healthsystemcio.com » David Blumenthal

Bill Spooner, SVP/CIO, Sharp Healthcare, Transcript/Podcast Chapter 1

Anthony Guerra — Tue, 10 May 2011 16:07:40 +0000

*Writing commentary on industry trends *"All of a sudden we've been upended by HITECH, health reform …" *Thoughts on HITECH *The importance of advocacy *Why change takes time

Source: Bill Spooner, SVP/CIO, Sharp Healthcare, Transcript/Podcast Chapter 1 on healthsystemcio.com - healthsystemCIO.com is the sole online-only publication dedicated to exclusively and comprehensively serving the information needs of healthcare CIOs.

Mostashari Tapped to Lead ONC

Anthony Guerra — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 15:46:01 +0000

Farzad Mostashari, M.D., has been selected as ONC’s new National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Mostashari joined ONC in July 2009, serving as the Deputy National Coordinator for Programs and Policy. Previously, he served at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene as Assistant Commissioner for the Primary Care Information Project. Mostashari replaces [...]

Source: Mostashari Tapped to Lead ONC on healthsystemcio.com - healthsystemCIO.com is the sole online-only publication dedicated to exclusively and comprehensively serving the information needs of healthcare CIOs.

healthsystemCIO.com SnapSurvey: CIOs Feel Unheard in MU Formation

Anthony Guerra — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 16:15:48 +0000

More than 82 percent of CIOs say the voices of those who will have to implement MU (providers/vendors) are not being heard and acted on by the people crafting it, according to a recent healthsystemCIO.com SnapSurvey. Despite that widespread sentiment, the same percentage say they would be disappointed if the program were to be cancelled [...]

Source: healthsystemCIO.com SnapSurvey: CIOs Feel Unheard in MU Formation on healthsystemcio.com - healthsystemCIO.com is the sole online-only publication dedicated to exclusively and comprehensively serving the information needs of healthcare CIOs.

ONC Needs a CIO

Anthony Guerra — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:03:14 +0000

The resignation of David Blumenthal, MD, last week as national coordinator for heath IT provides an important opportunity to right a meaningful use (MU) ship out of control. As I wrote in The Most Powerful Person in Healthcare IT, I believe that ship is out of control because the crafting of MU has been taken [...]

Source: ONC Needs a CIO on healthsystemcio.com - healthsystemCIO.com is the sole online-only publication dedicated to exclusively and comprehensively serving the information needs of healthcare CIOs.

John Glaser, CEO, Health Services Business Unit, Siemens Healthcare, Podcast Chapter 1

Anthony Guerra — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 20:51:56 +0000

With just under a year at the helm of Siemens Healthcare, it’s fair to say John Glaser has taken full measure of life on the vendor side. As such, he’s been immersed in issues like deciding which products are “go-forward,” which customer segments are best suited to the vendor’s offerings, and which industry regulations will [...]

Source: John Glaser, CEO, Health Services Business Unit, Siemens Healthcare, Podcast Chapter 1 on healthsystemcio.com - healthsystemCIO.com is the sole online-only publication dedicated to exclusively and comprehensively serving the information needs of healthcare CIOs.

The Next National Coordinator Must Get Real

Will Weider — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:19:58 +0000

It appears everyone was surprised by the announcement from ONC HIT Coordinator Dr. David Blumenthal that he will be departing his government post to return to academic life. By all accounts he is a great guy and I wish him all the best. I would suggest that when Dr. Blumenthal is replaced, the administration should appoint someone that has a more intimate knowledge of the reality of health care IT operations and what it really takes to achieve healthcare IT objectives.

Source: The Next National Coordinator Must Get Real on healthsystemcio.com - healthsystemCIO.com is the sole online-only publication dedicated to exclusively and comprehensively serving the information needs of healthcare CIOs.

Blumenthal Done at ONC

Anthony Guerra — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 22:10:49 +0000

David Blumenthal, M.D., has resigned as the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, according to a report from Kaiser Health News. He will leave this spring and return to Harvard University. No word of a successor has been announced.

Source: Blumenthal Done at ONC on healthsystemcio.com - healthsystemCIO.com is the sole online-only publication dedicated to exclusively and comprehensively serving the information needs of healthcare CIOs.

Gretchen Tegethoff, CIO, The George Washington University Hospital, Podcast Chapter 1

Anthony Guerra — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 14:57:00 +0000

If anyone truly represents today’s quintessential healthcare CIO, it’s GW’s Gretchen Tegethoff. That’s because she’s managed everything from getting physician buy-in on electronic documentation to overseeing the hospitals IT cabling. She’s also far from confined by her hospital’s four walls, sitting on a number of local and national committees. Most notably, Tegethoff has just been [...]

Source: Gretchen Tegethoff, CIO, The George Washington University Hospital, Podcast Chapter 1 on healthsystemcio.com - healthsystemCIO.com is the sole online-only publication dedicated to exclusively and comprehensively serving the information needs of healthcare CIOs.

Don’t Let ONC’s Numbers Fool You

Anthony Guerra — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 18:08:17 +0000

If ever the expression “the devil’s in the details” was called for, it’s around meaningful use. In fact, the words seem tailor made for the program. That much was made crystal clear during testimony last week by those who’ve made inroads toward meeting requirements which sometimes behave like slippery eels when grasped. Read the rest [...]

Source: Don’t Let ONC’s Numbers Fool You on healthsystemcio.com - healthsystemCIO.com is the sole online-only publication dedicated to exclusively and comprehensively serving the information needs of healthcare CIOs.

Blumenthal Letter Aims to Clarify Certification Questions

Anthony Guerra — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 14:42:09 +0000

"Today on our FAQ page, we are posting a revised Question and Answer regarding an issue that has recently caused confusion in our meaningful use regulations: namely, the flexibility that providers have to defer performance on some Stage 1 meaningful use objectives; and how that squares with the requirement that providers must nonetheless possess fully-certified EHR systems."

Source: Blumenthal Letter Aims to Clarify Certification Questions on healthsystemcio.com - healthsystemCIO.com is the sole online-only publication dedicated to exclusively and comprehensively serving the information needs of healthcare CIOs.

Stage 2 Sausage Enters Rulemaking Grinder

Anthony Guerra — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 16:50:11 +0000

HITECH's Meaningful Use Stage 2 requirements started their year-plus journey through federal advisory committees, regulation writers, public comment and countless revisions after a draft set of recommendations were floated for discussion at this month's HIT Policy Committee meeting. Outlined by Paul Tang, M.D., vice chair of the committee and chair of its Meaningful Use Workgroup, the measures generally seek to increase thresholds established in Stage 1 as they climb to a Stage 3 apex.

Source: Stage 2 Sausage Enters Rulemaking Grinder on healthsystemcio.com - healthsystemCIO.com is the sole online-only publication dedicated to exclusively and comprehensively serving the information needs of healthcare CIOs.

Blumenthal Suggests Different Paths to MU

Anthony Guerra — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 20:53:50 +0000

Rather than requiring all eligible providers and hospitals fill out what is generally the same checklist for Meaningful Use, organizations which prove they are achieving outcomes far beyond the norm could qualify right off the bat, suggested National Coordinator for Healthcare IT David Blumenthal, M.D., at the October HIT Policy Committee meeting. While the former [...]

Source: Blumenthal Suggests Different Paths to MU on healthsystemcio.com - healthsystemCIO.com is the sole online-only publication dedicated to exclusively and comprehensively serving the information needs of healthcare CIOs.

DARPA for Healthcare: An EMR Shootout

Dale Sanders — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:40:04 +0000

Building on a recent post about Peter Orszag's resignation, and stimulus funding for healthcare IT...As long as we're throwing money around by the billions... If I were Dr. Blumenthal, I’d dangle $500M ala DARPA in front of Amazon, Google, Nintendo, Facebook, salesforce, eBay– or any other capable body– and sponsor a shoot out: Build an inpatient/outpatient EMR and financial management system that will rock our world.

Source: DARPA for Healthcare: An EMR Shootout on healthsystemcio.com - healthsystemCIO.com is the sole online-only publication dedicated to exclusively and comprehensively serving the information needs of healthcare CIOs.

Flexibility Embraced in Final MU Regs

Anthony Guerra — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:59:59 +0000

The final Meaningful Use regulations issued today by the Department of Health and Human Services jettison a proposed all-or-nothing program in favor of a more flexible approach. According to the HITECH Act — part of the massive American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 — healthcare providers and hospitals are eligible for stimulus monies if they become meaningful users of certified electronic health record (EHR) technology. The program — which offers eligible professionals up to $44,000 under Medicare and $63,750 under Medicaid, and hospitals millions — has been developed by HHS/CMS and ONC over the last 14 months. Based on how many providers quality, the federal tab could range from $9.7 to $27.4 billion, according to CMS.

Source: Flexibility Embraced in Final MU Regs on healthsystemcio.com - healthsystemCIO.com is the sole online-only publication dedicated to exclusively and comprehensively serving the information needs of healthcare CIOs.

Peter Orszag’s Resignation: Why CIOs Should Care

Dale Sanders — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 14:21:30 +0000

Before I levy my criticisms on Orszag and the mess that his philosophies will leave behind for healthcare CIOs, you need to understand that I’m as politically liberal as they come. I voted for Obama and celebrated in Grant Park when he was elected. However, while I’m a spendthrift with my money, I’m a tightwad [...]

Source: Peter Orszag’s Resignation: Why CIOs Should Care on healthsystemcio.com - healthsystemCIO.com is the sole online-only publication dedicated to exclusively and comprehensively serving the information needs of healthcare CIOs.

HIT Safety Must Take Center Stage

Anthony Guerra — Thu, 13 May 2010 09:31:36 +0000

Psychologists say people don’t research problems to find solutions, but rather to support the solution they’ve already decided upon. To cite a recent political example, many said the Bush administration “cherry picked” intelligence to foster support for a war it was already committed to. In addition to the selection side, this type of analysis entails [...]

Source: HIT Safety Must Take Center Stage on healthsystemcio.com - healthsystemCIO.com is the sole online-only publication dedicated to exclusively and comprehensively serving the information needs of healthcare CIOs.

PODCAST: One-on-One w/Methodist CIO Pam McNutt

Anthony Guerra — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 17:12:15 +0000

Earlier this week, Pamela McNutt, SVP and CIO of Methodist Health System in Dallas, gave a presentation entitled “Meeting Stage 1 Meaningful Use: A View from a Healthcare System,” at the AHA’s Annual Membership Meeting in Washington, D.C. McNutt — chair of CHIME’s Policy Steering Committee and former chair of the organization’s Advocacy Leadership Team [...]

Source: PODCAST: One-on-One w/Methodist CIO Pam McNutt on healthsystemcio.com - healthsystemCIO.com is the sole online-only publication dedicated to exclusively and comprehensively serving the information needs of healthcare CIOs.

Have We Reached a Tipping Point With HIEs?

Marc Holland — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 19:13:43 +0000

News related to the exchange of health information and the entities that facilitate that exchange continue to dominate the headlines. And for good reason. Access to a comprehensive view of a patient’s health information across encounters and providers is widely seen as one of the most important contributors to the Obama administration’s goals of improving [...]

Source: Have We Reached a Tipping Point With HIEs? on healthsystemcio.com - healthsystemCIO.com is the sole online-only publication dedicated to exclusively and comprehensively serving the information needs of healthcare CIOs.

ONC Awards $60 Million in SHARP Grants

Anthony Guerra — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 20:57:54 +0000

As part of its Strategic Health IT Advanced Research Projects (SHARP) program to promote innovation, ONC has awarded four organizations a total of $60 million — Mayo Clinic of Medicine, Harvard University, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Each institution’s research projects “will identify short-term and long-term [...]

Source: ONC Awards $60 Million in SHARP Grants on healthsystemcio.com - healthsystemCIO.com is the sole online-only publication dedicated to exclusively and comprehensively serving the information needs of healthcare CIOs.

Chatting with the National Coordinator for Health IT

Brian Ahier — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 19:00:51 +0000

I had a brief chat with Dr. David Blumenthal last week that basically covered four areas: Transparency at the ONC; HITREC and communities of shared learning; Personal Health Records and possible certification; Rural practices and Critical Access Hospitals. Regarding transparency, which is something I'm fairly passionate about and have seen some improvements on at the ONC, Dr. Blumenthal said, "Trust is such an important factor in the management of sensitive information that it has to be attended to in everything we do. I think that being open is one way to create trust."

Source: Chatting with the National Coordinator for Health IT on healthsystemcio.com - healthsystemCIO.com is the sole online-only publication dedicated to exclusively and comprehensively serving the information needs of healthcare CIOs.

At HIMSS10, A Race to the Bottom

Anthony Guerra — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:59:33 +0000

A journalist’s job is to listen for trends, sift through the noise, and find the kernel of importance in a speech, trial, or presentation. It’s a skill that comes over time, after many mistakes and, for me, after getting many a lead ripped to shreds by my journalism professors. I think I’ve gotten the hang [...]

Source: At HIMSS10, A Race to the Bottom on healthsystemcio.com - healthsystemCIO.com is the sole online-only publication dedicated to exclusively and comprehensively serving the information needs of healthcare CIOs.

When Blumenthal Listens, People Talk

John Schrenker — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:00:32 +0000

Tuesday morning at HIMSS about 100 CIOs had the opportunity to attend a standing room only meeting with Dr. David Blumenthal, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. The invitation arrived late Monday night simply stating that Dr. Blumenthal wanted to invite a small group of CIOs to have a discussion about the “progress being made [...]

Source: When Blumenthal Listens, People Talk on healthsystemcio.com - healthsystemCIO.com is the sole online-only publication dedicated to exclusively and comprehensively serving the information needs of healthcare CIOs.

Certification NPRM Drops During HIMSS

Anthony Guerra — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:36:56 +0000

The much-anticipated NPRM on Certification was released today, revealing a two-phase plan that looks to satisfy the letter of the law in time to pay out stimulus cash. The first proposed program creates a temporary certification process under which David Blumenthal, M.D., “would authorize organizations to assume many of the responsibilities that will eventually be [...]

Source: Certification NPRM Drops During HIMSS on healthsystemcio.com - healthsystemCIO.com is the sole online-only publication dedicated to exclusively and comprehensively serving the information needs of healthcare CIOs.

Standards Committee Struggles for Balance

Anthony Guerra — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:17:29 +0000

Instead of recommending small adjustment to the Standards and Certification Interim Final Rule (IFR), the 10th meeting of the federal HIT Standards Committee was consumed by a fundamental, philosophical debate of just how specific the group should be in its regulations, and the nature of the regulatory process itself. “We have to balance when to [...]

Source: Standards Committee Struggles for Balance on healthsystemcio.com - healthsystemCIO.com is the sole online-only publication dedicated to exclusively and comprehensively serving the information needs of healthcare CIOs.