• CIOs Are Ready for ICD-10

    Statement by CHIME Board of Trustees Chair Charles E. Christian, CHCIO, LCHIME, FCHIME, and CHIME President and CEO Russell Branzell, FCHIME, CHCIO

     

    ANN ARBOR, MI, September 30, 2015 – It’s been a long road to get to this point, but tomorrow the nation’s healthcare system takes a major step forward in being able to capture more detailed data about patients and their conditions. ICD-10 has nearly five times more codes than were used in ICD-9. Building more robust medical records should ultimately result in more efficient and better quality care.

    After years of implementing new IT systems, testing and training, hospital chief information officers are ready for the switch. Most hospitals and health systems have spent the last several months doing end-to-end testing with their payer partners and working to iron out any glitches. Additionally, they’ve spent countless hours training physicians and coders on the intricacies of ICD-10.

    During the weeks and months ahead, CIOs will closely monitor how the transition is going and ensure that their organizations are positioned to take full advantage of the benefits of the new coding system.

    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 1,700 CIO members and over 150 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 chimecentral.org.

    Contact
    Matthew Weinstock
    Director of Communications and Public Relations, CHIME
    734.249.8917
    [email protected]

    Posted 9.30.2015

  • Auxilio Managed Print Service (MPS) to Save Hospitals Customers over $80M

    Leader of Healthcare MPS Continues to Deliver Value beyond Cost Savings

    Mission Viejo, CA – September 28, 2015 -– Auxilio, Inc. (OTCBB: AUXO), a leading provider of Managed Print Services (MPS) and IT Security for the healthcare industry, announced today a projected savings for its US hospital customers over $80 million since 2004 by reducing print-related costs, improving process efficiencies and supply chain management.

    Since 2004, Auxilio is the only vendor-neutral, healthcare exclusive MPS Company in the US, and its unique solutions are resulting in millions of dollars in savings for its customers.

    A typical 500-bed hospital spends more than $1.4 million to print 35 million pages per year. “To control these unnecessary and often hidden costs in the production of documents, it is imperative to manage the print workflow process and supply chain and service costs, which Auxilio does at a guaranteed savings of up to 30% for our customers,” said Joseph J. Flynn, president and CEO of Auxilio, Inc.

    To gain these efficiencies and savings for its national portfolio of over 220 hospitals, the Company’s foundation of cost-cutting and volume reduction methodology is customized and includes placing full-time, on-site print management experts and technical personnel to drive operational efficiencies and lead sustainability initiatives.

    “Even with the implementation of an electronic health record (EHR) system, hospitals are years away from becoming a paperless organization without the support of a managed print service partner who understands healthcare,” said Simon Vermooten, EVP of Managed Print Strategy of Auxilio, Inc. “The value-adding partnership materializes once our team is on-site, working side-by-side with caregivers, understanding how the business operates. We then identify process improvements through technology and workflow modifications helping our customers reach their goal of saving money and reducing paper volume without compromising patient care.”

    Auxilio has been named a 2015 Leaders Index for MPS Channel Partners by Photizo Group. “Auxilio is set apart from other MPS providers given its unique methodology in serving providers in the healthcare space. With its comprehensive, vendor-neutral program clients realize a host of benefits across the spectrum of cost-savings to compliance. It is this considerate approach that sets the Company apart as a leader time and again,” Ken Stewart, Vice President of Services, Photizo Group, Inc.

    About Auxilio, Inc.
    Since 2004, Auxilio has led the Managed Print Services industry by offering an innovative and customer driven approach for healthcare organizations. Auxilio takes full responsibility for healthcare customers’ on-site print environment through situation assessment, process analysis, strategy development and program implementation. Hospitals and health systems benefit from streamlined and aligned processes and infrastructure that result in print management programs that reduce cost, increase employee productivity and meet and exceed patient care standards.

    Auxilio serves a national portfolio of nearly 220 hospital campuses and manages over 1.5 billion documents annually from over 90,000 devices supporting over 280,000 caregivers. Auxilio’s Managed Print Services’ business model is vendor neutral, provides full-time, on-site customer service and technical experts and is exclusive to the healthcare industry.

    Through its Security Solutions Group, Redspin provides an end-to-end security offering that specifically addresses hospital security challenges or when a breach has occurred. The fully comprehensive portfolio of services and technology include HIPAA security risk assessments, penetration testing, process and program development, and a SaaS technology solution, Delphiis ™ IT Risk Manager to more than 140 hospitals. This complete service offering is unique to the marketplace to ensure enterprise-wide security and improve patient experience through its ability to mitigate risk and improve efficiency across the hospital or health system.

    For more information about Auxilio, visit www.auxilioinc.com

    Posted 9.29.2015

  • M*Modal’s Revolutionary CDI Solution Suite Validated in Broad Production Use

    Distinctive approach underscored by the KLAS CDI 2015 Solutions report citing strong results including a 30% reduction in queries & 10-15% increase in Case Mix Index (CMI)

    FRANKLIN, TN – September 25, 2015 — M*Modal, a leading provider of clinical documentation and Speech Understanding™ solutions, today announced the company’s innovative Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI) solutions have been successfully deployed in clinical use at various healthcare organizations. Furthermore, the M*Modal CDI solutions were recognized by KLAS in its CDI Solutions 2015: Moving Closer to Documentation Completion Report published on September 17. Featured in the Early Data Vendor category, M*Modal received favorable comments from clients reporting measurable gains and noteworthy support from the company.

    “The timely and relevant feedback delivered by M*Modal is critical to physician engagement as it helps physicians work smarter and faster, not harder,” said Dr. William Melahn, MD, CMO, VPMA at St.

    Claire’s Regional Medical Center. “The M*Modal CDI solution not only helps monitor and improve physician behavior through strong reporting capabilities, it gives us unprecedented insight into what physicians are thinking naturally, not when merely checking a box. M*Modal bridges the gap between physician minds and where EMRs should be.”

    M*Modal uniquely addresses the issue of physician engagement and buy-in – identified as crucial success factors by the KLAS report. By delivering real-time, automated, high-impact CDI and ICD-10 documentation assistance and education to physicians as they create the clinical note, M*Modal makes CDI an integrated and continuous process rather than a separate, disruptive event.

    The effectiveness of this original approach is verified by an M*Modal client comment in the KLAS report that said, “70% of our physicians are responding to messages triggered by the computer-assisted physician documentation.”

    “We are proud of our clients’ continued support and confidence in us and are excited to have earned this recognition from KLAS for our CDI solutions,” said Scott MacKenzie, CEO of M*Modal. “Our CDI solutions take an innovative approach to address the increasing documentation burden on physicians and providers by embedding CDI into existing workflows, leveraging current IT infrastructure, and delivering context-specific information in real time for improved quality, productivity and sustainability.”

    The M*Modal CDI solution suite uses proprietary Natural Language Understanding technology to automate and streamline CDI processes while meeting clients at their state of readiness in three ways:

    • M*Modal CDI Engage uses Computer-Assisted Physician Documentation (CAPD) to combine document creation, CDI and ICD-10 training into one seamless workflow for continuous improvement in the accuracy and timeliness of the note without compromising on physician workflow or productivity.
    • M*Modal CDI Assess allows users to gain automated access to large volumes of patient data trapped in transcribed narratives on the M*Modal platform to find and prioritize CDI opportunities, minimize manual processes and identify physicians in need of support.
    • M*Modal CDI Collaborate provides efficiency-enhancing functionality to automate the CDI Specialist workflow and looks across all encounter documentation to identify deficient documentation, deliver summarized evidence of clinical indicators, and close the loop with physicians on CDI queries.

    About M*Modal
    M*Modal is a leading healthcare technology provider of advanced clinical documentation solutions, enabling hospitals and physicians to enrich the content of patient electronic health records (EHR) for improved healthcare and comprehensive billing integrity. As one of the largest clinical transcription service providers in the US, with a global network of medical editors, M*Modal also provides advanced cloud-based Speech Understanding™ technology and data analytics that enable physicians and clinicians to include the context of their patient narratives into electronic health records in a single step, further enhancing their productivity and the cost-saving efficiency and quality of patient care at the point of care. For more information, please visit www.MModal.com, @MModal on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

    Posted 9.29.2015

  • CHIME, Congressional Leaders Continue Call for Delay in Meaningful Use Stage 3 Rulemaking

    Statement by CHIME Board of Trustees Chair Charles E. Christian, CHCIO, LCHIME, FCHIME

     

    ANN ARBOR, MI, September 28, 2015 – A bipartisan group of congressional leaders today sent a letter to the Obama administration calling for a delay in final rulemaking for Meaningful Use Stage 3.

    We commend Reps. Renee Elmers (R-NC), Tom Price (R-GA) and David Scott (D-GA) for their leadership on this effort and the 100-plus lawmakers who signed on in support. The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) and its 1,700 members support the overarching intent of the Meaningful Use program. We are committed to the adoption, use and optimization of electronic health records as a means to improve the quality of patient care. However, many hospitals and physician practices are still struggling to meet requirements under Stage 2. According to data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, only 1,826 hospitals successfully attested to Stage 2 in 2014. That’s just 38 percent of hospitals that registered for the program. By comparison, 4,379 hospitals successfully attested for Stage 1 at least during the past five years.

    CHIME staff held a high-level briefing with administration officials last Friday detailing how a delay would give all stakeholders time to address challenges to continued success of the Meaningful Use program. Several policy and industry barriers must be removed before providers are able to advance to Stage 3, not the least of which is creating true interoperability between EHRs. A pause in final rulemaking for Stage 3 would give policymakers, providers and vendors time to address the barriers to interoperability.

    As the congressional letter to Secretary Sylvia Burwell and Office of Management and Budget Director Shaun Donovan points out, CMS should also evaluate how new Medicare payment models will impact Stage 3 regulations. In particular, the Merit-Based Payment System (MIPS) and Alternative Payment Models (APMs) were finalized after Stage 3 regulations were developed.

    CHIME will continue to work with congressional leaders and the administration to ensure that the Meaningful Use program moves forward in a responsible way.

    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 1,700 CIO members and over 150 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 chimecentral.org.

    Contact
    Matthew Weinstock
    Director of Communications and Public Relations, CHIME
    734.249.8917
    [email protected]

    Posted 9.28.2015

  • INSIDE CHIME: Understanding AEHIS, AEHIA, AEHIT and Why It Matters

    Inside CHIME - header

    9.24.15 by Charles Christian, FCHIME, LCHIME, CHCIO, FHIMSS
    CHIME Board of Trustees chair; vice president of technology and engagement, Indiana Health Information Exchange

    Over the past two years, CHIME has launched new forums where leaders in security, technology and applications can come together to solve some of our organizations’ most daunting challenges. The growth of these groups does not represent a shifting of CHIME’s core mission — serving healthcare CIOs. The board and staff will not waiver from that.

    Nothing in healthcare happens in a vacuum. As an integral part of the C-suite, we know that nearly every aspect of the delivery system is now — or about to be — connected in some way. Payment reform, population health, consumerism, security and a host of other issues coming our way necessitate that we break down silos that still exist in our organizations. We can’t expect to move the delivery system forward and advance patient care if we aren’t all pointed in the same direction.

    As busy CIOs trying to grabble with this fast-changing environment, we’ve experienced firsthand the tremendous benefits that an organization like CHIME delivers. From Boot Camp and CIO Forums to networking and sharing of best practices, CHIME offers an array of professional development opportunities.

    Hearing from many in the field that a void existed for other parts of the health IT team, CHIME set out over the past two years to create forums where leaders in security, technology and applications can similarly come together and collaborate on ways to solve some of our organizations’ most daunting challenges. The Association for Executives in Healthcare Information Technology (AEHIT), the Association for Executives in Healthcare Information Applications (AEHIA) and the Association for Executives in Healthcare Information Security (AEHIS) provide invaluable educational and professional development resources.

    As these groups have grown, there’s been some concern that CHIME is shifting from its core mission of serving healthcare CIOs. That couldn’t be further from the truth. CHIME remains steadfastly committed to CIOs and being your association. The board and staff will not waiver from that. However, as executives, we need to ensure that our staff grow so that they can help our organizations meet the challenges of today’s complex healthcare environment.

    One of the things I value most about my CHIME membership is knowing that I have a group of peers whom I can turn to for counsel. We speak the same language; we know each other’s pain points.

    AEHIS, AEHIA and AEHIT aim to offer key parts of our teams that same collaborative environment. And we know there’s a need. Already, AEHIA has 207 members, AEHIS boasts 408 members, and 185 CTOs have joined AEHIT. Collectively, 470 different healthcare organizations are represented in the membership groups, the majority coming from acute care hospitals, ambulatory facilities and integrated delivery networks. Roughly 20 percent of members are from small or rural hospitals, including critical access hospitals.

    Let’s be clear about something: these are not a subcategory of a CHIME membership. The AEHIS, AEHIA and AEHIT groups have their own membership criteria and run their own educational and professional development programming. The benefit in having them connected organizationally to CHIME — rather than some outside group — is that these specialists are integral parts of our teams in the workplace.

    Throughout my 20-plus years as a CHIME member, I’ve received advice from other CIOs that money just can’t buy. Investing in CSOs, CTOs and CAOs in the same way will only serve to strengthen our organizations and improve patient care as we move forward.

    To learn more about AEHIS, AEHIA and AEHIT, I encourage you to check out the association websites, or contact staff with any questions.

    More Inside CHIME Volume 1, No. 1:

    Posted 9.24.2015

  • INSIDE CHIME: Education Foundation Boosts Investments in Leadership Development

    Inside CHIME - header

    jsunquist 9.24.15 by Joanne Sunquist, FCHIME, CHCIO
    CHIME Education Foundation Committee chair; senior vice president and CIO HealthEast Care System

    In 2015, the CHIME Education Foundation awarded a record number of scholarships for leadership development. The Foundation has been working to raise the visibility and viability of the scholarship program.

    During the past couple of years, CHIME has made it a strategic priority to enhance educational opportunities for its members. The goal is to ensure that we are preparing health IT leaders to take on the challenges of a complex healthcare environment.

    To do this, CHIME staff, Education Foundation and CHIME Foundation members launched a concerted effort to raise the visibility and awareness of the scholarship program. This included plans to create a sustainable financial model that would allow the program to grow in the coming years. We are seeing the fruits of that labor. In 2015, the Education Foundation awarded 50 scholarships, totaling $174,000, for health IT leaders to take advantage of a host of professional development programs, including attending a Boot Camp or the Fall CIO Forum. Since 2007, the Foundation has issued 158 scholarships. Clearly, the drive over the past couple of years is making an impact.

    As the delivery system continues to transform and IT becomes more engrained in every aspect of healthcare, we are seeing a greater need for IT professionals to hone their leadership skills. Growth in the scholarship program recognizes the value in investing in leadership training and professional development. Roughly 70 percent of scholarships have been awarded to CIOs, but directors of informatics, security and infrastructure, to name a few, are also benefiting from this tremendous opportunity. This endeavor wouldn’t be possible without the support of CHIME Foundation members, as wells individual CIOs who have given back to the Education Foundation.

    We were excited over the summer to unveil the Rich Umbdenstock-American Hospital Association Most Wired Scholarship. This was done in recognition of Rich’s tremendous service to the field as the president and CEO of the AHA for the past nine years. It will be awarded annually for a CIO to attend a Boot Camp. It’s a nice addition to the array of other named awards — the John Glaser Scholarship, Richard A. Correll Scholarship and Stoltenberg 25-year Future Fund — that recognize leaders in the industry.

    I suspect that this year’s bumper crop of scholarships is just the beginning of even bigger things to come for the Education Foundation.

    Click here to learn more about the CHIME Education Foundation.

    More Inside CHIME Volume 1, No. 1:

    Posted 9.24.2015

  • Nordic adds 500th Epic consultant

    MADISON, WI – Nordic is proud to announce that it’s reached another milestone by hiring its 500th consultant. With the world’s largest Epic consulting practice, Nordic has grown rapidly since hiring its first consultant a little more than five years ago in April 2010.

    “We’re proud to have reached this significant milestone while continuing to provide an unparalleled depth, breadth, and quality of consultants to our clients,” Nordic Chief Consulting Officer Vivek Swaminathan said. “With our growing consultant team and expanding business line offerings, we’re able to provide a wide variety of solutions to help our clients achieve their strategic objectives.”

    Nordic’s growth has been fueled by the increased demand for its Affiliate, Optimization, and Remote Solutions business lines. The increase in mergers and acquisitions, as well as the industry trend of health systems extending their EHR to smaller, independent partners, has created demand for Nordic’s Affiliate team that can define and implement extension projects quickly and cost-effectively. The Optimization team assists clients in improving efficiency and realizing additional returns on their EHR investments. Nordic’s Remote Solutions team helps clients decrease their total cost of ownership and allows their staffs to focus on strategic projects by taking over support and maintenance.

    This latest milestone comes on the heels of other recent announcements of strong growth from Nordic. Earlier this summer, Nordic was named to the HCI 100 with a ranking of No. 68 in the nation for revenue among healthcare IT companies. Last month Nordic was named to the Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest growing privately owned companies as well as Modern Healthcare’s 100 Best Places to Work in Healthcare for the second-consecutive year.

    About Nordic
    Based in Madison, WI, Nordic is the world’s largest Epic consulting practice. Nordic is ranked #1 by KLAS for providing Epic EHR consulting services to healthcare organizations and is a KLAS Category Leader. Nordic has worked with 140 Epic clients and specializes in Implementation, Optimization, Affiliate, Advisory, and Remote Solutions. Its 500 consultants average over 10 years HIT experience and five certifications.

    Posted 9.23.2015

  • John Muir Health Selects Health Catalyst to Drive Care Improvement & Cost Savings

    San Francisco Bay Area Health System Implements Health Catalyst’s Enterprise Data Warehouse & Analytics Platform

    SALT LAKE CITY, UT & WALNUT CREEK, CA- SEPTEMBER 22, 2015 — Health Catalyst, a leader in healthcare data warehousing, analytics and outcomes improvement, and John Muir Health, a nationally recognized health system, today announced a strategic partnership to improve the health of the Bay Area’s population using a new data-driven approach to performance improvement.

    The multi-year program will accelerate John Muir Health’s quest to move to a population health management model where large pools of aggregated patient information and financial data are analyzed to provide the highest quality and most cost-effective care to each patient. Health Catalyst’s unique approach to collecting and analyzing data also will empower John Muir Health’s partnerships with other Bay Area health systems to develop a comprehensive network of Bay Area providers who have the tools and information they need to deliver safe, high quality, patient centered care at an affordable price.

    “A fundamental priority for John Muir Health is using sophisticated data analysis to pinpoint opportunities to improve both the quality of the care we deliver and the economy of our operations,” said Chris Pass, Senior Vice President and interim Chief Financial Officer of John Muir Health. “We believe Health Catalyst has the right mix of cutting-edge technology, services and, most importantly, the industry track record to help us get there.”

    John Muir Health selected Health Catalyst after a multi-year review process facilitated by Accenture that included matching the company’s capabilities against an independent assessment of John Muir Health’s top analytics needs.

    “Health Catalyst not only matched up perfectly with our analytics priorities, but their time-to-value outperformed any other vendor we looked at,” said Jim Wesley, John Muir Health’s Senior Vice President of Data and Analytics. “Most analytic platforms take years to stand up, but Health Catalyst has demonstrated they can do it in a matter of weeks, and make it highly flexible and agile so we can respond quickly to changing conditions.”

    Health Catalyst’s Late-Binding™ Data Warehouse (EDW) and Analytics platform will help John Muir Health to identify clinical and operational insights from the terabytes of raw data collected across its two acute care hospitals, behavioral health center, outpatient centers and more than 1,000 primary care and specialty physicians. New multi-disciplinary teams of physicians, nurses, IT experts, administrators and finance experts will use the insights to enhance the quality and efficiency of care delivery provided across the John Muir Health system.

    “We are honored to have been selected by John Muir Health, one of the top health systems in one of the nation’s most advanced healthcare environments, to help them advance the science and process of performance improvement,” said Dan Burton, CEO of Health Catalyst. “John Muir Health’s decision to pursue this multi-year effort is a testament to their commitment to deliver the best outcomes for the patients of the Bay Area.”

     

     About Health Catalyst
    Health Catalyst is a mission-driven data warehousing, analytics and outcomes-improvement company that helps healthcare organizations of all sizes perform the clinical, financial, and operational reporting and analysis needed for population health and accountable care. Their proven enterprise data warehouse (EDW) and analytics platform helps improve quality, add efficiency and lower costs in support of more than 50 million patients for organizations ranging from the largest US health system to forward-thinking physician practices. For more information, visit https://www.healthcatalyst.com, and follow them on Twitter, LinkedInand Facebook.

     

    Posted 9.23.2015

  • JPS Health Network’s Melinda Yates Costin & CTG Health Solutions’ Linda Lockwood Co-Speak at AHIMA 2015

    DALLAS, TX – September 22, 2015

    WHAT:
    Melinda Yates Costin, CHCIO, FHIMSS, CPHIMS, Vice President and CIO, JPS Health Network and Linda Lockwood, RN, MBA, Solutions Director, Advisory Services, CTG Health Solutions, will present “Navigating the Compliance Conundrum – How to Successfully Position Your Organization to Thrive in the Volume to Value Transition,” at the American Health Information Management Association’s (AHIMA) 2015 Convention and Exhibit. Themed “HIM Without Walls,” the convention takes place September 26-30 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

    TIME/PLACE/REGISTRATION:
    Tuesday, September 29, 1 pm to 2 pm (CDT); Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Click here to register.

    PRESENTATION TOPIC:
    Healthcare CIOs remain under pressure as they manage enterprise-wide programs such Meaningful Use, ACO’s and Population Health while continuing to drive towards achievement of the larger organizational strategies. Navigating the path forward will remain challenging, at best, as these programs vie for IT resources, time and funding. Then there’s the ever-present threat of pre- and post-payment CMS audits, which are sending a clear message—compliance is expected.

    This presentation includes the unique perspectives of two seasoned healthcare industry leaders who will engage in a dialogue about the measures that healthcare organizations should be undertaking now to not only achieve compliance with the myriad of regulatory initiatives, but also to build a solid foundation for meeting the goals of the Triple Aim while moving your organization to a programmatic approach owned by all key stakeholders.

    INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITY:
    Melinda Yates Costin, CHCIO, FHIMSS, CPHIMS, Vice President and CIO, JPS Health Network
    Linda Lockwood, RN, MBA, Solutions Director, Advisory Services, CTG Health Solutions

    Pre- and post-event interviews can be arranged. Click here for Costin’s photo. Click here for Lockwood’s photo.

    About CTG
    CTG provides industry-specific IT strategy, services, and solutions that address the business needs and staffing challenges of clients in high-growth industries in North America and Western Europe. Backed by nearly 50 years of experience and proprietary methodologies, CTG has a proven track record of reliably delivering high-value, industry-specific staffing services and solutions to its clients. CTG operates in North America and Western Europe, and regularly posts news and other important information online at www.ctg.com.

    Posted 9.23.2015

  • Wellcentive & Sage Leaders Present “What’s the Cost of Inaction?” Webinar to Help Providers Ramp Up to Value-Based Care

    ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 22, 2015

    WHAT:
    Wellcentive leaders Mason Beard, chief product officer and co-founder of Wellcentive, and Ty Tolbert, vice president of solutions, join Stephanie Kovalick, senior vice president, practice leader, Sage Growth Partners, to co-host a complimentary webinar titled “What’s the Cost of Inaction?” to help hospitals, health systems, physician practices and other provider organizations get up to speed quickly adapting new care delivery models – or face significant financial loss.

    WEBINAR TIME/DATE/REGISTRATION:
    2 pm to 3 pm (EDT), Thursday, September 24. Click here for complimentary registration.

    TOPIC:
    As healthcare shifts away from traditional fee-for-service models to value-based care initiatives, some providers are wary of making the change. This is understandable, as issues ranging from implementation costs and transformation stressors to a lack of real cost/benefit analysis are all cause for hesitation. Research shows that it’s not too late to catch up to the early adopters of value-based care and begin achieving real results with a positive impact on an organization’s bottom line.

    No matter where an organization finds itself on its journey from volume to value, Beard, Tolbert and Kovalick will detail the responsible steps forward to make informed decisions starting immediately to achieve value-based care. The webcast will cover the following points:

    • The Cost of Inaction: What organizations stand to lose if simply maintaining the fee-for-service status quo.
    • The First Transition: Applying a “consumable approach” to population health management in transitioning to a value-based care model by meeting physician quality reporting system (PQRS), chronic care management (CCM) and other pay-for-performance (P4P) initiatives.
    • The Honest EHR Assessment: Can your EHR truly support value-based care?
    • The Waiting Game: Trusting big EHR vendors to make a shift to value-based care in time can seem like the easiest route, but it’s also the most risky.

    INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES:
    Wellcentive’s Mason Beard, chief product officer and co-founder, and Ty Tolbert, vice president of solutions, and Sage Growth Partners’ Stephanie Kovalick, senior vice president, practice leader. Click here for Beard’s photo, here for Tolbert’s photo, and here for Kovalick’s photo.  Interviews can be arranged post event.

     

    About Wellcentive
    Since 2005, Wellcentive has driven quality improvement, revenue growth, and business transformation for providers, health systems, employers, and payers transitioning to value-based care. Recognized as an industry leader for delivering immediate, tangible results, Wellcentive’s analytics simplify complex data from all points of care, advancing comprehensive care management and payer collaboration. Customers benefit from intelligence gained from 15 billion data points each year, improving outcomes for 30 million patients and generating more than $500 million annually in value-based revenue. Visit www.wellcentive.com; follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook; or call 877.213.8456 to learn more.

    Posted 9.23.2015

  • CynergisTek Executives to Present Three Educational Sessions on Privacy & Security at AHIMA National Conference

    Healthcare IT & Privacy Experts to Discuss HIPAA Enforcement, Cyber Security Threats & Meaningful Use Audits

     

    Austin, TX – September 21, 2015— CynergisTek™, an authority in health information privacy, security and compliance, today announced that its CEO, Mac McMillan, and Vice President of Compliance, David Holtzman, have been selected to present educational sessions on privacy and security at the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) 2015 Convention and Exhibit in New Orleans, LA. The sessions will draw from the presenters’ in-depth knowledge and firsthand experience to detail imminent regulatory enforcement activity, current cyber security trends, and how to prepare for Meaningful Use audits.

    CynergisTek presentations scheduled at AHIMA 2015 include:

    Each of CynergisTek’s presentations will address a pertinent privacy or security challenge for healthcare provider organizations, and offer best practice strategies for tackling it head-on. McMillan’s 30 plus years of experience serving in both government and private sector positions, and Holtzman’s tenure as a senior advisor with OCR, will provide attendees with valuable insights into how they can best prepare and protect their organization to ensure the integrity of information assets. Holtzman will also provide breaking developments concerning Meaningful Use regulations and OCR’s new HIPAA Audit program.

    “The prevalence of security incidents in healthcare demonstrates that providers are still struggling to adequately safeguard their sensitive data, and now they’re also facing looming regulatory action,” said McMillan. “The need for practical education on how to effectively manage these priorities is pressing. At CynergisTek, we have always been committed to supporting providers and to enhancing the state of security in the industry as a whole, so we are looking forward to sharing our expertise.”

    To learn more about CynergisTek, visit cynergistek.com. To schedule a meeting with the company’s executives at AHIMA, please contact Chanel Benoit at [email protected].

    About CynergisTek
    CynergisTek is a top-ranked information security and privacy consulting firm. The company offers solutions to help organizations measure privacy and security programs against regulatory requirements and assists in developing risk management best practices. Since 2003 the company has served as a partner to hundreds in the healthcare industry. CynergisTek is also dedicated to supporting and educating the industry by contributing to relevant associations such as HIMSS, AHIMA, HFMA, HCCA, AHIA, AHLA, IAPP and CHIME. CynergisTek was recognized by KLAS®, as one of three firms provider organizations turn to most for privacy and security assistance in its groundbreaking report released in May 2014, entitled “Security and Privacy Perception 2014: High Stakes, Big Challenges.” For more information visit www.cynergistek.com, call 512.402.8550 or email [email protected].

     

    Posted 9.23.2015

  • Voalte Names Sean Friel SVP of Sales & Marketing

    Former Siemens Healthcare VP of Sales joins Voalte to further strengthen client relations & accelerate sales

     

    SARASOTA, FL – September 23, 2015 — Voalte, the leader in healthcare communication technology, today announced that Sean Friel has joined the company as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Friel brings more than 30 years of sales, client relations, consulting and implementation experience to Voalte. In this position, he will expand hospital engagement and partnerships to improve patient care and streamline workflow with enterprise-wide mobile healthcare communication solutions.

    “As the healthcare environment undergoes unprecedented transformation, the need for scalable, timely communication between caregivers throughout the care continuum will continue to grow exponentially,” explained Trey Lauderdale, founder and CEO of Voalte. “Large hospitals and multi-site healthcare systems increasingly recognize the need for a proven mobile healthcare communication solution. That’s why we are pleased to welcome someone of Sean’s caliber who is widely recognized for his ability to build client-focused teams that create and maintain long-lasting, mutually rewarding relationships.”

    “Voalte is a major player in a fast growing segment meeting a tremendous need among hospitals to improve communication for nurses and physicians,” said Friel. “As we continue to grow and scale up as a company, I am excited to leverage my experience and expertise to further enhance client satisfaction and create long-term relationships that will help propel the company to the next level.”

    Friel’s healthcare information technology (HIT) career spans three decades of sales leadership experience involving managed services, account management, customer relations and technology sales. Most recently he served as vice president of US sales at Siemens Healthcare’s HIT division where he led domestic sales and revenue growth for eight years.

    Friel graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, N.J with an MBA in Finance. He holds a BS in Business Administration, Marketing from Villanova University in Villanova, PA.

    About Voalte
    Voalte develops smartphone alternatives that simplify caregiver communication. As the only company to offer a comprehensive Mobile Communication Strategy, Voalte enables care teams inside and outside the hospital to access and exchange information securely. Voalte customers benefit from a solid smartphone infrastructure that supports their existing systems and expands to accommodate future technologies.

    Posted 9.23.2015
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