• Protenus to Present at IAPP Privacy. Security. Risk. 2018

    Stacey Davis to present on how advances in user behavior analytics provide powerful tools in identifying true threats to patient data

    Austin, TX – October 17, 2018 – Protenus, a healthcare compliance analytics platform that protects patient privacy at our nation’s leading health systems, announces today that Stacey Davis, Vice President of Business Development for Protenus, will present with David Holtzman, the Vice President of Compliance Strategies for Cynergistek, on the use of user entity and behavior analytics (UEBA) to identify anomalous and potentially risky behaviors within healthcare information systems. The use of clinical context and behavior analytics is an emerging field in privacy monitoring, with AI-powered platforms able to analyze 100% of all accesses in the Electronic Health Record (EHR) to accurately detect threats to patient data. This use of artificial intelligence to provide healthcare organizations the ability to proactively protect patient privacy led to Protenus winning the 2016 HPE-IAPP Privacy Innovation Award.

    Davis and Holtzman’s joint presentation, titled “Behavioral Analytics Role in Assuring Data Security,” will explore advances in UEBA that allow for healthcare privacy officers to gain full visibility into how users are accessing patient data, allowing healthcare organizations to better protect patient privacy and proactively detect true threats to PHI.

    “Some organizations have invested in components that, when used together, provide some behavioral analytics capabilities. However, most have not come close to having a robust system in place, and the problem lies in the complex nature of the healthcare environment,” stated Davis. “The first step in detecting insider threats to your organization is to understand what constitutes normal workflows for your users and business associates. By reviewing 100% of accesses and using clinical context to demonstrate appropriate vs inappropriate behavior, risk can be reduced across the enterprise.”

    Currently, health systems predominantly use tools that reactively respond to suspected patient privacy violations, run routine reports, and facilitate manual audits. Similarly, the UEBA market is often focused on broad tools, applicable to many markets, that don’t focus uniquely on healthcare challenges. With at least 41% of all data breaches attributable to healthcare organization insiders, according to the Protenus Breach Barometer, this presentation will detail how organizations can reduce the risk that insiders pose to patient data by auditing every access and proactively identifying breaches to patient privacy.

    The IAPP is the largest and most comprehensive global information privacy community and resource. Founded in 2000, the IAPP is a not-for-profit organization that helps define, support and improve the privacy profession globally.

    To register or learn more about Stacey’s presentation, visit the IAPP Privacy. Security. Risk. 2018 website.

    Presentation details:

    October 19, 2018
    9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
    ​Lonestar Ballroom C, Level 3

    About Protenus

    The Protenus healthcare compliance analytics platform uses artificial intelligence to audit every access to patient records for the nation’s leading health systems. Providing healthcare leaders full insight into how health data is being used, and alerting privacy, security and compliance teams to inappropriate activity, Protenus helps our partner hospitals make decisions about how to better protect their data, their patients, and their institutions. Learn more at Protenus.com and follow us on Twitter @Protenus.

    Contact:
    Kira Caban
    Director, Public Relations
    ​[email protected]
    410-913-0274

     

    Posted 10.18.2018

  • PROFICIO APPOINTS DICKON SMART-GILL AS CIO/CISO AND SVP OF HEALTHCARE

    New Executive to Scale Security Operations and Extend Leadership in Healthcare Market

    Carlsbad, CA – October 17, 2018 – Proficio, an award-winning managed security services provider (MSSP) delivering managed detection and response (MDR), today announced the appointment of Dickon Smart-Gill as global CIO/CISO and SVP of Healthcare Security Services. Dickon will provide leadership to scale Proficio’s service delivery platforms and head strategic initiatives to extend the company’s success in the healthcare industry.

    Dickon has more than twenty years of wide-ranging experience in healthcare IT and is a CHIME Certified Healthcare Chief Information Officer. Prior to joining Proficio, Dickon was the Corporate CIO of Bumrungrad International, a hospital group located in Southeast Asia with a flagship 580 bed hospital in Bangkok. He also cofounded a technology consulting group and ERP/EMR software company which was sold to Microsoft. While at Microsoft, he specialized in architecting healthcare information solutions that interacted with data systems and medical devices. Dickon is a frequent speaker at industry events such as HIMSS.

    “We are excited to have Dickon join our leadership team,” said Tim McElwee, Co-CEO and Chairman at Proficio. “Dickon brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our team as Proficio continues to scale and innovate our service delivery platforms and operations. With a deep understanding of the challenges facing the healthcare industry, Dickon is uniquely qualified to further Proficio’s success in healthcare and other industries.”

    “I have observed Proficio’s growth and exceptional execution first hand and now I am thrilled to join such a forward-thinking and innovative company,” said Dickon. “Proficio’s broad client base and industry-recognized managed security services are best-in-class and the road ahead is exciting and full of opportunities. I look forward to playing a strategic role in advancing the company’s commitment to the healthcare industry and expanding our global business.”

    Proficio will be participating in the CHIME and AEHIS Fall Summit this month and exhibiting at HIMSS19. For more information about Proficio’s managed security services for the healthcare industry, please visit our website.

    About Proficio
    Founded in 2010, Proficio is an award-winning managed security services provider (MSSP) offering a full range of cybersecurity services including managed detection and response (MDR), 24/7 monitoring and alerting, advanced threat detection and incident response orchestration through global security operations centers in San Diego, Barcelona and Singapore. Proficio’s innovative approach to managed cybersecurity services uses proprietary processes, experienced security analysts, and the industry’s most advanced technologies to help organizations defend against advanced threats. www.proficio.com

     Media contact:
    [email protected]
    800-779-5042

     

    Posted 10.17.2018

  • CITI’s Data Conversion and Archival Solution DRIS Now Featured in Epic’s App Orchard

    Falls Church, VA. –  October 16, 2018 – CITI is pleased to announce that its Data Conversion and Archival Solution (DRIS) is now listed in Epic’s App Orchard. DRIS can lower or even eliminate the costs of maintaining expensive legacy systems, while also allowing providers to access their legacy data directly from Epic in Patient’s Context. This is an exciting announcement for CITI, as the company continues to implement DRIS for some of the largest healthcare organizations who are using Epic. “Having DRIS available in Epic’s App Orchard allows for seamless integration between Epic and DRIS. At CITI, our mission is to make our clients experience as simple as possible as they migrate to Epic. Our clients love how straightforward and effortless DRIS is in real use and how with just one click, providers can access clinical legacy data directly in Epic in Patient’s Context”, said one of CITI’s Executives, Raju Togi.

    MORE ABOUT DRIS:

    CITI’s Data Retention & Interoperability Solution (DRIS) is designed to decommission healthcare organizations’ legacy applications and data, resulting in tangible OPEX savings. DRIS can be used to archive electronic protected health information (PHI) from all major enterprise databases for clinical, financial, payer, human resources, payroll, document, image and ERP applications and provides a simple yet rich web-based graphical user interface (GUI). DRIS also provides an easy-to-use GUI for report generation, allowing users to run queries, make parameter changes and add filters to visualize data while the complex processing runs in the background. DRIS can be embedded directly within Hyperspace and supports single sign-on (SSO) integration with Hyperspace using both OAuth2 and encrypted HTTP GET protocols. This tight integration maintains the patient context, providing clinicians with a seamless view of the archived patient data as well as active patient data in Hyperspace without the need to log in and perform patient searches in DRIS.

    ABOUT CITI:

    At CITI, we enable healthcare organizations to enhance operational efficiencies, streamline processes while meeting regulatory compliance.  Headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, and with offices throughout the United States, as well as in South Asia and Europe, CITI is a global and diversely talented organization of business professionals working together to provide clients with real-world solutions for the healthcare, federal and commercial areas.   

    CITI’s team of healthcare and IT experts enable providers and payers to deliver quality, connected, patient-centric care more efficiently and cost-effectively.  

    https://citi-us.com/products/data-retention-interoperability-solution ​

    https://www.linkedin.com/company/creative-information-techology-inc

    Posted 10.16.2018

  • CHIME’s Third Opioid Webinar Focuses on Innovative Way to Help Pediatric Burn Victims

    ANN ARBOR, MI, Oct. 15, 2018 – The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) and the CHIME Opioid Task Force will host a free and open webinar on Oct. 17 as part of an educational initiative to reduce opioid addiction and death rates in the U.S.
     
    Simon Lin, chief research information officer at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, will share results from a study that assessed a virtual reality app that engages pediatric burn victims in a game while clinicians remove and replace dressings. The non-pharmaceutical approach, which was developed by the informatics team in
    collaboration with the Center for Pediatric Trauma Research and the Pediatric Burn Unit at Nationwide Children’s, is designed to help children cope with the pain and anxiety that may occur during these procedures. Clinicians at Nationwide Children’s had approached Lin’s group of 75 heath IT specialists with the idea, which developed into a research and development project that they pilot tested on 59 pediatric burn patients aged 7 to 17.
     
    This is the third free and open webinar being presented by CHIME and the CHIME Opioid Task Force. The task force was launched in early 2018 to leverage the healthcare IT knowledge and expertise of CHIME’s more than 2,800 CIOs and healthcare IT executives to address the opioid crisis.
     
    The webinar is scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. ET Oct. 17. To register for the webinar, go to here. More information about the CHIME Opioid Task Force is available here.
     
    About CHIME
     
    The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is an executive organization dedicated to serving chief information officers (CIOs), chief medical information officers (CMIOs), chief nursing information officers (CNIOs) and other senior healthcare IT leaders. With more than 2,800 members in 51 countries and over 150 healthcare IT business 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
    Posted 10.15.2018

  • CHIME and AISIS Announce Plans to Launch Chapter in Italy

    ANN ARBOR, MI, Oct. 15, 2018 – The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) and Associazione Italiana Sistemi Informativi in Sanità (AISIS) announced today that they have signed a letter of intent to establish a CHIME chapter in Italy. This will be the first CHIME chapter to open in Europe.

    “We are thrilled to partner with our colleagues in Italy and share the educational, accreditation and networking resources of CHIME,” said Russell Branzell, president and CEO of CHIME. “Our international community is tremendously innovative and resourceful, and we look forward to an open exchange of ideas and best practices with healthcare leaders in Italy.”

    “The Italian healthcare CIO association AISIS has been a growing and very active community since its foundation in 2003,” said AISIS President Giuliano Pozza. “Currently it serves over 500 CIOs, IT professionals and e-leaders from both the public and private healthcare sectors. Our effort to offer a stimulating environment to both develop networking opportunities and technical and management skills perfectly fits CHIME’s philosophy and programs. Even if the healthcare sector in Italy and the U.S. have experienced very different approaches, they share the same challenges, technological opportunities and organizational frameworks. We see this partnership as a great opportunity for both organizations to share experiences and grow together.”

    CHIME is a membership-based organization serving more than 2,800 chief information officers (CIOs) and senior healthcare executives in 51 countries. CHIME offers online in-person educational and networking opportunities as well as accreditation through a domestic and international CHIME Certified Healthcare CIO (CHCIO) program. Today nearly 520 healthcare IT executives hold the CHCIO title. The chapter partnership will allow AISIS and CHIME to promote and deliver CHIME’s educational and accreditation services across Italy.

    The Italy chapter will mark the second establishment of an international chapter outside the U.S. for CHIME. In 2017, healthcare IT leaders in India launched CHIME’s India Chapter and on Nov. 30, 2017, in Mumbai they hosted their first CHIME Leadership Academy led by CHIME faculty.

    About CHIME

    The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is an executive organization dedicated to serving chief information officers (CIOs), chief medical information officers (CMIOs), chief nursing information officers (CNIOs) and other senior healthcare IT leaders. With more than 2,800 members in 51 countries and over 150 healthcare IT business 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.

    About AISIS

    The Italian organization of healthcare information systems managers (AISIS) was founded in 2003 to promote the development of IT professionals and the strategic role of Information Technology in healthcare. It currently has over 500 members ranging from CIOs to non-technical e-Leaders. AISIS organizes events, training courses (AISIS eHealth Academy), research programs (eHealthLab) and is also active in the promotion of a social and philanthropic approach to healthcare IT (AISIS4Social). AISIS operates in association with other national and international organizations. For more information, please visit www.aisis.it.

    Contact
    Candace Stuart
    Director of Communications and Public Relations, CHIME
    734.665.0000
    [email protected]

    Marco Foracchia
    Media Manager, AISIS
    +39-347-9497109
    [email protected]

    Posted 10.15.2018

  • Zingbox and First Health Advisory Solutions Partner to Deliver Comprehensive Management Solution for Connected Healthcare Assets

    Leading IoT Security Company Teams up with the Leader in Medical Device Security Services

    Mountain View, CA – October 12, 2018 – Zingbox, the provider of the most widely deployed healthcare Internet of Things (IoT) analytics platform and First Health Advisory Solutions (First), a leader in medical device security program services, today announced a strategic partnership to provide a comprehensive security and operations solution for connected healthcare assets.  The unified approach, managing the ever increasing reliance on the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), will relieve healthcare delivery organizations of operational and technical challenges of identifying, securing and maintaining all types of connected assets.

    The combined offering, IoMT Guardian, will leverage Zingbox’s healthcare analytics platform for real-time protection of hospitals and their environment by inventorying all connected medical devices, onboard new devices, secure against ransomware/malware, and optimize device utilization. In concert with the Zingbox platform, First’s IoMT services provide customers with a holistic, managed solution that will address asset governance, legacy device security strategies, lifecycle management as well as rapid response to threats.

    “Healthcare industry faces a growing challenge in securing their connected medical devices. From accurate inventory and real-time security protection to gaining operational insights, they face a daunting task,” said Xu Zou, CEO and co-founder of Zingbox. “We are excited to partner with First Health Advisory Solutions to bring together the most widely deployed healthcare IoT analytics platform and the industry-proven services for assessment, policy enforcement and other managed services.”

    “IoMT Guardian will foster collaboration and clarity of device ownership in previously ambiguous areas of responsibility.  Our comprehensive solution with Zingbox addresses both the technical and operational blind spots many organizations are facing today with connected assets, including policy navigation, patching strategy, network design and clinical engineering involvement.  We are proud to be a partner of Zingbox, as our successful co-engagements have shown immediate value in managing risk.” said Carter Groome, co-founder and CEO of First.

    About First Health Advisory Solutions

    First combines deep security, device operations, analytics and policy insight to bring healthcare delivery organizations impactful and cost conscious services that immediately reduce enterprise risk.  As the healthcare IoT footprint widens, First’s IoMT Guardian program bolsters readiness from assessment to detect and response via comprehensive management of connected assets.  The company’s flexible engagements accelerate internal efforts while providing an outside perspective of your posture as it relates to patient safety, security and medical device vulnerabilities. For more information, please visit https://fcp.com

    About Zingbox

    Zingbox is the provider of the most widely deployed healthcare Internet of Things (IoT) analytics platform. Recently named a Cool Vendor in IoT Security by Gartner and recipient of the Stevie Award for Most Innovative Company, Zingbox helps hospitals realize the full potential of their IoT medical devices, delivering a new standard for uninterrupted quality care through device inventory, management, security, and optimization for the entire IoT environment. The company’s device-specific AI-powered machine learning platform uses the first real-time deep behavioral learning technology for connected medical devices. For more information, please visit http://www.zingbox.com.

    Media Contact
    Laura Ruark
    540-599-7886
    [email protected]

    Posted 10.12.2018

  • CHIME Announces 2020 Officers and Incoming Board of Trustees Members

    CHIME Announces 2020 Officers and Incoming Board of Trustees Members

    ANN ARBOR, MI, Oct. 11, 2018 – The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is excited to share the CHIME Board of Trustee’s selection for officers in 2020 and announce the names of three new members who will join the board in 2019. CHIME’s Board has been making great strides in setting the future direction of CHIME, and the strong roster of new members will keep the momentum going.

    “Our members had an outstanding slate of candidates to choose from for these positions,” said CHIME Board Chair Cletis Earle, senior vice president and CIO at Kaleida Health. “Each of our new board members has a long-standing career as a healthcare leader and champion for CHIME and for our industry. Their skills, experience and commitment will help us find new and better ways to help members in their careers and in their lives.”

    John Kravitz, senior vice president and CIO at Geisinger Health System, will assume the duties as chair beginning Jan. 1, 2020. Among John’s many contributions to the healthcare IT industry is a nationally acclaimed program at Geisinger that has drastically reduced the amount of opioid proscribing by providers. John, who is a member of the CHIME Opioid Task Force, described Geisinger’s model in testimony before a House subcommittee and in a College LIVE webinar. It was one of CHIME’s best attended webinars and the practices he shared are making a difference in the battle against the opioid crisis in the U.S.

    Rusty Yeager, senior vice president and CIO at Encompass Health, will be the 2020 secretary. Rusty has been a passionate advocate for creating a seamless exchange of information between the hospital and post-acute care settings to better coordinate care for patients. Rusty was instrumental in a CHIME collaboration with the Long term and Post Acute Care (LTPAC) Health IT Summit earlier this year.

    Sheree McFarland, division CIO of the West Florida Division at HCA Healthcare, will be the 2020 treasurer. Sheree’s incredible energy and enthusiasm are unparalleled. Sheree has been a prominent role model and mentor for women in healthcare IT. It was no surprise that she made – for the third year in a row – Health Data Management’s list of Most Powerful Women in Healthcare IT in 2018.

    As previously announced, Shafiq Rab, MD, senior vice president and CIO at Rush University Medical Center, will become chair as of Jan. 1, 2019. Joining him will be Marc Chasin, MD, CMIO at Westchester Medical Center, as secretary, and Michael Martz, senior vice president and CIO at Mount Nittany Health, as treasurer.

    CHIME is pleased to announce that members elected three talented leaders to represent them starting Jan. 1, 2019. They are David Chou, vice president and chief information and digital officer at Children’s Mercy Hospital; Edward Marx, CIO at Cleveland Clinic; and Tanya Townsend, senior vice president and CIO for LCMC Health. Each of these leaders has a distinguished career in healthcare IT and will valuable members of the board.

    CHIME is also pleased to announce the election of Helen Waters, executive vice president at Meditech, to the CHIME Foundation Board. She will begin her term on Jan. 1, 2019.

    About CHIME

    The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is an executive organization dedicated to serving chief information officers (CIOs), chief medical information officers (CMIOs), chief nursing information officers (CNIOs) and other senior healthcare IT leaders. With more than 2,800 members in 51 countries and over 150 healthcare IT business 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 10.11.2018

  • Bear Valley Community Hospital Chooses Zingbox to Keep Their Connected Medical Devices Safe

    Leading IoT Security Company Provides Real-Time, Comprehensive Visibility Across Bear Valley’s Network of IoT Devices

     

    Mountain View, CA. – October 11, 2018 – (BUSINESS WIRE) – Zingbox, the provider of the most widely deployed healthcare Internet of Things (IoT) analytics platform, today announced that Bear Valley Community Hospital (BVCH) has deployed Zingbox IoT Guardian to protect and monitor their network of connected medical devices.

    At BVCH, locating and protecting various types of data and devices is critical to ensuring a seamless and safe environment for patients and care providers. When the security team at BVCH first engaged with Zingbox, they did not have visibility into the network-connected devices that were at risk.

    They faced three major challenges:

    • Identify what devices were in use, where they were located, and whether or not they were secure
    • Reach an agreement between IT and facility teams about device locations, profiles and vulnerabilities
    • Keep pace with rapidly accelerating security risks

    After a fast deployment of IoT Guardian, Zingbox helped the hospital’s IT team identify endpoints that they couldn’t previously classify or locate. Prior to implementing IoT Guardian, unless devices self-reported or self-identified, the team had no way of knowing details about these devices — such as the name of its manufacturer. “With Zingbox, we found between 10 and 15 percent more network connected devices than we expected,” said Jon Booth, BVCH District IT director. “It was a very eye-opening experience.”

    “Real-time visibility of all connected medical devices along with individual device risk is a must for all healthcare providers today,” said Xu Zou, CEO and co-founder of Zingbox. “Our deployment at Bear Valley is yet another example of how healthcare providers are adopting the latest AI and machine learning technology from Zingbox for enhanced visibility and security of their connected medical devices.”

    Zingbox gave BVCH a clear picture of security across the entire hospital, including:

    • Holistic, real-time visibility into all types of devices in the network
    • Standardized, reliable system for activating and removing devices that multiple teams can easily adopt
    • Assurance that emerging threats are quickly and automatically remediated

    “Most organizations are thinking about antivirus, endpoint protection and firewalls, but there are many devices — like thermostats, cameras and medical monitoring equipment — that are talking to the world, figuratively speaking, and no one is thinking about securing them,” added Booth. “Zingbox fills that gap. It’s the layer of protection that allows me to sleep at night, knowing that somebody is guarding the henhouse — and it’s not the fox.”

    IoT Guardian uses machine learning for asset discovery, risk assessment, baselining the normal behavior of devices, and discovery of threats. This intuitive, intelligent solution builds deep knowledge of each individual device’s behavior, enabling it to automatically detect, identify and classify connected devices. Unlike traditional endpoint security products, IoT Guardian is non-intrusive and eliminates the need to install and manage software agents.

    For more information on Zingbox’s IoT Guardian, visit: www.zingbox.com/iot-guardian/.

    About Zingbox
    Zingbox is the provider of the most widely deployed healthcare Internet of Things (IoT) analytics platform. Recently named a Cool Vendor in IoT Security by Gartner and recipient of the Stevie Award for Most Innovative Company, Zingbox helps hospitals realize the full potential of their IoT medical devices, delivering a new standard for uninterrupted quality care through device inventory, management, security, and optimization for the entire IoT environment. The company’s device-specific AI-powered machine learning platform uses the first real-time deep behavioral learning technology for connected medical devices. For more information, please visit http://www.zingbox.com.

    Contacts
    for Zingbox
    Laura Ruark
    540-599-7886
    [email protected]

    Posted 10.11.2018

  • News Announcements at CHIME Advocacy Summit

    10.11.2018
    Candace Stuart – Director, Communications & Public Relations

     

    Here is a roundup of CHIME-related news announced at the CHIME Advocacy Summit:

    Intermountain CIO Marc Probst wins CHIME federal policy award: Marc Probst, a nationally recognized healthcare IT leader who has served on the influential Federal Healthcare Information Technology Policy Committee, was named the winner of the 2018 CHIME Federal Public Policy Award for CIO Leadership. The award recognizes a CHIME member who has demonstrated leadership in educating Congress and administration officials at the federal level about the value of health IT and its role in patient care.   

    CHIME-KLAS survey measures providers’ confidence in medical device security programs: A survey of healthcare IT executives found that 18 percent of provider organizations had medical devices impacted by malware or ransomware in the last 18 months, although few of these incidents resulted in compromised protected health information or a federal audit. Only 39 percent of respondents said they were very confident or confident that their current strategy protects patient safety and prevents disruptions in care. Although organizations are making headway developing and maturing their overall security programs, progress has been slow, particularly when it comes to securing medical devices.

    More Inside CHIME

    Posted 10.11.2018

  • Diversity Initiative Aims to Increase Pipeline of Talented Health IT Workers

    10.11.2018
    Cletis Earle – Chair, CHIME Board 

     

    A common theme emerged at last week’s CHIME Advocacy Summit, particularly in discussions about cybersecurity: Healthcare IT executives in many hospitals and healthcare organizations struggle to keep their departments properly staffed. Compounding that problem is the increasing sophistication of cyber criminals and the need for IT leaders with the talent and acumen to counteract these bad actors.

    As we celebrate National Health IT Week and National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, I propose that we address this challenge with a workforce initiative to encourage diverse populations to enter into healthcare IT careers. CHIME has already taken the first step with the creation of the CHIME Diversity Committee, which I am chairing. We will unveil more details about the committee and our goals at 7 a.m. Nov. 1 during a Sunrise Session at the 2018 CHIME Fall CIO Forum in San Diego.

    This is a perfect time for leaders in our industry to collaborate on tackling the digital divide and push efforts to introduce healthcare IT careers to communities that may not be aware of the opportunity this amazing industry has to offer. As healthcare continues to evolve from the four walls of the hospital and a fee-for-service business to a community-focused, value-based model, we will need a diverse and agile workforce that can identify with the communities we serve and help bridge the technology gaps. 

    Diversity is not just about race or gender; it is recognizing that people of all backgrounds, ethnicities and beliefs can solve common problems by coming together and offering different perspectives. This exchange of ideas and viewpoints is especially valuable when we are addressing global problems such as cyberattacks.  

    We are in the process of setting up an infrastructure to help facilitate collaboration between CIOs to promote sharing of ideas and successful strategies. For instance, my health system has teamed up with the local municipality, school system and businesses to introduce various areas of technology to students in grades 3-12 and higher education. This model is working, and it can work as a collective if we all work together to address this common challenge and apply a similar model in our communities. 

    If you are interested in making a change in our industry and to tap into the potential and power of a diverse community, please reach out to me. We can embark on this journey together and help build the next generation of healthcare IT leaders. 

    More Inside CHIME

    Posted 10.11.2018

  • Virtual Reality Provides Non-Pharmaceutical Approach to Assist Pediatric Burn Patients

    10.11.2018
    Candace Stuart – Director, Communications & Public Relations

     

    The pharmaceutical industry introduced opioids to the medical community as a way for physicians to manage their patients’ pain. Simon Lin, chief research information officer at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, offers pediatric burn victims another way to cope with the pain and anxiety that occurs when their dressings are changed. And the approach uses no potent and potentially addictive drugs.

    The informatics team in collaboration with the Center for Pediatric Trauma Research and the Pediatric Burn Unit at Nationwide Children’s developed and pilot tested a virtual reality app that engages young patients in a game while clinicians remove and replace dressings. Lin will discuss their digital innovation and the results from noon to 1 p.m. ET Oct. 17 in a webinar presented through CHIME and the CHIME Opioid Task Force. The webinar is free and open to the public.

    “Kids love games,” Lin said. “They are absorbed in games, whether on a phone or console, and especially by virtual reality because it is an immersed environment. The kids are distracted from their current environment into a virtual one. This is extremely effective for kids (experiencing) pain and anxiety.”

    To play the game, children wear headsets that allow them to be immersed in the game. Because patients with wounds on their hands would not be able to use a hand console, Lin’s team designed breathing controls that allowed them to participate in the game. The headset also shields their view of the clinical activities going on around them.

    “For burn patients, major distress is during dressing changes. It is an extremely painful process. The patient has already been in a miserable state for quite a while but whenever it is time for the dressing change, the patient not only experiences pain but they also observe; it is traumatic just to watch it. Virtual reality is one way we can shield the patient from this traumatic experience.”

    Clinicians at Nationwide Children’s had approached Lin’s group of 75 heath IT specialists with the idea, which developed into a research and development project that they pilot tested on 59 pediatric burn patients aged 7 to 17.

    Lin’s team now is conducting a larger study to further evaluate the use of virtual reality as a non-pharmaceutical analgesic for burn patients. They are recruiting 90 pediatric patients who will be stratified into three groups: 30 who will actively participate in the game using the breathing controls, 30 who will passively experience the game and 30 who will receive standard care as a control. Preliminary results are encouraging: 96 percent of patients reported satisfaction with the game; 100 percent of parents were satisfied; and 83 percent of physicians reported that virtual reality is helpful. Reported pain scores dropped by 50 percent compared to the control.

    “That is a dramatic reduction of the pain score,” he observed.

    They have not altered pain medication in study participants. “We already use a very cautious protocol,” Lin said. “We do not overprescribe opioids.” But the long-term goal is to be able to reduce or eliminate the use of opioids in this patient population through innovation.

    This is the third free and open webinar being presented by CHIME under the auspices of the CHIME Opioid Task Force. The task force was launched in early 2018 to leverage the healthcare IT knowledge and expertise of CHIME’s more than 2,800 CIOs and healthcare IT executives to address the opioid crisis. To register for the webinar, go to here. More information about the CHIME Opioid Task Force is available here.

    More Inside CHIME

    Posted 10.11.2018

  • CHIME Announces Officers for 2020 and Welcomes Incoming Board Members

    10.11.2018
    Russ Branzell – President & CEO CHIME

     

    The team at CHIME is excited to share the CHIME Board of Trustee’s selection for officers in 2020 and announce the names of three new members who will join the board in 2019. We have a stellar board that has been making great strides in setting the future direction of CHIME, and a strong roster of new members to keep our momentum going.

    John Kravitz, senior vice president and CIO at Geisinger Health System, will assume the duties as chair beginning Jan. 1, 2020. Among John’s many contributions to the healthcare IT industry is a nationally acclaimed program at Geisinger that has drastically reduced the amount of opioid proscribing by providers. John, who is a member of the CHIME Opioid Task Force, described Geisinger’s model in testimony before a House subcommittee and in a College LIVE webinar. It was one of our best attended webinars and we know that the best practices he shared are making a difference as we battle the opioid crisis in the U.S.

    Rusty Yeager, senior vice president and CIO at Encompass Health, will be your 2020 secretary. Rusty has been a passionate advocate for creating a seamless exchange of information between the hospital and post-acute care settings to better coordinate care for patients. Rusty was instrumental in a CHIME collaboration with the Long Term and Post Acute Care (LTPAC) Health IT Summit earlier this year.

    Sheree McFarland, division CIO of the West Florida Division at HCA Healthcare, will be your 2020 treasurer. Sheree’s incredible energy and enthusiasm are unparalleled. Sheree has been a prominent role model and mentor for women in healthcare IT. It was no surprise that she made – for the third year in a row – Health Data Management’s list of Most Powerful Women in Healthcare IT in 2018.

    As previously announced, Shafiq Rab, MD, senior vice president and CIO at Rush University Medical Center, will become your chair as of Jan. 1, 2019. Joining him will be Marc Chasin, MD, CMIO at Westchester Medical Center, as secretary, and Michael Martz, senior vice president and CIO at Mount Nittany Health, as treasurer.

    We had an outstanding slate of candidates who ran for three open seats on the board. We are pleased to announce that you elected three talented leaders to represent you starting Jan. 1, 2019. They are David Chou, vice president and chief information and digital officer at Children’s Mercy Hospital; Edward Marx, CIO at Cleveland Clinic; and Tanya Townsend, senior vice president and CIO for LCMC Health. Each of these leaders has a distinguished career in healthcare IT and will be valuable members of the board.

    CHIME is also pleased to announce the election of Helen Waters, executive vice president at Meditech, to the CHIME Foundation Board. She will begin her term on Jan. 1, 2019.

    CHIME is honored to serve you and to work with this amazing leadership team. Please let us know if there is anything we can do for you, now or at any time in the future.

    More Inside CHIME

    Posted 10.11.2018
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