• Chilmark 2017 Healthcare Analytics Market Report Ranks Health Catalyst Highest for Product Capabilities

    SALT LAKE CITY, UT – August 16, 2017 – Health Catalyst, a leader in healthcare analytics, decision support and outcomes improvement, leads the healthcare analytics market in product capabilities, according to the Chilmark 2017 Healthcare Analytics Market Trends Report, released this week.

    Health Catalyst’s ranking in the comprehensive review of 17 top analytics vendors reflects the company’s forward-looking analytics strategy, its “long-term view of the role of analytics” in healthcare, its “multiple use cases and applications,”  and its “flexible architecture for analytics development,” according to the report from Chilmark Research. Chilmark called out in particular Health Catalyst’s deep application portfolio, which it said is “too extensive to describe in this profile” and which “goes far beyond the cost, utilization, and quality metrics described in this report.”  Health Catalyst’s product roadmap is “equally comprehensive,” the report said.

    In addition to Health Catalyst’s top marks in product capabilities, Chilmark assigned Health Catalyst and two other companies its highest overall grade, reflecting market-leading performance in four categories: product capabilities, product innovation, current market execution, and alignment of the company’s vision with future market needs.

    Other companies profiled in the report include Allscripts, Caradigm, Cerner, Epic Systems, IBM Watson Health, Optum and Wellcentive.

    Figure 1 Vendor product capabilities vs. vision (Chilmark Research)

    “Healthcare organizations today are challenged to understand which companies are best-positioned to enable their success across a variety of analytics-enabled initiatives, including clinical, operational and financial priorities,” said Health Catalyst CEO Dan Burton. “Chilmark’s very thorough market research is a helpful aid in this regard, and we are excited to be recognized as a leader among the analytics firms profiled. Health Catalyst’s innovative technology and services platform has contributed to improving quality and the bottom line for some of the nation’s leading healthcare organizations.”

    Expansive Product Portfolio and Far-Sighted Vision

    Chilmark noted that Health Catalyst’s product portfolio encompasses not only population health management analytics but also a wide range of clinical, financial, and operational applications. The report’s authors praised Health Catalyst alternately as “a pioneer among the vendors in this report,” for incorporating cost accounting into its analytics platform; as “the vendor with the loftiest ambitions,” for focusing on extracting maximum value from free text; and as a leader in “pushing machine learning ideas into the mainstream” via its open-source machine learning initiative, healthcare.ai.

    In describing the company’s vision, Chilmark noted that “Health Catalyst believes that data and analytics will do big things in healthcare.” The company “has put forward a way to think about data that is more expansive than a data warehouse, an HIE, and a clinical data repository combined,” the report continued.

    Health Catalyst’s product vision, the authors added, “is broader than the production of reports and dashboards and focuses on delivering timely and actionable data to any user, in any workflow. In addition to this expanded idea of data, Health Catalyst intends to merge the understanding from quality, cost, and utilization analytics with other data including [General Ledger]-based cost accounting and safety applications to help HCOs optimize clinical and financial performance across multiple dimensions.”

    According to Chilmark, Health Catalyst‘s strong competitive position is due to the fact that the transformation from fee-for-service to value-based reimbursement “is and always has been integral to Health Catalyst’s core focus on identifying variance in process improvement.” The company’s technical value proposition is due to “the confidence inspired by its data and data warehousing expertise,” the authors added.

    Adding to Health Catalyst’s competitive edge, it is one of the only technology companies in healthcare to undertake risk-based contracts with its customers, tying its profit to the delivery of measureable clinical and financial improvements.

    The Chilmark 2017 Healthcare Analytics Market Trends Report is available at http://www.chilmarkresearch.com/chilmark_report/2017-healthcare-analytics-market-trends-report.

    About Health Catalyst
    Health Catalyst is a next-generation data, analytics, and decision-support company, committed to being a catalyst for massive, sustained improvements in healthcare outcomes. We are the leaders in a new era of advanced predictive analytics for population health and value-based care with a suite of machine learning-driven solutions, decades of outcomes-improvement expertise, and an unparalleled ability to integrate data from across the healthcare ecosystem. Our proven data warehousing and analytics platform helps improve quality, add efficiency and lower costs in support of more than 85 million patients for organizations ranging from the largest US health system to forward-thinking physician practices. Our technology and professional services can help you keep patients engaged and healthy in their homes and workplaces, and we can help you optimize care delivery to those patients when it becomes necessary. We are grateful to be recognized by Fortune, Gallup, Glassdoor, Modern Healthcare and a host of others as a Best Place to Work in technology and healthcare. Visit www.healthcatalyst.com, and follow us on Twitter (@HealthCatalyst), LinkedIn and Facebook. 

    About Chilmark Research
    Chilmark Research is the only industry analyst firm focusing solely on the most transformational trends in healthcare IT. We combine proven research methodologies with intelligence and insight to provide cogent analyses of the emerging technologies that have the greatest potential to improve healthcare. We do not shy away from making tough calls, and are respected in the industry for our direct and thoughtful commentary. For more information visit: www.chilmarkresearch.com

    For more information contact:
    Todd Stein
    Amendola Communications for Health Catalyst
    916.346.4213|
    [email protected]

     

    Posted 8.16.2017

  • Children’s Hospital New Orleans Selects Vocera for Secure Texting and Hands-free Communication

    Hospital cites device flexibility and interoperability as reasons for selecting the Vocera software

    SAN JOSE, CA – August 15, 2017 —Vocera Communications, Inc. (NYSE:VCRA), a recognized leader in clinical communication and workflow solutions, announced today that Children’s Hospital New Orleans, a 247-bed medical center with nearly 400 physicians, selected the Vocera solution for secure text messaging and hands-free communication to improve physician and care team communication.

     

    Children’s Hospital New Orleans is the first hospital in New Orleans to equip all of its physicians with the Vocera smartphone application, enabling HIPAA-compliant texting inside and outside the hospital. The app also enables secure voice communication and alerts via care team workstations and the hands-free Vocera Badge. A combination of personal smartphones, wearable devices and computers are being used by physicians, residents, nurses, respiratory therapists, housekeepers and other team members to improve workflows and patient experience throughout the hospital.

    “We wanted a single solution that solved several of our communication needs– not just one or two of them. So, it made sense to look at Vocera,” said John Heaton, MD, senior vice president and chief medical officer. “The flexibility and scalability of the software platform were key factors in choosing Vocera over other technologies.

    Dr. Heaton explained that highly mobile clinicians need a secure solution on their smartphones that go with them wherever they go. In addition, nursing and ancillary staff benefit from having a hands-free communication device. The Vocera software allows care team members to choose the right device that makes the most sense for immediate care coordination and clinical workflow.

    “We also selected Vocera to take advantage of several future clinical integrations,” Dr. Heaton said. “It’s an ideal platform for growth.”

    The Vocera Platform integrates with more than 120 clinical systems, including electronic health records, patient monitors, bio medical equipment, and nurse call and other systems. The Vocera secure texting app and hands-free badges were implemented to help replace traditional pagers and overhead paging, eliminating the call-and-wait scenario.

    “The future of caring requires hospitals to think holistically about communication, clinical workflows and care team collaboration, and that’s exactly what Children’s Hospital New Orleans is doing,” said Brent Lang, president and CEO of Vocera. “We are excited to help them lead the way.”

    About Children’s Hospital New Orleans
    Children’s Hospital New Orleans is a 247-bed, not-for-profit medical center offering the most advanced pediatric care for children from birth to 21 years. With over 40 pediatric specialties and nearly 400 physicians, it is the only full-service hospital exclusively for children in Louisiana and the Gulf South. For more information visit chnola.org and follow @chnola on Twitter.

    About Vocera
    The mission of Vocera Communications, Inc. is to simplify and improve the lives of healthcare professionals and patients, while enabling hospitals to enhance quality of care and operational efficiency. In 2000, when the company was founded, we began to forever change the way care teams communicate. Today, Vocera continues to offer the leading platform for clinical communication and workflow. More than 1,400 hospitals and health systems around the world have selected our solutions for care teams to text securely using smartphones or make calls with our hands-free, wearable Vocera Badge. Interoperability between Vocera and more than 120 clinical systems helps reduce alarm fatigue, speed up staff response times, and improve patient care, safety and experience. In addition to healthcare, Vocera is at home in luxury hotels, nuclear facilities, libraries, retail stores and more. Vocera makes a difference in any industry where workers are on the move and need to connect instantly with team members and access resources or information quickly. Learn more at vocera.com, and follow @VoceraComm on Twitter.

    The Vocera logo is a trademark of Vocera Communications, Inc. Vocera® is a trademark of Vocera Communications, Inc. registered in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other trademarks appearing in this release are the property of their respective owners.

    Contact
    Vocera Communications, Inc.
    Shanna Hearon
    865.769.2028
    [email protected]

    Posted 8.15.2017

  • California Hospital Chooses Novarad PACS/RIS

    Medical software company enters into agreement with Beverly Hospital of Montebello, CA

    MONTEBELLO, CA – August 15, 2017 — Novarad Corporation, a leader in the development of medical imaging software, has recently entered into an agreement with Beverly Hospital of Montebello, California to provide the facility’s medical imaging department with its PACS and RIS software.

    “We are very pleased to work with Beverly Hospital and help them with greater patient care and efficiency in their imaging department,” said Fred Trovato, Executive Vice President of Worldwide Sales at Novarad.

    Beverly Hospital is a non-profit hospital serving East LA and surrounding areas, founded in 1949. It is a 224-bed acute care facility.

    Novarad offers PACS, RIS, cardiology, orthopedic, and mammography systems and has more than 850 installations worldwide. To learn more about Novarad, follow the company on Twitter @NovaradCorp, or visit novarad.net.

    About Novarad
    For over 20 years, Novarad has enabled healthcare providers to solve their imaging problems through its full diagnostic suite. Today, Novarad’s specialized enterprise imaging and workflow solutions continue to improve upon industry standards and empower healthcare providers everywhere to solve problems. Through customizable workflow and imaging solutions, Novarad encompasses medical imaging needs. Visit Novarad at novarad.net for more information.

    Contact
    Kristi Alvarado
    Media Relations Contact
    Novarad
    801.642.1001
    [email protected]

    Posted 8.15.2017

  • Optimum Healthcare IT Opens Managed Services Office in Duluth, MN

     Agents & Analysts will Provide Support for Epic EHR Systems

    JACKSONVILLE BEACH, FL –August 15, 2017 — Optimum Healthcare IT, a Best in KLAS healthcare IT consulting services company, today announced that the company is expanding into Duluth, Minnesota by opening a Managed Services office center to support their electronic health record (EHR) Managed Services division. Duluth was voted Outside Magazine’s 2014 “Best Town to Live in the US.

    Optimum’s Managed Services division partners with healthcare organizations looking to reduce the cost of supporting the EHR platform from Epic Systems Inc., the most commonly used EHR system in the United States. The office center in Duluth will complement the large volume of Optimum staff currently work-from-home based throughout the country. The Duluth operation will host EHR service desk agents and a team of analysts providing application support to the Epic EHR system. Expansion of the office center will be rapid with increased service contracts and transition of work from virtual staff to the co-location.

    In contrast to other consulting firms, Optimum believes in domestic rural outsourcing as opposed to offshoring. “There is ample opportunity for healthcare organizations to leverage outsourced labor in support of their EHR systems, but offshoring is clearly not the answer, I’ve learned that first-hand as a former CIO and direct consumer,” said Dan Critchley, CEO of Optimum Healthcare IT’s Managed Services division. “This work can and should be supported domestically because these healthcare systems are much more complex than those in other industries such as finance, energy, education, and the like; Not to mention the criticality of the operations they support. We thoughtfully partner with our clients as opposed to taking over for them. Duluth presents us with an ideal labor market for our co-located office center.”

    Be sure to read the article about our expansion in the Duluth News Tribune.

    About Optimum Healthcare IT
    Optimum Healthcare IT is a Best in KLAS healthcare consulting services company based in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Optimum provides world-class consulting services in advisory, implementation, training and activation, Community Connect, analytics, security, managed services, laboratory services, and ERP – supporting our client’s needs through the continuum of care. Our excellence is driven by a leadership team with more than 100 years of experience in providing expert healthcare staffing and consulting solutions to all types of organizations.

    Visit optimumhit.com or call 1.904.373.0831 to find out how your organization can take advantage of our solution offerings.

    Posted 8.15.2017

  • M*Modal Chosen by St. Luke’s University Health Network to Improve the Quality and Ease of Clinical Documentation

    St. Luke’s University Health Network pursues a progressive documentation strategy with the M*Modal EHR-integrated documentation system to support the preferred workflows of over 1,300 physicians

    FRANKLIN, TN – August 15, 2017 — M*Modal, a leading provider of clinical documentation and Speech Understanding™ solutions, today announced that St. Luke’s University Health Network has selected the company’s artificial intelligence powered, cloud-based speech recognition and Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI) solutions. St. Luke’s University Health Network is one of central Pennsylvania’s largest healthcare systems with seven hospitals and over 200 outpatient facilities serving patients in nine counties in two states, and has received the Truven 100 Top Hospitals Award for the sixth time in 2017. With this forward-looking partnership with M*Modal, St. Luke’s University Health Network furthers its EHR strategy while improving physician efficiency and satisfaction with next-generation documentation technology.

    2017 #1 Best in KLAS Speech Recognition: Front-End EMR, M*Modal Fluency Direct®, will help St. Luke’s University Health Network to standardize clinical documentation workflows across the enterprise and enable clinicians to document directly and accurately in their inpatient (Epic) and current outpatient EHR systems from any location, using any device. Adopting a single-vendor approach, St. Luke’s University Health Network will consolidate EHR systems and migrate its ambulatory practices also to Epic by 2018. During this transition, physicians will be able to continue creating complete and compliant notes using the M*Modal documentation system for improved EHR adoption and physician productivity.

    “We are pleased to partner with M*Modal to revitalize our documentation processes and maximize our Epic EHR investment,” said Dr. James Balshi, MD and CMIO of St. Luke’s University Health Network. “M*Modal’s cloud-based but not cloud-dependent platform with flexible deployment options can support multiple departments and specialties for a cohesive documentation strategy.”

    After an extensive, two-vendor evaluation process, M*Modal displaces legacy products and was chosen for its easy-to-use documentation platform underpinned by natural language understanding technology, real-time clinical intelligence delivered through built-in Computer-Assisted Physician Documentation (CAPD) functionality, robust EHR integrations, and superior client service.

    M*Modal’s uniquely successful approach to CAPD is validated by the recently-published KLAS CAPD 2017: An Early Look report, which cites M*Modal as having the commanding market share with nearly half the organizations adopting M*Modal CAPD and clients being the most confident of attributing improved financial outcomes to CAPD.

    With this multi-facility deployment, St. Luke’s University Health Network will improve not only the speed and cost of clinical documentation with M*Modal Fluency Direct but also quality and compliance using M*Modal CDI EngageTM for better clinical and financial outcomes. For a uniquely physician-centric approach, M*Modal embeds CDI into the document creation workflow, thereby freeing up physician time for patient care. M*Modal CDI Engage automates the identification and correction of common specificity deficiencies related to CDI, ICD-10, etc., reducing high-level retrospective physician queries while increasing coding accuracy and case mix index (CMI).

    “We look forward to providing our artificial intelligence driven solutions to St. Luke’s University Health Network to improve the quality and efficiency of their clinical documentation and deliver a tangible return on investment,” said Scott MacKenzie, CEO of M*Modal. “As we continue our work with such premier healthcare organizations, our goal is to help ensure that their clinical documentation more accurately and consistently reflects the high-quality patient care their physicians deliver every day.”

    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 mmodal.com, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

    Media Contact:
    Aparna Prabhakar
    267.535.7680
    [email protected]

    Posted 8.15.2017

  • ‘Best Hospitals’ in the US Rely on Spok for Healthcare Communications

    For the fifth consecutive year, Spok counts all of the US News & World Report Honor Roll hospitals among its customers

    SPRINGFIELD, VA – August 9, 2017 — Spok, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Spok Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPOK) and the global leader in healthcare communications, announced that all 20 hospitals named to US News & World Report’s 2017-18 Best Hospitals Honor Roll and all 10 hospitals named to the 2017-18 Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Roll rely on Spok® solutions for enterprise healthcare communications. This is the fifth consecutive year that all of the Honor Roll hospitals are Spok customers.

     

     

    “We are very proud that these top-tier hospitals and health systems rely on Spok solutions to connect care teams, enhance workflows, support compliance, and provide a better experience for patients,” said Vincent D. Kelly, President and Chief Executive Officer of Spok Holdings, Inc. “We congratulate these organizations on their tireless commitment to delivering exceptional patient care across multiple specialties every day. It is an honor to continue to work with these fine hospitals and support their missions.”

    The 2017-18 US News & World Report Best Hospitals Honor Roll recipients are among Spok’s more than 1,900 hospital and health system customers in the US that deliver the highest standards of care aided by Spok’s communication solutions. Through Spok Care Connect®, an enterprise healthcare communications platform that integrates with existing workflows, the hospital is better able to deliver information quickly and securely into the hands of the care team members who need to act on it—wherever they are and on whatever device they are using. From the contact center to the patient’s bedside, Spok Care Connect provides up-to-date directory details, on-call schedules, staff contact preferences, secure messaging, and a lot more.

    “The fact that the top-ranked hospitals in the country consistently rely on Spok for their healthcare communication needs speaks volumes about the value they receive from our technology,” said Hemant Goel, President of Spok, Inc. “With one comprehensive solution, hospitals can connect caregivers and provide quick access to critical information that helps them make care decisions and improve patient outcomes.”

    US News & World Report’s Best Hospitals rankings have been conducted for 28 years and are among the most referenced by consumers because they are based primarily on objective data, including risk-adjusted survival and readmission rates, volume, patient experience, patient safety, and quality of nursing, among other care-related indicators. Each hospital’s reputation, as determined by surveys of physician specialists, is also a factor. This year they surveyed more than 4,500 medical centers, which represent virtually all US community inpatient facilities, and ranked hospital performance in 25 medical specialties, procedures, and conditions.

    About Spok
    Spok, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Spok Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPOK), headquartered in Springfield, Va., is proud to be the global leader in healthcare communications. We deliver clinical information to care teams when and where it matters most to improve patient outcomes. Top hospitals rely on the Spok Care Connect® platform to enhance workflows for clinicians, support administrative compliance, and provide a better experience for patients. Our customers send over 100 million messages each month through their Spok® solutions. When seconds count, count on Spok. For more information, visit spok.com or follow @spoktweets on Twitter.

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

    Contacts
    Spok, Inc.
    Jill Asby
    +1.952.230.5363
    [email protected]

    Posted 8.9.2017

  • Mercy Health Analytics Leader Stephen Grossbart Joins Health Catalyst as Senior Vice President of Professional Services

    SALT LAKE CITY, UT – August 8, 2017 — Health Catalyst, a leader in healthcare data analytics, decision support and outcomes improvement, announced today that Stephen R. Grossbart, PhD has joined the company as Senior Vice President of Professional Services. Dr. Grossbart’s over 20 years of experience leading quality and analytics initiatives for large multi-state health systems will help Health Catalyst clients to identify opportunities for clinical outcomes’ improvement and to use analytics for improved care delivery.

    Dr. Grossbart comes to Health Catalyst from Cincinnati-based Mercy Health, the largest nonprofit healthcare system in Ohio, where he was senior vice president and chief analytics officer from 2015 to 2016, and chief quality officer for the previous nine years. As chief analytics officer, Dr. Grossbart managed Mercy’s advanced analytics team, where he helped design and launch the consolidation of analytics and reporting capabilities, including the analytic and operational excellence teams. He also hired and staffed a new population health analytics team to support Mercy’s clinically integrated network.

    As Mercy’s chief quality officer, Dr. Grossbart designed the corporate quality department, driving dramatic improvements in clinical quality, including significantly reducing patient harm, mortality, and length of stay. Under his leadership, Mercy Health was recognized repeatedly as among the top 20 percent of hospital systems for quality.

    “Stephen is a gifted quality improvement and analytics expert and change leader,” said Tom Burton, executive vice president and co-founder of Health Catalyst. “We are thrilled that he has agreed to join our leadership team, where his expertise will be invaluable in helping the company execute on its mission to unleash data as the catalyst for massive, sustained improvement in healthcare outcomes.”

    Dr. Grossbart will work directly with Health Catalyst clients across the country to help them identify and prioritize the best opportunities for quality improvement, and then assist them in accelerating those improvements using the Health Catalyst Analytics Platform and library of advanced analytic tools.

    “I’m thrilled to be working with the exceptional team at Health Catalyst,” said Dr. Grossbart. “I have long respected and admired the company’s ability to help healthcare organizations accelerate outcomes improvement through analytics and decision support. I look forward to assisting with and expanding that effort to drive truly significant improvements in the quality of care for American patients.”

    Before joining Mercy, Dr. Grossbart was director of clinical analytics at Premier, Inc., where he led the development of performance measures and reporting systems. He also played a significant role in the design and implementation of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration Project. He has previously held positions at Intermountain Healthcare, where he oversaw the statistical team that helped build Intermountain’s clinical measurement systems that supported their clinical integration strategy. He also is formerly a faculty member at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL.

    In 2013, Dr. Grossbart was named as one of the 50 Experts Leading the Field of Patient Safety by Becker’s Hospital Review. His published work has appeared in Medical Care Research and Review, American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, Journal of Healthcare Management and Archives of Surgery. He has served on and co-chaired multiple National Quality Forum committees, dating back to 2003. Dr. Grossbart currently serves on the NQF’s Pulmonary and Critical Care Standing Committee and sits on the editorial board of the Journal for Healthcare Quality.

    Dr. Grossbart holds a PhD in history from the University of Michigan and has health services research and advanced statistical analysis experience.

    About Health Catalyst
    Health Catalyst is a next-generation data, analytics, and decision-support company, committed to being a catalyst for massive, sustained improvements in healthcare outcomes. We are the leaders in a new era of advanced predictive analytics for population health and value-based care with a suite of machine learning-driven solutions, decades of outcomes-improvement expertise, and an unparalleled ability to integrate data from across the healthcare ecosystem. Our proven data warehousing and analytics platform helps improve quality, add efficiency and lower costs in support of more than 85 million patients for organizations ranging from the largest US health system to forward-thinking physician practices. Our technology and professional services can help you keep patients engaged and healthy in their homes and workplaces, and we can help you optimize care delivery to those patients when it becomes necessary. We are grateful to be recognized by Fortune, Gallup, Glassdoor, Modern Healthcare and a host of others as a Best Place to Work in technology and healthcare. Visit healthcatalyst.com/population-health/, and follow us on Twitter, (@HealthCatalyst), LinkedIn and Facebook. 

    Contact
    Todd Stein
    Amendola Communications for Health Catalyst
    916.346.4213
    [email protected]

    Posted 8.8.2017

  • Foundation Insight: Planning for Focus Group Success – 9 Best Practices

    7.18.17
    By Arika Lycan, Specialist, CHIME Foundation

     

    Whether it’s at the CHIME17 Fall CIO Forum or in your next online focus group, you can apply a few best practices to achieve success. These concepts, while simple in nature, can help you develop your session to be a robust, interesting presentation; one where CIO participants are actively engaged and sharing the valuable input that you seek from them.

    Top nine tips to successful focus group engagement

    • Select topics that are of high interest to the CIOs. These sessions are not intended to be “sales pitches” of your products and services. Engage the group throughout the session and make it a fun, interactive experience.
    • Have an “internal agenda.” A stated goal and objective to attendees at the start of the focus group can help you meet your session’s objectives and help the CIOs guide the discussion, ensuring you are getting what you need from them.
    • Get creative. CHIME CIOs speak most highly of those presentations that are focused on forward-thinking, strategic and out-of-the-box topics. Incorporate a wide variety of media such as a video (one-three minutes).
    • Understand your audience. Don’t get too techy or you might lose your audience. Keep the discussion focused on one topic or a range of topics that are engaging.
    • Employ “active listening.” Reflect answers back to your participants. Attendees want to know they’re being heard and understood, that their opinions are valued.
    • Ensure even participation. This may require you to call on specific participants who have not had the opportunity to speak or those who could be contributing more to the conversation.
    • Utilize the group dynamic. Create an environment that will encourage discussion between participants. This generates lots of thoughtful ideas.
    • Less is more. Keep slide presentations to 12 slides or less. If a company overview is discussed, keep it to five minutes or less and get into the heart of your discussion.
    • Don’t move through material too quickly. Allow attendees to feel that they have the opportunity to provide feedback on all discussion points.

    Remember that your CHIME Foundation staff team is here to support you. We are ready to provide any resources, input and guidance that could optimize your focus group experience and results. Reach out to schedule your online focus group today. Information on CHIME17 Fall CIO Forum focus group registration will be coming out in the next several weeks.

    More Foundation Insight Volume 1, No. 2:

    Posted 8.7.2017

  • Foundation Insight: CPES17’s Myra Davis on How to be a Partner

    8.8.17
    By Candace Stuart, Director of Communications & Public Relations

    Myra Davis, Sr VP of Information Services, Texas Children’s Hospital

    As senior vice president of information services and CIO at Texas Children’s Hospital, Myra Davis frequently is approached by industry representatives who want to talk with her about products and services. Some succeed while others fail, not necessarily because of inferior goods but because of avoidable mistakes in initiating or maintaining their relationship.

    Davis shared some of her experiences at last year’s inaugural CHIME Partner Education Summit (CPES), an educational event for CHIME Foundation firm employees who want to learn more about their customers’ needs and goals. She will return this year to CPES17 to participate on two panels, including the interactive “Ask the CIOs” session.

    In an interview, Davis offered her do’s and don’ts as a preview of lessons that can be learned at CPES17:

    • For starters, “When you send me an email, don’t misspell my name,” she said.
    • If you send an email and it doesn’t get a response, don’t pepper her with more. “Get the hint.”
    • Do your homework. “A partner really understands the technology I use, the problems healthcare is facing and helps with the challenges.”
    • Articulate the benefits. “Under value-based care models, show how technology will help bring solutions to the table.”
    • Put it in context. Whatever the technology or service, understand how it functions within the culture and regulations of a given region or state.
    • Don’t poach. “It’s not cool to hire my talent away,” she said. Texas Children’s competes for IT employees with higher-paying industries such as oil in a tight labor market.

    Davis, who is also a member of CHIME’s Board of Trustees, complimented last year’s CPES attendees, saying they asked insightful questions and appreciated the CIO presenters’ perspective. This year CPES will take place Sept. 13-15 in Chicago. More information is available here.

    More Foundation Insight Volume 1, No. 2:

    Posted 8.7.2017

  • Foundation Insight: Get to Know CPES17 Keynote Tom Atchison – Meet this Dynamic Speaker in Chicago

    7.18.17
    By Rose Lucas, Specialist, CHIME Foundation

    Tom Atchison, EdD,
    President & Founder of Atchison Consulting

    CPES17 keynote speaker Tom Atchison, Ed.D., has been at the forefront of transformational change for decades. In a Q&A, he shares strategies for success, ongoing challenges and more. Be sure to catch his address at the opening of the second annual CHIME Partner Education Summit. 

    How did you get your start in the healthcare industry?
    My start in healthcare began in the Illinois Mental Health Department (and) from there to a physical rehabilitation hospital – always working with the psychological and cognitive health of children and adolescents. While pursuing my doctorate at Loyola University of Chicago, I began consulting to a Chicago medical school on continuing medical education. From there I worked at the American Hospital Association as a medical education specialist; from there to the American College of Healthcare Executives. In 1984, I started my consulting company, whose mission is to help healthcare leaders manage change. 

    What is your approach to transformation change in this industry?
    All change starts with the individual within the context of a corporate culture. When the values and goals of the individual are aligned with the values and vision of the organization, then transformational change moves easily. However, (if there is) any misalignment between the values and goals of the individual and the values and vision of the organization, then problems arise. Finally, transformational change takes three to five years. Therefore, the notion of “fast change” is not possible. 

    Does your approach differ depending on the type of healthcare organization?
    The simple answer is no. My approach is not a function of the corporate structure, but a function of the complexity of the issues and the strength of organizational leadership. 

    Which elements of transformational change have the most positive impact on healthcare organizations?
    The most critical success element is a clear, positive leadership vision of the desired future. The second critical success is the right talent, and the whole process is held together with trust and respect among all the change drivers. 

    What elements of transformational change do healthcare leaders have the most difficulty embracing?
    Because transformational change requires significant culture change, healthcare leaders have difficulties with the amount of time and the number of “moving parts” necessary to be successful. Also, too many healthcare leaders fail to engage the formal and informal physician leaders early in the change process. 

    What are your top three favorite books and why?
    Any book written by Jim Collins is on my favorite book list; and, a book (not related to healthcare), that shows the power of leadership is titled “Let My People Go Surfing” (second edition). This year, I was fascinated by Tom Friedman’s new book, “Thanks for Being Late.” This book might be especially enjoyed by CHIME members because it’s all about our digital future. 

    What gets you most excited about the change you have seen in healthcare over the last five years?
    While there are many positive shifts in the delivery of care in the USA, the one thing I find exciting is the significant increase in formal physician leadership development processes being developed at the local level. I firmly believe that the most successful delivery systems are “physician led and professionally managed.” 

    Editor’s note: Tom Atchison, president and founder of Atchison Consulting and author of several books on healthcare leadership and transformational change, will kick off the 2017 CHIME Partner Education Summit, which will run Sept. 13-15 in Chicago. This Q&A has been edited for brevity. 

    More Foundation Insight Volume 1, No. 2:

    Posted 8.7.2017

  • CHIME Supports Partners in Launch of NHS Digital Academy

    ANN ARBOR, MI, Aug. 3, 2017 – The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) congratulates Imperial College London’s Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College Healthcare National Health Service (NHS) Trust, the University of Edinburgh and Harvard Medical School for being selected for the NHS Digital Academy.

    CHIME is pleased to be invited to contribute to this initiative to support UK’s senior IT leadership and healthcare systems as they embark in pioneering programs to improve patient care. While details of the program are still being finalized, CHIME expects to be involved in the Academy’s CIO leadership training.

    “The NHS has made a strong commitment to providing world-class educational opportunities to healthcare IT professionals throughout the UK with the creation of the Digital Academy,” said CHIME President and CEO Russell Branzell. “The NHS Digital Academy will serve as a model for other nations that recognize the value of CIO leadership.”

    The Academy will provide virtual classes and residential learning for clinicians and health leaders who are involved in delivering ambitious programs of digital innovation in the NHS. It is estimated that around 300 candidates will attend the NHS Digital Academy, each spending up to 12 months studying part-time.

    “The Academy will ensure the next generation of NHS leaders is well equipped with the most exciting innovations that deliver the best care available to patients everywhere,” said NHS Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

    Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust’s CIO Rachel Dunscombe will serve as CEO of the Academy. “I passionately believe that to make the improvements in patient care that we are striving towards, we need to safely digitize the NHS,” she said. “By doing this, we would create significant improvements for both patients accessing NHS services and health professionals working within it.”

    “For health professionals, amongst many other advantages, smarter, better designed systems could simplify their working day making their practice more efficient while giving them more time with patients,” Dunscombe said. “Of course, to do this, we need people with the digital skills and knowledge to drive forward this change management for transformation and the Academy will ensure we have this leadership at NHS organizations across the country.”

    The Academy will support existing work underway through the Building a Digital Ready Workforce National Information Board program led by NHS Digital. It marks the first national structured development program in change management/leadership and clinical informatics for the NHS.

    More information about the NHS Digital Academy is available here.

    About CHIME
    The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is an executive organization dedicated to serving chief information officers (CIOs) and other senior healthcare IT leaders. With more than 2,400 CIO members and over 150 healthcare IT vendor partners 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
    Candace Stuart
    Director of Communications and Public Relations, CHIME
    734.665.0000
    [email protected]

     

    Posted 8.3.2017

  • CHIME Praises CMS Decision to Remove 2015 CEHRT Mandates in 2018

    ANN ARBOR, MI, Aug. 3, 2017 –The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) made several changes to a final rule on Wednesday that improve the chances that hospitals will successfully fulfill their Meaningful Use and electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) reporting requirements. CHIME is pleased that CMS listened to our members on these issues.

    “CMS took into account that both hospitals and vendors need more time to prepare for 2015 certified EHRs (CEHRT). By no longer requiring these new systems be in place by the start of 2018, a huge weight has been lifted off our collective shoulders,” said CHIME Board Chair Liz Johnson, CIO of Acute Care Hospitals & Applied Clinical Informatics at Tenet Healthcare Corporation.

    CMS announced in its final Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) rule that the agency elected to give hospitals another year using the 2014 CEHRT Edition and the option to continue meeting Modified Stage 2 measures, rather than having to move to Stage 3 next year.

    On top of the changes CIOs had been hoping for with 2015 Edition CEHRT and Stage 3, CMS also announced they will require hospitals to report only four eCQMs as opposed to the earlier adopted number of eight in 2017 and 2018. And, they adopted a reporting period of any quarter of data for eCQM reporting for both years as well.

    Johnson had more praise for these changes, too. “Taken together the common-sense changes CMS made will provide greater stability and certainty to hospitals allowing them to continue to forge ahead using technology to better treat the patients they serve,” she said.

    About CHIME
    The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is an executive organization dedicated to serving chief information officers (CIOs) and other senior healthcare IT leaders. With over 2,400 CIO members and over 150 healthcare IT vendor partners 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
    Candace Stuart
    Director of Communications and Public Relations, CHIME
    734.665.0000
    [email protected]

    Posted 8.3.2017
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