• Maryland Lt. Gov. Rutherford to Meet with Healthcare Leadership at DrFirst to Tackle the Opioid Crisis through Compliance with the Coming PDMP Mandate

    State officials, MedChi leaders, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, CRISP, and DrFirst executives will focus on innovative approaches to tackling the opioid crisis

     

    ROCKVILLE, MD – March 14, 2018 – DrFirst, the nation’s leading provider of e-prescribing and medication management solutions, announced today that Maryland Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford, members of the governor’s office, MedChi leaders, the Maryland State Medical Society, and Dr. Mark Reynolds, dean of the University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD) and periodontist at the school’s clinics, will meet at the company’s Rockville headquarters on March 16. During the visit, Lt. Gov. Rutherford will learn how DrFirst is fighting the opioid epidemic in conjunction with MedChi, Maryland’s medical society, UMSOD, and CRISP, the state’s Health Information Exchange and authorized agent for its Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP).

    The Lt. Gov.’s visit is particularly important given the imminence of the PDMP check mandate. Starting July 1, 2018, Maryland will join 40 states to require healthcare providers to view medication history via an online PDMP registry before prescribing opioids. The collaboration between DrFirst and CRISP streamlines the required PDMP check by delivering fast and easy access to the database directly within the e-prescribing workflow. Twenty-five states currently make PDMP integration available through DrFirst.

    In addition to Lt. Gov. Rutherford, participants in the upcoming event will include members of Governor Larry Hogan’s staff, the Maryland Department of Health, MedChi executives, and Dean Mark Reynolds from the University of Maryland School of Dentistry.

    WHEN: Friday, March 16

    TIME:    1:30 p.m. ET

    PLACE: 9420 Key West Avenue
                  Suite 101
                  Rockville, MD 20850

    “We are delighted to host this visit by Lt. Gov. Rutherford and bring together this impressive group of community healthcare leaders to drive substantive change in opioid prescribing,” said G. Cameron Deemer, president of DrFirst. “The power of integrating PDMP query directly into e-prescribing workflow simplifies the process and facilitates informed prescribing. By lowering the barrier to prescribers viewing their patients’ medication histories before prescribing powerful opioids, we can make significant strides in our fight against opioid overprescribing while continuing to treat patient pain appropriately.”

    In 2015, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan formed a Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force, chaired by Lt. Gov. Rutherford. The task force developed 33 recommendations, including mandatory registration of all prescribers in the state PDMP.

     

    About DrFirst
    DrFirst, the nation’s leading provider of e-prescribing and medication management solutions, enables stakeholders across the healthcare industry to intelligently utilize comprehensive real-time data and connectivity to increase their patient safety ratings, efficiency and profitability. Today, more than 170,000 healthcare professionals and more than 60% of Electronic Health Record vendors, depend on DrFirst’s innovative software solutions to improve clinical workflows, expedite secure collaboration across a patient’s care team and drive better health outcomes. The company’s integrated technologies include its award-winning electronic prescribing platform, the most comprehensive medication history available, clinically specialized secure messaging, as well as patient medication adherence monitoring and benefits checking. In addition, DrFirst was the first to offer e-prescribing for controlled substances (EPCS), which is considered the industry standard for providers nationwide. For more information, please visit www.drfirst.com or connect with us @DrFirst.

     DrFirst Media Contact:
    Jenna Warner
    Amendola Communications
    480-664-8412 x 19
    [email protected]

     

    Posted 3.15.2018

  • Nurse Executives from GetWellNetwork to Speak at Beryl Institute Conference

    BETHESDA, MD – March 15, 2018 – GetWellNetwork®, Inc., the Precision Engagement™ health care company, announced today that its Chief Clinical and Nursing Officer, Karen Drenkard, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, will speak at the Beryl Institute’s Patient Experience Conference 2018, which will be held April 16-18 in Chicago. Along with Joanne T. Clavelle, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, Regional Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer-West, GetWellNetwork, Drenkard will present “Including the Voice of the Patient through Technology to Transform the Patient Experience” at 5 p.m. central time on Monday, April 16.

    This session will illustrate how the use of technology to amplify the voice of the patient has transformed the patient experience through embedded clinical workflows across care settings. Delving deeper into the art and science of engaging and empowering patients across their entire care journey, participants will learn how technology bridges the care experience across the continuum.

    Drenkard and Clavelle will highlight case studies about improvements in disease management, patient safety, patient experience, clinical quality and nurse-sensitive measures in their session. Participants will share how they are using technology to engage patients and improve outcomes in their organizations.

    Details of an innovative electronic assessment tool that measures the capacity of a patient to engage in his or her care will also be discussed, along with how the results of such assessments are used to modify care interventions. Finally, the presenters will explain how technology can be aligned with strategic priorities to achieve optimal outcomes.

    Drenkard was recently selected co-chair of the Beryl Institute Nurse Executive Council (NEC) comprised of innovative and visionary nurse executives from health care organizations across North America.

     

    About GetWellNetwork
    GetWellNetwork®, Inc. is the Precision Engagement™ health care company. Our solutions engage patients and families, empower clinicians and deliver outcomes that matter. From inpatient to outpatient, to physician practices and urgent care clinics, to patients on-the-go, GetWellNetwork offers the only cross-continuum platform that performs across every care setting.

     Media Contact
    Marcia Rhodes
    Amendola Communications for GetWellNetwork, Inc.
    [email protected] / 480.664.8412 ext. 15

    GetWellNetwork, Inc.
    7700 Old Georgetown Road, 4th Floor
    Bethesda, MD  20814-2500
    877.633.8496
    [email protected]

     

    Posted 3.15.2018

  • Inside CHIME: TransformIT’s Benchmarking Tool Gives CHIME Members a Strategic Edge

    Inside CHIME - header

    3.14.18
    By Shafiq Rab, M.D., MPH 

    Last week I had the pleasure of sharing good news with members: the rollout of TransformIT. As chair of CHIME’s Strategic Planning Committee, I have been enthusiastic about the potential of this new benchmarking tool. Judging by your responses, you are, too.

    TransformIT is an easy-to-use tool that will let you view member organizations and compare data in categories such as financials, organization type and location. For instance, you can search for health systems that are similar to yours and, based on the comparative data, build a case for adding more IT or staffing resources. You may gain some insights that give you a competitive advantage in your region or help you identify where you have vulnerabilities.

    Beyond that, TransformIT provides a platform for you to identify what vendors and products your colleagues use. Imagine you are in the market for a certain product or service and you are trying to choose between two suppliers. The vendor dashboard will display CHIME colleagues who use those two vendors or products along with the members’ contact information. You can narrow your search by various categories, too. If you want to know what vendors supplied large academic institutions that had budgets between a selected range and were located in California, you can do so. Or if you run into a glitch with a product, you can find colleagues who use that product, reach out to them, see if they encountered similar issues and discuss how they resolved them.

    TransformIT has one huge advantage over other analytical tools, too. As a participant, you will have access to your institution’s data. You will be able to review the data, identify any inaccuracies or out-of-date entries and correct them. You are empowered to make sure the data in TransformIT is current, reliable and robust. 

    We unveiled TransformIT on March 5 at the CHIME HIMSS CIO Forum in Las Vegas – fittingly to the theme song, “The Best is Yet to Come.” That same day, CHIME began the tiered release of email invitations to members with instructions for creating an account in the portal. The rollout began with attendees at the CHIME HIMSS CIO Forum, and we added an incentive for them. The first 100 members to sign up became eligible for a drawing, with one winner getting a drone. Within 24 hours, well over 100 of you had logged in.

    The rollout has now been completed. We encourage you to create an account once you receive your invitation, explore the dashboards, review your data and continue to ensure your entries are timely and accurate. Collectively we will make this already valuable resource is the very best it can be.

    If you have any questions, contact [email protected].

    More Inside CHIME

    Posted 3.15.2018

  • Inside CHIME: Missed the Latest News on Most Wired? You Can Catch Up Here

    Inside CHIME - header

    3.14.18
    By Michelle Patterson, Director, Membership & Professional Development

    Those of you who joined us at the CHIME booth at HIMSS18 in Las Vegas on March 7 or who logged in for Coffee with CHIME on our Facebook page heard the latest about HealthCare’s Most Wired survey. But if you missed the live presentation, here is a recap.

    Drexel DeFord, a former CIO and past chair at CHIME, joined me in a discussion about the Most Wired survey, which this year is being conducted by CHIME. DeFord has been working with the CHIME team to revise the survey and make it easier and more useful for CIOs and their healthcare organizations. As was announced on March 5 at the CHIME HIMSS CIO Forum in Las Vegas, CHIME will open the survey by the end of March and keep it open for at least two months.

    The survey has not been dramatically changed this year but we did make some important revisions. CHIME streamlined the survey and categorized questions in a way that will allow participants to more easily distribute and delegate sections within their organization. We removed questions that reflect common practice – those activities that everyone does already – and redesigned others to better capture outcomes rather than the ability to achieve those outcomes. This will allow you to show that you not only own a tool but that you use it effectively. We also added audit controls that will let us validate responses.

    Other changes include the naming of a Board of Governors with no active CIOs as members to eliminate any perception of a conflict of interest. We realigned the survey’s timing to mirror health organizations’ data-gathering and reporting schedules and added features to facilitate participation by organizations outside the U.S.  

    We have reconceived the report that every participant will receive to serve as a benchmarking tool. We also will provide every participant with a high-level overview of the industry to help them assess their standing and identify opportunities for improvement. These resources will help participants make strategic decisions and align their practices with the industry’s leaders.

    The Most Wired program has served as a prominent measure of technology excellence in healthcare, honoring health systems for their outstanding healthcare IT programs. We will continue that tradition by announcing the results and celebrating winners’ accomplishments at the 2018 CHIME Fall CIO Forum in San Diego. We know it takes a team to meet these high standards, which is why CEOs and other staff members will be invited to participate in the night festivities and concert on Nov. 1. We will hold the awards ceremony Nov. 2; the full forum runs from Oct. 30-Nov. 2.    

    This is the first year that CHIME will oversee the survey and recognition program after acquiring HealthCare’s Most Wired from the American Hospital Association last July. We encourage everyone to participate and join us in making Most Wired a powerful tool that informs best practices around the world.

    When the survey is open for responses, all CHIME members and past survey participants will be notified. The American Hospital Association also will promote the survey to their contacts.

    More Inside CHIME

    Posted 3.15.2018

  • Inside CHIME: Spring Forum’s Four Speakers Cover the Gamut

    Inside CHIME - header

     

    3.14.18
    Summer O’Neill, Director, Education 
    Candace Stuart, Director, Communications & Public Relations

     

    The patient as a consumer, the physician as a healthcare IT user and collaborator, the CIO as a future maker and the individual as catalyst for positive change. The four keynote speakers at the CHIME HIMSS CIO Forum in Las Vegas presented four different but complementary themes when they took to the stage March 5.

    The day started with greetings from CHIME Board Chair Cletis Earle and CHIME President and CEO Russ Branzell, with Frank Sinatra classics in the background. Earle discussed membership growth: “CHIME has members on every continent except Antarctica, and we’re actively looking for a penguin CIO right now,” he said. He outlined some of the new features in the CHIME HealthCare’s Most Wired program and emphasized CHIME’s continued commitment to collaboration and diversity.

    Liz Johnson, chair of the CHIME Foundation and the Public Policy Steering Committee, discussed some progress related to HITECH but cautioned much work remains to be done to ensure that any measures going forward under Meaningful Use are reasonable, add value and improve outcomes. She also discussed some of the CHIME Foundation’s achievements and upcoming events.

    Nicholas Webb, author of What Customers Crave, called the patient experience the low-hanging fruit for hospitals and healthcare systems. “Most hospitals believe if they deliver patient care they did enough,” Webb said. “For the patient, it is the human experience.” Technology invariably plays a role in that experience and technology will facilitate collaborative networks that enhance the patient experience. He said to put in place an innovative team who handle disruptive innovation and an architecture to support the customer experience. CIOs like CHIME’s members, he said, will be the ones who drive change in healthcare.

    Robert Wachter, M.D., author of The Digital Doctor: Hope, Hype and Harm at the Dawn of Medicine’s Computer Age, recapped some of the harms that had occurred with the dawn of EHRs. “What could go wrong? Pretty much everything,” he said. But he also saw benefit with today’s EHRs, recounting how an informatics team used the University of California San Francisco Medical Center’s EHR to trace the source of C diff. infections that had been nagging the center: a specific CT scanner in the Emergency Department. “My hospital is now better and safer.”

    Healthcare is undergoing a massive transformation but it will take longer than other industries to digitize, Wachter predicted. Some health systems still try to impose paper-based workflows on digital solutions but he sees efficiencies, too. He cited a remote glucose monitoring program that allowed a physician to review and treat hospitalized patients with diabetes in the early morning from his home. A face-to-face consult might take 45 minutes to an hour, the same amount of time it took the physician to remotely get through a full case load.

    Seth Mattison, an expert on workforce trends, encouraged members to help leaders navigate an approaching work environment that is part traditionally hierarchical and part a hyperconnected network. He spent little time on the stage and instead walked through the ballroom to discuss with members work experiences and assumptions that might clash with a Web-based generation.

    “Youth are the fringe dwellers. They live on the edge of society,” he said. “That’s their job, to push us forward. … Look to youth to understand where we are going next. What starts out serving youth will serve us all.”

    He called members future makers who can find a balance between the hierarchical and networked worlds. He recommended forming a coalition and providing a clear vision and communication strategy for others to follow. “Cut the script, speak from the heart and keep the say-do ratio high.”

    Liz Murray, the closing keynote and author of Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard, shared her experiences as a child of severely addicted parents in the Bronx who as a homeless teenager determined she could turn her life around. Through her persistence and the foresight of a teacher, she was accepted into an alternative school, finished four years of high school in two years with stellar grades, received a scholarship from the New York Times and was accepted into Harvard – all while homeless.

    She did not use slides to augment her story but instead let the messages speak for themselves. She recounted experiences with people in authority who were dismissive and abusive to those who were vulnerable. She urged members as leaders in health systems to “never be that person to someone else. It impacts people.” She emphasized that her childhood was not unique and also offered many examples of kindness: her parents’ affection, a neighbor who watched over her sister and her for whom she named a foundation, the teacher who accepted her, a woman who did her laundry and the nonprofit that provided free food when she was homeless.

    “You always make a difference,” she observed. “What difference do you make?”

    The daylong forum was interspersed with other short presentations: Chair-elect Shafiq Rab unveiled TransformIT, a new resource that is exclusive to CHIME members; Randy McCleese, as the 2017 John E. Gall Jr. CIO of the Year, offered thanks for his award; Myra Davis, Marc Probst, Albert Oriol, Jan-Eric Slot and David Finn received recognition for completing their service on the CHIME Board; CHIME Education Foundation Board Chair Myra Davis suggested ways to support the foundation; and Ed Kopetky and Jim Turnbull provided an update on the Opioid Task Force that they co-chair.

    See photos from the CHIME HIMSS CIO Forum

    More Inside CHIME

    Posted 3.15.2018

  • Inside CHIME: News of Note

    Inside CHIME - header

    3.14.18
    By Candace Stuart, Director, Communications & Public Relations

    Here is a roundup from CHIME of recent news and upcoming events:

    Baldrige names Russ Branzell leadership award recipient: The Foundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recently named CHIME President and CEO Russell Branzell recipient of the 2018 Baldrige Foundation Awards for Leadership Excellence in the Cybersecurity sector. Cybersecurity is one of six sectors that the foundation highlights with its Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awards.

    CHIME supports effort to put patents at the forefront of their care: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Administrator Seema Verma announced March 5 at HIMSS18 in Las Vegas that the administration is launching programs to ensure patients are at the center of their care through the “MyHealthEData Initiative” and Blue Button 2.0. CHIME supports the drive, which should facilitate the ability to share data in a universal and interoperable way and collaborate across both the public and private sectors.

    More Inside CHIME

    Posted 3.15.2018

  • CHIME HIMSS CIO Forum 2018 Photo Album

    The 2018 CHIME HIMSS CIO Forum, held March 4-5 in Las Vegas, Nevada, explored the potential for new healthcare information technologies and to understand the impact and challenges that the transformation may bring. We discussed how we, as leaders, can find ways to continue to keep our organizations on track despite the disruption, and partnered with others to address and lead the next wave of transformation.

    We cannot display this gallery

     

    VIEW THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2018 CHIME HIMSS CIO FORUM

    Posted 3.13.2018

  • SECTRA TO UTILIZE MICROSOFT AZURE FOR ITS CLOUD-BASED IMAGING IT SOLUTIONS IN THE US

    Shelton, CT – March 6, 2018 – International medical imaging IT and cybersecurity company Sectra (STO: SECT B) will offer cloud-based products powered by Microsoft Azure.

    Many of Sectra’s medical IT solutions may be purchased as cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) to provide a compelling and competitive approach for customers transitioning into a cloud environment. Sectra aids in the planning for both existing and new customers to transition completely or through a multi-phased, hybrid model.

    Today, Sectra PACS, Sectra VNA and Sectra DoseTrack for radiation dose monitoring are all available as Azure cloud services. Additionally, solutions for cross-enterprise sharing and collaborating of medical images, disaster recovery services, proactive system monitoring support, and educational portals are also delivered through Azure. In the future, Sectra plans to add support for pathology and cardiology as well as developing tighter integration with Azure for rapid delivery and elasticity of Sectra’s imaging software.

    “More and more providers have shown interest in placing their PACS and VNA in the cloud. We have forged this relationship to offer our US customers, who choose this option, a reliable and trusted solution. Microsoft Azure gives us that flexibility and rapid delivery that progressive providers are looking for in their new ventures and partnerships,” says Mikael Anden, President of Sectra, Inc.

    About Sectra
    With more than 25 years of innovation and 1,700 installations worldwide, Sectra is a leading global provider of imaging IT solutions that support healthcare in achieving patient-centric care. Sectra offers an Enterprise Image Management solution comprising PACS for imaging-intense departments (radiology, pathology, cardiology and orthopaedics), a VNA, and share and collaborate solutions. Read more about Sectra and why Sectra PACS is “Best in KLAS” for a fifth consecutive year at http://www.sectra.com/medical/.

     

    Contact
    Andrea Sowitch
    Vice President of Marketing Sectra, Inc.
    E-mail: [email protected]
    Phone: 203 925 0899 ext. 268

    Torbjörn Kronander
    President and CEO Sectra AB
    E-mail: [email protected]
    Phone: +46 705 23 5227

    Posted 3.12.2018

  • Upside Down Focus Group: Marketing and Selling to CIOs

     

    3.13.18
    By Rebecca Scholten, Specialist, Business Development

     

    Sarah Richardson, CA Market CIO, DaVita Medical Group, and Drex DeFord, Digital Health Leader, gave an engaging talk on behalf of CHIME Technologies, Inc. at HIMSS18 in the CHIME booth.

    Richardson and DeFord are both faculty members of the CHIME Tech Speakers Bureau. CHIME Tech Speakers Bureau connects companies throughout the CHIME Foundation and beyond with talented, thought-provoking speakers for presentations at company meetings, webinars or internal training sessions on the buying cycle and selling and marketing to CIOs, along with a number of other industry topics.

    The HIMSS18 presentation, “Upside Down Focus Group: Marketing and Selling to CIOs” offered insight on what CIOs respond to, and what turns a CIO off when it comes to marketing and selling tactics. A consistent theme of the session was the importance of acting as a resource and partner to the CIO, rather than focusing on the end sale. DeFord suggests vendors “participate in industry events; sponsor opportunities to learn and socialize with peers; all with ‘With No Strings Attached.’” Understanding the pain points of the CIO, along with having empathy for their intense schedules, proved to be a key success factor. Richardson highlighted the struggles of renewing a contract: “When an established vendor [with me] has a contract renewal coming up in three months and we are in negotiations, pushing to the deadline [contract expiration] annoys me. We know six months in advance. Let’s walk through it and talk about it. Ideally you are building your contracts with your partners that have the ability for the extension to continue. So let’s just say we don’t get to an agreement for the extension, but the intention is to do that; build in the month-to-month option at the same price of our original contract so that there is a continuity of operations.”

    Both speakers highlighted the importance of participating in organizations like CHIME and HIMSS. “I want to elaborate on the relationship with CHIME and with HIMSS. For me, that is where I learn about all my [partner firms], all the things I need to do, and all the connections I need to make.” Richardson said. “If you want to get to us, if you want to have conversations with us, the best way is by being there [at CHIME/HIMSS] all the time, and not always being in [closing] mode. We get to see you, we get to know you, we’re involved with you on committees. We get to see how you work, what you do, and how you deliver. And all of that ends up turning into a relationship. Once I have a relationship with you, that builds trust, and that really is the bottom line on what you should do.” DeFord said. On the subject of gift giving, DeFord and Richardson offered suggestions for avoiding compliance issues. “If you feel compelled to give a gift, give it to our foundations,” DeFord said. Richardson suggested following the limit of $50 for a gift, unless it is a shareable item for her team.

    Also a powerful component of the booth session was the open Q&A session. Questions asked included: “How can I, as a partner firm, communicate to a CIO that we have run into an issue or problem with our service, without harming our relationship?” And “Tell me about your best partner firm experience, describe how that relationship developed.” Many firms choose to host an open discussion like this during an Advisory Services engagement, to allow for unfiltered conversation and to gain an appreciation for the needs of the CIO. When asked “How should a partner firm contact a CIO/how do I start the relationship?” DeFord answered “Most health systems have some kind of an agreement with an integrator or reseller, and we’ve had long-term agreements with those companies. Maybe your best route in is to have a conversation with [the integrator] and, again, figure out what we’re really struggling with and what we’re doing. Someone like that is going to partner with us for a long time and really knows us inside and out. They can help you create a better message and maybe even set up [a meeting.]”

    You can view the full recording from the Upside-Down Focus Group session on Facebook here:

    Upside Down Focus Group: Marketing and Selling to CIOs

    A few of the key tips and tricks provided by Richardson and DeFord:

    • If you pitch me as soon as you connect with me on Linked-In/Twitter, etc., you’re begging to be blocked
    • Build a relationship; let’s get to know each other; creates trust – I buy from people I trust
    • Be consultative, help in other (non-sales) ways if you can

    To see the full white sheet of tips and tricks, please send an email to [email protected]

     

    More Foundation Insight Volume 2, No. 3:

    Posted 3.12.2018

  • Save the Date – Mark Your Calendars for CPES18 Sept 5-7

    3.13.18
    By The CHIME Foundation Team

    Building on the past two years of engaging, quality presentations direct from CHIME CIOs, CHIME Foundation and the CPES Planning Committee are excited to confirm that CHIME Partner Education Summit 2018 (CPES18) will be taking place at the Chicago Loew’s O’Hare on Sept. 5-7, 2018.

    CPES17 Recap:

    • 44 firms represented
    • 99 percent of attendees said they would recommend this program to a colleague
    • 99 percent of attendees felt that subject matter was appropriate and taught with a real-world orientation
    • 99 percent of attendees rated the overall value of the CPES17 program as good, very good or excellent

    CPES17 top-rated sessions: 

    • Public Policy and Regulatory Impacts on Healthcare
    • The C-Suite Dynamic
    • Ask the CIOs panel
    • Establishing and Maintaining Long-term Strategic Partnerships

    A Look Ahead to CPES18

    • Sept. 5-7, 2018
    • Held at the Loew’s Chicago O’Hare

    Join us for the event kickoff and an evening reception on Sept. 5, followed by a full day of compelling programming on Sept. 6. On Sept. 7 we’ll enjoy breakfast together as well as several engaging presentations.  The program will end before noon, providing plenty of time to conveniently take the CHIME Foundation Certified Healthcare Executive (CFCHE) exam for those interested in certification.

    You, our CHIME Foundation members, informed the design of CPES18, from featured topics to the presentation formats. We’ll have a diverse group of CIO speakers presenting in a variety of dynamic session formats, from conversations with audience participation to incorporation of Industry perspectives in more sessions. We’ve taken topic suggestions after last year’s event into consideration, directly influencing the planning process for 2018’s exciting event.

    Anticipated Session Topics (as provided by last year’s attendees):

    • Keys to great vendor performance
    • Specific CIO current challenges
    • Ever-changing political climate and future direction.
    • More on the C-Suite dynamic – CFO, CEO, etc., to participate on panels
    • Deeper dive for cybersecurity
    • CIO perspective and guidance geared for consulting firms
    • Best practice partnership stories
    • More on how to “get to know” a CIO

     

    More Foundation Insight Volume 2, No. 3:

    Posted 3.12.2018

  • CHIME CIO Members by the Numbers – Some Helpful Demographic Statistics

    3.13.18
    By Rose Lucas, Specialist, CHIME Foundation

     

    As CHIME CIO membership continues to grow, we’d like to share some of the statistics that can help inform your future marketing plans and strategies.

    CHIME members are the highest-ranking IT executives within their organization or facility. A typical CHIME member oversees the information services department and chairs the information technology steering committee within their organization.

    Just a few short years ago in January 2015, CHIME domestic membership included 1,370 highest-ranking IT executives with 27 international members, rounding out a total membership of 1,397.

    Today CHIME reports nearly 2,600 members and includes 460 international members, representing an 85 percent increase – almost double — in only three years. Even more exciting is a 1,603 percent increase in international membership!

    CHIME members come from all 50 United States and 51 countries around the world. They represent over 1,796 healthcare organizations with the following approximate breakdown by organization type, based on data provided by members.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Domestically, CHIME members are located across the country. The graph below illustrates CHIME members by state, highlighting the wide and growing presence we have in the U.S. CHIME has a CIO member in every single state in the country.

    CHIME Foundation Growth
    When the CHIME Foundation was created in 1994, two years after the formation of CHIME, there were only 15 firms. Along with the growth of CHIME, the Foundation has grown to over 150 Foundation firm members. That’s an increase of 900 percent – indicating that the growth of the Foundation is indeed commensurate with the growth of CHIME. The CHIME Foundation is proud of our partnerships with the nation’s top healthcare IT service and solutions providers and we’re pleased to continue providing unparalleled access to top healthcare IT leaders around the world.

     

    More Foundation Insight Volume 2, No. 3:

    Posted 3.12.2018

  • Perspectives Across the Healthcare IT Field

    3.13.18
    By Arika Lycan, Specialist, CHIME Foundation

     

    Part 2 of our Perspectives series features the observations of three valued CHIME/CHIME Foundation members with experience in healthcare IT as both CIOs or the equivalent and as Industry partners. Having been on two different fronts of the healthcare IT field, they’ve gained many critical insights on the relationships between industry and providers. These lessons learned influence their current work.

    Shane Pilcher, administrative director and CIO at Siskin Hospital, Drex DeFord, a self-described “recovering-CIO” and Spencer Hamons, executive architect and strategic adviser at NetApp, reflect on lessons learned from their varied experiences, and how these experiences influence their current roles in the industry.

    Following are some of the many valuable insights they provided.

    Q: What perspective can you share, having previously worked on the company/services side of healthcare IT?

    Pilcher (current CIO, former industry partner): When I was on the services side of healthcare, I knew the CIOs were busy. However, I did not truly appreciate just how busy they are. I describe my current role to friends and peers as being like the carnival show where one person has a multitude of plates spinning on sticks, running from plate to plate to give it a little spin to keep it from falling. In many ways, that is how my days are. Even if all events in my day are planned (which rarely happens), there are so many projects, initiatives, strategies active at one time, you have to give each one enough attention to keep it “spinning” while you run to the next.

    Hamons (industry partner, former CIO): After moving to this side of the industry, I had no idea about all of the intricacies surrounding manufacturers’ work with partners, distributors and “the channel” – and all of the rules associated with that interaction. Now that I have learned how all of these pieces of the puzzle work together, if I were to go back to a health system, I would manage my manufacturers and my partners very differently than I did in the past.

    DeFord (consultant, former CIO): CIOs are not just technologists; they’re clinical and administrative health systems operations experts. If we’re going to make the move to value-based care and real patient engagement, we’re the most likely candidate to be the company’s digital health and innovation leaders. That’s a lot of responsibility … you’re going to need good help.

    Relentless prioritization is absolutely necessary.  Work with your team and your C-Suite to draw a line in the endless queue of requests. Kick ass on everything above-the-line. And, as actively and aggressively as you engage everything above-the-line, actively don’t do the items below-the-line. There will never be enough resources to do everything. Oh, that goes for your personal life, too.

    Q: Do you do anything differently in this setting than you did on your previous role?

    Pilcher (current CIO, former industry partner): Absolutely. Up until now, my entire career was on the acute care side of healthcare and most of that in clinical systems. Being an acute care inpatient rehabilitation hospital, I had to learn about the nuances of post-acute care to be able to strategically support every business unit. It was very much like drinking from a fire hose. In addition to that, I have had to get very familiar with hardware and the system administration required to keep the network healthy. While I don’t physically perform those tasks, I do need to understand it to a point where I can have an educated conversation around it and understand how it fits into our overall strategic goals.

    Hamons (industry partner, former CIO): Although I worked hard to be a “strategic” CIO, focusing the majority of my efforts on initiatives with strategic significance to my health system – there were always those tactical activities that demanded some amount of my time. In my role at NetApp, I am able to truly focus on those strategically significant initiatives when engaging with our customers.

    Q: What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were working on the other side of the industry?

    Pilcher (current CIO, former industry partner): The biggest thing I wish I had known then was emails and phone calls not being returned is not personal. As stated before, I knew CIOs were busy but did not really understand how busy. I am out of my office more than I am in it. That allows me to be most effective for my organization. This, of course, means many phone calls go unanswered and emails sit in the inbox. In the course of the day, both voicemail and the inbox fill up. Due to the sheer volume of both, one has to “triage” them to identify which get returned and which do not. That is one thing the CFCHE certification is helping foundation members understand and gives them better clarity on the day-in-the-life of a CIO.

    Hamons (industry partner, former CIO): I understand the interaction between technology manufacturers, partners, resellers, distributors and “the channel” much better than I ever did while working as a healthcare executive. Although I understood that some manufacturers incentivize their partners in different ways, I never quite understood just how much those “incentives” can sway members of sales teams to propose solutions that may not necessarily be in the best interest of their customers. While I can say that my company works hard to be at the top of the moral and ethical scale by avoiding many of these kinds of incentive offerings, there are plenty of companies out there that do not abide by the same standards.

    Q: As a current CIO, does your role and experience change how you look at the techniques and tools that industry representatives use to approach and engage with CIOs?

    Pilcher (current CIO, former industry partner): It certainly does.  As I have mentioned, CIOs are extremely busy. Everything is competing for their time and attention. Not only do you have internal factors competing for their time and attention, there are also external factors. As a vendor, you should be passionate about your product or service. The challenge comes when the entire industry is passionate about their product and each feeling like it will solve a pain point for their clients. It is easy for that message to get drowned out among those internal and external competing factors. As CHIME has taught Foundation members in the past, relationships are the most important tool in your sales arsenal. The sales cycle in our industry is typically many months to over a year in length. We have to plan three plus years out, which is increasingly more challenging. This requires us to have conversations well in advance of the actual need so we understand what the market is offering and can work it into our roadmaps and budgets. When it comes time to have the serious conversations around purchase, I am going to look to someone I have developed a relationship with over someone who has sent a random email or phone call. So, while email is important to “keep in front of” us, finding ways to spend quality time in conversation at events is extremely important to helping your emails and phone calls to be “triaged” to the top of the list.

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    Spencer Hamons, CHCIO, CFCHE, FACHE – Executive Architect and Strategic Adviser at NetApp

    Hamons previously served as regional CIO for NetApp’s Healthcare Division for the past 3.5 years. In 2018, he’s made the move to NetApp’s Service Design Team, where he offers strategic guidance for all industry verticals. His healthcare CIO experience started in the Houston area in the late 1990s and has taken him to Colorado, Alaska and New Mexico, where he held positions as both CIO and COO. Hamons joined NetApp as CIO of the Healthcare Division in 2014. Outside of work, he volunteers with various veteran groups (he was a Combat Medic in the Army) and is a pilot with the New Mexico Wing of the Civil Air Patrol.

    Drex DeFord, CHCIO, FHIMSS, FCHIME, FACHE – Recovering CIO

    DeFord is an independent consultant with a long career as a healthcare executive, including his experience as co-founder and CEO of Next Wave Connect; executive vice president and CIO at Steward Healthcare in Boston; senior vice president and CIO at Seattle Children’s Health System and Research Institute; and corporate vice president and CIO at Scripps Health in San Diego. Prior to that, he spent 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, where he served as a regional CIO, a medical center CIO, and chief technology officer for the USAF Health System’s World-Wide Operations.

    Shane Pilcher, CHCIO-Eligible, FHIMSS – Administrative Director and CIO at Siskin Hospital

    Pilcher joined Siskin as their administrative director and CIO in July 2015. Previously, he was a consultant with Stoltenberg Consulting for 14 years, working with many projects as part of the implementation or optimization teams and system selections. During his time at Stoltenberg Consulting, Pilcher’s later roles included account manager, then vice president, where he designed and launched their help desk service line.

    More Foundation Insight Volume 2, No. 3:

    Posted 3.12.2018
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