HIT
StrategiesÓ
Newsletter all rights reserved, this is issue # 109 Early
February, 2006
The only IT email newsletter published by a former CIO and industry
consultant.
Pete’s
Picks for HIMSS.
This
is a special pre-HIMSS/CHIME issue. I
encourage you to distribute copies without penalty.
My readers are leaders in healthcare IT management.
“Let us go forward together.” Winston Churchill
J.
P. (Pete) Wenzlick, Publisher, Healthcare Information Technology
StrategiesÓ
(I welcome ideas, contributions and pot-shots, call 912-598-0610 or click here)
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Cowboy Wisdom to celebrate meeting in San Diego. Don't squat with your spurs on. If you find yourself in a hole,
the first thing to do is stop diggin'. |
Contents:
1. Short Takes:
Send this issue to all your peers, customers and anyone else you think
might be interested.
2. Epic
3. SSC – Soft Computer
4. Eclipsys
5. Siemens
6. HealthCast
7. Presentations you should not miss
And: Sponsors:
Companies with “Enterprise Subscriptions” are featured in “Pete’s
Picks”…and
HIT StrategiesÓ
Newsletter’s Editorial Advisory Board
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If it don't seem like the effort, it probably ain't. It don't take a genius to spot a goat in a flock of sheep. |
1. Short Takes:
Send this issue to all your peers, customers and anyone else you think
might be interested.
The list of recommmended
sessions might be helpful to anyone attending HIMSS.
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The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with watches you shave his face in the mirror every morning. Never ask a barber if you need a haircut. |
2. Epic’s systems, integrated from the beginning, use a single database that connects hospitals, ambulatory clinics, patients, and affiliates, providing critical information when and wherever it's needed. Clinical, access, and revenue cycle applications create seamless processes across the organization. Web access helps affiliates keep track of the care their patients receive.
Epic’s clients include large and complex enterprises, pediatric organizations, and academic institutions. By keeping its client base small, and by staying employee-owned rather than public, Epic focuses on helping organizations succeed. In 2004, 2017 employees supported 115 customers. They add about a dozen new customers a year. Emphasis as they move forward is in four areas: intuitiveness, navigation ease, consistency applied with a healthy dose of common sense and esthetics.
Performance of new releases also gets its share of attention. Epic’s goal is to release new software versions that are as fast or faster than previous versions. (In a recent presentation, Epic’s CEO, Judy Faulkner, admitted that it will not always be possible to achieve constant system performance improvement and that, sometimes, functionality will trump speed.)
I was privileged to attend the Epic’s User Group Meeting
in September, 2005. The following “gems”
came from…Homer Chin, M.D., Kaiser Permanente’s, (KP) northwest regions,
Asst. Regional Medical Director, Clinical Information Systems:
Get (and keep) everyone on board. Identify “bridgers,” those folks who facilitate understanding between IT, users and the organization; provide “Easy-to-implement functionality with significant benefit”; identify difficult functionality with iffy long-term benefits; recruit “Practical thinkers.” And Homer’s deployment suggestions…
You won’t get it right—don’t try for perfection; pilot and improve. rollout and improve; value the curmudgeons. today’s complainer can be turned into tomorrow’s leader; get feedback and use it. actively solicit feedback; look for unforeseen functionality. Training never ends; implementation never ends; your users are beta-testers. Re-read number one; Jack be nimble, Jack be quick; identify and resolve troublesome issues quickly using a command center; put clinician efficiency first. Add functions as their efficiency improves.
When Epic won the Kaiser deal, the question on many minds was how will they be able to handle such a big implementation and continue to provide the excellent service the rest of the customer base had come to expect. The answer I heard at the Epic user’s meeting was unanimous.
There was no change…service and commitment to
development continued at a high level. What
amazed me was that they were able to handle Kaiser, double their employee
count, over a two year time frame, and still provide outstanding results for
their clients!
Of interest: Judy Faulkner, President and CEO of Epic, was honored at CHIME's 2005 Fall CIO Forum with the first ever CHIME Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. The CHIME Foundation commented that "Judy's efforts have set a standard that has helped move the entire industry forward."
Four of Epic’s products rank in KLAS’s top ten.
Stop by Epic’s booth, check out the systems and be sure to ask about their new 400 acre campus.
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Don't worry about bitin' off more'n you can chew; your mouth is probably a whole lot bigger'n you think. Tellin' a man to get lost and
makin' him do it are two entirely different propositions. |
3. SCC Soft Computer
SCC Soft Computer stands alone in the clinical information systems market. Their modular approach facilitates changing to meet the industry's needs, and SSC has committed to harnessing the latest and most appropriate software used in system development. Commitment to product innovation, SCC targets 20% of their revenue to R&D reinvestment. Nearly half of their 1000-employees are dedicated to programming and quality assurance.
SCC Soft Computer is the leader in new LIS sales and customer retention. They continue to grow in total revenue, contracts and installations. In fact, over the past 5 years SCC has increased:
Revenue by nearly 45%:
Contracts by nearly 40%
Client installations by a dramatic 75%
…all as a result of proven performance with IDN’s and multi-site facilities.
SCC Soft Computer’s sales, revenue and gross earnings have grown consistently over the past 25 years providing financial stability that helps ensure the continuation of their dependable customer service. Nearly 25% of the company’s manpower focuses on client support/service helping their clients benefit from SCC’s expertise and experience.
Consistently meeting the needs in the market, SCC Soft Computer has a proven record of growth and stability and a strong commitment to customer satisfaction.
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If you're ridin' ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there with ya. Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance. |
4. Eclipsys showcases (booth #3933) latest release of Sunrise™ Clinical Suite
The latest release of the Sunrise clinical suite, Sunrise 4.5 XA™, spans the entire healthcare enterprise. They will demonstrate how its advanced clinical and financial software and information services connect healthcare providers, patients and communities to transform care delivery through optimal efficiency and connectivity. Visitors to the Eclipsys booth will be able to see the power of Eclipsys solutions in the Ambulatory, Emergency Department, Surgical, Pharmacy, Business Office, Pharmacy, Critical Care, Nursing, Physician, Laboratory, Imaging, Health Information Management, and Executive Office environments.
The Sunrise 4.5 XA advanced clinical suite delivers
approximately 1,500 new or enhanced capabilities for documenting care, creating
orders, reviewing test results, and coding for maximum reimbursement — all on a
single clinical platform. This release builds upon the strengths of previous
Sunrise releases on the XA platform, including the fully integrated
capabilities of Eclipsys Sunrise Ambulatory Care Manager™ and
Sunrise ED Manager™ solutions. Additionally in Sunrise 4.5 XA,
Eclipsys delivers the first truly integrated, end-to-end medication management
solution in the industry. Because each solution in the Sunrise advanced
clinical suite share the same Health Data Repository, are customized for the
workflows of specific clinical environments and utilize the same architecture,
Eclipsys customers can link care providers, operations and the entire continuum
of care to achieve unprecedented interoperability.
Eclipsys is co-sponsoring the Interoperability Showcase and is the
exclusive sponsor of the …
Pharmacy IT
Symposium on Sunday, February 12, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
HIMSS Analyst Breakfast with Gartner - Bayside Room -- San Diego
Marriott Hotel & Marina -- on Tuesday, February 14, 7:00 AM – 8:30
AM
The Canadian Reception at HIMSS Monday,
February 13, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM Bayside
Room – San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina
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When you give a personal lesson in meanness to a critter or to a person, don't be surprised if they learn their lesson. If you get to thinkin' you're a person of influence, try
orderin' somebody else's dog around. |
5. Siemens Medical Solutions (booth #1237 in Hall G) – a sneak peak…Care Without Boundaries – what Siemens solutions are enabling today.
Siemens believes that care extends beyond one person, in one department, in one building. Instead, they receive more proactive, truly integrated care that considers their personal history and past encounters in the context of their current condition and needs. HIMSS attendees will see how Siemens is helping healthcare organizations around the globe realize improved patient care while achieving sustainable clinical and financial outcomes. Siemens streamlines communication, collaboration and decision making leveraging Web-based and wireless platforms and devices to make up-to-the-minute information and enhanced care quality a reality.
Siemens ability to integrate diagnostic and therapeutic information from medical modalities into health information solutions uniquely positions Siemens and supports safer, more efficient, and high-quality care across a patient's lifetime. This results in better population management, allows the organization to better assess and manage its performance and supports continuous communication among all members of the healthcare community - from providers to patients to payers.
Solutions That Transcend Information Silos
The new generation Soarian portfolio of solutions will demonstrate how IT solutions with a workflow orientation can manage not just transactions and data, but also the process of healthcare delivery and the interactions between members of the healthcare community. Siemens will also showcase Soarian's support of interoperable EHRs in the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) Interoperability Showcase. Other solution areas highlighted will include: Clinical and departmental optimization - Siemens emphasis on patient safety and closed-loop medication processing will be demonstrated, combining CPOE, Siemens Pharmacy information system, and Med Administration Check (including how Siemens is leveraging its recent alliance with RxHub to address medication reconciliation.)
Be sure to check out Siemens’ new INVISION(r) Bed Management solution, the first INVISION application that will incorporate Soarian's workflow engine…Image management - Integrating RIS and PACS with broader enterprise solutions…the syngo(r) Suite offers complete integration of HIS, RIS, PACS and post-processing, and supports end-to-end radiologic workflow… Soarian Community Access…Soarian Clinician Portal, (a number one overall ranking in a recently released KLAS Physician/Clinical Portal Study)…Siemens will also highlight its partnership with NextGen Healthcare, which is helping providers optimize patient flow across acute and ambulatory settings.
Siemens proven financial solutions and revenue cycle services continue to enhance financial operations and enable customers to achieve proven results at hospitals across the country. Check out their revenue cycle management - Research shows that one-third of U.S. hospitals face deteriorating financial performance, while others struggle to maintain or improve slim operating margins.
Don’t miss Siemens’ latest innovations as they continue to expand Soarian's workflow efficiencies to the clinical departmental level, the latest Soarian departmental solutions (Soarian Oncology, Soarian Operating Room, and Soarian Emergency Department) will be on display as works in progress in the Emerging Solutions area of the booth.
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When you're throwin' your weight around, be ready to have it thrown around by somebody else. The easiest way to eat crow is while it's still warm. |
6. HealthCast®,
Inc. Booth 7208
Between HIPAA, JCAHO, and user frustration with multiple passwords, Single Sign-On has become a requirement. My personal favorite is HealthCast’s eXactACCESS (XA) because it was designed from the ground up for healthcare and leverages HealthCast’s ten (10) years of experience with hospital legacy systems. I like XA because it does much more than a Single Sign-On or a simple password manager…and it improves your employees efficiency in getting to their real work…
Visit HealthCast in Booth 7208 and tell them I sent you!
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The quickest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it back in into your pocket. Don't interfere with something that ain't botherin' you none. |
7. Presentations you should not miss…
Steven J. Fox, Pepper Hamilton LLP, speaking in San Diego at the HIMSS RHIO Forum on Sunday, February 12, 2006, from 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM in a session entitled, "RHIOs: Laws and Ethics."
Deborah Kohn, will facilitate the Tuesday, February 14 Roundtable Discussion session called PROVIDER AND PATIENT PORTALS: POINTS OF INTERSECTION. She is also presenting at the Wednesday, February 15 session #147 DEFINING THE LEGAL ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD.
Michelle Troseth, Eclipsys’ Chief Professional Practice Officer, and
vice president, point-of-care automation, CPM Resource Center will present with
Karen Fuller, RN, BS, BC and Sam Bierstock, MD, BSEE, Chief
Medical Officer, both of Healthlink, an IBM Company, “The 90 Percent
Solution: Looking After Human Factors” on Sunday, February 12, 8 AM –
12:00 PM in the Torrence Room, Convention Center
Terry Andrews, RN, MBA, Clinical Systems Manager, Alamance Regional
Medical Center, Monday, February 13, 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM. “eMAR Across the Enterprise: Beyond CPOE at
ARMC” - Room 29A, Convention Center
Srinivas Denduluri, senior product design specialist, Eclipsys on “Explore
the Potential: Predictive Informatics and EHR Information” - Room 33C,
Convention Center
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Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back. Generally, you ain't learnin' nothin' when your mouth's a-jawin'. |
Sponsors: Companies with “Enterprise Subscriptions” featured
annually in “Pete’s Picks.”
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Epic Systems® – a KLAS–ic at http://www.epicsystems.com/ |
HIT
Strategies Newsletter’s Editorial Advisory Board’s Senior Editorial
Associates:
Bob Ayres, Director Information Systems, Firelands Regional
Health System
Larry F. Blevins, Practice Director,
Cerner Corp.
B. Alton Brantley, MD, Ph.D., Principal, Cardinal Consulting,
altonbrantley@cardinalconsulting.org
Ed Bukstel, ebukstel@msn.com
Bill W. Childs, Independent Consultant
Steven J. Fox, Esq., Partner, Pepper Hamilton LLP mailto:foxsj@pepperlaw.com
Dave Garets, FHIMSS, President and CEO, HIMSS Analytics,dave.garets@himssanalytics.com
John Glaser, Ph.D., FHIMSS/FCHIME/FACMI, VP, CIO Partners HealthCare
System
G. Ward Keever, FCHIME, mailto:wkeever@ixiusa.com
Deborah Kohn, CHE, RHIA, FHIMSS, Principal – Dak Systems Consulting dkohn@daksystcons.com
Robert N, Mitchell, Managing Editor, ADVANCE for Health Information
Executives, rmitchell@merion.com
Brian Say, EAB Emeritus
Dennis A. Sokol, Former Health System President and CEO
Peter B. Strombom, CIO; Meriter Health Systems
Winston Stuart, Senior Project leader, Orlando Regional
James R. Wagner, FCHIME, FHIMSS, President JRW Consulting LLC
(jamesrwagner@mchsi.com)
Susan J. Wenzlick, Sr. VP, Copy/Consulting Editor, HIT Strategies
Newsletter
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