Health Management Technology articles from January 2008

Health Management Technology archives from January 2008

The cost of overregulation.(Editorial)
January 1, 2008... Can America have its cake and eat it too? The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)--good legislation originally intended to enable patients to retain their healthcare when changing jobs--has grown into something of a...

Deadly cold mutation.(Briefly)(adenovirus caused severe respiratory tract infections)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that the mutated strain of the common cold virus that killed 10 people since last May, known as Adl 4, is genetically identical in all four states where victims were identified. However, the...

AMA seeks health IT tax credit.(Briefly)(American Medical Association)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... The American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates is pushing for a tax credit to assist physicians to purchase and use health IT, such as EMR and e-prescribing. The full, refundable tax credit resolution was proposed during the House's...

$400 million in FCC grants for rural telehealth.(Healthcare and Government)(United States. Federal Communications Commission)
January 1, 2008... The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently announced grant recipients and amounts for the Rural Health Care Pilot Program, designed to encourage telehealth and telemedicine service throughout the United States. The grants will total...

Telehealth could save billions.(Telehealth, Telemedicine)
January 1, 2008... The non-profit research Center for Information Technology Leadership (CITL) recently published findings that show provider-to-provider telehealth technologies can save $4.28 billion annually. The research findings are based on a robust national...

Medicare e-prescribing standards.(Healthcare IT Standards)(United States. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), under direction from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), proposed the adoption of final uniform standards for an electronic prescription drug program for formulary and...

New e-prescribing standards for Medicare Part D.(Healthcare IT Standards)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), under direction from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), proposed the adoption of final uniform standards for an electronic prescription drug program for formulary and...

Study examines state HIE progress.(Data Exchange/Interoperability)(Health Information Exchanges)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Preliminary findings from a study currently underway by the Foundation of Research and Education (FORE) suggest statewide health information exchanges (HIE) governed as public/private entities are a logical arrangement for advancing HIE...

e-Prescribing coalition.(Health IT and Government)(Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regulations )(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Nearly 50 organizations that make up the e-Prescribing Controlled Substances Coalition sent an organizational letter in the form of a petition to President Bush calling for revision of regulations prohibiting the electronic prescription of...

Reconcilable differences: a Washington healthcare enterprise works collaboratively to create a comprehensive medication reconciliation solution.(Clinical Information Systems)(Cover story)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Medication reconciliation is a key component to patient safety and wellbeing. Just two years after The Joint Commission issued its National Patient Safety Goals and mandatory requirements for accreditation, many...

Reclaiming lost revenue: an FQHC-qualified community clinic faces down the complexities of the claims editing and submission process.(Claims and Coding: Case History)(Neighborhood Healthcare)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Neighborhood Healthcare, a large group of community clinics in California's San Diego and Riverside counties, serves a population that is largely below the poverty line. We primarily offer outpatient medical services...

Scrubbing reimbursement rates clean: a private practice Radiology group integrates a claims editing application with its practice management solution, increasing accuracy and improving cash flow.(Claims and Coding: Case History)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Like many medical practices, St. Paul Radiology, of St. Paul, Minn., found managing the complexities and pressures of securing reimbursement a considerable challenge. According to the most recent PayerView...

Superior scheduling: a Midwestern provider adopts automated scheduling to enhance efficiency while ensuring appropriate staffing for effective healthcare.(Scheduling: Case History)(Hays Medical Center)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Like many healthcare organizations, Hays Medical Center found itself battling the one-two punch of an ever-tightening labor market, compounded by a relentless escalation in labor costs. Leadership at the 194-bed...

Take me to the pilot: a pilot project from Mississippi Medicaid gives providers handheld access to beneficiary medication information saving millions of dollars.(Health Plans and Technology)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] While the promise of health information technology is to improve and simplify our lives, it is usually only through its transparency-of-use coupled with its ability to work in the ways that humans think, that the...

Pursuing practice excellence: a new PM system improves practice performance with time-saving functionality and robust appointment scheduling features.(Practice Management: Case History)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sooner or later, medical groups that still rely on aging practice management (PM) systems that run on older technology platforms have to face up to the necessity of investing in a new system based on current...

Best care, shorter stays: a thriving hospital streamlines its care management department with a Web-based ASP solution and benefits from shorter length-of-stays.(Care/Case Management: Case History)(Good Samaritan Health System)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Effective case management is the cornerstone of promoting quality care and achieving cost-effective outcomes at every hospital. The collaborative nature of case management, from admission through discharge and...

Beginning at the end: maximizing technology implementations in healthcare through value management.(Practice Management)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Let's say your 500-bed hospital is generating $500 million in revenue. If your organization is like others, margins are hovering between 2 and 5 percent for a revenue surplus of $10-25 million. Can your CPOE project...

Document scanners.(Products and Services)(Eastman Kodak Co.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... The Kodak i1400 series scanners provide high quality images of up to 600 dpi optical resolution, easy-to-use operation and print speeds of up to 75 pages per minute. The i1410 and i1420 models are recommended for processing up to 7,500 pages...

Revenue management solution.(Products and Services)(Practice Partner launched medical practice software)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Practice Partner Complete is a physicians service that combines an integrated electronic health record (EHR) as well as practice management software with billing and accounts receivable management services. Payor and patient connectivity is...

Secure patient ID card.(Products and Services)
January 1, 2008... The Secure Info ID (SIID) card is a secure personal and medical information storage solution that works with any computer equipped with a re-writeable drive. This enables medical personnel to read the non-password protected information on the...

Information security product.(Products and Services)(Security Engineered Machinery Company Inc. information on Model 5141 Series paper shredder)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... The Model 5141 Series paper shredder from Security Engineered Machinery efficiently destroys large volumes of paper in strip cut, cross cut and maximum-security cut configurations. Photoelectric controls activate the cutters when documents are...

Carestream Health Inc.(NewsMakers)
January 1, 2008... The sale of Eastman Kodak Company's Health Group to a subsidiary of Onex Corp. resulted in an independent company, Carestream Health Inc., which immediately began operating as a stand-alone entity employing more than 8,100 employees. Health...

SRS Software Inc.(NewsMakers)(Orthopedic hospitals uses Chart Manager from SRS Software)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Two South Carolina orthopaedic practices have eliminated their paper charting processes and implemented Chart Manager from SRS Software. Carolina Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Center and The Moore Orthopaedic Clinic, P.A., expect to simplify...

Companion Technologies.(NewsMakers)(resbyterian Medical Group implemented EnterprisEDI software from Companion Technologies)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Presbyterian Medical Group implemented EnterprisEDI software from Companion Technologies for management of health insurance claims and to accelerate its revenue cycle. The more than 400 healthcare providers throughout North and South Carolina...

Royal Philips Electronics.(NewsMakers)(Ascent Profit Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Ascent Profit, a Chinese medical equipment wholesaler, and Royal Philips Electronics brokered a deal that will send 200 premium radiography systems to China. Through the agreement, Chinese hospitals have access to Philips DigitalDiagnost and...

Inteck Inc.(NewsMakers)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Healthcare IT consulting firm, Inteck Inc., is expanding its services to help healthcare providers reduce write-offs and increase revenue. Inteck will offer a receivables management system and vendor management program. A financial program from...

NovaRad.(NewsMakers)(NovaRad Corp. provides image processing equipment to health care industry)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Three healthcare providers in Nebraska have selected NovaPACS from NovaRad Corp. as their imaging and reading solution. One World Community Health Center, Omaha; Nebraska Pulmonary Specialties, Lincoln; and, Antelope Memorial Hospital, Neligh,...

Embee Technologies.(NewsMakers)(St. Joseph Health System uses wireless network of Embee Technologies)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Three California hospitals of the St. Joseph Health System installed an integrated wireless network under a $1 million contract with Embee Technologies. Embee will configure approximately 600 wireless access points throughout Santa Rosa...

MEDSEEK.(NewsMakers)(Lewistown Hospital contracted with MedSeek Inc.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Lewistown Hospital contracted with MEDSEEK for use of their SiteMakerE rapid-development content management system to expand the functionality of the hospital's Web site. Lewistown Hospital's expectations for the system during the first phase...

Eclipsys Corp.(NewsMakers)(Bethesda Memorial Hospital selected the Sunrise Critical Care solution from Eclipsys Corp.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Bethesda Memorial Hospital selected the Sunrise Critical Care solution from Eclipsys to improve critical-care patient outcomes. Clinicians at the hospital's critical care units now have immediate and simultaneous access to patient information,...

Neurostar Solutions Inc.(NewsMakers)(Community Radiology Associates has implemented the Virtual Radiology Network )(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Community Radiology Associates has implemented the Virtual Radiology Network (VRN) from Neurostar for the transfer and management of client images. The VRN pulls images from existing modalities and PACS at multiple locations through an...

UnitedHealth Group Inc.(NewsMakers)(UnitedHealth Group Inc. acquired Sierra Health Services Inc.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... UnitedHealth is buying Sierra Health Services Inc. for approximately $2.6 billion pending approval by Sierra shareholders as well as regulators in Nevada, Texas, and California. There are certain circumstances under which Sierra would be...

Unibased Systems Architecture Inc.(NewsMakers)(Oakwood Healthcare System Inc. uses resource management system from Unibased Systems Architecture Inc.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Oakwood Healthcare System is using the Resource Management System from Unibased Systems Architecture (USA) for patient scheduling. More than 1,300 physicians at Oakwood's four acute care facilities and 38 primary/specialty care sites benefit...

Medical Present Value Inc.(NewsMakers)(Northeast Arkansas Clinic contracted with Medical Present Value Inc.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Northeast Arkansas Clinic contracted with Medical Present Value (MPV) Inc. for use of its Web-based Phynance application and other services. The Jonesboro, Ark.-based clinic is utilizing MPV services to improve management of its payor...

HIE's impact on healthcare.(Thought Leaders)(Health Information Exchange )
January 1, 2008... I have had the unique honor of meeting many hospital CEOs, CIOs, medical directors and physicians across the country and the world. The one thing that is evident from conversations I've had with them is that the pace of change in the healthcare...