• Imprivata and Vocera Partner to Advance Mobility in Healthcare

    Secure and convenient authentication helps optimize care coordination and clinical communications

    Lexington, MA and San Jose, CA – August 28, 2019—Imprivata®, the healthcare IT security company, and Vocera Communications, Inc. (NYSE:VCRA), a recognized leader in clinical communication and workflow solutions, today announced a partnership to help healthcare organizations unlock the full potential of mobility in healthcare. Combining Imprivata Mobile Device Access with Vocera Collaboration Suite, the partnership enables fast, familiar authentication into shared clinical mobile devices and the Vocera smartphone application, eliminating the burden of manual logins for healthcare providers.

    The joint solution gives clinicians the same secure clinical communication capability they currently have with Vocera Collaboration Suite, with the addition of single sign-on (SSO) for faster access. Imprivata Mobile Device Access also enables users to access shared mobile devices with a simple tap of a proximity badge, which increases device security, protects PHI, and improves auditing, all without disrupting clinical workflow.

    Imprivata Mobile Device Access integrates seamlessly with Imprivata OneSign®, healthcare’s leading enterprise SSO and virtual desktop access platform, leveraging the same core infrastructure. For providers, this ensures a fast, familiar, and consistent authentication workflow experience across workstations, virtual desktops, and mobile devices. This integration also allows IT administrators to set user authentication polices for all systems and workflows from a single, centralized platform, which improves compliance reporting, reduces total cost of ownership, and minimizes the IT resources required to administer and manage authentication workflows.

    “By partnering with the leading clinical communication provider, we’re able to give our joint customers the ability to access their secure messaging platform with just a simple tap of a badge,” said Dr. Sean Kelly, Chief Medical Officer at Imprivata. “Not only does this ensure a faster, more efficient workflow for providers, giving them more time to spend on patient care, but it also allows hospitals to further capitalize on their investments in shared mobile devices.”

    Vocera Collaboration Suite is an enterprise-class solution that keeps clinical communication flowing inside and outside the hospital, helping ensure frictionless workflows across sites and shared devices. The smartphone app enables clinicians to securely text and call each other simply by saying a name, role, or group. At a glance, users are able to see who is logged on and available. The intelligent app, powered by the Vocera Platform, also routes alert and alarm notifications to the right care team members with contextual patient information to support clinical decisions.

    “In today’s healthcare environment, every minute counts – every minute is precious. Every minute we give back to clinicians to spend on direct patient care, the better,” said Benjamin Kanter, MD, Chief Medical Information Officer at Vocera. “This single sign-on solution is an intelligent way to save valuable time and simplify clinical workflows to make the lives of physicians and nurses easier.”

    About Imprivata

    Imprivata®, the healthcare IT security company, provides healthcare organizations globally with a security and identity platform that delivers ubiquitous access, positive identity management, and multifactor authentication. Imprivata enables healthcare securely by establishing trust between people, technology, and information to address critical compliance and security challenges while improving productivity and the patient experience. For more information, please visit www.imprivata.com.

    About Vocera

    The mission of Vocera Communications, Inc. is to simplify and improve the lives of healthcare professionals and patients, while enabling hospitals to enhance quality of care and operational efficiency. In 2000, when the company was founded, we began to forever change the way care teams communicate. Today, Vocera offers the leading platform for improving clinical communication and workflow. More than 1,850 facilities worldwide, including nearly 1,600 hospitals and healthcare facilities, have selected our clinical communication and workflow solutions. Care team members use our solutions to communicate and collaborate with co-workers by securely texting or calling, and to be notified of important alerts and alarms. They can choose the right device for their role or task, including smartphones or our hands-free, wearable Vocera Smartbadge and Vocera Badge. Interoperability between the Vocera Platform and more than 140 clinical and operational systems helps reduce alarm fatigue; speed up staff response times; and improve patient care, safety, and experience. In addition to healthcare, Vocera is at home in luxury hotels, aged care facilities, nuclear power facilities, schools, libraries, retail stores, and more. Vocera solutions make a difference in any industry where workers are on the move and need to connect instantly with team members and access resources or information quickly. In 2017, Vocera made the list of Forbes 100 Most Trustworthy Companies in America. Learn more at www.vocera.com and follow @VoceraComm on Twitter.

     

    Media Contacts:
    Imprivata:
    Kerry Pillion
    781-761-1452
    [email protected]

    Vocera:
    Shanna Hearon
    669.999.3368
    [email protected] 

    Posted 8.28.2019

  • Bluetree ranked #1 Epic Systems strategy, support, and implementation firm in Black Book report

    MADISON, WI – August 26, 2019 – Bluetree, an Epic consulting and strategy company for healthcare providers, is the top-ranked Epic Systems Strategy, Support & Implementations firm in the Black Book Market Research report released Monday. Bluetree was rated #1 in eight of 20 categories in the report, which evaluates leading service providers across 18 operational excellence key performance indicators.

    “Our team works hard every day to make an impact in healthcare and we’re humbled that our clients have recognized Bluetree for this work.” said Bluetree CEO, Jeremy Schwach.

    In addition to its top ranking across eight KPI categories, Bluetree appeared in the top-three in 19 of the 20 total categories. The survey included 33 consultant firms that received crowd-sourced evaluations. Bluetree appeared first in the following areas:

    • Return-On-Investment, Engagement Deliverables & Quality
    • Advisor Domain and Body of Knowledge
    • Innovations in Consultative Approaches
    • Scalability, Flexibility, Pricing and Customization
    • Marginal Value-Adds
    • Relationship Support and Client Care
    • Speed and Efficiency of Engagement Deployment

    Bluetree also claimed the top spot in three out of five client organization types:

    • Hospital Systems (chains, IDNs, and ACOs)
    • Community & Rural Hospitals (under 150 beds)
    • Specialty Hospitals (children’s rehab, psychiatric, LTC)

    Recently celebrating its first full year in new corporate headquarters on Madison’s far west side, Bluetree continues to expand its Managed Services offerings and is celebrating its eighth month live on it’s new “Epic Smart” help desk, which helps healthcare organizations foster happier end users and more efficient analysts.

    About Bluetree Network: Bluetree was founded in 2012 and has a client base of more than 145 health systems nationwide, including all 10 organizations listed in the 2019-20 US News and World Report Best Hospitals Honor Roll rankings. Based in Madison, Wisconsin, and with an office in Denver, Bluetree’s integrated team approach helps healthcare providers realize higher returns from their Epic platform investment. It received Inc. Magazine’s Best Places to Work award in 2019 and the United Way of Dane County Community Volunteer Business Award in May 2017.

    ###

    Media contact:
    Ryan Hill
    Marketing Manager
    [email protected]
    608.210.4567

    Posted 8.26.2019

  • HHS Published Long-awaited “Part 2” Rule on Substance Abuse Info Sharing

    Today the Administration published the long-anticipated 42 CFR Part 2 proposed rule involving consent requirements associated with the release of substance abuse history. CHIME has long advocated to the Administration and Congress the need to streamline consent policies associated with sensitive health information, aligning these policies with the consent policies under the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
     
    CHIME’s Opioid Task Force has also been vocal on this issue. Our position is that clinicians need a full and accurate picture of a patient’s health conditions in order to best treat them and prevent situations like possible overdoses related to patients prescribed opioids who have an opioid use disorder (OUD). Countless lives have already been lost because of a provider receiving an incomplete picture of a patient’s record and condition. In fact, a bill introduced last year, the Jessica Grubb’s Legacy Act, would have addressed precisely this issue. Unfortunately, despite much support from CHIME and other stakeholders, it was not included in the opioid legislative package that was enacted as The Support Act or the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act. Conversations, nonetheless, have continued — with policymakers pushing for the need to remove barriers that impede a clinician’s ability to treat those with or at risk for substance abuse disorders (SUDs).
     
    Based upon a cursory review, it does not appear that the proposed rule published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), addresses our chief concern as outlined above. According to the HHS fact sheet, the administration writes, “Part 2 will also continue to restrict the disclosure of SUD treatment records without patient consent, other than as statutorily authorized in the context of a bona fide medical emergency; or for the purpose of scientific research, audit, or program evaluation; or based on an appropriate court order for good cause.” A summary of the rule’s proposed changes are located in a table in the fact sheet.
     
    Our policy team is reviewing this rule and will be sharing more information in the coming days and weeks. We will be hosting workgroup calls to shape our response to the rule. Please email our team at [email protected] if you would like to join.
     
    In the meantime, you can find the following materials below – a summary is offered in the fact sheet and the consent policies are found starting on page 83 of the rule.
    Russell Branzell
    President & CEO, CHIME
    Posted 8.22.2019

  • News of Note

    7.22.19
    By Candace Stuart, Director, Communications & Public Relations

    CHIME is now using Zoom for online events: On Aug. 1, CHIME transitioned from WebEx to Zoom for College Lives, Focus Groups and many of our conference calls. As you register for webinars, you will need to join and can start this process here. Please allow yourselves additional time to join and enter the session.

    Nominations being accepted for CIO of the Year Award: CHIME has opened the nomination process for the CHIME-HIMSS John E. Gall Jr. CIO of the Year Award. Read about Ed Kopetsky, the most recent CIO of the Year in this article and nominate a candidate or yourself here.

    More Inside CHIME:

    Posted 8.22.2019

  • Strategy & Leadership: The First in a Series Highlighting Fall Forum Tracks

    8.22.19
    Steve Stanic, CHIME Planning Committee Chair, VP/CIO at Mississippi Baptist Health System

    The track sessions at the 2019 CHIME Fall Forum provide a rare opportunity to learn from our peers. This year CHIME will offer four tracks: Strategy & Leadership; Business & Care Transformation; Emerging Issues in Healthcare & Health Information Technology; and Clinical Informatics. Here is the program for Track A: Strategy & Leadership. Look for articles in upcoming issues of Inside CHIME for information about Tracks B-D.

    Monday, Nov. 4, 2:45-3:30 p.m.
    Enabling Preeminence Through IS Leading Practices 

    Stanford Children’s Health has developed and implemented a number of novel and leading practice approaches to enable preeminence within their organization. This presentation will include an overview of the lean tools and techniques they have utilized to enhance their effectiveness and customer service, along with promoting rapid communication and leadership development. Learn how their Information Services (IS) Strategic Planning process engages leaders and drives operational ownership of the plan, along with hearing about their industry-leading clinical informatics program, which pushes innovation and enables preeminence across Stanford Children’s.

    Learning Objectives

    • Understand the lean tools and techniques that can be utilized to implement a daily management system
    • Adopt an IS Strategic Planning approach that will enhance engagement and drive ownership by key leaders in the organization
    • Learn how to organize and lead your clinical informatics department to enable organizational preeminence

    Lisa Grisim, Vice President and Associate CIO, Stanford Children’s Health
    Ed Kopetsky, Vice President and CIO, Stanford Children’s Health
    Natalie Pageler, MD, CMIO, Stanford Children’s Health

    Monday, Nov. 4, 4-4:45 p.m.
    There’s an App for That: From Board Imperative to Your Digital Front Door

    While digital health has proliferated industry news and been top-of-mind for IT executives for years, one area still emerging is the digital front door. Many health systems are now creating apps, but their digital front door is often a market reaction. Join this session to hear how to develop a holistic, consumer-centric approach to plan for and implement digital strategies. Presenters will share a stepwise approach to creating the digital front door, effective ways to solicit consumer feedback, functionality to consider, and the results of a market study comparing other health systems’ apps and functionality.

    Learning Objectives

    • Describe the importance of starting now to create a well planned, not reactive approach to determining your organization’s strategy for your digital front door, including consumer input, alignment with your strategy, and acknowledging your own internal capabilities
    • Describe results of a market study, comparing several leading health systems’ apps and functionality
    • Explain a stepwise process for defining and developing your digital front door
    • Discuss how to determine success of the mobile app using user metrics, key performance indicators and return on investment measures
    • Leverage the framework shared to formulate a coordinated, integrated program in an organization

    Dan Coate, Director and Informatics and Technology Practice Lead, The Chartis Group

    Deb Muro, CIO, El Camino Hospital

    Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2:45-3:30 p.m.

    Digital Medicine Transformation: The Essential Skill for the CIO and CMIO

    The role of the CIO has fundamentally changed over the last 20 years. With the technological wave of electronic health records (EHRs), there was a rapid growth of new positions such as CMIOs as well as an ever-expanding clinical IT team. There is now a new technological wave of digital health and medicine that requires CIOs and CMIOs to broaden their role, to interact with, oversee and most importantly, develop innovation within the healthcare system. Through real-world case examples at Rush University Medical Center and Mount Sinai Health System, we present examples of standardized approaches that aim to create an environment to sustain and scale digital medicine interventions, and develop the skills to thrive in the digital era.

    Learning Objectives

    • Describe an overview of the new wave of digital health technologies that can support transition to value-based care
    • Review successful case studies of digital medicine adoption where IT played a leadership role
    • Identify ways in which digital transformation can become sustainable and scalable through a singular platform approach

    Ashish Atreja, MD, CIO, Medicine, Mount Sinai Health System

    Shafiq Rab, MBBS, CIO and Senior Vice President, Rush University Medical Center

    Tuesday, Nov. 5, 4-4:45 p.m.

    Turning Technology into a Strategic Asset

    Nebraska Medicine and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) have been going through a period of record growth, expanding year over year at an historic rate for the past 10 years. This growth has occurred on top of an aging IT infrastructure and was beginning to become an impediment to daily operations as well as to the strategic direction. During this session, learn how the IT organization transformed its people (organizational structure, roles and responsibilities, skills and staffing levels, organizational change), processes (business relationship management, strategic planning, processes, project management, systems development life cycle) and technology (software defined data center, hybrid cloud, digital workplace) to become a strategic asset to the enterprise.

    Learning Objectives

    • The steps to create a governance model that aligns information technology strategies to enterprise strategies
    • Understand how to incorporate business relationship management (BRM) into the operating model of your IT department
    • The technology that can be adopted to create time for IT staff to serve in BRM roles

    Brian Lancaster, CIO and Vice President of IT, Nebraska Medicine

    Editor’s note: The 2019 CHIME Fall CIO Forum will be Nov. 3-6 in Phoenix. More information about the forum is available here. To register, go here.

    More Inside CHIME:

    Posted 8.22.2019

  • CHIME Members Invited to Join 5G Committee

    8.22.2019
    By Jonathan Fritz, JD, MS, CFCHE, Executive Director, CHIME Innovation

    As healthcare leaders, we need to be aware of innovations that can impact healthcare and proactively assess if and how these technologies should be used to maximize benefits and minimize risks. That can be a challenge, though, especially when adopting innovations developed for industries other than healthcare.

    5G is a case in point, which is why CHIME Innovation is inviting members to join a committee to examine 5G’s role in healthcare and help develop a new educational event. We welcome members with an interest in 5G to provide thought leadership and guidance to CHIME and the healthcare industry on topics related to 5G in healthcare as well as other areas determined by the committee.

    CHIME Board Chair Shafiq Rab, MD, who is also a CHIME Innovation Advisory Board member, will chair the committee. CHIME members Cara Babachicos, Deborah Gash, John Glynn, John Kravitz and Mimi Taylor have already agreed to participate. As the executive director of CHIME innovation, I also will sit on the committee.

    5G Committee members will help build a new educational program with a focus on 5G for information and innovation executives in provider organizations as well as industry. Or goal is to create an innovative program that allows executives to learn, exchange ideas, network, and consider the adoption and impact of innovations, like 5G in health and care. Members are encouraged to think creatively about the content and how to present it. Our goal is to launch the event in 2020.

    We anticipate a minimum commitment of four, one-hour conference calls this year, with any additional time commitment depending on the member’s interest. If you would like to participate, or if you have any questions, please email me at [email protected].

    More Inside CHIME:

    Posted 8.22.2019

  • Pay It Forward Scholarship Drive: Your Opportunity to Invest in the Future

    8.22.19
    By Liz Johnson, MS, FAAN, FCHIME, LCHIME, FHIMSS, CHCIO, RN-BC, Retired CIO

    When I look back on my career, I know I would not have reached this point without the opportunities I enjoyed through CHIME to learn, network and be challenged by colleagues who helped me grow and thrive. I suspect many of you feel the same. We have been blessed by having fellow CHIME members with us on our journeys as CIOs and healthcare IT executives.

    For some of our members, though, the journey is hampered by limited resources that make it impossible to experience forums and boot camps. They want to attend in-person events but because of budget constraints, they can’t. At CHIME, we want everyone – regardless of their circumstances – to have the chance to be exceptional, to be leaders, to use their expertise to make health and care the best it can be in their communities.

    The CHIME Education Foundation has launched a Pay It Forward Campaign to encourage CHIME members to support their fellow members through donations that will fund scholarships for Spring and Fall CHIME Forums and Healthcare CIO Boot Camps. This is more important than ever in our increasingly complex industry that serves an increasingly diverse patient population. As chair of the campaign, I am asking you to invest in your colleagues and in the future of our profession.

    Please consider making a tax-deductible donation in any amount. Every dollar will help. If you are later in your career, think back on how you got here and contribute to the generation that will follow. If you are earlier in your career, consider the vacuum you will face if so many of your colleagues are not beside you to share experiences and lessons. And if you are a beneficiary of a past scholarship, recall how the experience served as a springboard for your career.

    You will be helping your fellow CHIME members, but even more the patients they serve.

    You can learn more about the campaign and make a donation here. We’d also love the hear from members who received a scholarship and what that meant for them. Please email Rose Lucas, CHIME Foundation executive assistant, at [email protected] if you would like to share your story or have any questions about the Pay It Forward campaign.

    More Inside CHIME:

    Posted 8.22.2019

  • Impact Advisors Named to Inc. 5000 List of Nation’s Fastest Growing Companies

    Firm recognized on prestigious list for fifth time

    CHICAGO, IL – August 21, 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 Inc. magazine’s Inc. 5000 list. The Inc. 5000 list is a prestigious ranking given to only U.S.-based, privately held, independent, for-profit companies with significant percentage revenue growth. This year the firm was also named a 5-Time Inc. 5000 Honoree.

    “We are honored and proud to be recognized on the Inc. 5000 list for the fifth time,” said Maria Smith, Chief Financial Officer at Impact Advisors. “Being named to the list for the fifth time is validation of the high level of quality work we provide to our clients as we help them solve their toughest challenges. We will celebrate this recognition with our associates, as their compassion and dedication to the healthcare industry fuels our results.”

    The 2019 Inc. 5000 list is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2015 and 2018. Inc.‘s annual ranking of 5,000 companies represents 49 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia, and those companies generated $237.7 billion in revenue last year. The companies on the list had an average 2018 revenue of $47.5 million and median three-year growth rate of 157.4 percent.

    Founded in 2007, Impact Advisors was built on the premise of building the nation’s premier healthcare technology consulting firm whose sole focus is service quality. The company has enjoyed consistent annual growth, tempered by hiring only the best employees in the industry. Since its inception, the firm has provided services to 270 clients nationwide and internationally.

    Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000. For more information on Impact Advisors, visit www.impact-advisors.com.

    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 8.21.2019

  • Jersey Shore University Medical Center Improves Stroke Care Communication with Vocera Solution

    New Jersey hospital reduces readmission rates for stroke patients by 50 percent

    SAN JOSE, CA — August 20, 2019 — Vocera Communications, Inc. (NYSE:VCRA), a recognized leader in clinical communication and workflow solutions, today announced that Hackensack Meridian Health Jersey Shore University Medical Center reduced readmission rates among stroke patients by 50 percent after implementing the Vocera Care Inform communication solution. Care Inform enables care team members to record live discharge instructions and teach-back sessions at the patient’s bedside.

    Nurse practitioners at Jersey Shore University Medical Center use the Care Inform mobile app to record personalized discharge instructions and create educational resources for patients with acute ischemic stroke. Patient-specific audio recordings and digital health libraries are securely saved in the software platform, where patients and family members can access these resources via phone or computer at any time during a hospital stay or after discharge.

    “We are empowering stroke survivors and their families with personalized, rich educational resources to help manage stroke recovery after they leave the hospital,” said Jackie Dwyer, R.N., MSN, CNRN, Stroke Program manager at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. “I think when patients hear discharge instructions and teach-back sessions that include their own voices, and the voices of their nurses, it helps improve accountability and compliance.”

    Approximately 1 in 4 stroke survivors has another stroke. Knowing the signs and symptoms and following the right care plan can help reduce secondary risks.

    After implementing the patient education program supported by Care Inform, the Jersey Shore University Medical Center Stroke Rescue Center reduced readmission rates to 3.6 percent from 7.2 percent. Additionally, the Center saw a 7 percent increase in medication compliance and a 3 percent increase in patients making follow-up appointments with their primary care physicians. There also were increases in the number of patients who could recite signs and symptoms of stroke and personal risk factors.

    Dwyer will share details of the patient education and communication program at the AANN Advances in Stroke Care Conference, August 22-24, 2019, in Austin, Texas.

    “Stroke programs across the country can benefit from the communication strategy and secondary prevention initiative deployed at Jersey Shore University Medical Center,” said Rhonda Collins, DNP, R.N., chief nursing officer of Vocera. “It’s impressive to see how the hospital’s Stroke Rescue Center uses voice technology to transform patient engagement and improve care plan compliance.”

    ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH JERSEY SHORE UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER

    Located in Neptune, New Jersey, Hackensack Meridian Health Jersey Shore University Medical Center is a not-for-profit teaching hospital and the only Level II Trauma and Level II Pediatric Trauma Center in Monmouth and Ocean counties. It is home to K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital – the first children’s hospital in Monmouth and Ocean counties. With more than 1,200 physicians and dental staff in 60 specialty areas, Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s team provides quality care in a patient-centered, environmentally-friendly setting.

    The team’s commitment to excellence has earned Jersey Shore University Medical Center numerous accolades, including being named the #5 top hospital in New Jersey by U.S. News & World Report for 2019-2020. The medical center’s clinical research program and longstanding commitment to medical education are evident through an affiliation with Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University and a new affiliation with St. George’s University School of Medicine. Jersey Shore University Medical Center serves as an academic center dedicated to advancing medical knowledge, training future physicians and providing the community with access to promising medical breakthroughs.

    Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s programs and services have received numerous national recognitions, including designation as high-performing in cardiac, stroke, surgical and oncology services.

    Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s HOPE Tower – a $265 million 10-story medical office building provides a new outpatient healing experience. Guided by a patient-centered approach towards care, and informed by the latest medical breakthroughs, HOPE Tower includes advanced imaging services, a clinical academic center, innovative stimulation laboratory, state-of-the-art amphitheater, specialty physician offices, a nine-level parking garage, and a 58,000 square foot cancer facility. The new cancer facility features a range of comprehensive treatment options, including surgical specialties, medical oncology, and the most advanced radiation therapy and minimally invasive interventional therapies. Nurse navigators guide patients through every step and provide an extra layer of support and coordination.

    About Vocera

    The mission of Vocera Communications, Inc. is to simplify and improve the lives of healthcare professionals and patients, while enabling hospitals to enhance quality of care and operational efficiency. In 2000, when the company was founded, we began to forever change the way care teams communicate. Today, Vocera offers the leading platform for improving clinical communication and workflow. More than 1,850 facilities worldwide, including nearly 1,600 hospitals and healthcare facilities, have selected our clinical communication and workflow solutions. Care team members use our solutions to communicate and collaborate with co-workers by securely texting or calling, and to be notified of important alerts and alarms. They can choose the right device for their role or task, including smartphones or our hands-free, wearable Vocera Smartbadge and Vocera Badge. Interoperability between the Vocera Platform and more than 140 clinical and operational systems helps reduce alarm fatigue; speed up staff response times; and improve patient care, safety, and experience. In addition to healthcare, Vocera is at home in luxury hotels, aged care facilities, nuclear power facilities, schools, libraries, retail stores, and more. Vocera solutions make a difference in any industry where workers are on the move and need to connect instantly with team members and access resources or information quickly. In 2017, Vocera made the list of Forbes 100 Most Trustworthy Companies in America. Learn more at www.vocera.com and follow @VoceraComm on Twitter.

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

    Media Contact
    Shanna Hearon 
    Vocera Communications, Inc. 
    669.999.3368 
    [email protected]

    Posted 8.20.2019

  • Healthcare Embracing New Era of Compliance and Analytics

    Protenus completes $17M Series C round, led by LTP with participation from Providence Ventures

    BALTIMORE, MD – August 20, 2019 – ​​​Healthcare compliance analytics company Protenus today announced a $17M investment from some of the country’s top healthcare technology investment firms, to keep up with growing customer demand and to continue partnering with health systems that aim to take a more innovative approach to maintain compliance. Founded in 2014, Protenus helps health systems leverage healthcare compliance analytics to demonstrate 100% compliance and proactively identify risk across the organization, such as inappropriate access to patient data and the theft and misuse of controlled substances by hospital staff.

    “It’s important for hospitals to embrace digitally-enabled tech stacks that help increase workflow efficiencies and reduce organizational risk. Healthcare compliance analytics is becoming a critical component of any health system looking to drastically amplify its compliance workforce with artificial intelligence,” stated Aaron Martin, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer of Providence St. Joseph Health. “Leveraging the latest advances in technology can help to proactively identify threats to the organization, workforce, or patients, hopefully mitigating these incidents before they pose any significant harm.”

    Protenus was ranked as a top solution in patient privacy monitoring by Black Book and KLAS Research. Protenus was also named a Gartner “Cool Vendor” in Healthcare Artificial Intelligence and received the Innovation of the Year in Data Security award by Healthcare Informatics. Protenus was recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare in 2018 and 2019, and its co-founders, Nick Culbertson & Robert Lord, were finalists for the 2019 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Mid-Atlantic region.

    “We’re seeing rapid adoption of healthcare compliance analytics across the U.S.,” said Protenus CEO and Co-founder Nick Culbertson. “Our team is thrilled to see the Protenus platform repeatedly deliver impactful results to our customers and help set a higher standard when it comes to protecting patients and their data.” 

    Protenus growth has continued to outpace expectations and transform the industry with its ground-breaking AI-powered analytics. The $17M Series C funding round, which will accelerate sales and continue to foster innovation throughout the industry, was led by LTP, with Kaiser Permanente Ventures, F-Prime Capital, Arthur Ventures, Lionbird, and Providence Ventures participating.

    With this funding round, LTP Co-founder and Managing Partner Jared Kesselheim, M.D., joins the board of directors at Protenus. Dr. Kesselheim is a healthcare industry veteran with 14 years of experience in healthcare as an investor and physician. “Protenus is leading the industry by using their expertise in healthcare compliance analytics to better protect patient data, as well as better protect hospital workforce from the dangers of clinical drug diversion,” stated Dr. Kesselheim. “We are very excited to partner with Nick and the Protenus team as they continue to innovate the healthcare industry.”

    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.

    About LTP

    LTP invests in privately-held innovative companies in the healthcare information technology and services sectors. The firm was founded in 2016 by Todd Cozzens and Jared Kesselheim, MD. LTP applies the decades of operational, clinical and investing experience and extensive industry contacts of its managing partners and team members to help founders and CEOs build valuable businesses. Visit the website at www.LTPequity.com to learn more.

    About Providence Ventures

    Providence Ventures was founded in 2014 to manage a $150 million venture capital fund on behalf of Providence St. Joseph Health (PSJH). The organization’s second $150 million fund, which includes Protenus, launched in December 2019. The fund is designed to achieve venture class returns through direct investments in innovative healthcare companies that improve quality and convenience, lower cost and improve health outcomes. Providence Ventures offers investment capital, combined with health system expertise, to companies addressing existing and emerging pain points in healthcare. Providence Ventures partners with our portfolio companies to refine existing solutions, while expanding their adoption within and beyond our health system.

    Media Contact
    Kira Caban
    Director of Strategic Communications
    [email protected]

    Posted 8.20.2019

  • Sectra signs enterprise imaging contract with Vanderbilt Health

    Linköping, Sweden and Shelton, CT – August 20, 2019 – International medical imaging IT and cybersecurity company Sectra (STO: SECT B) will install its enterprise imaging PACS and VNA throughout Vanderbilt Health in Nashville. The Sectra solution, integrated with Epic Radiant and Cupid, will provide physicians a full patient overview on a single workstation and allow for scalability and future growth of the health system.

    In addition to Sectra PACS for diagnostic radiology and cardiology and the VNA to store any departmental imaging, the multi-year contract signed in July will include advanced visualization tools, teaching file software, Sectra Breast Imaging PACS for mammography workflow, orthopedic pre-operative planning tools, business analytics and resident workflow. Vanderbilt Health comprises Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

    “I’m pleased to welcome Vanderbilt Health to our growing customer community. Sectra is providing an imaging solution that will easily scale for growth. Additionally, we have created a customized resident workflow to address their important teaching and research requirements,” says Mikael Anden, President of Sectra, Inc.

    Sectra’s enterprise imaging solution provides a unified strategy for high production environments and supports the goal of shortened report turnaround times, enhanced result distribution workflows, and improved communication between departments.

    Epic, Cupid, and Radiant are registered trademarks of Epic Systems Corporation.

    About Sectra 
    With more than 25 years of innovation and 1,800 installations worldwide, Sectra is a leading global provider of imaging IT solutions that support healthcare in achieving patient-centric care. Sectra offers an enterprise imaging solution comprising PACS for imaging-intense departments (radiology, pathology, cardiology and orthopedics), VNA, and share and collaborate solutions. Read more about Sectra and why Sectra PACS is “Best in KLAS” for a sixth consecutive year at https://medical.sectra.com/.

    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 23 522

    Posted 8.20.2019

  • CHIME Transitioned to Zoom for Better User Experience

    8.20.2019
    By Arika Lycan, Director, Corporate Partner Services

    As we launch into our last full month of summer, CHIME has some exciting changes in store to make our members’ user experience better and more streamlined. One of these changes is our recent transition in our video conferencing platform from WebEx to Zoom. Effective Aug. 1, CHIME is using Zoom for all College LIVE webinars, Online Focus Groups, internal and external meetings (Committees, Group presentations, etc.) 

    The first step to join us in our transition will be to download Zoom if you’ve not yet done so. Zoom is easy to download, but might take a few minutes initially. If you’re planning to attend a meeting or online event with CHIME, please give yourself time to connect with Zoom ahead of schedule. 

    The features we are most excited to make use of include better platform consistency, increased connection dependability for CHIME members and the CHIME team, and easier content sharing. We will do everything to make this a smooth transition. We appreciate your  patience and we thank you for your proactive adoption of Zoom as our new platform of choice! 

    Posted 8.20.2019
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