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Statement from CHIME President and CEO Russell P. Branzell, AMDIS CEO Rich Rydell, and AMDIS Board Chairman William Bria, MD on the appointment of Dr. Michael James McCoy as ONC’s first Chief Health Information Officer
“CHIME and AMDIS welcome Dr. McCoy to the role of Chief Health Information Officer. We support his addition to ONC as a physician and IT executive with experience on both sides of the vendor/provider fence. The task Dr. McCoy has been charged – interoperability – is a daunting one, which will require bureaucratic, technical and implementation expertise. We believe Dr. McCoy has the much-needed skills to help the nation achieve widespread interoperability and both organizations stand ready to assist the ONC and Dr. McCoy in this critically important endeavor.”
About AMDIS
Founded in 1997, the Association of Medical Directors of Information Systems is the premier professional organization for physicians interested in and responsible for healthcare information technology. AMDIS has more than 2,800 physician members worldwide, 250 associate members and 40 provider organization members. AMDIS members are the thought leaders, decision makers and opinion influencers dedicated to advancing the field of Applied Medical Informatics and thereby improving the practice of medicine. For more information, visit www.AMDIS.org.About CHIME
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is an executive organization dedicated to serving chief information officers and other senior healthcare IT leaders. With more than 1,400 CIO members and over 140 healthcare IT vendors and professional services firms, CHIME provides a highly interactive, trusted environment enabling senior professional and industry leaders to collaborate; exchange best practices; address professional development needs; and advocate the effective use of information management to improve the health and healthcare in the communities they serve. For more information, please visit www.chimecentral.org.Contact
Stephanie Fraser
Director of Communications and Corporate Relations, CHIME
734.665.0000
[email protected]Posted 1.21.2015 -
2015 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study Now Open
ANN ARBOR, MI and CHICAGO, January 16, 2015 – The 2015 Most Wired Survey is now open, the American Hospital Association’s Health Forum and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) announced today. Published annually by Hospitals & Health Networks magazine, Health Care’s Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study is a leading industry barometer that measures information technology (IT) use and adoption among hospitals nationwide.
The 2015 Most Wired Survey will examine how organizations are leveraging IT to improve performance for value-based healthcare and provide respondents the ability to map their IT strategic plans.
Participating U.S. hospitals and health systems are assessed based on progress in adoption, implementation and use of IT in four critical areas:
- Infrastructure
- Business and Administrative Management
- Clinical Quality and Safety (Inpatient/Outpatient Hospital)
- Clinical Integration (Ambulatory/Physician/Community)
In October, CHIME and the AHA announced a deeper survey partnership to further develop the survey, build a program to recognize IT use in hospitals, and encourage IT adoption and performance improvement with results from survey findings. Changes to this year’s survey include:
- Stricter verification procedures and checks on whether organizations have successfully met Meaningful Use criteria
- New questions on security measures in the area of infrastructure
- Additions to clinical integration area surrounding patient engagement, telemedicine and integrated networks.
User ID codes and passwords have been emailed to all hospital CEOs and chief information officers. Hospitals in search of their ID and password or that experience problems accessing the survey can send an email to [email protected] with the hospital’s name, city and state.
Participating hospitals and health systems may be named among the Most Wired, Most Improved and/or Most Wired—Small and Rural lists. Hospitals that have unique IT projects may also compete for the Innovator Award application. A panel of hospital and information technology leaders will evaluate submissions based upon achievement of the business objective, innovation and uniqueness of concept, scope of solution and impact on the organization.
“As the industry continues to evolve, maintaining constructive data on how IT integration has impacted operational, financial and clinical performance serves as an invaluable resource for hospitals nationwide,” said CHIME President and CEO Russell P. Branzell, FHCIME, CHCIO. “CHIME and the AHA are dedicated to ensuring the Most Wired Survey remains a valuable tool for our members, their organizations, and the industry at-large, and underscores our commitment to health information technology as a differentiator in improving care coordination, quality and outcomes.”
The annual survey link and the Innovator Award application are available at www.hhnmostwired.com. The deadline for submission is March 15, 2015.
About CHIME
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is an executive organization dedicated to serving chief information officers and other senior healthcare IT leaders. With more than 1,400 CIO members and over 140 healthcare IT vendors and professional services firms, CHIME provides a highly interactive, trusted environment enabling senior professional and industry leaders to collaborate; exchange best practices; address professional development needs; and advocate the effective use of information management to improve the health and healthcare in the communities they serve. For more information, please visit www.chimecentral.org.About the American Hospital Association
The American Hospital Association (AHA) is the national organization that represents and serves all types of hospitals, health care networks, and their patients and communities. Nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 43,000 individual members come together to form the AHA. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, please visit www.aha.org.About Health Forum
Health Forum is a strategic business enterprise of the American Hospital Association, creatively partnering to develop and deliver essential information and innovative services to help health care leaders achieve organizational performance excellence and sustainability.Contacts
Stephanie Fraser
Director of Communications and Corporate Relations, CHIME
734.665.0000
[email protected]Suzanna Hoppszallern
Senior Editor, Data and Research, Health Forum
312.893.6853
[email protected]Posted 1.16.2015 -
Statement from CHIME President and CEO Russell P. Branzell, FCHIME, CHCIO on Administrator Marilyn Tavenner’s Departure from CMS
“CHIME appreciates Administrator Tavenner’s service and her many years of leadership within the healthcare industry. She provided a steady hand during turbulent times in Washington, as she oversaw the rollout of the Affordable Care Act and the many provisions of the HITECH Act.
“This is a pivotal time in the nation’s transformation towards increased quality, better health and lower cost. We call on the Administration and Congress to confirm a replacement quickly, so that the CMS has the leadership it needs to address the many ongoing challenges with Meaningful Use, accountable care and continue our march towards the triple aim.”
About CHIME
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is an executive organization dedicated to serving chief information officers and other senior healthcare IT leaders. With more than 1,400 CIO members and over 140 healthcare IT vendors and professional services firms, CHIME provides a highly interactive, trusted environment enabling senior professional and industry leaders to collaborate; exchange best practices; address professional development needs; and advocate the effective use of information management to improve the health and healthcare in the communities they serve. For more information, please visit www.chimecentral.org.Contact
Stephanie Fraser
Director of Communications and Corporate Relations, CHIME
734.665.0000
[email protected]Posted 1.16.2015 -
Impact Advisors Outlines Outcomes-Based Optimization Opportunities for Healthcare Systems
Firm explores quantitative & qualitative optimization strategies in latest white paper
Chicago, IL – January 15, 2015 — Impact Advisors, LLC, a leading provider of healthcare information technology services, provides insight on how organizations can boost the value of their EHR, both for clinical and revenue cycle applications in the recently released white paper, “Optimization: The Next Frontier.”
The white paper explores the key components of eliminating waste and maximizing efficiency; increasing end user and customer satisfaction; and improving the operational bottom line, all of which can be implemented to increase the value of an organization’s services.
Improved quality of care and increased patient satisfaction are just two of the ten outcomes discussed, realized through optimization efforts. Strategic insight on the timing, methodology and evaluation an organization should adopt to ensure these results are also shared.
“Every organization should be looking for ways to continually optimize their EHR system,” said Dr. Steven Schlossberg, Chief Medical Officer at Impact Advisors. “Many organizations don’t know where to start or set optimization aside for later, but with a robust strategy paired with discipline and an outcomes-based approach, healthcare systems can realize the full value of an EHR implementation.”
Impact Advisors’ six step approach to optimization is included in the paper and outlines techniques that can be utilized to successfully guide an organization’s optimization efforts.
Download a complimentary copy of “Optimization: The Next Frontier.” To learn more about Impact Advisors clinical optimization and revenue cycle optimization services, visit www.impact-advisors.com.
About Impact Advisors, LLC
Impact Advisors, a distinguished healthcare information technology consulting firm, improves its clients’ healthcare delivery through technology. As a trusted healthcare leader, the firm helps hospitals and health systems maximize clinical and operational performance with its Best in KLAS® strategic advisory, implementation and optimization services. Since its inception, Impact Advisors has consulted to more than 140 hospitals and health systems nationally and internationally. The firm has earned a number of industry and workplace quality awards including Best in KLAS® for six consecutive years, Healthcare Informatics HCI 100, Crain’s Chicago Business Fast Fifty and Modern Healthcare’s Best Places to Work. For more information about Impact Advisors, visit www.impact-advisors.com.Posted 1.16.2015 -
Several Anesthesia Info Systems Gain Traction Delivering Integration without Sacrificing Quality
KLAS examines growing Anesthesia Information Management Systems market
OREM, UT – January 14, 2015 — The classic tug-of-war between CIOs’ need for system integration and clinicians’ need for clinical quality has been answered by several anesthesia information management vendors. These findings, as well as which vendors offer the best clinical functionality and usability, are contained in the latest KLAS report.
“As this market continues to grow and new players enter the market, some vendors are learning to crack the code and deliver the system integration that CIOs are seeking with the clinical impact that clinicians are after,” said report author Adam Cherrington. “It’s more than just usability and functionality; it’s truly impacting patient outcomes while achieving meaningful integration with other clinical systems.”
For this report, KLAS interviewed 179 provider organizations to learn about their experiences with their anesthesia information management solution. The report reveals who offers the best clinical functionality and usability, which vendors offer strong analytics tools, and whether providers are able to leverage these tools to improve outcomes and efficiency and reduce costs. Some of the vendors reviewed in the report include Cerner, Dräger Medical, Epic, GE Healthcare, McKesson, Optum, Philips, Plexus Information Systems, SIS and SIS (Amkai).
The report, entitled “Anesthesia 2014: Putting Performance Questions to Rest,” published earlier today. The report can be found via the myKLAS app at http://www.klasresearch.com/lp/downloadklasapp or by visiting KLAS online at www.KLASresearch.com/reports. The report is available to healthcare providers and vendors. Providers receive a significant discount off the standard retail price or can receive a complimentary summary report in exchange for a survey about one of their current suppliers.
Posted 1.15.2015 -
Huntzinger Management Group Announces David DiChiara as Chief Financial Officer
PLAINS, PA – January 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — The Huntzinger Management Group, Inc. (HMG), a leader in healthcare advisory and managed services consulting, announced David DiChiara, MBA, CMA, as Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Founding Partner Bob Kitts, Chief Executive Officer of HMG, made the announcement.
The move comes as a promotion for DiChiara who will be based in the corporate office in Plains, PA. David is an active member of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) and has more than 15 years of experience in accounting and financial analysis. He is particularly skilled in credit analysis, financial statement analysis, management accounting and cost/strategic management.
DiChiara joined HMG in 2010 and quickly progressed upward to the position of Controller, responsible for overseeing accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, and financial reporting as well as information technology. Prior to that, he worked for Chrysler Financial Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Business Centers, as a Dealer Relations Manager and Credit Analyst, respectively, where he earned the top performer (top 10%) recognition as Dealer Relations Manager throughout North America. DiChiara also developed Frozen Capital Analysis programming software utilized by a multinational company to explore and repurpose idle investment assets.
As CFO, DiChiara will oversee all aspects of HMG’s financial function with primary focus on strategic management, financial reporting and driving value for shareholders. Additional duties include planning for potential acquisitions, collaborations with external organizations and managing market performance to assure the organization’s long-term financial success. DiChiara will also serve as a member of the Operating Committee.
“David has done an outstanding job managing our financial area and has been an integral part of helping us grow our company. As we continue to build our business and meet the needs of our clients, it is imperative that we have a CFO that understands our core values. This knowledge of our organization, combined with the vision of our mission statement, is exactly what makes David a natural fit to take us into the future,” said Bob Kitts, CEO of HMG. “His ability to foster relationships internally and with our partners, while maintaining a tight eye on our bottom line, is an asset to not only our company but all of our clients.”
DiChiara earned a Master of Business Administration in Finance from Iona College and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from SUNY Stony Brook.
About The Huntzinger Management Group, Inc.
HMG provides advisory and managed services consulting to the healthcare industry. We focus on clinical and operational business performance optimization by ensuring alignment between IT, clinical, and ambulatory areas to position our healthcare clients for the future. For more information, visit www.huntzingergroup.com.About Huntzinger Staffing Solutions, LLC (HSS)
HSS provides experienced IT resources to healthcare organizations across the country, allowing their clients to address both short-term and long-term IT implementation staffing needs. Working collaboratively with organizations, HSS identifies the required skill sets to meet business objectives. For more information, visit www.huntzingerstaffing.com.SOURCE: Huntzinger Management Group
Posted 1.13.2015 -
Allina Health & Health Catalyst Sign $100 Million Agreement Creating Model for System-wide Outcomes Improvement
Groundbreaking agreement combines the two organizations’ analytics technology, clinical content & people to turbocharge financial, operational & clinical outcomes improvement via “living laboratory” for healthcare transformation
MINNEAPOLIS, MN & SALT LAKE CITY, UT– January 6, 2015 – Allina Health and Health Catalyst have signed a definitive agreement valued at over $100 million to combine technologies, clinical content and front-line personnel in an unprecedented effort to improve the quality and lower the cost of care for Allina’s patients and to serve as a model for outcomes improvement nationwide.
The 10-year agreement marks the culmination of a relationship that began in 2008, when Allina Health became Health Catalyst’s first customer.
“This agreement with Health Catalyst is unique in the industry and will accelerate outcomes improvement for those served through Allina Health as well as create a roadmap for broader outcomes transformation both here and across the country,” said Penny Wheeler, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Allina Health. “We have made significant progress with care outcomes improvement over the last six years, and we now believe we can take our efforts to the next level by leveraging the experience and know-how of both organizations and our shared history of innovation and transformation.”
Allina Health is a $3.7 billion not-for-profit organization whose more than 90 clinics, 12 hospitals and related healthcare services provide care for nearly 1 million people across Minnesota and western Wisconsin.
The agreement between Allina Health and Health Catalyst includes two major elements:
First, Allina Health will outsource its data warehousing, analytics and performance improvement technology, content, and personnel to Health Catalyst to further accelerate the health system’s significant advances in improving care. The Allina employees currently working in these areas will become onsite Health Catalyst team members in phases beginning this month.
Second, Allina will gain access to Health Catalyst’s full technology, content and deployment expertise to accelerate outcomes improvement at Allina. The partnership’s governing committee will annually identify a prioritized list of improvement projects, each designed to provide measurable care improvement and financial value to Allina, and as success is realized, the partnership will share in the economic benefits of that success.
In the process, Allina Health will become a “living laboratory” and national showcase for front-line outcomes improvement, featuring the latest developments in analytics-enabled improvement from Health Catalyst’s portfolio of analytics solutions.
“As payment models continue to transition away from fee-for-service, it becomes increasingly vital for health systems to deeply understand their data in order to pinpoint inefficiencies and then reduce those inefficiencies,” said Duncan Gallagher, Chief Financial Officer of Allina Health. “This partnership is designed to accomplish that goal in a measurable, scalable, repeatable manner.”
Each year, the committee governing the partnership will agree to a prioritized list of data-driven improvement projects with specific, measurable outcomes goals for each project. Economic rewards will be based on the attainment of these goals. “We expect that this process of using analytics to prioritize projects, in combination with risk-sharing economics, will encourage far more focus and alignment than is found in traditional health system-vendor relationships,” said Gallagher.
Dan Burton, Chief Executive Officer of Health Catalyst, said, “Allina Health was one of the first healthcare organizations in the nation to recognize the need for a data-driven culture and infrastructure to enable outcomes improvement. They recognized that transformational quality improvement requires more than great software – you also need content-based best practices to ensure the interventions you select are actionable and relevant; and you need people who know how to make the interventions work.”
Burton continued, “This long-term relationship brings all of those elements together, including a stellar team of data architects, process improvement experts and clinicians who we are excited to welcome to the Health Catalyst family. This is a unique opportunity to join forces with one of the nation’s most advanced health systems to create a quality improvement process and infrastructure that we believe serves as a prototype to guide other health systems in developing their own data-driven cultures of proactive healthcare transformation.”
Health Catalyst has committed to retain all of the former Allina Health staff that will be joining the company starting this month. Like all Health Catalyst team members, they will each receive an ownership stake in the company and a number of other benefits that have earned the company a national top 20 “best places to work” ranking from Modern Healthcare in both 2013 and 2014, and most recently the designation as the #1
mid-sized company for workplace satisfaction in the Salt Lake City area.About Allina Health
Allina Health is dedicated to the prevention and treatment of illness and enhancing the greater health of individuals, families and communities throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. A not-for-profit health care system, Allina Health cares for patients from beginning to end-of-life through its 90+ clinics, 12 hospitals, 15 pharmacies, specialty care centers and specialty medical services that provide home care, senior transitions, hospice care, home oxygen and medical equipment, and emergency medical transportation services. For more information about Allina Health, visit our website at allinahealth.org and join us on Facebook and Twitter.About Health Catalyst
Health Catalyst is a mission-driven data warehousing and analytics company that helps healthcare organizations of all sizes perform the clinical, financial, and operational reporting and analysis needed for population health and accountable care. Our proven enterprise data warehouse (EDW) and analytics platform helps improve quality, add efficiency and lower costs in support of more than 30 million patients for organizations ranging from the largest US health system to forward-thinking physician practices. Faster and more agile than data warehouses from other industries, the Health Catalyst Late-Binding™ EDW has been heralded by KLAS as a “newer and more effective way to approach EDW.” For more information, visit www.healthcatalyst.com, and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.Media Contact
Todd Stein
Amendola Communications for Health Catalyst
916.346.4213
[email protected]Posted 1.12.2015 -
KLAS Report Places Health Catalyst Among Nation’s Best Healthcare Analytics Companies
Growing innovator of enterprise data warehousing & analytics distinguished for its “innovative approach to analytics,” speedy implementations& proactive customer support
SALT LAKE CITY,UT – January 8, 2014 – Health Catalyst, a leader in healthcare data warehousing and analytics, received the top score for overall “vendor contributed value” among the early “preliminary data,” “broad BI” healthcare analytics companies profiled in a report titled “Healthcare Analytics Performance: The Data Deluge,” published this month by the respected research firm, KLAS.
According to KLAS, Health Catalyst has “an innovative approach to analytics” that “bring(s) clinical discipline and problem solving to healthcare BI.” The company achieved an early performance score of 89.3 out of 100 in the report, which compared the products of fully-rated companies such as IBM, McKesson, Microsoft, Oracle and SAP.
Health Catalyst’s high score of 8.0 out of 9 in “vendor contributed value” reflects a composite score of client-reported reviews in areas such as speed to value, implementation timeliness, product ease of use, delivery of new technology, proactive vendor service, and vendor living up to expectations. Health Catalyst’s score in that category was higher than the other “preliminary data” companies – Oracle, SAS, and MicroStrategy.
KLAS interviewed 463 providers to review the performance of BI vendors in healthcare and highlight those who contribute the most value in the eyes of their customers.
The report marks the second time in two years that Health Catalyst has been recognized as an early leader in the healthcare business intelligence market by KLAS, whose last report on the market (Healthcare Analytics: Making Sense of the Puzzle Pieces) was released in December 2013.
Additional Health Catalyst-related KLAS findings from this year’s report include:
- A high early data/preliminary rating of 8.6 out of 9 for “implementation on time”
- A high early data/preliminary rating of 8.2 out of 9 for “proactive service”
- A higher rating than any other “preliminary data” vendor in each of the following areas: “ease of use,” “works as promoted/lives up to expectations,” and “delivery of new technology.”
Health Catalyst’s Late-Binding™ Data Warehouse and Analytics platform – including more than 100 content-driven analytics applications – helps clients build the information foundation for value-based performance faster, more efficiently and more predictably. The platform can be implemented in a matter of months, providing health systems a single source of truth by combining clinical, financial and operational data from electronic health records (EHR) and many other enterprise applications while enabling flexible and fast visualization of the data across all clinical and process domains. Equipped with near real-time data and self-service analytics, health systems can quickly adapt to changing market conditions and identify opportunities for key process improvements.
“We appreciate the comprehensive research completed by KLAS and we are honored that their independent review highlighted our clients’ successes in utilizing our platform and applications to improve care and efficiency,” said Dan Burton, CEO of Health Catalyst. “Our clients’ success and satisfaction is the fundamental way we measure our effectiveness. We’re grateful to see third-party validation from KLAS that this is consistently occurring.”
The report, Healthcare Analytics Performance: The Data Deluge, is available at klasresearch.com/reports.
About KLAS
KLAS is a research firm on a global mission to improve healthcare delivery by enabling providers to be heard and counted. Working with thousands of healthcare professionals and clinicians, KLAS gathers data on software, services, medical equipment and infrastructure systems to deliver timely reports, trends and statistical overviews. The research directly represents the provider voice and acts as a catalyst for improving vendor performance. Follow KLAS on Twitter at www.twitter.com/KLASresearch.About Health Catalyst
Health Catalyst is a mission-driven data warehousing and analytics company that helps healthcare organizations of all sizes perform the clinical, financial, and operational reporting and analysis needed for population health and accountable care. Our proven enterprise data warehouse (EDW) and analytics platform helps improve quality, add efficiency and lower costs in support of more than 30 million patients for organizations ranging from the largest US health system to forward-thinking physician practices. For more information, visit www.healthcatalyst.com, and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.Media Contact
Todd Stein
Amendola Communications for Health Catalyst
916.346.4213
[email protected]Posted 1.12.2015 -
Biggest is not always best when choosing a business intelligence vendor
KLAS highlights the client experience in healthcare for vendor BI/analytics products
OREM, UT – January 8, 2015 – Healthcare providers report that vendor size and capability do not equate to client satisfaction when it comes to business intelligence (BI) and analytics products. These findings, as well as which vendors excel and why, are included in the latest KLAS report on the performance of BI vendors in healthcare.
“Even though BI has been around for quite some time, providers are feeling an urgency to demonstrate value with the products they have, and they often look for that value in quick wins,” said report author Joe Van De Graaff. “Vendors who are actively involved in helping providers demonstrate tangible outcomes tend to be seen as creating the most value.”
For this report, KLAS interviewed 463 providers to learn about their experiences with their BI solution(s). The report reveals which vendors provide the best client experience and which create the most value for providers. Some of the key vendors reviewed in the report include Dimensional Insight, Health Catalyst, IBM, Information Builders, McKesson, Microsoft, MicroStrategy, Oracle, Qlik, SAP, SAS and Tableau.
The report, entitled “Healthcare Analytics Performance-The Data Deluge: Who Delivers Value?” published earlier today. It can be accessed via the myKLAS app at http://www.klasresearch.com/lp/downloadklasapp or by visiting KLAS online at www.KLASresearch.com/reports. The report is available to healthcare providers and vendors. Providers receive a significant discount off the standard retail price or can receive a complimentary summary report in exchange for a survey about one of their current suppliers.
Posted 1.12.2015 -
SA Ignite Unveils New Corporate Identity & Expands Product Line
Company grows to help healthcare providers simplify & automate pay for performance programs
CHICAGO, IL – January 5, 2015 -– SA Ignite Inc., a provider of a cloud-based software solution that automates, accelerates and simplifies the meaningful use (MU) program management processes for eligible providers, today announced that the company is launching a new corporate identity and expanding its product line. The company is moving beyond meaningful use to cover other pay-for-performance initiatives, such as Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) automation.
As government and private insurance companies shift reimbursement models to pay on value versus volume, many healthcare providers are struggling with the administrative burden of preparing and reporting on various quality measures per ever growing and complex government regulations. Often monies are left on the table due to the complexities of determining provider eligibility, interpreting and applying appropriate exclusions as well as gathering historical payfor-performance program history. SA Ignite’s proven technology solves these problems and is vendor agnostic making it easy for their customers to aggregate data from various electronic heath records (EHRs) and patient portals, monitor quality measures across the organization or by individual provider and prepare documentation for submission to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
“We’ve witnessed incredible growth over the last several years and now we’re taking what we’ve learned from our experience easing the meaningful use process and applying it to a broader set of pay-for-performance initiatives,” said Tom S. Lee, Ph.D., CEO and founder of SA Ignite. “Our customers have been asking for us to expand our product to meet their growing PQRS needs. What started as an advanced consulting project is now morphing into additional solutions and services being added and we expect a broader roll-out later this year.”
To see SA Ignite’s new logo, mission and company vision please visit: www.saignite.com.
About SA Ignite Inc.
SA Ignite is the leading source for healthcare provider pay-for-performance automation. The company’s proven EHR-agnostic, cloud-based solutions and services simplify and automate the processes associated with pay-for-performance programs. SA Ignite’s flagship offering is MU ASSISTANT®, the leading enterprise platform for automating meaningful use processes for eligible providers. SA Ignite currently serves 60+ customers across more than 10 EHR brands, and has helped more than 8,000 eligible providers to garner $80M+ in Medicare and Medicaid incentives. For more information, visit: www.saignite.com.Media Contact
Katie Schur
Aria Marketing for SA Ignite
[email protected]
617.332.9999 x214Posted 1.12.2015 -
Healthcare Leaders Praise Reintroduction of the Flex-IT Act
Strong, Bipartisan Support for Increasing Meaningful Use Flexibility
ANN ARBOR, MI, January 12, 2015 – Healthcare leaders praised the reintroduction of the Flexibility in Health IT Reporting (Flex-IT) Act of 2015, a bipartisan bill granting the nation’s healthcare providers additional flexibility in meeting Meaningful Use (MU) requirements through a shortened reporting period in 2015. Swift action by Congress is needed to help providers already in the 2015 reporting year for Meaningful Use, several healthcare organizations said today.
Officials from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), American Hospital Association (AHA), American Medical Association (AMA), College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) applaud the leadership shown by bill sponsor Representative Renee Ellmers (R-NC-02) and a bipartisan list of original cosponsors, including Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07), Ron Kind (D-WI-03), Glenn Thompson (R-PA-05) and David Scott (D-GA-13).
“We commend the leadership demonstrated by a bipartisan group of House Members on this critically important issue,” said CHIME President and CEO Russell P. Branzell, FCHIME, CHCIO. “With such across-the-isle support, Congress has underscored how fundamental this program is to the future of healthcare in the U.S.
“While CHIME remains committed to the success of Meaningful Use, and to making sure improved patient care is the program’s lasting legacy, we believe significant changes are needed to address increased dissatisfaction with EHRs and growing disenchantment with the program,” Branzell added. “This bill, if passed, would begin that much-needed course correction.”
The Flex-IT Act was introduced in September 2014, following a national joint call to action last year. The new Flex-IT Act of 2015 (H.R. 270) would adjust the Meaningful Use reporting timeline, giving providers the option to choose any three-month quarter for EHR reporting in 2015.
“America’s hospitals are strongly committed to the adoption of EHRs, because of their potential to increase the quality of care and reduce costs for patients,” said Rick Pollack, Executive Vice President of the American Hospital Association. “The health care field is faced with many major challenges and changes, all hitting at the same time. We need to be practical and responsible in terms of implementation timetables. That’s why hospitals need flexibility. This legislation is a positive first step toward ensuring the program is a success, and America’s hospitals look forward to working to achieve its passage.”
“Our nation needs a more efficient, cost-effective and patient-centered healthcare system. HIMSS applauds the efforts taken by these Congressional leaders and fully supports the Flexibility in Health IT Reporting (Flex-IT) Act of 2015 as essential to giving providers and hospitals a realistic chance to meet the 2015 Meaningful Use requirements,” said Carla Smith, MA, CNM, FHIMSS, Executive Vice President, HIMSS North America.
According to the latest data available from the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS), more than one-third of hospitals expected to demonstrate Stage 2 Meaningful Use in 2014 had to file for a hardship exception or meet Stage 1 requirements again. In 2015, CMS data indicate more than 3,900 hospitals and 260,000 physicians will have to meet Stage 2 requirements. However, CHIME estimates that more than half of these EHs will likely seek further hardship exceptions or face penalties in 2015. And with CMS estimating that more than 257,000 EPs will receive penalties in 2015, the likelihood of robust physician participation is doubtful.
“We greatly appreciate the willingness of this bipartisan group of legislators to address this critical issue,” stated Anders Gilberg, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, for the Medical Group Management Association. “Stage 2 of Meaningful Use has proven extremely challenging and, absent this reporting flexibility, a significant number of physicians will be unable to participate in the program and unfairly penalized. Passage of the Flex-IT Act is a critical step to allow physician practices to continue down the pathway of effective adoption and use of EHR technology,” added Gilberg.
“We are pleased with renewed efforts to provide greater flexibility in the Meaningful Use program and hope that this is the first of several steps to make the program work better for physicians and other providers so that the full potential of these technologies to improve care and value can be realized,” said American Medical Association President-Elect Steven J. Stack, MD.
In October 2014, the AMA unveiled their Meaningful Use blueprint, outlining several recommendations meant to improve participation in the EHR Incentive program. Among the high-level recommendations, AMA officials urged that policymakers adopt a more flexible approach for meeting Meaningful Use to allow more physicians to successfully participate; better aligning quality measure requirements including reducing the reporting burden on physicians and helping relieve them from overlapping penalties; and restructure EHR certification to focus on key areas like interoperability.
“As some of the earliest adopters of certified electronic health records technology, family physicians have demonstrated their belief that interoperable EHR — like primary care itself — is an essential component of a higher-quality, lower-cost health system,” said Robert Wergin, MD, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. “However, as family medicine continues to do its part in building the EHR infrastructure — a massive undertaking — CMS should not set benchmarks so high that it discourages participation in the program. We applaud Reps. Ellmers and Kind for introducing the Flexibility in Health IT Reporting Act, which will allow eligible physicians to achieve Meaningful Use of EHR by reporting for a three-month period in 2015. The American Academy of Family Physicians believes this flexibility will help physicians stay on track in building an EHR system that works.”
About CHIME
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is an executive organization dedicated to serving chief information officers and other senior healthcare IT leaders. With more than 1,400 CIO members and over 140 healthcare IT vendors and professional services firms, CHIME provides a highly interactive, trusted environment enabling senior professional and industry leaders to collaborate; exchange best practices; address professional development needs; and advocate the effective use of information management to improve the health and healthcare in the communities they serve. For more information, please visit www.chimecentral.org.Contact
Stephanie Fraser
Director of Communications and Corporate Relations
734.665.0000
[email protected]Posted 1.12.2015 -
Sue Schade Named CHIME-HIMSS 2014 John E. Gall, Jr. CIO of the Year
ANN ARBOR, MI and CHICAGO, January 5, 2015 – Sue Schade, FCHIME, FHIMSS has been selected as the recipient of the 2014 John E. Gall, Jr. CIO of the Year Award. Schade is Chief Information Officer at University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers in Ann Arbor, one of the largest and most-recognized academic health systems in the country.
The award, sponsored by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) and HIMSS, recognizes healthcare IT executives who have made significant contributions to their organization and demonstrated innovative leadership through effective use of technology. The boards of directors for both organizations annually select the recipient of the award, which is named in honor of the late John E. Gall Jr., who pioneered implementation of the first fully integrated medical information system in the world at California’s El Camino Hospital in the 1960s. Schade will receive the award on April 14, 2015 at the 2015 HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition in Chicago.
“I am very honored to receive this award,” said Schade. “I am passionate about my work in healthcare and IT. With talented and dedicated IT teams over the years, we’ve been able to make a positive difference in the lives of so many people. I’m happy to be able to give back, both personally and professionally through organizations like CHIME and HIMSS where we are developing the next generation of HIT leaders.”
Schade’s distinguished career in the healthcare IT industry spans 30 years, 15 of which have been spent as a CIO. She joined University of Michigan Health System in November 2012 to oversee the launch of its new electronic health record system. Prior to joining U-M Health System, Schade spent 12 years as CIO at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of Partners HealthCare and a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Under her leadership, Brigham received national recognition for its Balanced Scorecard initiative – a widely adopted best practice by provider organizations around the country. Schade previously served leadership roles with organizations including Advocate Healthcare in Chicago and Ernst and Young.
“Sue is truly one the great and influential forces in health IT,” said CHIME President and CEO Russell P. Branzell, FCHIME, CHCIO. “Her vision and passion for healthcare transformation have made an enduring impact on our industry, and she continues to serve as a vital and credible source of knowledge and inspiration to her peers. It is with great pleasure that we are able to recognize her many career accomplishments, and honor her leadership, dedication and contribution to the field.”
Schade has been a CHIME member since 2000. She is a CHIME Fellow and served on the CHIME Board of Trustees from 2004 to 2006 and chaired the CHIME Education Foundation Board from 2006 to 2009. Schade is a current member of the CHIME Policy Steering Committee. Additionally, she is a current member of the Michigan Hospital Association Health IT Strategy Committee and current board and executive committee member of the Great Lakes Health Connect (HIE). Schade is also the first CIO to serve on the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) Board of Directors.
A HIMSS Fellow and member of the organization since 2005, Schade served on the HIMSS Advocacy and Public Policy Steering Committee from 2009-2011. She also received the New England Chapter of HIMSS CIO of the Year Award in 2011.
With her leadership, the U-M Health System reached, in August 2014, Stage 6 on the HIMSS Analytics Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM)™, an eight-step process for organizations to analyze their progress on EMR adoption, chart their accomplishments and track their progress against other healthcare organizations. In addition, during her tenure at Brigham, the hospital system also achieved Stage 6 on the EMRAM scale.
“An outstanding leader in healthcare and IT, Sue Schade has contributed her time and talent to HIMSS and the HIMSS New England chapter. Sue’s ongoing leadership as a CIO, her willingness to give back to the healthcare community, and her commitment to act upon her own values in improving health with IT illustrate why she has been recognized,” said Carla Smith, MA, CNM, FHIMSS, Executive Vice President, HIMSS.
Schade has been nationally recognized by both CIO and Computerworld magazine as one of the “Top 100 IT Leaders” in 2008 and 2010. She was also named one of the “10 CIOs You Should Follow on Twitter Today” in 2014 by FierceCIO, a “Top 10 Women Powerhouses in Health IT” by Healthcare IT News in 2013, and among one of the “8 Influential Women in Health IT“ by FierceHealthIT in 2012. In 2014, Schade launched “Health IT Connect,” an enlightening leadership blog dedicated to sharing lessons learned and developing the next generation of health IT leaders.
“Sue is a consummate professional who brings innovation, creativity and strategic vision to our information technology and data management requirements, in support of a complex patient-care enterprise,” said T. Anthony Denton, acting CEO and Chief Operating Officer of U-M Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers. “She is a talented leader of various teams dedicated to effective management of organizational priorities and providing excellent and responsive service. This honor is well deserved and a tribute to Sue’s career commitment to being an outstanding leader.”
“In every respect, Sue personifies the ideals for which this award was created and the legacy of the man for whom it is named,” said Andrew Rosenberg M.D., Chief Medical Information Officer at U-M Health System. “Sue has been instrumental in the reorganization of our information services and has helped to re-shape the two largest state HIE organizations into a cohesive single entity – a task that requires the experience, gravitas and leadership skills gained over the course of her remarkable career.”
Schade holds an MBA degree from Illinois Benedictine College in Lisle, Ill.
About CHIME
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is an executive organization dedicated to serving chief information officers and other senior healthcare IT leaders. With more than 1,400 CIO members and over 140 healthcare IT vendors and professional services firms, CHIME provides a highly interactive, trusted environment enabling senior professional and industry leaders to collaborate; exchange best practices; address professional development needs; and advocate the effective use of information management to improve the health and healthcare in the communities they serve. For more information, please visit www.chimecentral.org.About HIMSS
HIMSS is a global, cause-based, not-for-profit organization focused on better health through information technology (IT). HIMSS leads efforts to optimize health engagements and care outcomes using information technology. HIMSS is a cause-based, global enterprise producing health IT thought leadership, education, events, market research and media services around the world. Founded in 1961, HIMSS encompasses more than 52,000 individuals, of which more than two-thirds work in healthcare provider, governmental and not-for-profit organizations across the globe, plus over 600 corporations and 250 not-for-profit partner organizations, that share this cause. HIMSS, headquartered in Chicago, serves the global health IT community with additional offices in the United States, Europe, and Asia.Contacts
Stephanie Fraser
Director of Communications and Corporate Relations, CHIME
734.665.0000
[email protected]Joyce Lofstrom
Senior Director of Communications, HIMSS
312.915.9237
[email protected]Posted 1.5.2015