendations focused on expanding the statewide use of electronic medical records to provide better coordinated patient care; expanding the use of patient-centered medical homes that shift the focus of healthcare to primary and preventive care; expanding the number of already eligible children to register for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program; and expanding the number of residency opportunities to attract primary care and specialty physicians to our state. We are making great progress on all those fronts. And at the close of 2009 I created the Governor’s Health Policy Implementation Committee, consisting of people who are experts in these fields, to foster continuing advancement of the priority areas over the next couple of years.

While there is still much more to be done, this much is clear: The federal government should not dictate our healthcare choices. The states, with public and private input, are capable of making changes to foster a better and more affordable healthcare system. We no longer can afford to be complacent and wait for the federal government to make things worse and take decisions out of our hands.

As Thomas Jefferson said, “A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned – this is the sum of good government.”



Source: http://gov.idaho.gov/mediacenter/press/pr2010/prmar10/pr_017.html

HHS's Final Rule on Health Information Technology Sent to House

The House Energy and Commerce Committee has received an executive branch communication from the Department of Health and Human Services.
The assistant office manager at the HHS has transmitted, pursuant to law, [5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A)], the Department's final rule - Health Information Technology: Initial Set of Standards, Implementation Specifications, and Certification Criteria for Electronic Health Record Technology.
The document (RIN: 0991-AB58) was received by the House on Jan. 15.

Source: Sarabjit Jagirdar, US Fed News

Grant Expected to Strengthen Children’s Mental Health Treatment

The Wyoming Department of Health has issued the following news release:

Wyoming has been awarded a federal grant to help improve healthcare quality and delivery systems for children with serious behavioral health disorders who are enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

The CHIP program is known in Wyoming as Kid Care CHIP; the state's Medicaid program is known as EqualityCare.

Wyoming partnered with Maryland, Georgia and the Centers for Health Care Strategies to submit a grant application, which was awarded nearly $11 million. Wyoming's share will be $450,000 per year for five years.

Wyoming will use the federal grant to implement and evaluate provider performance measures and use health information technologies such as pediatric electronic health records. A key planned strategy is the use of a care management entity to help monitor and administer mental health services provided to eligible Wyoming children.

"We have been concerned about the number of children with behavioral health issues who have been sent away from their communities for treatment," said Rodger McDaniel, Wyoming Department of Health deputy director for mental health and substance abuse services. "We want to ensure these children receive the most appropriate care for their needs. The care management entity can help that happen by bringing together the various organizations and people involved in meeting a child's treatment and educational needs."

"Basically, we would like to use this grant to improve access to quality care closer to home for Wyoming children and youth with serious behavioral health challenges," McDaniel said.

"Wyoming will work with other states that face many of the same challenges in this area that we do," McDaniel said. "We will share our rural perspective with them and expect to also learn from their experiences."

The new grant is funded by the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA). The Wyoming Department of Health (Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Division and EqualityCare) worked together with the Department of Corrections, Department of Family Services, Department of Workforce Services and the Governor's Office to prepare the application.

"We are honored to be selected to be a part of this effort to establish a quality mental health care system for children," McDaniel said.

For more information about the grant, please contact Eydie Trautwein, interagency coordinator with the Wyoming Department of Health, at (307) 777-6493.

AMA has formed a partnership with Ingenix

New market moves:

The American Medical Association is making progress on its plan to be the electronic platform physicians use to upgrade their practices with the latest technology.

Chicago-based AMA has formed a partnership with UnitedHealth Group's Ingenix subsidiary to "help physicians adopt and implement electronic health records," the two groups said in a statement provided to the Tribune. As part of the deal, the AMA will offer Ingenix CareTracker, a Web-based medical record system, through its Web site.

The AMA said Ingenix will be part of a yet-to-be-named larger platform being created on its site to help physicians develop new technologies to enhance their practices and improve their day-to-day work environment. The group said multiple options will be given to doctors beyond the Ingenix technology.

Full article here: AMA teams with UnitedHealth and Dell

HealthConnect is now the largest business EHR system?

Kaiser Permanente stated that it completed its rollout of electronic health records in the company's medical facilities. HealthConnect is now the largest business EHR system in the world with the addition of Kaiser hospitals in Oakland, Richmond and Vallejo in California, it said. The system securely connects 8.6 million patients to their physicians, nurses and pharmacists, plus their personal information and 'the latest medical knowledge' through a personal health record manager at KP.org. Kaiser said more than three million members were using the My Health Manager system, with 27 million logins in 2009. 

Industry Notes, Washington Internet Daily, Industry Notes (March 04, 2010)

Event: Meeting - Health and Human Services Department

EVENT: Health and Human Services Dept (HSS); Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS) (F.R. pg. 3743);

LOCATION: CMS Single Site campus, 7500 Security Boulevard, Multipurpose Room, Baltimore, MD

T&D: March 08, 2010 8:30 am

Health and Human Services Department (HHS); Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) (F.R. Page 3743) holds a meeting of the Practicing Physicians Advisory Council. AGENDA: Agenda includes: Provider Enrollment and Chain Ownership System (PECOS) Update; Fraud and Abuse Update; and Electronic Health Records (EHR) Update

CONTACT: Kelly Buchanan, 410-786-6132, PPAC_hhs@cms.hhs.gov

Event: eClinicalWorks 2010 User Conference

Very excited to go to the 2010 Northeast Regional Users’ Group Meeting. There's a portion for potential users. I suggest physicians who want a demo, attend that portion. Looks to be another good one!

Location: New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge, 333 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 (718) 246-7000

T&D: March 26 and 27, 2010

Schedule of Events: Click here

Contact: Contact Lynne Haglund, lynneh@eclinicalworks.com, eClinicalWorks, LLC, Tel: 508-475-0450 X 206

NYC Mayor and Health Commissioner Unveil 2012 Health Goals

Mayor Bloomberg and New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Farley today unveiled New York City's ambitious new health policy - Take Care New York 2012 - outlining the City's plan to improve the health of New Yorkers by targeting 10 leading causes of preventable sickness and death, including lung cancer, heart disease and HIV.

Read the press release here.

VP Biden Announces Availability of Nearly $1.2 Billion in Grants to Help Hospitals & Doctors Use EMR

CHICAGO, IL – Vice President Joe Biden today announced the availability of grants worth nearly $1.2 billion to help hospitals and health care providers implement and use electronic health records. The grants will be funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) and will help health care providers qualify for new incentives that will be made available in 2010 to doctors and hospitals that meaningfully use electronic health records.

"With electronic health records, we are making health care safer; we’re making it more efficient; we’re making you healthier; and we’re saving money along the way, "said Vice President Biden. "These are four necessities we need for healthcare in the 21st-century."

"Expanding the use of electronic health records is fundamental to reforming our health care system," said HHS Secretary Sebelius. "Electronic health records can help reduce medical errors, make health care more efficient and improve the quality of medical care for all Americans. These grants will help ensure more doctors and hospitals have the tools they need to use this critical technology."
The grants made available today include:

• Grants totaling $598 million to establish approximately 70 Health Information Technology Regional Extension Centers, which will provide hospitals and clinicians with hands-on technical assistance in the selection, acquisition, implementation, and meaningful use of certified electronic health record systems.
• Grants totaling $564 million to States and Qualified State Designated Entities (SDEs) to support the development of mechanisms for information sharing within an emerging nationwide system of networks.

The Extension Center grants will be awarded on a rolling basis, with the first awards being issued in fiscal year 2010. Grants to States will be made in fiscal year 2010. Those interested in applying for these grants may visit http://HealthIT.HHS.gov for more information.

"With these programs, we begin the process of creating a national, private and secure electronic health information system. The grants are designed to help doctors and hospitals acquire electronic health records and use them in meaningful ways to improve the health of patients and reduce waste and inefficiency," said Dr. David Blumenthal, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. "They will also help states lead the way in creating the infrastructure for health information exchange, which enables information to follow patients within and across communities, wherever the information is needed to help doctors and patients make the best decisions about medical care."

The Department of Health and Human Services will also provide additional assistance to health care providers through the Health Information Technology Research Center (HITRC). The HITRC will gather relevant information on effective practices from a wide variety of sources across the country and help the Regional Extension Centers collaborate with one another and with relevant stakeholders to identify and share best practices in EHR adoption, effective use, and provider support.
Attached are two fact sheets on the Health Information Technology Extension Program and the State Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement Program.

###

The activities described in this release are being funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). To track the progress of HHS activities funded through the ARRA, visit www.hhs.gov/recovery. To track all federal funds provided through the ARRA, visit www.recovery.gov.

Sens. Specter, Casey Announce Committee Approval of Northwestern PA Health and Education Projects

The office of Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., has issued the following news release:

   U.S. Senators Arlen Specter and Bob Casey today announced that the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has approved federal funding for several Northwestern Pennsylvania health and education projects. The projects are contained in the Fiscal Year 2010 Labor, Health, Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill.

   "I am pleased my colleagues have approved this important funding for Northwestern Pennsylvania," Senator Specter said. "Health and education are our nation's greatest capital assets, and these projects are vital to ensuring quality health care and education for Pennsylvania."

   "I am happy that funding for these vital projects has been approved by my colleagues," Senator Casey said. "These funds will ensure that Pennsylvanians have access to quality health care, job training programs and education. This is great news for Northwestern Pennsylvania."

   The bill must be approved by the full Senate, the House of Representatives and signed into law by the President before funding is final.

   Northwestern Pennsylvania projects in the bill include:

   Healthcare-related

   * $100,000 for Corry Memorial Hospital Association in Erie County for equipment. The equipment will be used in a replacement facility, which will improve access to care for residents of northwestern Pennsylvania.

   * $100,000 for Elk Regional Health Center in Elk County to purchase digital mammography equipment and to provide women with access to mammograms.

   * $100,000 for Ellwood City Hospital in Lawrence County for facilities and equipment. Funds will be used for cardiac lab construction and equipment to provide access to these services in the rural community.

   * $100,000 for Hamot Medical Center in Erie County for equipment, including ventilators and IV pumps, and will be used at various facilities in order to eliminate barriers to care and improve patient outcomes through timelier treatment.

   * $100,000 for Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie County for equipment. Funds will be used for a Practice Management Information System (PMIS) to educate medical and pharmacy students on health information technology, such as electronic medical records and e-prescribing.

   * $100,000 for Meadville Medical Center in Crawford County to upgrade a CT Scanner to provide a non-invasive method of diagnosing illness and injury in an outpatient setting.

   * $100,000 for Sharon Regional Health System in Mercer County to upgrade equipment in the Cardiac Cath Lab in the Heart Center at the hospital, including IV upgrades and cardiac monitors.

   Education-related

   * $100,000 for Mercyhurst College in Erie County for education programs and support services for individuals with disabilities. The pilot program will provide students with counseling support and academic services.

Arizona State offers degree in Biomedical Informatics

Arizona State University will offer the first undergraduate degree program in biomedical informatics, beginning in the 2009 fall semester. Biomedical informatics involves the integration of computer and information sciences with basic biological and medical research, clinical practice, medical imaging and public health disciplines. The American Medical Informatics Association foresees 10,000 new jobs being created in the field by 2010. Phoenix employers, including Banner Health, United Health Care and Mayo Clinic, predict a local need for at least 200 new employees in the field within 5 years.

An undergraduate degree in biomedical informatics is also a viable choice for a pre-med program because it provides students with a solid background in life sciences as well as information technology that plays an increasing important role in medical care, said Robert Greenes, chair of the Department of Biomedical Informatics.  For more information about the degree program, see the web site http://bmi.asu.edu/undergraduate/index.php

Politicians pump money into health centers

Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced earlier today that they are funding healthcare projects throughout the great state of New York as part of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The funding will be used to build new facilities, renovate existing structures, purchase cutting-edge equipment and implement electronic health records. "This funding is just what the doctor ordered," said Schumer. The CIP grants will support the construction, repair and renovation of over 1,500 health center sites nationwide. More than 650 centers will use the funds to purchase new equipment or health information technology (HIT) systems, and nearly 400 centers will adopt or expand the use of electronic health records.

Here's a synopsis:
Western New York: $1,095,875 in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) funding
- $535,880 to the Community Health Center of Buffalo
- $559,995 to the Northwest Buffalo Community Health Care Center

Queens: $2,715,600 in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) funding
- $1,491,800 to the Floating Hospital in Long Island City
- $855,115 to the Joseph P. Addabbo Family Heath Center in Arverne
- $368,685 to the Project Samaritan Health Services, Inc. in Jamaica

Finger Lakes Region: $5,172,510 in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) funding
- $827,235 to Oak Orchard Community Health Center, Inc. in Brockport
- $485,690 to Finger Lakes Migrant Health Project in Penn Yan
- $1,027,840 to Westside Health Services, Inc. in Rochester
- $2,500,000 to Rochester Primary Care Network
- $331,655 to Unity Hospital of Rochester

Brooklyn: $5,530,729 in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) funding
- $518,695 to Brooklyn Plaza Medical Center, Inc.
- $805,374 to Brownsville Community Development Center
- $837,895 to Bedford Stuyvesant Family Health Center, Inc. will receive $837,895
- $868,765 to ODA Primary Care Health Center
- $2,500,000 to Sunset Park Health Council, Inc.

St. Lawrence County: $536,895 in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) funding
- $536,895 to the Cerebral Palsy Association of the North Country

Staten Island: $250,000 in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) funding
- $250,000 to the Beacon Christian Community Health Center

**update:
Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-27) announced that Northwest Buffalo Community Health Care Center has been awarded $559,995 in a federal grant. The funds were made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and authorized for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to address health care facility and equipment needs. "Providing the best and most efficient health care starts with investing in health care facilities and equipment," said Congressman Higgins. 

That's a whole lot of money! (I'm double checking to make sure I got the figures right, but the bottom line is, a lot of money is going into this project!)

Facebook's Lobbyist Once Pushed For Stricter EMR

Facebook's new lobbyist used to be one of the company's most formidable adversaries. Timothy Sparapani was the former senior legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union. He used to argue that Internet companies had too much control over consumers' data! However, the self-described "privacy zealot" joined Facebook seven months ago.

Now Sparapani is responsible for shaping Washington's view of Facebook, the world's third-most-viewed website and the privacy policies that will define its business.

Sparapani has earned a reputation as a tenacious champion of consumers' privacy rights. At the ACLU, he fought against racial profiling in airport security lines and pushed for stricter rules for how patient information should be used in electronic medical records.

Let's see how this shapes social media networks!

Rising Medical Costs Are Driving Patients Overseas

*Update: I changed the title because I decided it's not really a "failure" of the medical industry, more an implication of rising costs.

I just read a great article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette written by Dr. Josef E. Fischer, entitled "Outsourcing Patients: the Failures of Our Health System Are Driving More and More Americans To Look For Treatment Overseas". Dr. Josef E. Fischer is the William V. McDermott Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and a past chairman of the Board of Regents of the American College of Surgeons. (He knows what he's talking about)

The article emphasizes that there is one particular threat to our medical sector that demands particular attention: Medical tourism.

Mainly, [medical tourism] means surgical tourism -- patients going abroad for surgical care. Our initial response to this phenomenon, which began in earnest in 1998, was reminiscent of our response to competition in our manufacturing industries: We denigrated the upstarts. Their products were poor, outcomes unsatisfactory; there were many complications, surgeons were poorly trained, facilities were inadequate -- with dated imaging equipment and the like.

Dr. Fischer has visited overseas facilities and asserts that the clinics are first-class, and various levels of accommodation are available, from moderate to luxurious. Staffs are caring, schedules are tight, and a variety of tests can be accomplished within 24 hours, not spread over weeks as they are in the U.S. Bottom line: most foreign medical centers rival those in the United States.

What's driving thousands and thousands of people overseas?

Dr. Fischer asserts that this phenomenon may be attributable to the "inexorable increases" in U.S. health-care costs at a rate far exceeding inflation, with health insurance companies paying a smaller percentage of the medical bills and patients paying more.

Why would someone travel 10,000 miles to get medical treatment from a doctor they don't know at a hospital whose name they can't pronounce?

Dr. Fischer asserts that its all about "One-stop shopping. Fully integrated hospital medical staff. Immediate access. No technology or quality gap. Competitive prices. A focus on service."

This article is excellent. It notes the scary price gaps that exist between countries. I really never understood the gravity of the price disparity until my family-member had a dental bridge done in India. The price in India: $2,000. What was the price stateside? $15,000 - $20,000! Dr. Fischer notes the price discrepancy:

...the cost of a heart-valve replacement in the United States: $230,000. In India, the same procedure, all costs included, runs $9,500; in Thailand, $10,500; in Singapore, $13,000.

A knee replacement in the United States costs up to $58,000. In India, it's about $8,500; in Thailand, $10,000; in Singapore, $13,000.

Dr. Fischer noted that we can reduce costs of U.S health care. Of the few ways, one was tort reform. If malpractice costs were lesser, the savings would trickle down to the patient. Oh yea, and Electronic medical records! According to Dr. Fischer, EMR may help, but there has to be an emphasis on interoperability. Find the article, read the article!

Source: Dr. Josef E. Fischer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania), Outsourcing Patients: The Failures of Our Health System Are Driving More and More Americans To Look For Treatment Overseas, Pg. B-4 (June 21, 2009 Sunday) (Available in the Two Star Edition, Editorial Section):

ONCHIT Requests Comments on "Meaningful Use"

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is asking for comments on the preliminary definition of “Meaningful Use,” as presented to the HIT Policy Committee on June 16, 2009. Comments on the draft description of Meaningful Use are due by 5 pm est June 26, 2009, and should be no more than 2,000 words in length.

Electronic responses to the draft description of Meaningful Use are preferred and should be addressed to:
MeaningfulUse@hhs.gov
With the subject line “Meaningful Use”

Written comments may also be submitted to:
Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
200 Independence Ave, SW
Suite 729D
Washington, DC 20201
Attention: HIT Policy Committee Meaningful Use Comments

Obama to Observe Green Bay's Healthcare Model

According to a recent Washington Post article, Green Bay, Wis. is one of the best cities in the country according to numerous measures. The city has "managed to control medical spending while steadily improving health outcomes."

Peter Orszag, the Obama administration's budget chief, said, "If we could make the rest of the nation practice medicine the way that Green Bay does, we would have higher quality and significantly lower costs."

In his drive to rein in skyrocketing health-care costs, Obama is increasingly focused on wasteful medical care that does not extend life and may actually be harmful. Today's town-hall-style meeting, his first as president to promote health reform, is intended to spotlight one city's strategy for squeezing out waste without hurting quality.

What Obama is likely to hear in Green Bay is testimony to the value of digital records, physician collaboration, preventive care and transparency, say those most involved in Wisconsin's innovative approach.

"There's been a fairly steady progression of quality" in areas such as diabetes care and cancer screening, said Chris Queram, executive director of the Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality, which publishes statewide performance measures....The federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality gives Wisconsin high scores on 100 measures, ranging from the treatment of heart disease to childhood asthma.

However, what's exciting the Obama administration the most? The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice have some very interesting findings.

The New Hampshire researchers have documented and mapped wide variations in the cost and types of care given to American seniors through the Medicare program, concluding that spending more on health care has not resulted in better health.

For example, the researchers found that In the final two years of a patient's life, Medicare spent an average of $46,412 per beneficiary nationwide, with the typical patient spending 19.6 days in the hospital, including 5.1 in the intensive-care unit. Green Bay patients cost $33,334 with 14.1 days in the hospital and just 2.1 days in the ICU, while in Miami and Los Angeles, the average cost of care exceeded $71,000, and total hospitalization was about 28 days with 12 in the ICU.

Are these differences attributed by big-city prices? According to the article, maybe. WP interviewed a Elliott Fisher, principal investigator for the Dartmouth Atlas Project, who said "but the differences that are really important are due to the differences in utilization rates." That is key, the "utilization rate". This is why the Obama administration is so interested in the study. If we are utilizing our resources at an optimal level, we are operating at an optimal level.

Click here to read the full article

Why should your IT company know about Security?

Why should your IT company know about Security? Because lawmakers (politicians, judges, etc.) are soon going to require some pretty strict rules about EMR and IT in the clinic.

The stimulus bill included $20 billion to promote adoption of EMR. Adopting EMR promises increased efficiency, lower costs and a reduction of preventable errors. This summer, the Secretary of Health and Human Services will define standards for EMR. Among these standards, I'm pretty sure we're going to see some strong authentication and encryption requirements. (We've been doing this for years, so we're prepared!) The question is, will tougher privacy and security records stunt the efficiency and adoption of EMR?

According to new research co-authored by Amalia Miller, University of Virginia economics assistant professor, Yes.

Ratcheting up the privacy and security of medical records means slower adoption of electronic medical records. "Reducing adoption by more than 24 percent - that's a pretty big effect," Miller said. "It's important to know those costs and have that be part of the policy decision-making process. To decide how much privacy is optimal, we need to quantify the costs and benefits, and those haven't been well quantified.

I personally think its wonderful to have more stringent requirements when it comes to privacy. However, Professor Miller is absolutely correct, we must quantify the costs and benefits of any new requirements.

The issue is, what's more important, speeding up EMR adoption or protecting the actual records? Slowing EMR has substantial costs to our healthcare institution. "How long can we wait?" is the question everyone is probably asking. We have just as much of a public policy concern with slow EMR adoption (since our healthcare insurance costs are so high) as we have with protecting those EMR records.

As long as policy makers are being reasonable in their policy making, I don't see why anyone would really complain about stringent requirements! Why? Because if the requirement is practical, competent IT companies will be able to implement the proper solution. In fact, I highly believe IT companies should ALREADY be taking safety precautions when designing an IT infrastructure. I'm waiting for the first string of these requirements to come forth. I'll keep you posted.

(I won't brag about our credentials in this blog post... maybe next time!)

eClinicalWorks Ranks 39 in the HIC 100!

Over the years I've known Girish Navani, Mahesh Navani, and Dr. Rajesh Dharampuriya, I've learned they're a pretty smart trio. They've done a terrific job at expanding eClinicalWorks, while maintaining an excellent product with quality support. Let me be one of the first to congratulate eClinicalWorks on being ranked #39 on Healthcare Informatics annual HCI 100 list of companies by HIT revenue. eClinicalWorks ranked #39 this year, moving up from #51 in 2008.

Here is the listing:

eClinicalWorks | Westborough, MA | 508-836-2700 | http://www.eclinicalworks.com

HIT Revenue: $ 86,360,323 ('08) $ 63,900,619 ('07) $ 38,214,865 ('06)
Major Revenue: Physician practice systems

Employees: 750 Market: Private Founded: 1999

eClinicalWorks' unified EMR/PM system manages patient flow and streamlines processes regardless of practice size, specialty and number of locations. Its solutions can create community-wide records.

Company Executives: Girish Kumar Navani, CEO and Co-Founder; Mahesh Navani, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder

HEALTHeLINK Signs with EMR Vendors (Interoperability)

Buffalo, NY - HEALTHeLINK, the Western New York Clinical Information Exchange, announced that it has reached formal agreements with Allscripts, eClinicalWorks, McKesson Corp., MedAppz LLC, NextGen and Pulse Systems, Inc. for the use of their technologies in local physician offices and other health care practices. The vendors have agreed to extend preferred community-based pricing to improve adoption rates.

HEALTHeLINK is a collaborative community-based approach to interoperability. Interoperability basically means the ability to move health care information safely and securely between a patient’s health care providers. Interoperability promotes collaboration and can help control healthcare costs (not to mention improving patient care!) HEALTHeLINK's vision is for Western New York to have an electronic system for real-time sharing of clinical information among health care professionals.

Study Reveals Patient's Positive Attitude Towards EMR

A new study, conducted by a research team at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA determined how patients feel about converting their records to EMR.

In this new technological era where Facebook and Twitter are dominant, physicians should rest assured that their patients will be (according to the study) very receptive to EMR technology. The study's lead author, Jan Walker, said patients not only want computers to bring them customized medical information, but fully expect to be able to rely on electronic technology in the future for many routine medical issues. The study found that patients want full access to all of their EMR, are willing to make some privacy concessions in the interest of making them transparent and fully expect that computers will play a major role in their medical care.

To read more on this study, click here