• DrFirst Acquires The IN Group

    Acquisition continues DrFirst’s expansion of e-medication management services that help provider organizations promote patient safety & improve the quality of patient care

    ROCKVILLE, MD – May 31, 2016 — DrFirst, a pioneer in e-medication management software and services, today announced it has acquired certain assets of California-based The IN Group, a consulting services firm that helps hospitals using MEDITECH healthcare information systems optimize clinical and technical workflows in order to enhance patient safety, increase provider efficiency and meet regulatory requirements. Through the acquisition, The IN Group becomes a division of DrFirst, led by DrFirst’s Brad Block as president, and The IN Group founder Bruce Matthias as senior vice president.

    “By combining the technical, clinical and data analytics resources of DrFirst with the consultative expertise of The In Group, we are achieving two distinct objectives,” said G. Cameron Deemer, president of DrFirst. “We can provide services targeted to the unique workflow and patient care challenges of individual sites, but we can also combine the experiences of those sites with information and analytics from our broad footprint of ambulatory and acute providers in order to amplify and make available those best practices across any or all of our client healthcare delivery organizations.”

    Healthcare information systems (HIS) play an important role in patient lives by improving health outcomes and increasing safety. However, hospital workflows vary from facility to facility, impacted by such factors as medical specialties and services provided, payment models practiced and the needs of the surrounding patient population. As a result, an eco-system of consulting services frequently establishes around leading HIS systems such as MEDITECH, Epic, Cerner and others. These services help hospitals optimize and manage the HIS to best suit a hospital’s specific needs.

    “By acquiring The IN Group,” said Block, “DrFirst can immediately provide a more comprehensive suite of end-to-end e-medication management best practices, supported by specialized clinical and HIS-specific subject matter expertise. In other words, we’re going to make sure our customers can make the most of their healthcare technology investments, with the goal of strengthening provider and patient satisfaction and, importantly, patient safety and healthcare outcomes.”

    Founded in 2004, The IN Group provides a variety of consultative services for hospitals that use MEDITECH. This includes implementation, optimization and upgrade support, report writing, regulatory compliance improvement for Meaningful Use and ICD-10, as well as support for hospitals pursuing new payment models such as Patient-Centered Medical Home and Accountable Care.

    “Joining the DrFirst family creates an exceptional opportunity to scale our expertise,” said Matthias. “We look forward to expanding the services we provide to MEDITECH HIS customers nationwide, and to extending our capabilities in order to support a wider array of provider organizations using other leading HIS systems.”

    The acquisition of The IN Group is DrFirst’s second in 2016, following a year of very strong revenue growth as well as successful fund raising in 2015, including $25 million in equity financing from Goldman Sachs. For more information, please visit www.DrFirst.com.

    About DrFirst
    DrFirst (www.DrFirst.com) pioneers healthcare SaaS solutions that inform the doctor-patient point of encounter, optimize provider access to patient information, enhance the doctor’s clinical view of the patient, and improve care delivery and clinical outcomes. Their growth is driven by a commitment to innovation, security and reliability across a wide array of e-prescribing, e-medication management, secure text and secure care collaboration services. They are proud of their track record of service to over 330 EMR/EHR/HIS partners and an extensive network of hospitals, post-acute care facilities, ambulatory practices and pharmacies nationwide.

    Posted 5.31.2016

  • Standards, National Patient ID Needed to Accelerate EHR Adoption

    The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT today released new data on the adoption of certified electronic health records. Below is a statement by CHIME Board Chair Marc Probst and CHIME President and CEO Russell Branzell, FCHIME, CHCIO

    ANN ARBOR, MI, May 31, 2016 – Since enactment of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (HITECH), hospitals, health systems and physician practices have made considerable progress adopting electronic health records (EHRs). Importantly, technology is now viewed as essential to achieving the Triple Aim of an improved patient experience, better population health and reduced costs.

    While data released today by the Office of the National Coordinator show increased use of certified EHRs, as well as improvements to information sharing, some foundational issues must be addressed before we can fully harness the power of health IT. It is time to find a way to accurately identify patients wherever and whenever they seek care. A national patient ID solution will not only improve patient safety by ensuring that patients can be matched to their records, but it will accelerate efforts to achieve interoperability and information exchange. Tomorrow, the CHIME Healthcare Innovation Trust will announce winners of the first phase of its National Patient ID Challenge and open the Final Innovation Round for submissions. This national crowd-sourcing competition aims to find a viable solution for ensuring accurate patient identification.

    It is also vital that we come together around a set of standards for achieving interoperability. We need to develop standards that allow data to flow seamlessly between care settings, regardless of the application or vendor that’s being used.

    CHIME and its members will continue to work with Congress and federal agencies to pursue meaning health IT policies that advance 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 1,900 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 5.31.2016

  • RelayClearance Authorization Surpasses 200 Payers

    Pre-authorization solution now leads the industry in payer connections & payer-specific pre-authorization policies

    ALPHARETTA, GA – May 31, 2016 — Today RelayHealth Financial announced that its RelayClearance™ Authorization solution, part of the RelayClearance Plus patient access suite, now connects to 203 commercial, managed care, and government health plans covering nearly 80% of covered lives in the US. Now even more healthcare providers can take advantage of RelayClearance Authorization’s 318,000 payer-specific authorization policy screening rules to help streamline the pre-authorization verification process and reduce the associated time and cost.

    To avoid claim denials, it is critical for providers to confirm that payer-specific pre-authorization and payment policies are met for procedures prior to service. RelayHealth Financial’s pre-authorization verification eliminates the manual processes, including time-consuming phone calls and searches of health plan portals, to determine both whether an authorization is required and if it has been obtained.

    “Despite living in a digital world, healthcare pre-authorization remains a stunningly manual and costly process, consuming staff time and often delaying care,” said Janet Cutcliff, vice president and general manager, RelayHealth Financial Patient Access Solutions. “We’re committed to reversing that paradigm, which is why we continue to invest in building pervasive payer connectivity into our RelayClearance patient access suite. We’re committed to taking the cost, time, and pain out of pre-authorization for providers.”

    RelayClearance Authorization enables providers to confirm that payer pre-authorization and admission notification policies, along with Medicare Medical Necessity and Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN) processes, are readily available and consistently addressed. RelayClearance Authorization continually monitors payer authorization rules and request statuses while tightly integrating into the EHR workflow to ensure consistent implementation of authorization requirements.

    For more information on RelayHealth Financial’s revenue cycle management solutions, visit their website, learn from their experts at the RelayHealth blog, or follow us on Twitter at @RelayHealth.

    For more information on McKesson Health Solutions, please visit their website, hear from their experts at MHSdialogue, follow us on Twitter, Like us on Facebook, or network with us on LinkedIn.

    Related McKesson RelayHealth Financial News

    About RelayHealth Financial
    Every day across America, more than 2,400 hospitals and health systems rely on RelayHealth to help them process over 3.3 billion transactions worth $1.8 trillion annually. Their broad array of revenue cycle management solutions uses the power of the cloud and big data to help healthcare professionals make better financial decisions for their organizations and patients, right at the point of care. Nobody does more than RelayHealth to bring healthcare connections to life. For more information, visit relayhealthfinancial.com.

    About McKesson
    McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 11th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to making the business of healthcare run better. They partner with payers, hospitals, physician offices, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies and others across the spectrum of care to build healthier organizations that deliver better care to patients in every setting. McKesson helps its customers improve their financial, operational, and clinical performance with solutions that include pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management, healthcare information technology, and business and clinical services. For more information, visit us at www.mckesson.com.

    PR Contact

    General and Business Press
    McKesson Health Solutions
    Amy Valli, Public Relations
    610-205-5581
    [email protected]

    Posted 5.31.2016

  • CHIME Launches New Center to Help Industry Improve Cybersecurity

    ANN ARBOR, MI, May 31, 2016 – In an effort to better equip healthcare organizations to combat cyber-attacks, the College of Healthcare Information Executives (CHIME) today announced the creation of the CHIME Cybersecurity Center and Program Office. The center will lead efforts to improve information sharing, develop and spread best practices, and encourage greater collaboration across the industry and with federal agencies.

    “Cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated and more dangerous every day. Today the focus is ransomware, tomorrow it will be something else. As an industry, we need to pull together and share what’s working so that we can effectively safeguard our systems and protect patients,” said CHIME President and CEO Russell Branzell.

    The CHIME Cybersecurity Center will pull from resources inside and outside of healthcare to develop best practices. It will also build on existing partnerships with federal agencies and other organizations. CHIME and Association for Executives in Healthcare Information Security (AEHIS) members will serve as advisors to the center and the industry. CHIME staff will operate the program office, with assistance from member volunteers.

    CHIME has been a leading advocate for spreading cybersecurity best practices and increasing information sharing of cyber threats. In testimony May 25 before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, CHIME Board Chair Marc Probst told lawmakers that coordination across federal programs and with the industry is essential to shoring up network defenses.

    “It is absolutely critical that we have collaboration across the industry,” added CHIME board member David Finn, health information technology officer at Symantec Corp. Finn is also a member of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Care Industry Cybersecurity Task Force, which was authorized by the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015. “We talk frequently about sharing cyber data, but if that data isn’t meaningful to those receiving it, if data can’t be turned into useful intelligence, there is no real advantage to sharing. We need to make cyber information useful. We need to have clear direction on how to protect information across the continuum of care. It is like a chain; the strength of our security is only as good as the weakest link.”

    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 1,900 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 5.31.2016

  • Inside CHIME: CHIME Tech Expands Partnerships Across the Industry

    Inside CHIME - header

    gretchen tegethoff 70x70 5.26.16 by Gretchen Tegethoff, FCHIME, CHCIO
    Vice President, CHIME Technologies, Inc.

    Through new and innovate services, CHIME Technologies offers opportunities to build stronger partnerships between CHIME members and CHIME Foundation firms.

    As a former CIO, I know how incredibly busy CHIME members are these days. Whether it is defending against cyber-attacks, helping your organizations transition to a value-based world or just keeping up with the deluge of IT updates, sometimes it can be hard to find time to take a breath.

    As we continue to transition the role of the CIO to a strategic partner across the C-suite, it is important that CHIME members have additional tools available to help them and their organizations succeed and elevate the industry’s understanding of the evolving role of the CIO.

    Part of this evolution necessitates that CIOs and health IT leaders forge cooperative relationships with technology firms and other business partners. CHIME’s newest company, CHIME Technologies, Inc., offers programs that enhance collaboration opportunities between CHIME members and CHIME Foundation firms. Through CHIME Technologies, members can explore new partnerships and services that provide additional value and benefits to their organizations and the industry.

    CHIME Technologies currently provides three program areas that offer premium benefits and opportunities to CHIME members:

    • Cooperative Member Services provides a new and unique way for CHIME members and CHIME Foundation
      firms to engage with one another. Through Cooperative Member Services, participating CHIME Foundation
      firms offer exclusive discounts and packages directly to CHIME members to help save time and resources by
      getting the pricing down in advance. This is a chance to take advantage of deals and discounts available only
      through your CHIME membership and learn more about the services and products provided by CHIME
      Foundation Firms. Current offerings are available on the CHIME website. Importantly, fees collected from
      Foundation firms help fund the CHIME Education Foundation.
    • The Speakers Bureau maintains a faculty of accomplished CHIME member CIOs and healthcare IT leaders
      available for speaking engagements at industry events and company meetings. Members who are experienced
      speakers, active in the industry, and highly-accomplished are invited to join the faculty and speak on a variety
      of topics focused on leadership, technology, and emerging trends. CHIME Technologies manages event
      details such as negotiating speaker fees, setting agendas, and finalizing logistics, making it easy for faculty
      to attend and speak on the desired topic.
    • Advisory Services has existed under CHIME for several years and is currently being remodeled under CHIME
      Technologies to provide more flexibility and options. Advisory Services provides interested Foundation firms
      with their own advisory board or panel comprised of CHIME member CIOs. This service is an excellent
      opportunity for member CIOs to share perspectives on key industry topics with firms and gain experience in
      serving as an advisor to a healthcare company. CHIME Technologies maintains a candidate pool of CIO advisors
      from which boards and panels are selected according to firm criteria. CIOs from all organization types and sizes
      and at all stages of career development from up-and-comers to CHIME Fellow and Lifetime members are
      encouraged to consider this opportunity.

    I encourage you to take a closer look at the offerings from CHIME Technologies. Again, our goal is to enhance member engagement and offer more tools to help you succeed.

    For more information, visit the CHIME Technologies site or contact me, Gretchen Tegethoff.

    More Inside CHIME Volume 1, No. 18:

    Posted 5.26.2016

  • Inside CHIME: CHIME Chairman Testifies Before House Committee on Cybersecurity

    Inside CHIME - header

    Weinstock 70x70 5.26.16 by Matthew Weinstock
    Director of Communications and Public Relations, CHIME

    CHIME Board Chair Marc Probst yesterday urged lawmakers to consider ways of improving coordination and alignment of federal cybersecurity programs.

    Coordination across federal programs is essential for defending against cyber criminals, CHIME Board Chair Marc Probst told lawmakers yesterday.

    “Just as healthcare institutions must coordinate efforts to thwart cyber threats, it is vital that the Department of Health and Humans Services have a coordinated plan to address threats to the data and systems used and housed by the department,” said Probst, who testified on behalf of CHIME before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health.

    The hearing was principally intended to get industry feedback on the HHS Data Protection Act (H.R. 5068). Among other things, the legislation would change the reporting structure at HHS by making the department’s chief information security officer (CISO) a presidential appointee and removing security responsibilities from HHS’ chief information officer (CIO). CHIME remained neutral on the merits of the legislation. However, Probst cautioned lawmakers on the potential danger of politicizing security by making the CISO a presidential appointee. He also suggested that lawmakers consider work being done at HHS under the Cybersecurity Act of 2015, which charges the department to develop a coordination plan by year’s end.

    Ultimately, Probst said, the most important thing is coordination and instituting a system of checks and balances. He pointed out that reporting structures vary greatly across the industry.

    “It really comes down to how you define the roles of the CIO and the CISO and what their priorities are,” Probst said, noting that the CISO at Intermountain Healthcare reports directly to him, the CIO. “If you’re a 20-bed hospital in the middle of Indiana, you’re the CIO, you’re the CISO and you’re the guy that changes the ink in the printers.”

    Mac McMillan, CEO of CynergisTek, who testified in support of the bill, agreed with Probst that coordination and having the right structures in place are critical to developing a successful cybersecurity strategy. McMillan is a member of the Association for Executives in Healthcare Information Security (AEHIS) board. He did not, however, testify in that capacity.

    Responding to questions on ways that the government – and industry – can improve cybersecurity generally, Probst highlighted the need for a national patient identifier. Having an accurate way to identify patients across care settings, he said, would minimize the need for providers to collect such data as Social Security numbers. Members of the subcommittee took note that current law prohibits HHS from spending any resources on a national patient identifier. Probst also mentioned the challenges hospitals face ensuring that medical devices don’t present an inherent risk to their networks. CHIME and AEHIS recently submitted comments on this topic to the FDA.

    You can watch an archived version of the hearing here (it starts at the 39 minute mark).

    More Inside CHIME Volume 1, No. 18:

    Posted 5.26.2016

  • CHIME Board Chair Calls for Coordinated Cybersecurity Strategy

    ANN ARBOR, MI, May 25, 2016 – Coordination, not organizational reporting structure, should be the focus of federal efforts to defend against cyber criminals, College of Healthcare Information Management Executives Board Chair Marc Probst told a congressional panel today.

    “Just as healthcare institutions must coordinate efforts to thwart cyber threats, it is vital that the Department of Health and Humans Services have a coordinated plan to address threats to the data and systems used and housed by the department,” said Probst, vice president and chief information officer at Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, Utah.

    Probst was part of a panel testifying before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, which is examining how HHS aligns its cybersecurity programs and is soliciting comments on the HHS Data Protection Act (H.R. 5068). Among other things, the legislation would change the reporting structure at HHS by making the department’s chief information security officer (CISO) a presidential appointee and removing security responsibilities from HHS’ chief information officer (CIO).

    By way of comparison, Probst noted that CISO reporting structures vary greatly across the healthcare industry. At Intermountain Healthcare, for instance, the CISO reports directly to Probst, the CIO. A similar reporting structure exists at Penn State Hershey Medical Center. But at a multi-state health system, the CISO reports the chief technology officer. At many smaller hospitals, CHIME members often fill the dual role of CIO and CISO. Ultimately, Probst said, it depends on how the organization defines security and the role of the CISO. What’s most important, he told subcommittee members, is that there is coordination across the enterprise and a series of checks and balances.

    Commenting specifically on the HHS Data Protection Act, Probst said that legislation should account for ongoing efforts at HHS to coordinate cybersecurity programs. He noted that the Cybersecurity Act of 2015 calls on the department to issue a report to Congress by the end of this year identifying the individual who will be responsible for coordinating and leading efforts to combat cybersecurity threats. HHS must also present a plan from each relevant operating division detailing how each will address cybersecurity threats in the healthcare industry.

    Probst also cautioned subcommittee members to fully evaluate the potential negative consequences that could result from making the HHS CISO a presidential appointment. Politicizing health IT policy can hamper the department’s ability to influence change. A former member of the Health IT Policy Committee, a federal advisory committee created under Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), Probst witnessed how important initiatives for improving care delivery got bogged down in politics and bureaucracy.

    “As a healthcare CIO, I again echo the importance of coordination,” Probst said. “What’s central to this conversation is meaningful coordination, avoiding any unintended consequences of complex reporting that instead may impede the coordination and flow of information necessary to thwart cyber threats.”

    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 1,900 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 5.25.2016

  • Five Things You May Not Know About MEDITECH Founder Neil Pappalardo

    May 24, 2016 – MEDITECH’s very own A. Neil Pappalardo was recently interviewed by Modern Healthcare. Best known for being MEDITECH’s chairman, founder, and former CEO, it’s no surprise Pappalardo’s name and life’s work is recognized in the health IT (HIT) industry.

    For instance, while Pappalardo is a well-known innovator and many people admire his role in developing the Massachusetts General Hospital Utility Multi-Programming System (MUMPS) database and computer programming language, there’s quite a bit you may not know about this HIT pioneer. Here are the top five:

    1. As a teen he developed a technique for measuring the growth rate of cancer cells and in college he developed the basic technology to speed up the reading of heart monitors.
    2. His mother encouraged his entrepreneurial spirit, pointing out that if he could make something that was useful to society, he could start a business.
    3. During his first visit with the admissions director at MIT, he was told he wasn’t “particularly qualified to attend,” however, his science project on cancer cells impressed the selection committee.
    4. He started a software company in a time when most people didn’t understand the concept.
    5. MEDITECH’s entry-level homegrown hiring philosophy stems from the fact the company in its early days couldn’t hire people who had experience in the software field because there wasn’t anybody who had it at the time.

    Be sure to check out the full Modern Healthcare article for more surprising facts about MEDITECH’s HIT pioneer.

    Contact
    Patti Corcoran
    Marketing Event Coordinator
    MEDITECH
    781.774.2372
    [email protected]

    Posted 5.24.2016

  • Nordic Moves Up to 67th on HCI 100

    MADISON, WI – May 19, 2016 — For the third-consecutive year, Nordic has been recognized as one of the highest revenue healthcare IT companies in the nation by its placement on the Healthcare Informatics 100. Nordic ranks No. 67 on this year’s list, one spot higher than its ranking on last year’s list.

    “We’re thankful for our clients who partner with us and put their trust in us,” Chief Consulting Officer Vivek Swaminathan said. “We continue to focus on hiring and retaining the best people while creating the best solutions and delivering excellence for our clients. As we look forward, we will continue to evolve our service offerings to meet the needs of our partners and to adapt to the changes we see in healthcare.”

    Over the past year, Nordic has continued to see significant growth across all of its business lines – whether it be in its top ranked Advisory Services or category-leading revenue cycle services as recognized by KLAS.

    Specifically, with over 100 consultants currently working on affiliate projects, Nordic’s Affiliate Solutions continues to be the industry’s go-to firm for extending the EHR. Nordic’s Optimization Solutions has provided over 100 rapid EHR assessments and also offers ROI-based revenue cycle transformation and population health services. Nordic’s Managed Services allows clients to hand off support and maintenance tasks to Nordic’s industry-leading consultants for less than the cost of full-time employees. Nordic’s Data & Analytics business line is also in high demand as healthcare organizations seek to improve the outcomes of not only their patients, but also their businesses.

    Posted 5.20.2016

  • Spok Customers Improve Efficiency, Patient Care with Communication Solutions

    SPRINGFIELD, VA – May 18, 2016 — Spok, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Spok Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPOK), a global leader in critical communications, today announced that tangible results of implementing Spok’s solutions are being demonstrated in many hospitals throughout the country. In fact, Spok customers have achieved notable improvements in staff efficiency and patient care coordination workflows throughout their organizations using Spok Care Connect® solutions. These hospitals and health systems are reporting improvements, including faster code call processes, compliance with Joint Commission standards, reduced patient discharge times, and increased patient satisfaction.

    “Response time is a critical factor in patient care, and for Spok, the patient experience is really the focus. The outcomes these organizations have achieved are remarkable, and we’re proud to play a key role in helping their clinicians to deliver excellent patient care every day,” said Hemant Goel, President of Spok. Inc. “Hospitals today face many communication challenges, and the Spok Care Connect suite offers a unified platform to strengthen workflows across many different areas of the organization.”

    “We have seen improved productivity of our clinical staff and improved satisfaction,” said Michelle Jones, executive director of the Presbyterian Customer Service Center. “But the best result has been our ability to improve patient satisfaction. With better, more efficient communications, we have allowed our clinicians to focus on making the patient experience the best it can be.”

    See customer success statistics in Spok’s new infographic, “The ROI of Communication Technology.”

    About Spok
    Spok, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Spok Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPOK), headquartered in Springfield, VA, is proud to be a leader in critical communications for healthcare, government, public safety and other industries. They deliver smart, reliable solutions to help protect the health, well-being and safety of people around the globe. Organizations worldwide rely on Spok for workflow improvement, secure texting, paging services, contact center optimization and public safety response. When communications matter, Spok delivers. Visit them at spok.com or find them on Twitter @Spoktweets.

    Spok is a trademark of Spok Holdings, Inc. Spok Care Connect is a trademark of Spok, Inc.

    Media Inquiries
    Jill Asby
+1.952.230.5363
[email protected]
    Posted 5.18.2016

  • Sunquest Information Systems announces release of Sunquest Laboratory v8.0

    New version includes significant enhancements to Sunquest Blood Bank

    TUCSON, AZ – May 12, 2016 – Sunquest Information Systems Inc. today announced the general availability of Sunquest Laboratory 8.0.

    Sunquest is the market leader for laboratory software, blood banking and transfusion services, and specimen collection and management. Sunquest Laboratory 8.0 enables laboratory and blood banking excellence by supporting multi-disciplinary, multi-site laboratories with state-of the art software designed to improve diagnostic capabilities, optimize laboratory operations and reduce medical errors. As part of the Sunquest Laboratory 8.0, blood banking administration becomes easier than ever before with improved integration to enterprise EHRs, better blood unit tracking and emergency release capabilities, which enable blood banking administration in wide-spread trauma situations.

    “At Sunquest, we are making healthcare smarter and patients safer when our clients use our software,” said Matthew Hawkins, president of Sunquest. “Sunquest Laboratory 8.0 is a great example of our commitment to improving healthcare. Labs play a central role in ensuring correct diagnoses, reducing medical errors, and managing transfusion and blood management services. Our clients’ capabilities improve significantly when using Sunquest solutions such as Sunquest Lab 8.0, the most intuitive and elegant laboratory and blood bank application in the world. Sunquest Lab 8.0 improves our clients’ ability to care for patients safely and cost-effectively, while integrating fully to hospital EHR solutions.”

    Sunquest Laboratory 8.0 also helps laboratories demonstrate value to the health system in three important ways:

    1. Real return on investment, with faster payback period and lower total cost of ownership than other competing solutions
    2. Reduced test turnaround times, which impact important metrics such as, hospital length of stay (LOS)
    3. Correct diagnoses, which impact patient safety, patient outcomes and hospital readmission rates

    Sunquest Laboratory v8.0 will be featured at the Sunquest User Group Conference in July in Tucson, Ariz. For more information about the product release, please email [email protected].

    About Sunquest Information Systems
    Sunquest Information Systems Inc. provides laboratory information systems to more than 1,700 laboratories. Since 1979, Sunquest has helped laboratories across the world optimize financial results, enhance efficiency and improve the quality of patient care. The company’s singular focus on diagnostic innovation has delivered solutions that offer unique support for complex testing, enable community-wide connectivity and can be used at the point-of-care. Headquartered in Tucson, AZ, with offices in the United Kingdom and India, Sunquest is a global leader in healthcare information technology. For more information, visit www.sunquestinfo.com.

    Posted 5.12.2016

  • CHIME Calls for Improved Information Sharing to Bolster Cybersecurity

    Statement by CHIME President and CEO Russell Branzell, FCHIME, CHCIO, on the Ponemon Institute’s Sixth Annual Benchmark Study on Privacy & Security of Healthcare Data

    ANN ARBOR, MI, May 12, 2016 – CHIME members take very seriously their responsibility to protect the privacy and security of patient data and devices networked to their systems. As the Ponemon Institute report details, the cyber threat landscape has never been more dangerous. In fact, this last Sunday — Mother’s Day — the CIO at a 130-bed community hospital reported that they turned away 3,000-plus attempted attacks on their network.

    To better safeguard our systems, we must improve information sharing across the industry. CHIME was a leading advocate for including healthcare-specific provisions in the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015. CHIME board members David Finn, health information technology officer at Symantec Corp., and Theresa Meadows, R.N., vice president and CIO at Cook Children’s Health Care System serve on a new federal task force charged with developing plan for improved information sharing across the industry.

    Additionally, CHIME and its affiliate, the Association for Executives in Healthcare Information Security, recently called for greater collaboration between providers and medical device manufacturers and for the Food & Drug Administration to develop standardized cybersecurity framework for medical devices.

    No single sector of the healthcare ecosystem can solve the problem alone. Only by pulling together and sharing best practices can we thwart cyber criminals and protect patients.

    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 1,800 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 5.12.2016
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