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CHIME APPLAUDS ONC’S EFFORTS TO BRING COORDINATION TO GOVERNMENT STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
ONC’s USCDI+ initiative brings welcome coordination to the process of developing electronic health records standards across the federal government, reducing burden on the health IT community
Ann Arbor, MI, Oct. 8, 2021 – The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) strongly supports the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) on its announcement of the United States Core Dataset for Interoperability Plus (USCDI+) initiative as it works to coordinate the standards development and enforcement process across the federal government and improve public health reporting, quality measurement and other use cases.
Health IT actors across the health system face an ever-increasing list of mandates and standardization requirements enacted through multiple federal levers. ONC’s announcement of USCDI+ means federal agencies and their private sector stakeholders will be better aligned through a more enhanced standards recognition and adoption process by creating a method to address data needs that go beyond the original USCDI. Making ONC the main point of contact for this process gives health IT actors one place to go for questions, concerns and comments related to standards development, advancement, and implementation.
“CHIME continues to be a proud partner of ONC’s and applauds the efforts of National Coordinator Micky Tripathi to bring clarity and structure to what previously was a confusing standard mandate process,” CHIME CEO Russell Branzell stated. “The USCDI+ effort will help providers take the need to sift through multiple evolving standards-making body announcements off their plates. This enables our members to focus on what matters most, caring for patients and continuing to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Currently, USCDI v1 is mandated as part of the agency’s information blocking rules released last year, with future versions and additional standards moving through the standards version advancement process (SVAP). Future versions of USCDI, including the recently finalized v2, will not be mandated until the next time ONC undergoes a rulemaking process, at the earliest. Now with the addition of USCDI+ in addition to the latest versions of the USCDI, it appears that an even clearer path forward is visible for the next steps in the standards development process.
ONC’s most recently mandated CERHT product delivery date is not until Dec. 31, 2022 when the anxiously awaited Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resource (FHIR) based application programming interfaces (APIs) are to be delivered. It is not expected that the agency would release additional CEHRT rulemaking or any mandates for USCDI versions beyond USCDI v1 prior to the end of 2022.
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
Rosslyn Elliott
Editor, Communications & Media Relations, CHIME
734-275-0104
Posted 10.8.2021 -
CHIME Digital Health Most Wired Participation Grows By 20 Percent, Reflecting Surge in Digital Transformation
ANN ARBOR, MI, Oct. 6, 2021 — The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) today celebrates revolutionary achievement in digital health for 10 organizations awarded at the highest level of the CHIME Digital Health Most Wired Survey with level 10 certification.These 10 healthcare providers have demonstrated a sterling commitment to digital health transformation by raising the bar to drive innovation in health and care. To be certified at level 10, organizations must demonstrate an outstanding record of leveraging the power of digital technology within a visionary corporate strategy. Additional qualified healthcare organizations were also recognized at level 7 and above for demonstrating their dedication to excellence in digital health.The Most Wired survey and certification program serves as a comprehensive “Digital Health Check” for healthcare organizations across the nation. Unique in the industry, the certification reflects a provider’s commitment to the digital transformation necessary to deliver today’s best patient care. The survey criteria go far beyond a typical IT survey or adoption scale to broadly evaluate an organization’s philosophies, programs, processes and outcomes.
As success in digital health increasingly determines the quality of patient care, the scope of the CHIME Digital Health Most Wired survey reflects the progress of leading healthcare providers as they reinvent healthcare for a new century. The award also gives organizations the data and insight needed to strive for improvement and reach for higher levels of impact on an annual basis.
More than 36,000 facilities were represented in the 2021 survey, a 20 percent increase from the number of facilities represented in the previous year’s survey. These impressive gains reflect the ongoing drive toward digital transformation in healthcare during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Digital transformation in healthcare has accelerated to an unprecedented level since 2020, and the next few years will bring a wave of innovation that empowers healthcare consumers and will astound the industry,” said CHIME President and CEO Russell P. Branzell. “The Digital Health Most Wired program recognizes the outstanding digital leaders who have paved the way for this imminent revolution in healthcare. Their trailblazing commitment to rapid transformation has set an example for the entire industry in how to pursue a leadership vision with determination, brilliant planning and courage to overcome all challenges.”
This is the fourth year that CHIME has conducted the Digital Health Most Wired survey and overseen the recognition program. In those few years, CHIME has expanded the survey well beyond its original format, which surveyed only acute care providers. In 2021, the survey includes organizations that serve patients across the continuum of care: acute care, ambulatory care, and long-term/post-acute care (LTPAC).
The Board of Governors for the CHIME Digital Health Most Wired survey is comprised of subject matter experts and health industry experts. Each participating organization receives a customized benchmarking report, an overall score, and scores for individual levels in seven segments: infrastructure; security; administrative/supply chain; analytics/data management; interoperability/population health; patient engagement; and clinical quality/safety. The 2021 survey also included an unscored section on digital developments related to COVID-19 to allow for beneficial data-gathering without impact to an organization’s rating. Participants can use the report and scores to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement. Each participant also receives certification based on their overall performance on the scored sections, with level 10 being the highest. Organizations earning level 7-10 certification will be honored at the CHIME21 Fall Forum taking place Oct. 27-30.
By the numbers in 2021:
- 7 countries were represented
- 36,674 facilities were represented
- 10 organizations were chosen for Level 10 certification
A list of the highest-achieving healthcare organizations in levels 7-10 presented by category is available here.
About CHIME
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is an executive organization dedicated to serving chief information officers (CIOs), chief medical information officers (CMIOs), chief nursing information officers (CNIOs), chief innovation officers (CIOs), chief digital officers (CDOs) and other senior healthcare IT leaders. With more than 5,000 members in 55 countries 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
Rosslyn Elliott
Editor, Communications & Media Relations, CHIME
734-275-0104
Posted 10.6.2021 -
CHIME Announces Incoming Board Members and 2022/2023 Board Officers
ANN ARBOR, MI, Oct. 5, 2021 – The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is delighted to announce the names of three new CIO members and one new Foundation member representative who will join the CHIME Board of Trustees in January 2022.
“CHIME’s members had the privilege of choosing from an outstanding slate of candidates this year,” said CHIME Board of Trustees Chair John Kravitz, CIO for Geisinger Health System. “Each of our new board members has a long and exemplary career as a leader in healthcare, a champion for CHIME, and a strong supporter of our members.”
“CHIME and our industry will benefit greatly from the experience, energy, and demonstrated commitment of these leaders,” said CHIME Foundation Board Chair Shafiq Rab, CDO & CIO, Wellforce Health System. “In addition to their distinguished professional careers, each of these new board members has previously served CHIME in areas including education and public policy advocacy. We welcome the perspective they bring to the board.”
Starting January 1, 2022, the new members of the CHIME Board of Trustees are:
- Stephanie Lahr, MD, CHCIO, CIO and CMIO at Monument Health
- Scott MacLean, CHCIO, FCHIME, SVP and CIO at MedStar Health
- Aaron Miri, CHCIO, FCHIME, SVP and CDIO at Baptist Health
- Carter Groome, CFCHE, President and CEO, First Health Advisory
In addition, CHIME is pleased to announce the 2022 and 2023 CHIME Board of Trustees Officers.
Starting January 1, 2022, the new CHIME Board of Trustees Officers are:
- Tanya Townsend (Chairperson), CHCIO, SVP and CIO, LCMC Health
- David Chou (Secretary), CHCIO, SVP and CIO, Harris Health System
- Rusty Yeager (Treasurer), CHCIO, LCHIME, SVP and CIO, Encompass Health
Starting January 1, 2023, the new CHIME Board of Trustees Officers will be:
- Daniel Nigrin, (Chairperson), MD, CHCIO, CIO, MaineHealth
- George (Buddy) Hickman (Secretary), LCHIME, FCHIME, CHCIO, CPHIMS, Interim CIO, San Ysidro Health
- Sarah Richardson (Treasurer), CHCIO, FCHIME, SVP and CIO, Tivity Health
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 digital health leaders. CHIME includes more than 5,000 members in 56 countries and two U.S. territories and partners with over 160 healthcare IT businesses and professional services firms. CHIME and its three associations provide a highly interactive, trusted environment that enables senior industry leaders to collaborate, exchange best practices, address professional development needs and advocate for effective use of information management to improve health and care in their communities. For more information, please visit chimecentral.org.
Contact
Rosslyn Elliott
Editor, Communications & Media Relations, CHIME
734.275.0104
Posted 10.5.2021 -
Vocera Receives High Ratings for Demonstrating Positive Outcomes in Latest KLAS Report
Healthcare interoperability combined with comprehensive software and hardware offerings drive customer satisfaction
Monday, October 4, 2021 SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Vocera Communications, Inc. (NYSE:VCRA), a recognized leader in clinical communication and workflow solutions, today announced that a new KLAS report, Clinical Communication Platforms 2021, recognizes Vocera as a top rated vendor in health systems with enterprise-wide deployments by driving strong outcomes with timely communications, and has broad adoption across clinician and non-clinician roles.
This report examines how healthcare organizations have moved beyond point solutions to deploy enterprise communication platforms that drive impressive outcomes, including improved operational efficiency and care team collaboration, meaningful interoperability, and positive clinician experience. In fact, KLAS found a significant correlation between clinical communication platforms and clinicians’ satisfaction with their organization’s electronic health record (EHR) system.
Intelligent integrations between the Vocera solutions and EHRs as well as other clinical and operational systems, placed Vocera at the top of the KLAS ratings for broad user adoption among clinicians and non-clinical roles. According to customer feedback highlighted in the report, Vocera has deep experience leveraging middleware and integrating with patient monitoring tools, which enables clinicians to respond more quickly to critical notifications, such as sepsis alerts, thereby improving patient care.
Based on customer interviews, KLAS also noted that with the launch of Vocera Edge, Vocera now has added capability as a unique platform in the Clinical Communication and Collaboration (CC&C) space with true bi-directional EHR integration capabilities.
“Because Vocera Edge has a true bi-directional integration with our electronic health record, we have seen a significant reduction in medication errors,” said Steve Shirley, Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at Parkview Health System. “Satisfied clinicians empowered with tools to help them provide safer, higher-quality and more efficient care translates to a positive patient experience.”
Saving time and money were other themes in customer comments published in the KLAS report for customers who had replaced pagers and outdated phones with Vocera solutions. Additionally, flexibility of the robust platform and team members’ confidence and reliability in Vocera solutions and staff were stated.
“I love hearing how clinicians use the Vocera solutions to improve care team collaboration and response times, saving valuable time, which is critical to saving lives,” said Brent Lang, Chairman and CEO of Vocera. “It is a privilege to provide solutions that help protect and connect healthcare workers and the patients and families they serve.”
About Vocera
The mission of Vocera Communications, Inc. is to improve the lives of healthcare professionals, patients, and families. Founded in 2000, Vocera provides clinical communication and workflow solutions that help protect and connect team members, increase operational efficiency, enhance quality of care and safety, and humanize the healthcare experience. More than 2,300 facilities worldwide, including nearly 1,900 hospitals and healthcare facilities, have selected Vocera solutions to enable their workforce to communicate and collaborate with co-workers and engage with patients and families. Mobile workers can choose the right device for their role or task, including smartphones or one of the company’s wearable communication devices, and use voice commands to easily reach people by name, role, or group. The hands-free Vocera Smartbadge was named to TIME’s list of the 100 Best Inventions of 2020. Vocera solutions can integrate with more than 150 clinical and operational systems, including electronic health records, nurse call systems, ventilators, physiological monitors, and more. In addition to healthcare, Vocera solutions are found in aged care facilities, veterinary hospitals, schools, luxury hotels, retail stores, power facilities, and more. Visit www.vocera.com to learn more 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.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211004005261/en/
Shanna Hearon
Vocera Communications, Inc.
669-999-3368
[email protected]Posted 10.5.2021 -
Impact Advisors Recognized in KLAS Healthcare Consulting & Services Report
Firm receives praise for advisory and implementation services
CHICAGO (Oct. 4, 2021) — Impact Advisors, a leading healthcare consultancy providing strategy, operations, revenue cycle and technology services, has been recognized by KLAS in its 2021 Healthcare Consulting & Services report, with the firm being identified as providing a stellar experience and receiving an A on its overall performance score.
“We are honored to be recognized in the KLAS Healthcare Consulting & Services report and we look forward to celebrating this achievement with our Impact family,” said Pete Smith, Impact Advisors’ co-CEO and co-founder. “This report provides validation that we are providing the expertise and value that our clients need as it is developed from comments straight from healthcare leadership. Our business will continue to evolve as we work side by side with our clients on their most pressing challenges.”
For this study and report, KLAS asked 140 healthcare leaders (from C-suites to directors in both IT and non-IT roles) to identify which areas of future focus are most likely to require help from consulting firms and which firms are best positioned to offer guidance. The questions focused on the current top market drivers: COVID-19, consolidation and financial pressure.
Impact Advisors was one of the organizations that received the most positive mentions by healthcare leaders. The report included 20 comments centered on Impact’s ability to help solve problems in the future.
The firm leads for mentions in IT implementation and IT advisory services and scored well in the areas of staffing and outsourcing, optimization, financial improvement, and analytics. Additionally, the firm is noted for their leadership in planning and managing projects as well as their ability to be proactive and insightful.
One health system CIO said, “Impact Advisors is top of mind for me because of their quality work and the partnership I have had with them over the years. I like what Impact Advisors produces. They have been fantastic. The vendor not only accomplishes what is in the statement of work but also helps us with what we need along the journey. They are great at making us feel like we truly are a customer. When I have a request, the vendor responds in a timely fashion, even when my request is out of scope.”
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.
*Score based on limited data.
Media Contact:
Karli Smith
Chartwell Agency
815-282-9976
Posted 10.5.2021