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CynergisTek’s Second Quarter Renewals and Contract Expansions Exceed Firm’s Expectations
Leading Cybersecurity Firm Sees Increased Market Demand for Managed Service Solutions
Austin, TX — May 10, 2019 – CynergisTek, Inc., (NYSE AMERICAN: CTEK), a leader in healthcare cybersecurity, privacy, and compliance, today announced that, it has experienced a strong start to the second quarter by experiencing a 100% renewal rate for its Compliance Assist Partner Program (CAPP) customer contracts, including several hospitals such as Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital in Los Angeles, CA and Legacy Community Health in Houston, TX. Additionally, several of CynergisTek’s CAPP customers expanded their relationship by adding on additional privacy and cybersecurity services and offerings, including Patient Privacy Monitoring Services (PPMS) and Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO). This 100% renewal rate and service expansion highlights the value and benefit CynergisTek continues to provide to healthcare entities on an ongoing basis.
Ransomware and cyberattacks are on the rise, with constantly expanding attack methods and impact capabilities, healthcare is one of the top targets. In fact, a recent study showed healthcare companies currently report one- in- four of all cyberattacks in the United States. It is for this reason that hospitals and health systems across the nation—from smaller, private hospitals, to larger, multi-hospital health systems serving millions of customers—continue to look to CynergisTek as a trusted partner to help strengthen and maintain privacy, security, and compliance programs.
“Cybersecurity threats affect all entities across the healthcare ecosystem and we do not see any signs of this slowing down—in fact, this year we have already seen greater demand for our offerings and strong interest in our newer service offerings like medical device managed security services,” said Mac McMillan, CEO and President, CynergisTek. “Provider organizations often don’t have the resources they need to protect their organization from complex cyberattacks on their own, requiring them to lean on the assistance of a reliable security partner. CynergisTek is that trusted partner organizations are looking for; we have the proven experience and capabilities to provide our customers with the security, compliance, and privacy services they truly need so that they can focus on the core mission of providing superior patient care.”
CynergisTek’s CAPP provides privacy, security, and compliance expertise to help healthcare organizations mature security programs through routine assessments, testing, and ongoing advisory services. Working with CynergisTek, provider organizations can access the critical support needed to supplement internal resources in order to deploy and maintain successful cybersecurity and privacy programs.
About CynergisTek, Inc.
CynergisTek is a top-ranked cybersecurity, privacy, and compliance management consulting firm dedicated to serving the healthcare industry. CynergisTek offers specialized services and solutions to help organizations achieve privacy, security, and compliance goals. Since 2004, the company has served as a partner to hundreds of healthcare organizations and is dedicated to supporting and educating the industry by contributing to relevant industry associations. The company has been named in numerous research reports as one of the top firms that provider organizations turn to for privacy and security and won the 2017 Best in KLAS award for Cyber Security Advisory Services.Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to the business of CynergisTek that can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “may” or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including uncertainties relating to product/service development, long and uncertain sales cycles, the ability to obtain or maintain patent or other proprietary intellectual property protection, market acceptance, future capital requirements, competition from other providers, the ability of our vendors to continue supplying the company with equipment, parts, supplies and services at comparable terms and prices and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from those described herein as anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Certain of these risks and uncertainties are or will be described in greater detail in our Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available at http://www.sec.gov. CynergisTek is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any such obligation) to update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.Investor Relations Contact:
CynergisTek, Inc.
Bryan Flynn
(512) 402-8550 x8
[email protected]Media Contact:
Aria Marketing
Danielle Johns
(617) 332-9999 x241
[email protected]Posted 5.10.2019 -
Divurgent Announces Microsoft Gold Level Partnership
Virginia Beach, VA – May 7, 2019 – Divurgent is excited to announce the addition of Gold Partnership with Microsoft, an honor that distinguishes the firm as a recognized leader in the implementation of Microsoft technologies. The company will continue to grow their technical competencies to align to the ever-changing technology platforms; from Windows 10 migrations to the integrated collaboration tool, Teams, they are now positioned to support and partner long term with their clients.
“We are excited about the growth and breadth of services this brings to Divurgent.” Emily Carlson, Principal Consultant.
Divurgent’s Windows 10 Solutions offer clients a proven, cost-conscious approach for the seamless upgrade of Windows 7 to Windows 10. Their team of experienced Windows and Migration Experts work hand-in-hand with clients to establish thorough project plans that consider organizational governance system planning, available technologies, opportunities to make new technology investments, and a top-to-bottom implementation design and deployment plan that allows clients to focus on the day-to-day knowing their network is secure and in good hands during a highly-complex technology migration.
As a management consulting firm focused exclusively on improving healthcare, Ralph Whalen, Vice President of Consulting Services says “We continuously ensure our clients operate at the highest possible quality. In doing so, we work to support movement to new solutions from old and always look to employ innovative uses of Information Technology.”
As a certified resource, the firm will bring industry expertise to their clients, offering solutions and training opportunities. Divurgent will host a “Teams 101” webinar Friday, May 10 at 12PM, EST. To learn more about Microsoft Teams training opportunities available through Divurgent, email [email protected].
About Divurgent
Divurgent is not the typical healthcare consulting firm. As a nationally recognized company, we are committed to healthcare evolution, and the strategies and processes that make it possible. We help our clients evolve in payment and delivery reform, as well as patient engagement, providing a higher quality of care, lower cost of care, and healthier communities.Focused on the business of hospitals, health systems, and affiliated providers, Divurgent believes successful outcomes are derived from powerful partnerships. Recognizing the unique culture that every organization offers, we leverage the depth of our experienced consulting team to create customized solutions that best meet our client’s goals. Utilizing best practices and methodologies, we help improve our client’s operational effectiveness, financial performance, and quality of patient care. For more information about Divurgent, visit us at www.divurgent.com.
Press Contact
Megan Ailsworth
Manager, Marketing | 757.213.6875
www.divurgent.comPosted 5.7.2019 -
Protenus 2019 Drug Diversion Digest: 47.2 Million Doses Lost Due to Hospital Employee Theft and Misuse
The Diversion Digest found that healthcare lost $454 million as a result of doses diverted by healthcare workforce throughout 2018
BALTIMORE, MD – May 7, 2019 – Protenus, a healthcare compliance analytics platform that uses artificial intelligence to find anomalous behavior in our nation’s leading health systems, announced today new research that details the effects of clinical drug diversion on healthcare organizations, providers and patients. As the national conversation about opioid abuse continues, the effects of this epidemic on healthcare workers, who have easy access to controlled substances, remain underreported.
The research, published in the Drug Diversion Digest, is the only report of its kind to compile and analyze publicly available data on clinical drug diversion incidents involving healthcare workers. Alarmingly, 94 percent of diversion incidents involved at least one opioid.
Drug diversion is “the transfer of a controlled substance from a lawful to an unlawful channel of distribution or use.” Examples of this include a nurse stealing pills from an elderly patient or fraudulent prescriptions. In especially abominable cases, providers may tamper with vials or syringes of powerful controlled substances, potentially exposing themselves and patients to infectious diseases. These types of cases were publicly reported throughout 2018.
When comparing 2018 data to that of 2017, the number of incidents decreased by 11 percent. However, there was an alarming 126 percent increase in total volume of controlled substance doses lost, from 21 million doses in 2017 to 47 million doses in 2018.
“The Drug Diversion Digest is a useful resource for equipping healthcare leaders with insight into how the theft and misuse of controlled substances impact their workforces as well as the patients entrusted to their care,” stated Ken Perez, vice president of healthcare policy at Omnicell. “This insight is critically important as the industry works to get ahead of this challenge and improve both patient and provider safety.”
Fueling this challenge in healthcare is not only the high-stress nature of many healthcare jobs but also nearly unfettered access to these controlled substances. Healthcare staff work daily with some of the most powerful controlled substances available, know the control systems in place at their facility and understand how to avoid them. This could be why it takes an average of 22 months for hospitals to catch diverters, according to the Drug Diversion Digest. Current methods for detection are cumbersome and manual, leaving pharmacy professionals to look for the needle in the haystack.
“Current drug diversion monitoring is reactive, with pharmacy professionals only able to react to incidents that are brought to their attention, often after a devastating event has occurred. Fortunately, the technology now exists that enables health systems to get ahead of this critical challenge in healthcare,” said Nick Culbertson, co-founder and CEO of Protenus. “Healthcare compliance analytics has the ability to shift health systems from reactive to proactive, allowing healthcare leaders to prevent future diversion incidents instead of reacting to issues after it’s too late.“
To request the 2019 Diversion Digest and receive future updates, please visit: https://www.protenus.com/2019-drug-diversion-digest.
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. This year, Protenus was named the 2019 KLAS Category Leader in Patient Privacy Monitoring. In 2018, the company was named one of The Best Places to Work in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare and one of the Best Places to Work in Baltimore by the Baltimore Business Journal. Learn more at Protenus.com and follow us on Twitter @Protenus.
Media Contact:
Kira Caban
Director, Strategic Communications
[email protected]Posted 5.7.2019 -
New RSM Research Explores Cybersecurity Concerns and Vulnerabilities for Middle Market Businesses
The survey revealed that the middle market is confident in cybersecurity protections yet remains among the most vulnerable to attacks.
CHICAGO, IL – Middle market leaders increasingly recognize the heightened risk of cyber threats and data breaches that are continuing to capture headlines, but fail to realize they are prime targets for cyber attacks. That’s according to results from the RSM US Middle Market Business Index (MMBI) Cybersecurity Special Report released today from RSM US LLP (“RSM”), in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
The report found that 15 percent of middle market executives indicated that their companies experienced a data breach in the last year, up from 13 percent in 2018 and a significant jump from 5 percent just four years ago. Additionally, more than half (55 percent) of respondents believe that an attempt to illegally access their company’s data or systems is likely in 2019, an increase from 47 percent in 2018. Larger middle market organizations continue to be most at risk for cybercrime, as many have high volumes of valuable data but don’t have the robust security resources of their large-cap peers, making them exceedingly attractive to cybercriminals.
In terms of the types of attacks, ransomware has become the most popular breach method for cyber criminals – evolving from a nuisance to a major threat because of its highly targeted nature. RSM found that over one-third of middle market executives (35 percent) know someone that has suffered a ransomware attack, compared to 31 percent in 2018, while 20 percent have suffered an attack themselves, a two percentage point increase from last year. Social engineering has also become prevalent, with 42 percent of executives reporting social engineering attempts on their organizations from outside parties.
However, while executives are taking notice of looming cyberthreats, and the number of reported breaches has tripled over the last five years, the majority (93 percent) are confident in their organization’s security measures, which is likely due to increased investments in cybersecurity tools and initiatives. This growing confidence of middle market leaders conflicts with rising concerns, and research shows that companies need to remain diligent.
“One of the most apparent trends from the report is the confidence middle market leaders have in the effectiveness of their security controls,” said Daimon Geopfert, principal and national leader of security & privacy services with RSM US LLP. “While the headlines may focus on the breaches experienced by large corporations, the glaring reality is that the often-overlooked middle market is a prime target. The jeopardy to this sector is growing, and firms must ensure that security investments, controls and communication align with rising threats.”
Responding to a Rapidly Evolving Regulatory Environment
A growing number of countries and states are beginning to enact cybersecurity legislation to mitigate risk and strengthen data protection. Many middle market companies are required to comply with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and legislation is already emerging in the U.S., led by the California Consumer Protection Act, which is scheduled to take effect in 2020.These regulations are expected to impact the middle market, yet companies have been slow to develop GDPR-compliant privacy processes. In fact, only 40 percent of respondents are familiar with the requirements of the GDPR law or other privacy regulations.
It is imperative for middle market companies to start building familiarity with existing regulations now, so these policies can serve as a helpful foundation to prepare for what is certain to be an active future for data privacy.
Cyber Insurance: Future-Proofing Security
To combat the repercussions that cybercrime threats like ransomware can have on organizations’ financials and operations, cyber insurance has become an effective and critical solution.More than half (57 percent) of middle market executives surveyed carry cyber insurance to mitigate risk, a five percentage point increase from 2018. While the usage of cyber insurance is gaining momentum and popularity, many executives do not have a full understanding of their policies and coverage. In fact, the survey reveals that 41 percent of the companies that carry policies are somewhat familiar or not at all familiar with their coverage levels.
“Executing a cyber insurance policy is important to limit exposure, and it’s encouraging that there has been an uptick in implementation among middle market firms,” said Ken Stasiak, consulting principal with RSM US LLP. “But companies must also remember to periodically evaluate any existing insurance policies to account for evolving and emerging risks.”
As cyber attacks continue to grow in severity, scope and scale, executives must stay aware of potential vulnerabilities and understand the most effective methods to alleviate the risk. The most effective cybersecurity strategies will protect data, identify and address threats, and scale to encompass emerging technology, business expansion and other challenges.
The survey data that informs the index reading was gathered between January 14 and February 1, 2019. To learn more about the middle market and the MMBI, visit the RSM website.
About the RSM US Middle Market Business Index
RSM US LLP and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have partnered to present the RSM US Middle Market Business Index (MMBI). It is based on research of middle market firms conducted by Harris Poll, which began in the first quarter of 2015. The survey is conducted four times a year, in the first month of each quarter: January, April, July and October. The survey panel consists of 700 middle market executives and is designed to accurately reflect conditions in the middle market.
Built in collaboration with Moody’s Analytics, the MMBI is borne out of the subset of questions in the survey that ask respondents to report the change in a variety of indicators. Respondents are asked a total of 20 questions patterned after those in other qualitative business surveys, such as those from the Institute of Supply Management and National Federation of Independent Businesses.
The 20 questions relate to changes in various measures of their business, such as revenues, profits, capital expenditures, hiring, employee compensation, prices paid, prices received and inventories. There are also questions that pertain to the economy and outlook, as well as to credit availability and borrowing. For 10 of the questions, respondents are asked to report the change from the previous quarter; for the other 10 they are asked to state the likely direction of these same indicators six months ahead.
The responses to each question are reported as diffusion indexes. The MMBI is a composite index computed as an equal weighted sum of the diffusion indexes for 10 survey questions plus 100 to keep the MMBI from becoming negative. A reading above 100 for the MMBI indicates that the middle market is generally expanding; below 100 indicates that it is generally contracting. The distance from 100 is indicative of the strength of the expansion or contraction. The MMBI Cybersecurity Special Report also includes data from the NetDiligence® 2018 Cyber Claims Study.
About RSM US LLP
RSM’s purpose is to deliver the power of being understood to our clients, colleagues and communities through world-class audit, tax and consulting services focused on middle market businesses. The clients we serve are the engine of global commerce and economic growth, and we are focused on developing leading professionals and services to meet their evolving needs in today’s ever-changing business environment.RSM US LLP is the U.S. member of RSM International, a global network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms with more than 41,000 people in 116 countries. For more information, visit rsmus.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and/or connect with us on LinkedIn.
CONTACT FOR MEDIA ONLY:
Terri Andrews
Director, National Public Relations
[email protected]
980.233.4710Kim Bartok
National Public Relations Manager
[email protected]
212-372-1239Posted 5.2.2019 -
Impact Advisors Named to Becker’s Hospital Review’s Revenue Cycle Firms to Know List
CHICAGO, IL – May 2, 2019 – Impact Advisors, a leading provider of clinical, revenue cycle and information technology services to the healthcare industry, announced today that it has been named to Becker’s Hospital Review’s 210+ Revenue Cycle Firms to Know list.
As healthcare organizations continue to experience increasingly complex revenue cycles while working with government and private payers as well as patients to collect, more organizations are looking for revenue cycle strategies and best practices. The annual list includes more than 210 companies with revenue cycle management solutions in the healthcare space.
“Financial pressures are a top concern for health system CIOs,” said Jim Akimchuk, Vice President at Impact Advisors. “Our firm is proud to provide revenue cycle services that help leaders tackle their toughest financial challenges head on. We are dedicated to developing strategies that maximize our clients’ current technology functionality while optimizing processes and the use of that technology to drive sustainable financial improvement.”
Impact Advisors is committed to helping clients achieve revenue cycle excellence by aligning people, process and technology. The firm’s experts are certified across all leading vendors and follow Impact Advisors’ best practice revenue cycle methodologies. Impact Advisors’ revenue cycle services are proven to have a positive and sustainable impact on clients’ financial performance, technology utilization and employee and patient satisfaction.
Impact Advisors is a regular contributor to Becker’s Hospital Review’s “RCM Tip of the Day” and a past presenter at the Becker’s Hospital Review 5th Annual Health IT + Revenue Cycle Conference.
About Impact Advisors
Impact Advisors is a nationally recognized healthcare consulting firm and trusted partner of industry leaders focused on delivering clinical, revenue cycle, and information technology services to solve some of healthcare’s toughest challenges. Our comprehensive suite of patient access, clinical and revenue cycle services spans the lifecycle of our clients’ needs. Our experienced team has a powerful combination of clinical, revenue, operations, consulting and IT experience. The firm has earned a number of prestigious industry and workplace awards: Best in KLAS® for 12 consecutive years, CRN Solution Provider and CRN Fast Growth 150, Modern Healthcare’s Largest Revenue Cycle Management Firms, Healthcare Informatics HCI 100, as well as “best place to work” awards from: Modern Healthcare, Consulting Magazine, Becker’s Hospital Review and Achievers. For more information about Impact Advisors, visit www.impact-advisors.com.
Media Contact:
Karli Smith
Chartwell Agency
815-977-5343
[email protected]Posted 5.2.2019 -
Save 20% by Registering for Advocacy Summit Plus a Fall Event
5.02.2019
Leslie Krigstein – VP, Congressional Affairs
Mari Savickis – VP, Federal Affairs
To be effective leaders, our members need to be well educated on many fronts. Last year we added the CHIME Advocacy Summit to our educational and networking programs to help members better understand health IT-related federal policies that impact hospitals, health systems and patients. We also introduced a bundled pricing package, an option that allows members to develop the multifaceted expertise that will drive change in our industry.
Our first Advocacy Summit was a great success, and many members took advantage of the opportunity to bundle the summit with CHIME18. This year we are repeating both the Advocacy Summit and the bundle. We have an even better lineup this year, with five prominent keynote speakers and a program that highlights the many policy changes underway. Every major federal agency and organization will be represented – and speaking of representatives, we have U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, a former CIO, as a keynote. You can learn more about the keynotes here and about the CHIME Advocacy Summit here.
Members of CHIME can attend the CHIME Advocacy Summit and save 20 percent by registering for the CHIME Fall CIO Forum. CHIME19, which will be Nov. 3-6 in Phoenix, is a chance for members to recharge their batteries, hear world-class keynote speakers, listen to peers as they share best practices and network. The CHIME Advocacy Summit is June 26-28 in Washington, D.C. With our limited-time bundled option, members can experience both events at a savings of more than $400.
New this year: CHIME is offering scholarships, up to $895, toward a provider member registration for the CHIME Advocacy Summit. The scholarship application deadline is May 10, 11:59 p.m. ET. Information on the scholarships is available here.
The bundle opportunity is available to members of CHIME’s three affiliated associations – the Association for Executives in Healthcare Information Applications (AEHIA), the Association for Executives in Healthcare Information Security (AEHIS) and the Association for Executives in Healthcare Information Technology (AEHIT). They will be offered the same special pricing of 20 percent off the CHIME Advocacy Summit and their Fall Summit, which is Nov. 3-6 in Phoenix.
We also encourage CHIME Foundation members to attend the Advocacy Summit. There is no limit on the number of members from a firm who can attend. Foundation firm members have a limited-time bundle option for individual Foundation representatives who register for the CHIME Advocacy Summit and the CHIME Partner Education Summit (CPES) in Chicago. CPES is Sept. 4-6.
We hope to see you in D.C. If you have any questions, call us at 734-665-0000 or email [email protected].
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Posted 5.2.2019 -
News of Note
5.06.2019
By Candace Stuart – Director, Communications & Public Relations
CHIME opens Most Wired ambulatory survey: For the first time ever, ambulatory organizations can participate in the HealthCare’s Most Wired survey and recognition program. CHIME has opened a survey with questions specific to ambulatory settings and will keep the survey open for two months. To participate, go here.
Register before May 11 and save $300: Members who register before May 11 for the CMIO Leadership Academy will save $300 on fees. This program provides small group discussions, case study analysis, progressive problem solving, personal mentoring and instruction from our distinguished faculty of healthcare CIOs and CMIOs. Register here.
Listen to the Debrief for weekly updates from D.C.: Don’t have time to read the Debrief? No problem. CHIME now offers a weekly recording featuring content from the Debrief. Hear what federal agencies, Congress and other policymakers are doing and how you can participate. The recording is available here.
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Posted 5.2.2019 -
Organizational Leaders Membership Helps CIOs Build High Performance Teams
5.02.2019
Candace Stuart – Director, Communications & Public Relations
Spenser Staebler -Specialist, Membership & Professional Development 
Dhrumil (Dhruv) Shah, MD, didn’t have to look far to see the value in enrolling his team leads into CHIME’s new Organizational Leaders Membership program. Merely recalling his own experiences at a CMIO Leadership Academy and CHIME’s other educational, professional development and networking events sufficed.“Exposure in different settings to like-minded individuals has done a lot of good for me in my role in my organization and my organization has seen the benefit of that,” Shah said. CMIO at Compass Medical, he also functions as CIO. He realized an Organizational Leaders Membership would allow Compass to extend CHIME’s benefits to his direct reports and others who aspire to be healthcare IT leaders. It would help him build a strong and cohesive team – and support them in their career journeys at the same time.
“For many organizations, trying to manage the sheer forces of regulatory burden, or healthcare IT changes or the market forces, you depend on your team,” Shah said. “I rely on my data scientist and my security engineers and my security officer. But who is contributing to better futures for them?”
CHIME created the Organizational Leaders Membership program to help members who want to involve their teams in CHIME’s education and collaboration opportunities. Many members have their direct reports onboard through the corporate senior IT executive classification, and through CHIME’s sister associations, AEHIS, AEHIT and AEHIA. This membership option packages everyone in one payment, empowering the whole team with CHIME’s resources.
Compass Medical joined the program earlier this year and Shah already has plans for maximizing their benefits. He envisions group participation in webinars and focus groups, for instance, followed by team discussions about takeaways and next steps. Or individuals can attend online events and then report back during monthly staff meetings. These activities align team members and foster collaboration. Clinicians involved in IT-related projects also might contribute, helping to break down silos in the system and facilitate interaction.
“Healthcare is a complicated industry but just because it is complicated doesn’t mean we should stay in a bubble,” Shah noted.
He is confident his team will find value in CHIME’s offerings. “The content at CHIME is especially relevant to what a healthcare organization should be focusing on,” he said.
Shah expects to send up to three team members to the CHIME Fall CIO Forum in November and hopes to give some the chance to remain for the Fall Healthcare CIO Boot Camp or – new this year, the Healthcare CISO Boot Camp. Just as he found as a CHIME member, they will have a chance to work with mentors, learn from the industry’s best, share ideas, network with peers and most likely make friendships that will last throughout their careers.
The organizational offering is available now. Please click here for more information and to begin filling out an application. The CHIME membership team will walk you through the process from there. Alternatively, you can send an email directly to Spenser Staebler at [email protected] if you have questions or need anything.
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Posted 5.2.2019 -
Scholarships Available for CHIME19, Fall Healthcare CIO Boot Camp
5.02.2019
Rose Lucas – Executive Assistant, Foundation
The CHIME Education Foundation is offering full registration/tuition scholarships for CHIME members to attend the 2019 CHIME Fall CIO Forum and full registration/tuition scholarships for CHIME members or direct reports, or AEHIS, AEHIA or AEHIT members to attend the Fall Healthcare CIO Boot Camp.
The 2019 CHIME Fall CIO Forum is scheduled to take place Nov. 3-6 in Phoenix. The Education Foundation has 10 CIO Forum scholarships available for the event in addition to three scholarships available through the Neal L. Patterson Community and Rural Hospital CHIME Foundation.
Forum scholarship applicants must be current CHIME members. Winners will receive complimentary registration to the forum and may submit travel expenses for reimbursement with the remaining funds at the conclusion of the event. You can learn more about the CHIME Fall CIO Forum here and CIO Forum scholarships here. The deadline to apply is June 21.
The Education Foundation has 12 scholarships to help CHIME members and/or their direct reports, and AEHIS, AEHIA or AEHIT members attend the CHIME Healthcare CIO Boot Camp in addition to one Neal L. Patterson scholarship funded by Cerner. The 2019 Fall Boot Camp will be held Nov. 6-9 in Phoenix. Each scholarship covers tuition for the popular event, which is designed to help healthcare IT executives advance the profession by developing their leadership skills. You can learn more about the fall boot camp here and boot camp scholarships here. The deadline to apply is June 21.
The Education Foundation has three education/professional development scholarships available to help CHIME members participate in programs that further the recipient’s leadership skills or professional education. The scholarship funds are available to the recipient for one year. Learn more about the John Glaser, Richard A. Correll and Stoltenberg Educational Scholarships here.
For questions related to scholarships, please contact Rose Lucas, CHIME Education Foundation, at [email protected].
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Posted 5.2.2019 -
Spok Contact Center Solutions Enhance Operational Efficiency at North York General Hospital
Toronto-based hospital partners with Spok to implement Spok Care Connect®, a communication platform that helps improve patient care and satisfaction
SPRINGFIELD, VA – May 1, 2019 – Spok, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Spok Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPOK) and a global leader in healthcare communications, announced that North York General Hospital (NYGH) has successfully implemented Spok Care Connect® contact center solutions to increase operator efficiency and help improve the delivery of care for their patients. NYGH, one of Canada’s leading academic hospitals and globally ranked among the top 100 in the world and number two in Canada, reported a successful go-live after receiving its first call on the new Spok system on March 12.
“Our partnership with Spok marks a new era for our contact center and a positive impact on communication across the hospital,” said Sumon Acharjee, chief information officer at NYGH. “We are able to mitigate patient safety risks by connecting physicians, nurses, and others with accurate information in a fast and reliable manner. We strongly believe the Spok communication platform will provide long-term value for our organization. This step represents a major automation milestone by eliminating what was previously all-manual operator procedures.”
This implementation was part of NYGH’s larger initiative to modernize call center operations and replace outdated methods of call handling. After upgrading existing telephony systems and extending to Voice over IP (VoIP), NYGH began evaluating several communication vendors. They found Spok was the only company to offer a turnkey solution that came equipped with every element needed to streamline their operational processes and deliver consistently exceptional customer service.
“We needed a new system that would allow us to build capacity and integrate with modern technology,” says Chi-Cheng Chu, information services manager at NYGH. “Spok presented the most advanced solution with all the tools our operators need in one single platform. Our go-live went flawlessly and our Spok system is working seamlessly for our operators.”
Implementing Spok operator console is increasing productivity at NYGH with easy-to-use operator software that puts all the necessary information to process communications within a few keystrokes. NYGH is also implementing Spok solutions for call recording, web directory, and on-call scheduling, allowing them to evaluate how calls are handled and ensure staff contact information and schedule information is accurate and readily accessible. NYGH can now handle higher call volumes, while providing the highest quality caller service.
“Contact centers are the heart of communications for nearly every area of the modern hospital,” said Vincent D. Kelly, president and chief executive officer of Spok Holdings, Inc. “We are proud to offer advanced technology that brings together critical functions and helps hospitals like NYGH reduce costs, improve patient care, and achieve operational value.”
About North York General Hospital
North York General Hospital, affiliated with the University of Toronto, is one of Canada’s leading community academic hospitals. We offer our culturally diverse community a wide range of acute care, ambulatory and long-term care services across multiple sites. Through partnerships, collaboration and academic endeavours, we seek to set new standards for patient- and family-centred care. Working together with our patients and their families, we are making a world of difference.
About Spok
Spok, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Spok Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPOK), headquartered in Springfield, Virginia, is proud to be a 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. Spok is making care collaboration easier. 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.
Media Contact
Jill Asby
+1 (952) 230-5363
[email protected]Posted 5.1.2019 -
CIO Bulletin Names CynergisTek As One of the “30 Most Valuable Companies to Watch 2019”
Austin, TX – May 1, 2019 — CynergisTek, Inc. (NYSE AMERICAN: CTEK), a leader in healthcare cybersecurity, privacy, and compliance, today announced that CIO Bulletin has named it among the “30 Most Valuable Companies to Watch 2019.” CIO Bulletin is an interactive, preeminent leadership platform serving as a central resource for information on business and information technology (IT) leaders and their entrepreneurial ventures. The company’s mission is to support business leaders as well as the technologically advanced ecosystem that surrounds and interacts with them to unfurl organizational innovation in the business and IT world.
CynergisTek has been at the forefront of cybersecurity and privacy for healthcare organizations since 2004 and was created to address the healthcare industry’s primary need for protecting patients’ data from cyber-attacks and breaches. The company started out providing security assessments and remediation services, and evolved over time with input from their healthcare clients to adapt to their changing needs, migrating to the more managed service-centric model they have today.
“CIO Bulletin’s ‘30 Most Valuable Companies to Watch 2019’ is a premier recognition program which identifies companies that have the most innovative approach towards understanding the market trends and exceptional problem solving techniques in the field of business and technology,” said J.P Pande, Editor-in-Chief of the CIO Bulletin. “The publication recognized CynergisTek based on its customer retention health, employee centered management approach, openness to innovation, collaborations, financial status, ability to forecast future technology trends, and commitment to excellence.”
CynergisTek upgrades its solutions regularly to match trends and keep their services relevant to clients in this fast-moving technology world, adding a new product or service to its shelf about every six months. Their focus is not only on the current state of the industry, but also on the trends that could have an impact on client business in the future. Staying in front of clients’ needs and engaging with customers to help handle problems from their perspective is a key part of CynergisTek’s success. The company currently serves over 1,400 hospitals and business associates nationwide.
“We are honored to be recognized by CIO Bulletin in this way,’” said Mac McMillan, CEO of CynergisTek. “Our company was founded on providing solutions and services that our customers and healthcare need and can count on. Much of our success in maintaining long term clients is due to our ability to continue to innovate and develop the solutions they require and this recognition is a further proof point of our success in doing so.”
You can read CynergisTek’s full CIO Bulletin profile, “CynergisTek – A Trusted Partner for Security and Information Management,” in the April 2019 issue.
About CynergisTek, Inc.
CynergisTek is a top-ranked cybersecurity firm dedicated to serving the information assurance needs of the healthcare industry. CynergisTek offers specialized services and solutions to help organizations achieve privacy, security, and compliance goals. Since 2004, the company has served as a partner to hundreds of healthcare organizations and is dedicated to supporting and educating the industry by contributing to relevant industry associations. The company has been recognized by KLAS in the 2016 and 2018 Cybersecurity reports as a top performing firm in healthcare cybersecurity, as well as the 2017 Best in KLAS winner for Cybersecurity Advisory Services.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to the business of CynergisTek that can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “may” or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including uncertainties relating to product/service development, long and uncertain sales cycles, the ability to obtain or maintain patent or other proprietary intellectual property protection, market acceptance, future capital requirements, competition from other providers, the ability of our vendors to continue supplying the company with equipment, parts, supplies and services at comparable terms and prices and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from those described herein as anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Some of these risks and uncertainties are or will be described in greater detail in our Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available at http://www.sec.gov. CynergisTek is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any such obligation) to update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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CynergisTek Investor Relations Contact:
CynergisTek, Inc.
Bryan Flynn
(512) 402-8550 x8
[email protected]Media Contact:
Aria Marketing
Danielle Johns
(617) 332-9999 x241
[email protected]Posted 5.1.2019