• Talkdesk Integrates with Epic, Joins Epic App Orchard Marketplace

    Empowers healthcare providers to deliver better, more personalized patient experiences with Talkdesk CX Cloud™

    • Talkdesk integrates with one of the nation’s leading electronic health records (EHR) solutions
    • Creates a complete view of the patient journey across all channels and touchpoints by unifying vital data with contact center operations in a single user interface
    • Talkdesk CX Cloud enables providers to evolve their contact center into a patient-centric strategic resource with seamless connections that improve patient satisfaction, as well as health and business outcomes

    SAN FRANCISCO–May 26, 2021–Talkdesk®, Inc., the global customer experience leader for customer-obsessed companies, today announced its integration with Epic EHR and the availability of Talkdesk CX Cloud in App Orchard, giving healthcare organizations a better way to provide patients with seamless, personalized service. 

    As the use of “digital front doors” gains traction, patients are increasingly expecting faster, frictionless experiences and the kind of personalization offered by consumer goods and services companies. Improving patient experience beyond the physical walls of a clinic or hospital presents challenges for many providers, particularly in understanding the full picture of the patient journey across all communication channels – web, email, SMS, mobile app, virtual agent, or live agent. 

    Through its standards-based integration with Epic, one of the nation’s leading EHR platforms, Talkdesk makes it easier for providers to guide patients in navigating the multiple touchpoints and complexities of the healthcare system and optimize every interaction. Leveraging a single user interface, Talkdesk Workspace™, contact center agents, front desk staff and other patient-facing employees can access comprehensive, contextualized data to deliver patient experiences that feel synchronized and personalized. Healthcare providers can also more efficiently serve patients by automatically identifying inbound callers, gathering information from the IVR, and intelligently route them to the best contact center team, facility or provider office.

    “Our patients and their families expect and deserve seamless and personalized interactions whenever they engage with Memorial Healthcare System,” said Jeff Sturman, chief digital officer, Memorial Healthcare System. “Integrating Epic with Talkdesk brings more context and greater efficiency to our conversations and is essential in enabling us to deliver exceptional experiences for the people we serve.”

    In today’s world, the contact center functions as the hub for the modern patient experience. Agents must support appointment scheduling, address clinical questions, manage post-visit follow ups, handle prescription refills, coordinate billing and claims processing, plus so much more. Every one of these engagements leaves an impression and represents an opportunity for elevating patient satisfaction, which can ultimately lead to positive health and business outcomes. Talkdesk ResearchT™ findings underscore the critical role of contact centers in healthcare. Seven in 10 patient experience professionals consider it a high priority and strategic resource. 

    “The contact center has rapidly become a strategic asset for healthcare providers as they work to evolve towards a more patient-centric model,” said Rohit Madhavarapu, vice president of product management for healthcare and life sciences, Talkdesk. “By integrating with Epic, Talkdesk helps deliver seamless interactions by giving agents and automated channels the context and insights required to personalize and enhance patient experiences. They can additionally boost operational efficiency and, more importantly, drive clinical and business outcomes.”

    In addition to its integration with Epic and availability in App Orchard, Talkdesk also recently announced new industry product and strategy leaders for healthcare and life sciences to help providers, payers, medtech, biotech, and pharmaceutical companies reimagine the patient experience.

    Epic and App Orchard are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epic Systems Corporation. 

     

    Additional Resources: 

    Social Networks:

     

    About Talkdesk

    Talkdesk® is a global customer experience leader for customer-obsessed companies. Our contact center solution provides a better way for businesses and customers to engage with one another. Our speed of innovation and global footprint reflect our commitment to ensure businesses everywhere can deliver better customer experiences through any channel, resulting in higher customer satisfaction, cost savings and profitability. Talkdesk CX Cloud™  is an end-to-end customer experience solution that combines enterprise scale with consumer simplicity. Over 1,800 innovative companies around the world, including IBM, Acxiom, Trivago, and Fujitsu partner with Talkdesk to deliver a better way to great customer experience. Learn more and request a demo at www.talkdesk.com.

    Talkdesk is a registered trademark of Talkdesk, Inc. All product and company names are trademarks™ or registered® trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.  

     

    Media Contacts: 

    Americas

    Camille Beasley 

    [email protected]

    (972) 896-1936

     

    EMEA 

    Douglas Keighley

    [email protected]

    +44 7830144613

    Posted 5.28.2021

  • CHIME21 Summer Forum Covers the Full ONC Dynasty, from Its Forefather to Current Leader

    All Eight National Coordinators Will Speak During a 2-Day Live-Broadcasted Event with Panel Discussions, Keynote Addresses and More  
     
    ANN ARBOR, MI, May 25, 2021 – From transitioning hospitals from paper to electronic records in the early 2000s to making information in those electronic records more accessible to patients and their providers starting in 2021, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has been the federal government’s lever for digital transformation in healthcare. Eight leaders have been charged with advancing the program from inception to its current state – eight leaders who will be assembled together to share their experiences and views on the future of health IT during the CHIME21 Summer Forum.  
     
    Giving attendees the opportunity to learn about ONC’s journey from its launch to today and into the future is one of many highlights in a new summer event hosted by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME). The CHIME21 Summer Forum on June 16 and 17 will include live broadcasts from three locations – Washington, D.C., Atlanta and Salt Lake City – in presentations that feature prominent CIOs, past and present federal decision makers and other leaders in the industry.
     
    This is believed to be the first time that the full ONC dynasty has been brought together to discuss ONC’s efforts to establish the infrastructure for digitally enabled healthcare nationwide. Beginning in 2004, these ONC leaders led efforts to advance interoperability and data sharing across the care continuum. Speakers include:
     
    • Micky Tripathi, PhD, the current national coordinator at ONC, who took the helm on Jan. 20, 2021, in a one-on-one discussion with CHIME President and CEO Russell Branzell
    • In a panel discussion moderated by Aaron Miri, CIO at Dell Medical School and University of Texas Health in Austin:
    • Don Rucker, MD, national coordinator from 2017-2021
    • Vindell Washington, MD, currently chief clinical officer at Verily Health Platforms and 2016-2017 national coordinator
    • Karen DeSalvo, MD, currently chief health officer at Google Health and 2014-2016 national coordinator
    • Farzad Mostashari, MD, CEO of Aledade and 2011-2013 national coordinator
    • David Blumental, MD, president of the Commonwealth Fund and 2009-2011 national coordinator
    • Rob Kolodner, MD, vice president and chief medical officer at ViTel Net and 2006-2009 national coordinator
    • David Brailer, MD, PhD, chairman of Health Evolution and 2004-2006 national coordinator, in a one-on-one discussion with Scott MacLean, senior vice president and CIO at MedStar Health
     
    “The ONC has been the driving force behind bringing EMRs into our hospitals and health systems and more recently promoting interoperability and data sharing,” said John Kravitz, chair of CHIME’s Board of Trustees and corporate CIO at Geisinger. “As CIOs, we’ve been tasked with integrating this technology into our business and clinical operations in compliance with federal regulations. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear the ‘how’ and ‘why’ behind every step from the leaders at the top and learn what’s in store for 2021 and beyond.”
     
    The Summer Forum will include CIO panel discussions on digital health from the perspectives of technology and clinical leaders, healthcare innovation’s role in value creation and other opportunities for CHIME members to share their stories. Richard Pollack, the president and CEO of the American Hospital Association, will discuss the recovery, rebuilding and reimagining of the healthcare ecosystem. Edward You, supervisory special agent in the FBI’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate, will close out the forum with a keynote presentation on foreign adversaries’ efforts to exploit American’s health data and how CIOs and other IT executives can fight back. 
     
    The CHIME21 Summer Forum is open to members of any healthcare provider organization as well members of CHIME, CHIME’s three associations and CHIME Foundation firm members. More details about the program, speakers and registration are 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), chief innovation officers (CIOs), chief digital officers (CDOs) and other senior healthcare IT leaders. With more than 5,000 members in 56 countries plus two U.S. territories and over 150 healthcare IT business partners and professional services firms, CHIME and its three associations provide 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 care 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 5.25.2021

  • Veradigm Announces Collaboration With Lash Group to Streamline Patient Care

    Allscripts and AmerisourceBergen businesses are accelerating the fulfillment of specialty medications through innovation and automation in support of physician practices, patient adherence and better outcomes

    CHICAGO, IL – May 25, 2021 – Veradigm®, a leading provider of data and technology solutions and a business unit of Allscripts Healthcare Solutions (NASDAQ: MDRX), today announced an agreement with Lash Group, a patient support services business, and a part of AmerisourceBergen. This relationship will enable specialty medications, supported by Lash Group, to be available for management within the Veradigm AccelRx™ platform, which streamlines the specialty enrollment process for users of Veradigm, Allscripts’ and other electronic health record (EHR) software vendors. 

    To obtain their specialty medication, a patient’s prescription passes through a range of healthcare stakeholders, including payers, patient support programs and pharmacies. All have long sought tech enablement, further upstream in the EHR and providers’ native workflow, to simplify and automate the analog work that drive gaps in clinical data, phone calls and faxes to the clinic and extended wait times for patients to receive their prescribed medications. Through this collaboration, Veradigm and Lash Group can deliver a frictionless solution that will drive efficiency, resulting in a streamlined process and increased speed-to-therapy.

    Combining one of healthcare’s largest prescriber bases, an innovative cloud-based software solution, and decades of e-prescribing and prior authorization leadership, Veradigm AccelRx™ delivers a unique breakthrough solution that is helping to streamline specialty medication management for medical clinics and practices across the country.

    “It is critical that new technologies are employed to get patients on their therapies more quickly to improve health outcomes. This strategic relationship with Lash Group is a major step in Veradigm’s progress toward expediting the specialty drug review, approval and fulfillment process,” says Tom Langan, Veradigm CEO. “In collaborating with a market leader with extensive reach like Lash Group, we enable our broad network of providers to access even more specialty medications through Veradigm AccelRx™.  Together, we will make a meaningful difference for patients and the providers that serve them.”

    “As the specialty pharmaceutical market has grown, we’ve continued to evolve our support to remove barriers, simplify the patient experience and accelerate patient access to the treatment they need,” said Lash Group President Tommy Bramley. “This collaboration with Veradigm is the latest example of how we are working with organizations across the industry to create robust, integrated offerings that further enhances our ability to support patients and improve their quality of life.”

    Learn more about the Veradigm AccelRx™ solution here.

     

    About Veradigm®

    Veradigm is an integrated data systems and services company that combines data-driven clinical insights with actionable tools to help healthcare stakeholders improve the quality, efficiency, and value of healthcare delivery— including biopharma, health plans, healthcare providers, health technology partners, and most importantly, the patients they serve. We are dedicated to simplifying the complicated healthcare system with next-generation healthcare solutions. This is how we are transforming health, insightfully. To learn more, visit www.veradigm.com. Veradigm® is a business unit of Allscripts.

     

    About Allscripts

    Allscripts (NASDAQ: MDRX) is a leader in healthcare information technology solutions that advance clinical, financial and operational results. Our innovative solutions connect people, places and data across an Open, Connected Community of Health™. Connectivity empowers caregivers to make better decisions and deliver better care for healthier populations. To learn more, visit www.allscripts.com, Twitter, YouTube and It Takes A Community: The Allscripts Blog.

     

     

    For more information contact:

    Investors:

    Stephen Shulstein

    312-386-6735

    [email protected]

     

    Media:
    Concetta Rasiarmos
    312-447-2466
    [email protected]

    Posted 5.25.2021

  • Sixth Year Pivot Point Consulting Recognized by Modern Healthcare as a Best Places to Work in Healthcare

    NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Pivot Point Consulting, a Vaco Company and #1 Best in KLAS Overall IT Services Firm (2020), is thrilled to be selected by Modern Healthcare as one of the 2021 Best Places to Work in Healthcare, marking the sixth year the firm has been included in the list.

    “Being included in this list is a testament to our commitment to our employees’ health and happiness, especially during challenging times,” said Rachel Marano, Pivot Point Consulting Co-Founder and Managing Partner. “Our top priority is investing in our employees’ well-being and satisfaction for them to perform at their highest level for our clients. It’s why our retention rate is an industry leading 97%. We are so proud to not only have the quality of our consultants’ work recognized in the industry, but have our culture validated as best in the industry by our people too. This honor speaks to our guiding principles of relationships, reliability, results.”

    This award program identifies and recognizes outstanding employers in the healthcare industry nationwide. Modern Healthcare partners with the Best Companies Group on the assessment process, which includes an extensive employee survey.

    “One year into the pandemic, we’ve seen the industry transform to meet the needs of its patients and employees,” said Aurora Aguilar, Modern Healthcare’s editor. “Time and time again, the most resilient and successful organizations show that empathy towards their staff, clear vision and compassion towards the patient buoys teams and sets them up for success. We congratulate the Best Places to Work in Healthcare for eliciting loyalty from their workforce and communities during harrowing times.”

    The complete list of this year’s winners, in alphabetical order, is available at ModernHealthcare.com/bestplaceslist. Modern Healthcare will publish a special supplement featuring a ranked list of all the winners along with the September 20 issue of MH. 

    Pivot Point Consulting will find out their ranking on the Best Places list and be celebrated at the 2021 Best Places to Work in Healthcare awards gala taking place on September 16 at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel Chicago. Information on the award gala and conference is available at ModernHealthcare.com/BestPlacesGala. 

    For more information, visit us at pivotpointconsulting.com.

     

    About Pivot Point Consulting:

    Pivot Point Consulting enables healthcare organizations to realize the most value from their technology and resources through our Advisory, Enterprise Application Support, EHR, ERP, Data Analytics and Revenue Cycle Management services. Our experts deliver consulting, managed services and talent solutions to providers, payers and life sciences organizations.

    Pivot Point Consulting has earned multiple industry and workplace quality awards, including Best in KLAS: Overall IT Services Firm (2020), Top Three Best in KLAS for HIT Implementation and Support (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019), Highest Rated Vendor in KLAS Implementation Services in the Select Category (2017), #1 in KLAS for Epic Consulting in the Select Category (2016), #9 in Modern Healthcare’s Best Places to Work (2016).

    Practices: Epic®, Community Connect®, Cerner®, Siemens®, Allscripts®, MEDITECH®, McKesson®, Centricity®, eClinicalWorks®, NextGen® CPSI®, MEDHOST®, athenahealth®, Greenway®, Workday®, Lawson/Infor®, Peoplesoft®, SAP®, Kronos® and Facets®.

    For more information, visit us at pivotpointconsulting.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter

     

    Media Contact: 

    Kim Warth,

    Amendola Communications,

    [email protected]

     

    SOURCE Pivot Point Consulting

    Related Links

    http://pivotpointconsulting.com

    Posted 5.24.2021

  • KLAS and Censinet Announce Partnership Momentum and Strategic Plan to Help Modernize Cybersecurity in Healthcare

    “Cybersecurity Transparent” Designation and Program Builds Upon Recent White House Executive Order for Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity

    SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH AND BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – May 18, 2021 – KLAS, a healthcare research and insights firm, and Censinet, the leading provider of healthcare IT risk solutions, today announced a significant advancement in its joint mission to improve cybersecurity preparedness in healthcare. This new initiative builds upon the recent Presidential Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity and the partnership between the companies last year to help healthcare IT vendors and services firms improve their overall risk and security profile by driving greater trust and transparency to thousands of healthcare providers.

    “President Biden’s executive order calls on the private sector to ‘ensure its products are built and operate securely.’ This executive order highlights the urgent need to fortify all healthcare technology and processes against attack,” says Adam Gale, President of KLAS. “The newly announced KLAS and Censinet ‘Cybersecurity Transparency’ designation recognizes those 26 trailblazing vendors and firms who were willing to stand up and show the market that they have prepared themselves to be secure partners to their customers.”

    “The KLAS and Censinet partnership makes a significant contribution toward modernizing cybersecurity in healthcare by improving information sharing between healthcare sector organizations on cyber issues and standardizing on best practices for quickly remediating incidents as they occur,” stated Ed Gaudet, CEO and Founder of Censinet. “The recent attacks on healthcare and our nation’s infrastructure remind us that cybersecurity requires transparency and collaboration – going it alone is no longer a valid strategy.”

    Since the announcement of their partnership in December 2020, KLAS and Censinet have assessed and rated more than 130 healthcare products on the Censinet RiskOps platform. The newly announced “Cybersecurity Transparent” designation sets the standard of excellence for cloud, software, hardware, medical devices, and services firms. For vendors, “Cybersecurity Transparent” demonstrates a willingness to share and continually improve their risk posture and overall cybersecurity maturity. This program is offered to vendors free of charge. Healthcare provider and payer organizations can expect an extraordinary level of commitment and partnership from participating vendors to improve patient care safely and securely.

    In addition, the KLAS and Censinet Strategic Plan to Help Modernize Healthcare Cybersecurity applies key tenets of the Executive Order to the healthcare sector and addresses the following core areas:

    ● Enabling Cybersecurity Preparedness Transparency and Information Sharing
    ● Implementing Stronger Cybersecurity Standards
    ● Improving Software Supply Chain Security
    ● Standardizing Playbooks for Vulnerability Detection and Incident Response
    ● Developing and Enforcing Remediation Plans Uniformly and Consistently

    KLAS and Censinet will share the details of the strategic plan, an interpretation of the Executive Order for healthcare, and an implementation framework in a webinar entitled “A Strategic Plan to Modernize Cybersecurity in Healthcare.” It will be presented live on Wednesday, May 26, 2021, at 12:00 PM ET and features Adam Gale and Ed Gaudet, both leading proponents and active participants in healthcare cybersecurity. Register here: censinet.com/modernize-cybersecurity-healthcare-webinar.

    CYBERSECURITY TRANSPARENT ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDE:
    Agfa HealthCare – global.agfahealthcare.com
    AGS Health – agshealth.com
    Aquity Solutions – aquitysolutions.com
    Arcadia.io – arcadia.io
    Aunt Bertha – company.auntbertha.com
    Azara Healthcare – azarahealthcare.com
    Casenet – casenetllc.com
    Cerner – cerner.com
    ChartWise – chartwisemed.com
    Ciox Health – cioxhealth.com
    CipherHealth cipherhealth.com
    CITI – citi-us.com
    CSI Healthcare IT – csicompanies.com
    CynergisTek – cynergistek.com
    Divurgent – divurgent.com
    emids – emids.com
    Health Catalyst – healthcatalyst.com
    Iatric Systems, Inc. – new.iatric.comIodine Software – iodinesoftware.com
    PerfectServe – perfectserve.com
    RevSpring – revspringinc.com
    Sectra – medical.sectra.com
    Triyam – triyam.com
    Twistle – twistle.com
    Unite Us – uniteus.com
    Vital – vitalimages.com
    To learn more about the KLAS and Censinet Strategic Plan to Help Modernize Healthcare Cybersecurity, please visit censinet.com/klas.

    About KLAS
    KLAS has been providing accurate, honest, and impartial insights for the healthcare IT (HIT) industry since 1996. The KLAS mission is to improve the world’s healthcare by amplifying the voice of providers and payers. The scope of our research is constantly expanding to best fit market needs as technology becomes increasingly sophisticated. KLAS finds the hard-to-get HIT data by building strong relationships with our payer and provider friends in the industry. Learn more at klasresearch.com.

    About Censinet
    Censinet, based in Boston, MA, enables healthcare organizations to take the risk out of their business with Censinet RiskOps™, the first and only cloud-based exchange that integrates and
    consolidates enterprise risk management and operations capabilities across critical clinical and business areas. RiskOps builds upon the Company’s foundational success with third-party risk
    management (TPRM) for healthcare. Censinet transforms healthcare risk by increasing productivity and operational effectiveness while eliminating risks to care delivery, data privacy, and patient safety. Find out more about Censinet and its RiskOps platform at censinet.com.

     

    Contacts:

    Taylor Davis

    KLAS

    (801) 615-9485

    [email protected] 

     

    Rob Ciampa

    Censinet

    (617) 286-6785

    [email protected]

    Posted 5.21.2021

  • LexisNexis Risk Solutions 2021 Mental Health Report Validates Surge in Mental Health Telehealth Claims During Pandemic

    Telehealth Enabled Patients in Need of Mental Health Services to Continue Treatment

    ATLANTA, May 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The Health Care business of LexisNexis® Risk Solutions has released the 2021 COVID-19 Mental Health Impact Report, which leverages data from more than 2.2 billion aggregated de-identified medical claims. The data validates that mental health telehealth claims have increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the demand for mental health services overall increased slightly during the pandemic, the real measurable increase has been in telehealth visits for mental health. Social distancing requirements have made in-person office visits difficult or impossible, and the data from LexisNexis MarketView™ reveals that a greater number of patients sought behavioral health services through telehealth during the pandemic.

    Prior to the pandemic, telehealth was hugely underutilized for mental health services. The dramatic spike in mental health telehealth medical claims from January 2020 to February 2021 acknowledges the impact the pandemic has had on the need for mental health services. This is particularly relevant as May is Mental Health Month, which is dedicated to educating the public on how to support those struggling with mental health issues and increasing awareness on the state of behavioral healthcare services.

    To understand the impact of COVID-19 on mental health services, the new report tracks data from eight key metrics, including visits for anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. The report found that more patients overall are seeking treatment for mental and behavioral health services during the pandemic, while those who had already been using these services showed a slight increase in visits during the early months. Specifically, the report’s primary findings indicate:

    • 6,500 percent increase in telehealth claims for behavioral health services January 2020 to February 2021
    • 3,000 percent increase in telehealth visits for anxiety
    • 2,500 percent increase in telehealth visits for depression
    • 1,400 percent increase in substance abuse care in telehealth

    “The combination of the pandemic prompting the rapid adoption of telehealth services by providers and patients, and the continued need for mental health services, logically suggests that remote behavioral health visits would increase over the last year,” said Josh Schoeller, CEO, Health Care, LexisNexis Risk Solutions. “At LexisNexis Risk Solutions, we had the opportunity and the data to quantify that effect for the industry. Especially during Mental Health Month, we feel that it is vital to gauge the effect more precisely and show the scale of continued need for telehealth services in this important area.”

    By leveraging data from more than 2.2 billion aggregated de-identified medical claims, LexisNexis MarketView™ delivers insights into areas including referral patterns, physician alignment strategies, the quality of clinically integrated networks, patient volumes, and reimbursement insights.

    For more information download the report.

    About LexisNexis Risk Solutions 
    LexisNexis® Risk Solutions harnesses the power of data and advanced analytics to provide insights that help businesses and governmental entities reduce risk and improve decisions to benefit people around the globe. We provide data and technology solutions for a wide range of industries including insurance, financial services, health care and government. Headquartered in metro Atlanta, Georgia, we have offices throughout the world and are part of RELX (LSE: REL/NYSE: RELX), a global provider of information-based and analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. For more information, please visit www.risk.lexisnexis.com and www.relx.com.  

    SOURCE LexisNexis Risk Solutions

    Related Links

    http://www.lexisnexis.com

    Posted 5.20.2021

  • Aimee Sziklai Joins Guidehouse To Lead Health Segment Commercial Payer Practice

    Former Health Plan Executive to Extend Firm’s Broad Set of Strategy, Health IT, and Operational Solutions Across Payer, Provider, and Public Health Clients

    WASHINGTON – May 19, 2021, Guidehouse, a leading global provider of consulting services to the public and commercial markets, has named Aimee Sziklai a new partner and the Commercial Payer leader of its Health segment.

    A former health plan executive, Sziklai brings extensive knowledge and experience in global payer operations. With expertise in managed payer services, Sziklai focuses on embedding forward-leaning digital transformation, cloud-based, and automation solutions and capabilities into health plan models and their partnerships with public and private healthcare organizations.

    “We are thrilled to welcome Aimee to our team of seasoned experts,” said Alicia Harkness, Guidehouse partner, and Health segment leader. “Under her leadership, Guidehouse and our clients are well-positioned to tackle the evolving landscape of payer-provider relationships, dynamic global operations, and complex local, state, and federal compliance and regulatory guidelines.”

    Guidehouse’s aligned Commercial Payer and Provider practice offers robust strategy, payer-provider partnership, financial improvement, technology, and operational readiness solutions and services. The team has deep payer expertise in government programs, revenue growth, network strategies, and clinical initiatives.

    Sziklai is a skilled healthcare executive with a proven track record in designing, building, and implementing strategy and operations, vendor management, consulting, technology, business process outsourcing, sales, and mergers and acquisition initiatives. She has significant managed care and risk model experience, including building and launching a managed Medicaid payer.

    Formerly vice president and health business unit leader at Capgemini, Sziklai also served as chief operating officer for Gold Coast Health Plan, overseeing all facets of design, build, and monitoring for call center, claims processing, and performance measurement systems. Additionally, she led vendor management engagements at Anthem and was managing director at Three-Sixty Advisory Group, supporting emerging healthcare companies with growth opportunities.

    As the leading global consultancy that integrates strategy and policy expertise with deep industry partnerships across the health ecosystem and beyond, the Guidehouse Health segment includes a team of provider and public health administrators, clinicians, scientists, and other experts with decades of policy, financial, digital, operational, managed care, and managed services experience.

    With 11 KLAS #1 rankings, the Guidehouse Health team helps hospitals, health systems, and other providers, government agencies, life sciences companies, employers, and payers deliver innovative services to their communities and customers. Visit the Guidehouse Center for Health Insights for a complete view of payment, operational, and consumer disruption insights and solutions.

    About Guidehouse
    Guidehouse is a leading global provider of consulting services to the public and commercial markets, with broad capabilities in management, technology, and risk consulting. We help clients address their toughest challenges and navigate significant regulatory pressures with a focus on transformational change, business resiliency, and technology-driven innovation. Across a range of advisory, consulting, outsourcing, and digital services, we create scalable, innovative solutions that prepare our clients for future growth and success. The company has more than 9,000 professionals in over 50 locations globally. Guidehouse is a Veritas Capital portfolio company led by seasoned professionals with proven and diverse expertise in traditional and emerging technologies, markets, and agenda-setting issues driving national and global economies. For more information, please visit www.guidehouse.com.

    Key Contacts

    Aimee Sziklai

    Commercial Payer Leader

    [email protected]

    Posted 5.19.2021

  • Stoltenberg Consulting’s Health IT Industry Outlook Survey reveals five key leadership trends for 2021 amid pandemic recovery

    PITTSBURGH, May 19, 2021 — In the ninth annual Health IT Industry Outlook Survey conducted by Stoltenberg Consulting Inc., a leading healthcare information technology consulting firm, 59% of healthcare chief information officers (CIOs) identified “getting the most out of existing IT purchases, like the EHR system” as the biggest financial goal for the year, followed by “maximizing value-based care reimbursement” at 20%, “improving and sustaining the speed and accuracy of financial reporting” at 11%, and “reducing claims denials and speeding up patient payments” at 9%.

    IT departments are feeling intense pressure to not only unify care coordination, but also optimize digital health expansion amid the COVID-19 financial aftermath. In terms of operational hurdles, for a second year in a row, “retaining and budgeting for qualified IT resources” (55%) stood out as CIOs’ biggest operational burden in the aftershock of many hospitals’ significant IT spending and staffing changes in response to the pandemic.

    The pandemic also propelled a shift in overall focus. When asked, “Aside from COVID-19, what do you predict is the biggest focus for the health IT industry this year?” over half of CIOs deemed “patient engagement” as the industry’s top priority for the year. In a major change from last year, prioritization on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning dropped dramatically. This year, just 14% of CIOs said AI is their top area of focus.

    “Whereas healthcare organizations may have previously gone through the motions of patient engagement enablement for value-based care incentives,” said Sheri Stoltenberg, Founder and CEO of Stoltenberg Consulting, “the pandemic’s dramatic shift to remote care and true digital health advancement has forever transformed consumer-driven patient expectations toward taking a more active, yet convenient role in their own care journeys.”

    When assessing where healthcare organizations plan to invest the most IT dollars over the next year, catching up on “EHR new version upgrades” took the top spot (31%). Considering the onslaught of healthcare ransomware incidents in the past year, “cybersecurity measures” landed next in spending priority at 25%, followed by “maximizing data analytics programs” (22%), “telehealth support” (20%), and “applying AI initiatives” (2%). These top two spending areas aligned closely again when CIOs were asked, “What is the most recent or near future IT mission critical event for your organization?” At 33%, “cybersecurity response” took first rank with “EHR new version upgrades” closely behind at 30%, followed by “system consolidation from M&A activity” (19%), and “system, server or software patching” (17%).

    Stoltenberg cohosted the 2021 survey with the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) virtually. Survey participants represented CIOs from a comprehensive spectrum of U.S. hospital facilities, including multi-hospital health systems, community hospitals, academic medical centers and ambulatory surgical facilities.

    For a complete look at the 2021 survey results and analysis report, visit www.stoltenberg.com.

    About Stoltenberg Consulting
    FlexSourcing, Stoltenberg Consulting’s 3X Best in KLAS Partial IT Outsourcing program, delivers day-one ROI through an on-demand, versatile cross-trained workforce that can scale up at any time. Averaging 15 years of experience, Stoltenberg analysts are skilled in both financial and clinical systems with best practice expertise for Epic, Cerner, MEDITECH, NextGen, Allscripts, and eClinicalWorks systems. Through FlexSourcing’s agile program including Tier 1 service desk, get the most out of your EHR investment. Align flexible IT support with your health system’s evolving needs to curb EHR burnout, boost physician satisfaction, and improve the patient experience. To see how Stoltenberg simplifies healthcare technology, visit www.stoltenberg.com.

     

    Media Contact

    Shana Tachikawa

    Stoltenberg Consulting 

    [email protected]

    419-617-8341

    Posted 5.19.2021

  • KLAS Research Awards High Ratings to uPerform, the leading Healthcare Digital Learning Platform

    ANCILE partners with KLAS Research for Disrupting Traditional Software Training First Look Report

    ANCILE Solutions, the company behind the market-leading Digital Learning Platform uPerform®, was featured in the KLAS® First Look report on Disrupting Traditional Software Training released today. The report recognizes ANCILE’s high scoring performance based on an independent survey of clients who use uPerform to provide digital training and in-application support for their electronic health record (EHR).

    ANCILE received A- to A+ performance ratings across all four customer experience categories included in the report – product has needed functionality, supports integration goals, executive involvement, and the likelihood of referrals. In addition to a 100% overall customer satisfaction rating, every respondent agreed they would purchase uPerform again. Eighty-eight percent of the clients interviewed witnessed significant and impactful outcomes within six months.

    “We are grateful for the client partnerships we have in healthcare and their trust in our solution,” said Bobby Zarr, Senior Director of Healthcare at ANCILE. “The invaluable feedback received in the First Look Report will help enhance our customer experience and accelerate the transformation of
    health IT training.”

    Health systems interviewed by KLAS shared that uPerform enables them to train staff on-demand and standardize training materials by providing clinicians a centralized library for all training content. uPerform’s integrated help buttons and links provide clinicians with relevant training materials directly within the EHR workflows – helping clinicians become more proficient users faster.

    uPerform is already used by 22 healthcare systems to address the difficulties traditional instructor led training and ongoing support pose to hospitals, including high training costs, EHR utilization and compliance issues, and low clinician satisfaction. Role-based in-application learning at the point of care improves onboarding, reduces time spent in the EHR system by reinforcing training, and decreases time in training so clinicians can spend more time on what matters most – their patients. Education teams benefit from a full learning content development, management, and distribution platform that increases operational efficiency and reduces training costs.

    Contact ANCILE for a copy of the KLAS First Look Report.
    For more information on uPerform or ANCILE, visit https://www.ancile.com.
    View the uPerform for Healthcare listing on the Epic App OrchardSM
    .
    About KLAS Research
    KLAS has been providing accurate, honest, and impartial insights for the healthcare IT (HIT) industry since 1996. The KLAS mission is to improve the world’s healthcare by amplifying the voice of providers and payers. The scope of our research is constantly expanding to best fit market needs as technology becomes increasingly sophisticated. KLAS finds the hard-to-get HIT data by building strong relationships with our payer and provider friends in the industry.
    Learn more at https://klasresearch.com/.

    About ANCILE Solutions
    ANCILE Solutions, Inc. is the creator of uPerform®, a digital learning platform that drives user adoption of the world’s leading healthcare and business applications. Chosen by over half of the Fortune 100 and leading healthcare systems in the US and Europe, uPerform helps organizations realize the full value of their EHR, HCM, and ERP software by boosting proficiency, driving adoption, and reducing screen time. uPerform provides a digital approach to software enablement, from onboarding to performance support, application training is simplified and centralized on the platform.

    Media Contact
    Caitlin McVeigh
    Marketing Director
    ANCILE Solutions, Inc.
    [email protected]
    443-561-3988

    Posted 5.19.2021

  • DrFirst Honors Industry Leaders for Excellence in Using Healthcare Technology to Improve Care Collaboration, Interoperability, and Patient Outcomes

    Healthiverse Heroes Award Winners Recognized for Uniting the Healthcare Universe by Connecting People and Information at Touchpoints of Care

    ROCKVILLE, Md., May 18, 2021 –Health technology pioneer DrFirst today announced the winners of its inaugural Healthiverse Heroes Award, honoring healthcare providers and organizations that are breaking through information silos that stand in the way of clinical collaboration and patient care.

    “Forward-thinking providers and organizations have taken extraordinary measures during the pandemic to find ways to shatter barriers to clinical collaboration and ensure patients receive the best possible care,” said G. Cameron Deemer, president of DrFirst. “We’re pleased to honor these industry leaders with the Healthiverse Heroes Award, and we encourage the healthcare industry to join us in congratulating these trailblazers for their exceptional efforts and success.”

    The Healthiverse Heroes Award is an extension of DrFirst’s efforts to unite the Healthiverse, a term the company introduced in 2020 as part of its 20-year anniversary to represent its vision for connecting healthcare providers and patients with the information they need when and where they need it.

    Winners were selected based on multiple criteria, including innovative use of technology, level of impact, and effectiveness in breaking down information silos to improve care collaboration, interoperability, and patient outcomes. Nominees were judged by DrFirst’s clinical team, including its chief medical officer and others with backgrounds in medicine, nursing, emergency medical services, and pharmacy.

    The 2021 Healthiverse Heroes Award winners include:

    Emergency Medical Services: Neptune Township Emergency Medical Services

    Healthcare Providers: Jeffrey Schnipper, M.D., MPH, Director of Clinical Research, Brigham & Women’s Hospital Medicine Unit and Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

    Hospitals and Health Systems (500+ beds): WellSpan Health

    Hospitals and Health Systems (100-500 beds): Frederick Health

    Life Sciences: United BioSource

    Pharmacies: Bartle’s Health Mart Pharmacy

    Vendors of Electronic Health Record Systems, Health Information Systems, and Pharmacy Information Systems:Big Sky Care Connect Health Information Exchange

    Honorable Mentions include:

    Healthcare Providers:

    Mark Gamber, D.O., EMS Director, Plano Fire-Rescue

    David C. Koronkiewicz, D.O., FAOAO, Goshen Physicians Orthopedics & Sports Medicine

    Hospitals and Health Systems (500+ beds):

    Covenant HealthCare

    Nuvance Health

    Hospitals and Health Systems (100-500 beds):

    Catawba Valley Medical Center

    Deborah Heart and Lung Center

    East Tennessee Children’s Hospital

    King’s Daughters Medical Center

    McLean Hospital

    South Shore Hospital

    Pharmacies:

    Hartzell’s Pharmacy

    Vendors of Electronic Health Records Systems, Health Information Systems, and Pharmacy Information Systems:

    eMDs

    Harris Coordinated Care Solutions

    Speed Script

    More information about all the honorees and their exceptional achievements can be found on the DrFirst website.

    About DrFirst

    Since 2000, DrFirst has pioneered healthcare technology solutions and consulting services that securely connect people at touchpoints of care to improve patient outcomes. We create unconventional solutions that solve care collaboration, medication management, price transparency, and adherence challenges faced in healthcare. We unite the Healthiverse—the interconnected healthcare universe—by providing our clients with real-time access to the information they need, exactly when and how they need it, so patients get the best care possible. DrFirst solutions are used by nearly 300,000 healthcare professionals, including more than 100,000 prescribers, nearly half of the EHRs in the U.S., and more than 1,400 hospitals in the U.S. and Canada. To learn more, visit www.DrFirst.com and follow @DrFirst.

     

    DrFirst Media Contact

    Katlyn Nesvold
    Amendola Communications for DrFirst
    715-559-0046
    [email protected]

    Posted 5.19.2021

  • Impact Advisors Makes Modern Healthcare’s 2021 Best Places to Work in Healthcare List for 12th Year

    CHICAGO (May 17, 2021) – Impact Advisors, a leading healthcare consultancy providing strategy, operations, revenue cycle management, and technology services, has been recognized as one of Modern Healthcare’s Best Places to Work in Healthcare for the 12th consecutive year.

    “We are so proud to make this list – it’s a wonderful recognition for the amazing work we do for our clients and the dedicated team of employees who make that work happen,” said Andy Smith, president and co-founder of Impact Advisors. “Our company is experiencing tremendous growth, we’re doing important work, and we prioritize our team and their wellbeing. We are grateful for the opportunity to do all of that and to deliver meaningful impact for those we serve.”

    This award program identifies and recognizes outstanding employers in the healthcare industry nationwide. Modern Healthcare partners with the Best Companies Group on the assessment process, which includes an extensive employee survey.

    “We are excited to celebrate this tremendous achievement with our associates,” said Michael Nutter, vice president and Happyologist. “Our people are our most important asset and culture is our top priority. We are honored to once again be recognized on this list which is based on direct employee feedback. This prestigious recognition serves as validation that our culture is exceptional, and our people are happy.”

    Official rankings will be announced at the Best Places to Work Gala on Sept. 16 in Chicago. The complete list of this year’s winners is available at ModernHealthcare.com/bestplaceslist.

    “One year into the pandemic, we’ve seen the industry transform to meet the needs of its patients and employees,” said Aurora Aguilar, Modern Healthcare’s editor. “Time and time again, the most resilient and successful organizations show that empathy towards their staff, clear vision and compassion towards the patient buoys teams and sets them up for success. We congratulate the Best Places to Work in Healthcare for eliciting loyalty from their workforce and communities during harrowing times.”

    In addition to Modern Healthcare’s recognition, Impact Advisors has earned several other workplace awards, including Consulting magazine’s Best Small Firms to Work For, Becker’s Healthcare’s 150 Great Places to Work in Healthcare, Achievers’ 50 Most Engaged Workplaces, and Inc. magazine’s Best Workplaces for 2021.

     

    About Impact Advisors

    Impact Advisors is a nationally recognized healthcare management consulting and technology services firm that is solving some of the toughest challenges in the industry by delivering strategic advisory, technology implementation and operational improvement services. Our comprehensive suite of strategic planning, digital health, clinical optimization and revenue cycle services spans the lifecycle of our clients’ needs. Our experienced team has a powerful combination of clinical, revenue, operations, consulting and information technology experience. The firm has earned several prestigious industry and workplace awards including Best in KLAS® for 14 consecutive years, Healthcare Informatics HCI 100, Crain’s Chicago Business Fast Fifty, 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

    815-282-9976

    [email protected]

    Posted 5.18.2021

  • WELL HEALTH INC. ANNOUNCES CALL TO TEXT TO REDUCE HOLD TIMES AND ABANDONED CALLS BY ALLOWING PATIENTS TO SWITCH CONVERSATIONS TO TEXTING

    Call to Text Feature Piloted By Altura Centers for Health With Promising Results

    SANTA BARBARA, Calif., May 10, 2021 – Well Health Inc., a SaaS digital health leader in patient communications and 2021 Best in KLAS winner in Patient Outreach, today announced  Call to Text to reduce hold times and abandoned calls by switching the caller to text messaging and automatically texting the caller when the call is dropped or abandoned. The WELL™ Health Call to Text and Abandoned Call feature is now available to all hospital provider customers.

    “The WELL Health Call To Text and Abandoned Call feature helps solve the frustration many patients experience when calling their provider only to wait on hold, get a voicemail or have the call dropped,” said Guillaume de Zwirek, CEO and founder, Well Health Inc. “Communication throughout the patient journey should be frictionless. This new solution helps providers deliver on that promise by giving the patient the power to communicate via text when, how and where they prefer.”

    Altura Centers for Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center averaging 18,000 monthly inbound calls, piloted the Call to Text and Abandoned Call feature to support its patient population that includes Medicare, Medi-Cal, private insurance, and uninsured patients, spanning from Bakersfield to Fresno, California. In the first 90 days of using the WELL Health Call to Text and Abandoned Call feature, Altura saw its call abandonment rate drop by approximately five percent or nearly 1,000 calls per month. 

    “Texting is preferred by many of our patients since they can text for an appointment without having to wait for their break times or even after work hours,” said Arnie Reynoso, Chief Information Officer, Altura Centers for Health. “The WELL Health Call to Text feature allows patients, who are short on time, to switch their phone calls to text messaging, rather than wait on hold, wait for a callback or just hang up. Moving these important health conversations to SMS/texting allows the patient to respond on their terms and on their timing, ensuring they get the care and answers they deserve from healthcare providers.”

    This new feature from WELL Health is ideal for healthcare providers interested in evolving call center functionality to meet patient expectations for seamless, intuitive, digital communications from their provider. In fact, data from Accenture shows 51 percent of patients would switch healthcare providers for great customer service.1 Additionally, more than half of patients surveyed expect digital capabilities from their healthcare provider – from requesting prescription refills to booking appointments2, indicating consumer expectations have shifted away from traditional paper and phone-based workflows to digital communications.  

    The WELL Health Call to Text and Abandoned Call feature, currently available with Jive Voice and Cisco phone systems, is the latest solution from WELL Health to help healthcare providers improve the patient experience. This news follows the recently-announced partnerships between WELL Health and EHR leaders Cerner Corporation and MEDITECH, making WELL Health the patient-communication solution for both of these EHRs’ customers. WELL Health has also partnered with Twilio to help healthcare providers rapidly implement secure patient communications at a time when the need to communicate with patients securely and quickly has never been more critical.

    WELL Health’s Role in COVID Vaccine Efforts

    Since the COVID vaccine became available in the United States, leading healthcare providers have used WELL Health communications technology to:

    • Facilitate more than 6 million COVID vaccine appointments
    • Send 30 million COVID-related messages

    About Well Health Inc. 

    WELLTM Health is a SaaS digital health leader in patient communications and the 2021 Best in KLAS winner in Patient Outreach. WELL Health’s intelligent communications hub is the only two-way digital health solution engaging patients throughout their entire care experience. WELL Health enables conversations between patients and their providers through secure, multilingual (19 different languages) messaging in the patient’s preferred communications channel: texting, email, telephone, and live chat. WELL Health helps 200,000+ providers facilitate more than 1.1 billion messages for 37 million patients annually. By unifying and automating disjointed communications across healthcare organizations, WELL Health reduces unnecessary provider stress and potential errors, while increasing patient visits and loyalty. 

    Founded in 2015, WELL Health is based in Santa Barbara, California. WELL Health has been named No. 10 on 2021 Forbes America’s Best Startup Employers list, among the 2020 Best Places to Work by Modern Healthcare and ranked #170 on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies in 2020.

    For more information, visit https://wellapp.com.

    Posted 5.11.2021
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