MU Stage 2 press releases

Here is the first couple of press releases that we have received since announcing our stage 2 attestation.

Informationweek.com

Distilnfo.com

I am sure there will be more to come as word spreads about our exciting achievement!

Meaningful Use Stage 2

I successfully attested for stage 2 Meaningful Use on April 10th, 2014 (at 10:50am EST) for one of our Hospitals (DRMC).  It appears that we were the first in the country to do so.  This is a huge deal for us and we mostly like bring some national press to our tiny town.  I was interviewed by Cerner Corp yesterday since we use their EMR for a article that will be put together to send out.  This is very exciting for us as we have worked very hard to make this happen.  More to come soon!

Portal Launch

We have launched our patient portals for our Hospital's.  It is an exciting time to witness. We can now engage patients and families in their care.  They can now access results and other parts of their medical records thru this portal.  Each Hospital has it own unique portal because they have different EMR's, but they will all come together over the next couple of years.  Here is the press release from the Bradford Era.

http://www.bradfordera.com/news/local/article_a1742d86-c1df-11e3-8a3c-001a4bcf887a.html

ACO presentation for SDLC Partners at Carnegie Mellon University

On May 16th, I spent the afternoon with a energetic group of consultants discussing the finer points of ACO's and their impact on healthcare in the Western PA market.  I presented my thoughts for 90 minutes and then entertained questions from the group.  I was impressed with how much this group knew about ACO's and the dynamics of the marketplace.  Here are some of the highlights and major discussion points.

• ACO's - what are they and what are their many formats and structures?
• Impacts on community hospitals and independent physicians practices
• Do they save money and improve quality?
• What technology is required to support an ACO
• Do you need a health plan?
• What is the Patients role in an ACO?
• Will ACO's survive and become the new model of care?
• Q&A

I truly enjoyed my time with SDLC and their great questions. 

Thanks to Eric Dahlem for making this event happen!

WPHIMSS on May 1 for Healthcare 2020: The Technology Vision

 

                       Healthcare 2020: The Technology Vision

                               Wednesday, May 1, 2013

                               7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

                                  DoubleTree Hotel

                                 One Bigelow Square

                                 Downtown Pittsburgh

 

On Wednesday, May 1, 2013, the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (WPHIMSS) will present “Healthcare 2020: The Technology Vision” to provide an all-day forum of information and discussion about what we should expect to see in the areas of healthcare delivery and the new technology that will enable new methods of care, payment, consumer engagement, and population health management leading up to the year 2020. Event registration includes continental breakfast, lunch, and hors d'oeuvres and refreshments at the cocktail reception. You may Register Securely Online<https://secure100.telusys.net/tcsc-bin/regdisplay?7487712217935272> for Healthcare 2020: The Technology Vision. Registration fees are: WPHIMSS Members $75, Non-Members $99, and Students $25.

 

Speakers include:

 

 *   Kate Berry, Chief Executive Officer of National eHealth Collaborative (NeHC)

 *   Alexandra (Alix) Goss, State Health Information Technology Coordinator for Pennsylvania in January 2013

 *   Brett E Trusko, PhD, MBA, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Center for Translational and Bioinformatics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

 *   Andrew Rose Watson, MD, MLitt, FACS, Department of Surgery, UPMC; Vice President, International and Commercial Services Division; Medical Director, Center for Connected Medicine; Executive Director, Telemedicine

 

WPHIMSS Round Table Panel: The Role of The ACO in Healthcare Reform

 

 *   Mike McNees (Moderator), CEO, Syndicus

 *   Tom Johnson, MBA, CPA, Chief Information Officer, DuBois Regional Medical Center

 *   Michael A. Cassidy, JD, CHC, shareholder and director of Tucker Arensberg, P.C. and Chair of the Health Law Practice Group

 *   Keith T. Kanel, MD, MHCM, FACP, Chief Medical Officer, Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative

 *   Michael D. Parkinson, MD, MPH, FACPM, Senior Medical Director, Senior Medical Director of Health and Productivity, UPMC Health Plan and WorkPartners

 

Healthcare 2020: The Technology Vision Agenda:

 

 *   7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast

 *   8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Dr. Andrew Watson: Telemedicine

 *   9:30 to 10 a.m. Q & A

 *   10:00 to 10:30 a.m. Break

 *   10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Alix Goss: The View from The State

 *   11:30 a.m. to Noon Q & A

 *   Noon to 1 p.m. Lunch

 *   1 to 2 p.m. Panel Discussion: The Role of the ACO Rewind

 *   2 to 2:30 p.m. Q&A

 *   2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Kate Berry: eHealth Collaboration

 *   3:30 to 4 p.m. Q & A

 *   4 to 4:30 p.m. Break

 *   4:30 to 5 p.m. Keynote Speaker Brett Trusko

 *   5 to 5:30 p.m. Q & A

 *   5:30 to 6:30 p.m. CIO Panel Discussion

 *   6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Networking Reception

 

Please visit the WPHIMSS website<http://www.wphimss.org> for more information.

Western PA HIMSS

I always enjoying participating in the regional HIMSS meetings.  There are so many good people there who are willing to volunteer their time and share their knowledge for the benefit of others.  I am sometimes honored with the opportunity to present my perspective on a current topic or sit in on an expert panel discussion.  It is a wonderful experience and very rewarding to be part of something that is good for everyone involved.  I encourage you to get involved and see if you can make a difference.

Here is a opportunity to start:


Program to Highlight Applications and Use of Technology to Address Key Trends in the Healthcare Value Chain

On Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013, the Western PA Chapter of the Health Information and Management Systems Society (WPHIMSS) and UPMC’s Center for Connected Medicine will co-host a program focusing on the use of business systems and emerging technology that can help address key trends and reshape healthcare in the next decade.

The event will feature keynote speaker Greg Porter, founder of Allegheny Digital, adjunct faculty member at the H. John Heinz III College at Carnegie Mellon University and visiting scientist at the Software Engineering Institute, as well as a panel that includes healthcare information technology executives who represent a continuum of participant organizations in the Health Care Value Chain.

This program will be made available via conference call for 25 people since the maximum capacity for in-person attendance has been reached. The agenda includes:

2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Registration
2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. President’s Welcome and Introduction of Speaker--Dr. Michael Parkinson
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Speaker, Dr. Michael Parkinson
4:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Introduction of Moderator, Lee Kim. and Expert Panel
4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Panel Points of View, Commentary and Q&A with Participants
5:00 p.m. Break
5:15 p.m. Introduction of Greg Porter, Healthcare Privacy & Security
6:00 p.m. Q&A

Registration
If you would like to participate in this event via conference call, please email Becky Huet at beckysuehuet@gmail.com.

Confirmed speakers include:

Lee Kim, JD Attorney at Tucker Arensberg, P.C. and member of the firm’s Health Information Technology Practice Group.

Greg Porter, founder of Allegheny Digital, a western Pennsylvania-based information security services company specializing in health care driven managed security services, incident response and enterprise risk management.

James F. Jordan is the senior director, Healthcare & Biotechnology Programs, Distinguished Service Professor in Healthcare & Biotechnology Management, Carnegie Mellon University.

Jody Cervenak, principal at Aspen Advisors, has more than 20 years of experience in planning, implementing and leading healthcare information technology solutions. She has directed multiple information technology strategy projects with large academic medical center and integrated delivery systems.

Dianne Emminger, MBA, vice president of Information Services at ACMH Hospital in Kittanning, Pa. She has 40 years’ experience in IT management: half within the engineering and manufacturing industry and half within the healthcare field.

Dr. Andrew Rose Watson, an actively practicing surgeon in the division of colorectal surgery and specializes in minimally invasive colorectal and inflammatory bowel disease surgery. He is a vice president of the International and Commercial Service Division, helps lead industrial relations for UPMC and plays a key role integrating health care information technology into clinical practice.

Walter Whitten Jr., currently serving as the CIO for Quality Life Services (QLS) based in Butler, Pa., which owns and operates eight long-term care facilities, seven personal care homes and a pharmacy (all located in western Pennsylvania.

For more information, please visit the WPHIMSS website or contact Robert Sheesley, president of the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of HIMSS, by email at sheesleyrk@upmc.edu or by calling (412) 454-8901.

Patient Portals

With Stage II meaningful use on the horizon, having a patient portal is required.  However, buying and setting up a portal is one thing.  Getting patients to use it, it clearly another issue.  The whole idea behind patient portals it to "engage the patient and their families" in the healthcare decision making process.  To provide more education and increase their understanding of their condition and the recommended treatment options.  The real challenge comes from registering and supporting a huge patient population.  Where do they call when they have problems, who assists them with their computer issues? What if there is something incorrect or inaccuracies with their medical records?  How do they securely view, download and transmit their records with ease?

There are many very good opportunities to engage patients in their care, however, there are just as many challenges in supporting this new way of doing business.

Patient Portals are our future, learn to master them now!