The real challenge for many organizations will be whether Stage 7 can realistically be achieved with your existing vendors. If you are using a single-vendor approach, like many Epic, Meditech, or Cerner hospitals are, the data elements that need to flow between modules or department clinical applications already exist. The need to use BMV in […]
Contemplating Stage 7, Part I: Reengineering Processes And Securing Buy-in
As an organization that just received HIMSS Analytics Stage 6 recognition, we decided not to rest on our laurels but to fully explore the HIMSS Analytics Stage 7 requirements. We saw Stage 7 as not just recognition that an organization is basically “paperless,” but more importantly, as a commitment to improve patient care and the […]
Shifting Toward A New Care Model Means Shifting CIO Skillsets
One only needs to look at the statistics in hospitals throughout the US to see that healthcare is changing. Inpatient and ER visits are down across the board, even to the point of double-digit percentages over last year for some facilities. Ambulatory surgery and outpatient visits, however, are up if you are lucky enough to […]
The Risky Business Of Third-Party Vendors
In a free-market economy, supply and demand drive pricing, availability, and a host of other economic trends. I have been in the healthcare IT business for over 20 years now, and generally, that free-market model has worked well. It has also allowed for win-win pricing structure and contractual payment terms. For instance, I have regularly […]
Culture Clashes: The Romance and Reality of Working Overseas
In my last article, I discussed the financial considerations of working abroad. In this one, I will discuss cultural factors you may wish to weigh before accepting a position overseas. The first is that we, as Americans, often forget how much the rest of the world dislikes us as a country and as a people. […]