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Ambulatory EHR's Top 10 Players - November 10, 2009
Orlando Florida -- The Ambulatory EHR market is far more challenging than the hospital-based EHR market, said Brian McCarthy, CEO of Sencilo HealthIT Solutions. “You have all these decentralized independent businesses... I think what’s challenging is that these providers are trying to run their small businesses.”
Sencilo's core business is with practices of ten providers or fewer. he believes that’s where the bulk of ambulatory EHR implementations are left to go. “They’re feeling pressure to adopt these EHRs and it’s a huge workflow change. My hope is that the time they have to implement is adequate enough that they can move towards a higher level of use,” he said.
Between 17 percent and 20 percent of practices currently use an EHR, with average installation costs of roughly $40,000 to $60,000. “People are starting off with e-prescribing and reviewing lab results,” said McCarthy. “Moving to the next level, where you’re looking to capture-specific measures and clinical decision support, it’s a huge difference.”
“I think where the vendors can help is really in developing their software further to achieve some of the guidelines here but also being able to create implementation cycles that are reasonable.”
THREE TRENDS TO WATCH
1. ADOPTION: A “higher level” of ambulatory EHR adoption as more physicians move beyond the installation phase.
2. PARTNERSHIPS: Addressing interoperability challenges may mean an increase in the number of vendor partnerships in the ambulatory EHR space. “The vendors are at a point where they need partners to help them implement,” McCarthy said.
3. INCENTIVES: Adoption incentives for EHRs under ARRA will certainly have a positive effect on the number of clinics using electronic records, but financial challenges persist. “It’s hard because they’re retrospective incentives, and you have to have been implemented for a time period to get incentives, which implies you need a loan or grant, and in this economy it’s a hard thing to do,” notes McCarthy.
EHR MARKET POISED FOR MAJOR BOOST
ALLSCRIPTS
Allscripts award-winning Electronic Health Record solutions are fast becoming an indispensable part of the way physicians practice medicine. The CCHIT-certified Allscripts EHRs are designed for practices of all sizes and specialties. Delivered via on-site, hosted or SaaS models, Allscripts EHRs produce rapid physician utilization and ROI by making the practice of medicine more seamless, less demanding and more rewarding for physicians. Allscripts EHR solutions deliver proven success, because we put physicians first..
Contact: Lesley Weisenbacher, 312.447.2488, lesley.weisenbacher@allscripts.com
CERNER
Cerner Millenium Power Chart Office is a unified solution that bridges the gap between ambulatory and acute settings for medium to large physician group practices and clinics that are employed by a hospital.
ECLINICALWORKS
eClinicalWorks develops and implements health information technology consisting of electronic medical records and practice management software, patient portals and a community health records application. Customers include small, medium and large physician practices, out-patient departments of hospitals, health centers, departments of health and convenient care clinics.
GE HEALTHCARE
GE Healthcare’s Centricity Electronic Medical Record (EMR) enables ambulatory care physicians and clinical staff to efficiently document patient encounters, streamline clinical workflow and securely exchange clinical data with other providers, patients and information systems.
INTELLISOFT
Our solution can be deployed in the Software as a Service (SaaS) model. Alternatively, we can also deploy it in the customer’s infrastructure, too. Our private label is CCHIT certified for Ambulatory 2007. We are looking into an HIE HITSP statement regarding integration and interoperability capabilities. We are in talks with a prospective U.S. distributor. Our product supports both ICD9 and ICD10. We also support CMS 1500.
MCKESSON
Horizon Ambulatory Care is a Web-based, workflow-driven ambulatory electronic health record solution that automates the clinical functions of a physician practice, including prescription management, diagnostic order entry, results reporting, encounter documentation, and clinical workflow management. This EHR can be delivered incrementally and is integrated with McKesson’s Horizon Clinicals suite, providing integration with hospitals and integrated delivery networks through the electronic health record.
Practice Partner Patient Records is an award-winning electronic medical record system that provides a host of innovative tools to improve both office and clinical efficiency while helping to improve quality of care. The electronic medical record software allows practices to replace their paper charts with a comprehensive feature set utilized nationwide by medical offices of all sizes and specialties
NEXTGEN
A CCHIT Certified 2008 Ambulatory EHR, NextGen EHR version 5.4.29 ensures fast user-adoption with built-in clinical content and workflow for more than 25 specialties. Using the latest standards, the system is interoperable with hospitals, labs, and pharmacies.
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions
We provide (EHR) solutions remove barriers to technology adoption. With monthly subscription pricing, application hosting and easy start-up, EHRs are now a reality for physicians. Whether your challenge is managing technology, aligning clinical and administrative strategies of meeting “meaningful use” definitions, Sencilo can help.
SAGE SOFTWARE
Sage Intergy EHR is a certified electronic health records system that delivers the clinical information you need to effectively care for your patients – and can leverage to attain meaningful use. Sage Intergy EHR offers clinical content for many specialties, and integrates with practice management, business intelligence and EDI software.
SHARED HEALTH
Using a secure, Web-based system, Shared Health Clinical Xchange gives clinicians the power to make informed, evidence-based decisions at the point of care. Shared Health’s interoperable solution connects clinicians to communities of data and includes: quality reporting, disease registries, Care Opportunities, lab results, and electronic prescribing.
SOURCEPLUS
SourcePlus EHR is a revolutionary electronic health records system that mimics real-world processes and workflow. It is simple to use and learn, enabling healthcare facilities to quickly move from paper-based medical records to a fully computerized system.
USER REVIEWS
“Shared Health Clinical Xchange has helped us reduce costs and improve care. It instantly notifies us of drug interactions, enabled us to eliminate handwriting errors, and allows us to apply for Medicare’s ePrescribe bonus. There’s simply no better way to access vital patient and prescription information.”
- Jim Holt, MD, medical director,
ETSU Family Medicine Associates in Johnson City, Tenn.
“NextGen EHR has been a critical IT component for the past 10 years, especially during a time of tremendous growth. The system has had a real impact on the quality of care we deliver, and has positioned us to meet meaningful use criteria and receive eligible stimulus incentive funds.”
- Gregory A. Spencer, MD,
chief medical officer, Crystal Run Healthcare
“GE Healthcare’s Centricity EMR gives our physicians unparalleled, secure access to patient information from anywhere they have internet access. We have radiology, pathology and transcription reports from our affiliated hospitals drop straight into the EMR, allowing our physicians to expedite care without delay and streamline the approach to documenting care.”
- Katie Drennan, IT manager, Virginia Surgery Associates, PC, located in Fairfax, Va.
“SourcePlus EHR is extremely user friendly and intuitive to use. I love the dynamic schedule; we use it to track patients before, during and after their visit. It’s great that everyone has access to the same information (and it) has eliminated a lot of unnecessary phone calls.”
For more information please call (407) 265-6293 or visit us at: http://www.sencilo.com
Why Sencilo HealthIT Solutions
When it comes to your healthcare computing needs, Sencilo HealthIT Solutions's main objective is to provide a turnkey solution that can essentially sustain itself. When you choose Sencilo HealthIT Solutions, you don't just gain a vendor who provides you with technology. You get a business partner who walks with you through every step of the process
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions eHealthcare Architecture: More than technology
With Sencilo HealthIT Solutions eHealthcare Architecture, you can leverage the same productivity tools and technology resources that have transformed business. And you get a full portfolio of services too. By working with Sencilo HealthIT Solutions, you can get:
A dedicated customer team
A website customized for your institution
A full portfolio of robust solutions
Easy setup, implementation and maintenance
Simple ordering and delivery
Technology training
Flexible financing options
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services makes it easy
In addition to providing high-quality technology at a low cost, Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services can help you plan your healthcare computing from the ground up. By working with you from the initial construction phases, we can help you save time and money and lead to a truly customized solution.
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services offers complete services that include:
Design
Procurement
Installation
Training
Maintenance
Support
About Us
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions is a Florida-based integrator specializing in EMR EHR Cost Cutting storage, security and managed services solutions. Sencilo delivers a comprehensive portfolio of products from best-of-breed hardware and software from multiple manufacturers including VMware, Dell Fujitsu Data Domain, EMC, Hitachi, Symantec, HDS, IBM, Commvault, Xiotech and HP. Its technical expertise is known throughout the storage and security industry. Clients include leading corporations, major financial institutions, top universities, government facilities, as well as small to medium size businesses. Sencilo's professional services include consulting, integration, project management, storage virtualization installation, maintenance and knowledge transfer.
Sencilo has offices throughout Florida including: Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Orlando, Hialeah, St. Augustine, Gainesville, Ocala, Palm Coast, Clearwater, Kissimmee, Lakeland, Maitland and Cape Canaveral Green Simpana Offerings Projects: BC DR planning Replication De-Dup De-Dupe iSCSI SAN NAS VMware Security EMC NetApp HP IBM Quantum Compliance VTL Data Domain vs Gartner Magic Quadrant Quadrent LTO Backup Exc Pure Disk NetBackup Networker TSM Commvault BakBone D2D D2D2T compare cloud data deduplication thin provisioning DXi Global Compression DDX virtual tape library Data Reduction SEPATON FALCON compare Celerra CLARiiON Equallogic Sencilo HealthIT Solutions NS20 NS40 CX4 CX3-20 CX3-40 CX3-80 FAS2050 FAS3050 Xiotech Nexsan Avamar DLD3 1500 D3 Storwiz storage compression data Ocarina Networks A-SIS compare Sepaton infopro BlueArc OnStor Microsoft Unified Storage data protection StorageX Brocade FAQ SSD Solid state disk SANmelody FalconStor tier zero Xiotech ISE nx4 ax4 greenBytes ZFS Sun Top 10 ROBOBak managed services hosting cloud grid Datacore Compellent compellant equallogic lefthand networks don't buy storage stop buying storage itguardian cherub networks Arkeia Network Backup appliance Data Recovery Backup Health IT Healthcare IT Digital Hospital Allscripts Patient Data electronic health record P4P rules and the HITECH Act PayerView Rankings practice management tools $44,000 in Medicare or $66,000 in Medicaid from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act eClinicalWorks, Allscripts, NextGen, GE Centricity, and Meditech, Sage, eCW Electronic Healthcare IT Medical Records EMR EHR Clinical Practices eClinicalWorks Allscripts Florida EMR, EHR, electronic medical record, health, records, practice management systems solutions, medication services, PHR Otolaryngology, Orthopaedics, Pain Nuerosurgery, Urology, Ophthalmology, Cardiology, Billing, Appointment Scheduling, clinicalworks, eClinicalWorks, solutions for physicians, hospitals, clinical education and medical services Computerized Patient CPR, Order Entry, CPOE, Document Clinical Information Informatics, Computer-based, SOAP, HIT, Healthcare Encounter Forms, web based, online, clinical rules database, electronic prescribing, e-prescribing, eprescribing, athenaClinicals, certified EMR, certified EHR, HITECH Act VAR Reseller Dealer hipaa privacy doctor, healthcare performance management, data security, hosting, arra, free
Why Physicians are worried about with EHRs disrupting work - November 10, 2009
Orlando Florida -- Physicians have limited knowledge of the American Recovery and Reinvestment provisions, according to a recent online survey of 1,000 physicians, and they are still reluctant to adopt information technology.
UnitedHealth Group, conducted the survey, While financial incentives and penalties drive physicians to adopt health IT, the survey showed, they continue to be worried about upfront cost and workflow disruption.
The survey showed more than half, or 58 percent, of the respondents have little or no familiarity with ARRA, with 42 percent indicating some familiarity.
Eighty-two percent cite investment reimbursement as a motivator for implementing an electronic health record system, with 77 percent citing penalties as a motivation to implement.
Not surprisingly, cost and workflow disruption were listed as the two greatest risks for EHR deployment, with 82 percent citing cost and 74 percent citing workflow disruption.
The shift to adopt health IT is happening - thanks to the stimulus funds and CMS incentives - albeit slowly, said Brian McCarthy CEO of Sencilo HealthIT Solutions and Allscripts partner. "There is a growing awareness that the reason to adopt makes sense," he said.
The industry needs to educate the independent physicians who have not had a compelling business case to adopt in the past, McCarthy said. The legacy vendor community has largely focused on the multi-specialty, complex healthcare systems with deep pockets, he said.
With ARRA and a larger market of small physician offices, vendors have an incentive to develop innovative next-generation electronic health records, he said. Hosted EHRs with monthly subscription fees are providing much-needed new business and technology models for independent physicians.
The way physicians are educated on health IT and EHRs also needs to change, McCarthy said, adding, "This is an opportunity to start talking about capabilities in the physician's office."
Technology should be seen as an enabler that brings new capabilities and efficiencies to a physician's office, he said. Physicians will be more receptive to health IT if the conversation is around better care and more efficiency of the whole system.
For instance, physicians would value an EHR with its ability to identify their diabetic patients who have not had a hemoglobin A1c screening test in the past year.
The primary care physician's world is changing rapidly, McCarthy said. Fee and reimbursement schedules are changing, models of care such as the patient-centered medical home are being introduced, reporting quality meausures is required for participation in pay-for-performance programs. The small physician offices are overwhelmed with administrative complexity, clinical protocols and revenue cycle management issues, he said.
Legacy vendors have under-invested in the small group practices in the past. "You have to look at the entire physician's office," McCarthy said. Vendors and independent physicians need to establish the foundational capability in the office and the workflow around that in order to reap the benefits of health IT implementation.
To address the issues brought up by the survey results, Sencilo HealthIT will be delivering a series of Webinars and unveiling a new Web site to provide information and education to help small physician offices think about IT and its capabilities and improve their practices.
For more information please call (407) 265-6293 or visit us at: http://www.sencilo.com
Why Sencilo HealthIT Solutions
When it comes to your healthcare computing needs, Sencilo HealthIT Solutions's main objective is to provide a turnkey solution that can essentially sustain itself. When you choose Sencilo HealthIT Solutions, you don't just gain a vendor who provides you with technology. You get a business partner who walks with you through every step of the process
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions eHealthcare Architecture: More than technology
With Sencilo HealthIT Solutions eHealthcare Architecture, you can leverage the same productivity tools and technology resources that have transformed business. And you get a full portfolio of services too. By working with Sencilo HealthIT Solutions, you can get:
A dedicated customer team
A website customized for your institution
A full portfolio of robust solutions
Easy setup, implementation and maintenance
Simple ordering and delivery
Technology training
Flexible financing options
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services makes it easy
In addition to providing high-quality technology at a low cost, Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services can help you plan your healthcare computing from the ground up. By working with you from the initial construction phases, we can help you save time and money and lead to a truly customized solution.
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services offers complete services that include:
Design
Procurement
Installation
Training
Maintenance
Support
About Us
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions is a Florida-based integrator specializing in EMR EHR Cost Cutting storage, security and managed services solutions. Sencilo delivers a comprehensive portfolio of products from best-of-breed hardware and software from multiple manufacturers including VMware, Dell Fujitsu Data Domain, EMC, Hitachi, Symantec, HDS, IBM, Commvault, Xiotech and HP. Its technical expertise is known throughout the storage and security industry. Clients include leading corporations, major financial institutions, top universities, government facilities, as well as small to medium size businesses. Sencilo's professional services include consulting, integration, project management, storage virtualization installation, maintenance and knowledge transfer.
Sencilo has offices throughout Florida including: Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Orlando, Hialeah, St. Augustine, Gainesville, Ocala, Palm Coast, Clearwater, Kissimmee, Lakeland, Maitland and Cape Canaveral Green Simpana Offerings Projects: BC DR planning Replication De-Dup De-Dupe iSCSI SAN NAS VMware Security EMC NetApp HP IBM Quantum Compliance VTL Data Domain vs Gartner Magic Quadrant Quadrent LTO Backup Exc Pure Disk NetBackup Networker TSM Commvault BakBone D2D D2D2T compare cloud data deduplication thin provisioning DXi Global Compression DDX virtual tape library Data Reduction SEPATON FALCON compare Celerra CLARiiON Equallogic Sencilo HealthIT Solutions NS20 NS40 CX4 CX3-20 CX3-40 CX3-80 FAS2050 FAS3050 Xiotech Nexsan Avamar DLD3 1500 D3 Storwiz storage compression data Ocarina Networks A-SIS compare Sepaton infopro BlueArc OnStor Microsoft Unified Storage data protection StorageX Brocade FAQ SSD Solid state disk SANmelody FalconStor tier zero Xiotech ISE nx4 ax4 greenBytes ZFS Sun Top 10 ROBOBak managed services hosting cloud grid Datacore Compellent compellant equallogic lefthand networks don't buy storage stop buying storage itguardian cherub networks Arkeia Network Backup appliance Data Recovery Backup Health IT Healthcare IT Digital Hospital Allscripts Patient Data electronic health record P4P rules and the HITECH Act PayerView Rankings practice management tools $44,000 in Medicare or $66,000 in Medicaid from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act eClinicalWorks, Allscripts, NextGen, GE Centricity, and Meditech, Sage, eCW Electronic Healthcare IT Medical Records EMR EHR Clinical Practices eClinicalWorks Allscripts Florida EMR, EHR, electronic medical record, health, records, practice management systems solutions, medication services, PHR Otolaryngology, Orthopaedics, Pain Nuerosurgery, Urology, Ophthalmology, Cardiology, Billing, Appointment Scheduling, clinicalworks, eClinicalWorks, solutions for physicians, hospitals, clinical education and medical services Computerized Patient CPR, Order Entry, CPOE, Document Clinical Information Informatics, Computer-based, SOAP, HIT, Healthcare Encounter Forms, web based, online, clinical rules database, electronic prescribing, e-prescribing, eprescribing, athenaClinicals, certified EMR, certified EHR, HITECH Act VAR Reseller Dealer hipaa privacy doctor, healthcare performance management, data security, hosting, arra, free
Florida in beta-testing stage of PHR for Medicaid recipients - November 10, 2009
Orlando Florida -- Officials from Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration tested a free personal health record for the state's 2.6 million Medicaid recipients on Wednesday.
The agency previewed the first phase of Florida's Internet-based PHR called My Florida Health eBook and My Florida eBaby Book. In the first phase of the pilot Medicaid recipients will be able to track information about their healthcare visits, procedures, medications, immunizations, allergies and more, says Brian McCarthy from Sencilo HealthIT Solutions and well known speaker on the subject of Healthcare IT.
According to state officials, Florida is the first state to offer a free PHR for Medicaid recipients. The PHR is being funded by a partnership between Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration, Availity, LLC, a Jacksonville, Fla.-based health information network provider, HealthTrio, LLC, an e-health applications and business systems provider in Centennial, Colo., and Healthwise, a nonprofit organization based in Boise, Idaho.
"With Healthwise content, the Agency for Health Care Administration can offer Florida's Medicaid recipients easy access to health information that can help them take an active role in their own health and in their family's health," said Donald W. Kemper, Healthwise chairman and CEO. "The right information at the right time can help a person with diabetes better manage their blood sugar or help a new mom know what to do when her child is sick."
Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration will be meeting with St. Joseph's Children's Hospital in Tampa, Sacred Heart Children's Hospital in Pensacola, Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Hollywood and Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando to discuss a pilot of My Florida eBaby Book with Medicaid recipients prior to the official launch.
Officials said that within the next 30 days, Florida's Medicaid recipients will be able to access their Internet-based PHR at www.FloridaHealthFinder.gov using their Medicaid ID number.
"Thanks to this extraordinary partnership with private sector leaders we were able to develop free personal health records for every Medicaid recipient in the state of Florida," said Secretary Holly Benson. "We are the first state in the country to do this, and we believe that this is a tremendous opportunity to empower our recipients with their health care information and to give them the tools they want and need to improve their health."
In the second phase of My Florida Health eBook and My Florida eBaby Book, the Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration will populate each Medicaid recipient's PHR with claims data from services paid for by Florida Medicaid. The recipients will also be able to view their PHR in Spanish.
For more information please call (407) 265-6293 or visit us at: http://www.sencilo.com
Why Sencilo HealthIT Solutions
When it comes to your healthcare computing needs, Sencilo HealthIT Solutions's main objective is to provide a turnkey solution that can essentially sustain itself. When you choose Sencilo HealthIT Solutions, you don't just gain a vendor who provides you with technology. You get a business partner who walks with you through every step of the process
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions eHealthcare Architecture: More than technology
With Sencilo HealthIT Solutions eHealthcare Architecture, you can leverage the same productivity tools and technology resources that have transformed business. And you get a full portfolio of services too. By working with Sencilo HealthIT Solutions, you can get:
A dedicated customer team
A website customized for your institution
A full portfolio of robust solutions
Easy setup, implementation and maintenance
Simple ordering and delivery
Technology training
Flexible financing options
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services makes it easy
In addition to providing high-quality technology at a low cost, Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services can help you plan your healthcare computing from the ground up. By working with you from the initial construction phases, we can help you save time and moneyâ€â€Âand lead to a truly customized solution.
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services offers complete services that include:
Design
Procurement
Installation
Training
Maintenance
Support
About Us
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions is a Florida-based integrator specializing in EMR EHR Cost Cutting storage, security and managed services solutions. Sencilo delivers a comprehensive portfolio of products from best-of-breed hardware and software from multiple manufacturers including VMware, Dell Fujitsu Data Domain, EMC, Hitachi, Symantec, HDS, IBM, Commvault, Xiotech and HP. Its technical expertise is known throughout the storage and security industry. Clients include leading corporations, major financial institutions, top universities, government facilities, as well as small to medium size businesses. Sencilo's professional services include consulting, integration, project management, storage virtualization installation, maintenance and knowledge transfer.
Sencilo has offices throughout Florida including: Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Orlando, Hialeah, St. Augustine, Gainesville, Ocala, Palm Coast, Clearwater, Kissimmee, Lakeland, Maitland and Cape Canaveral Green Simpana Offerings Projects: BC DR planning Replication De-Dup De-Dupe iSCSI SAN NAS VMware Security EMC NetApp HP IBM Quantum Compliance VTL Data Domain vs Gartner Magic Quadrant Quadrent LTO Backup Exc Pure Disk NetBackup Networker TSM Commvault BakBone D2D D2D2T compare cloud data deduplication thin provisioning DXi Global Compression DDX virtual tape library Data Reduction SEPATON FALCON compare Celerra CLARiiON Equallogic Sencilo HealthIT Solutions NS20 NS40 CX4 CX3-20 CX3-40 CX3-80 FAS2050 FAS3050 Xiotech Nexsan Avamar DLD3 1500 D3 Storwiz storage compression data Ocarina Networks A-SIS compare Sepaton infopro BlueArc OnStor Microsoft Unified Storage data protection StorageX Brocade FAQ SSD Solid state disk SANmelody FalconStor tier zero Xiotech ISE nx4 ax4 greenBytes ZFS Sun Top 10 ROBOBak managed services hosting cloud grid Datacore Compellent compellant equallogic lefthand networks don't buy storage stop buying storage itguardian cherub networks Arkeia Network Backup appliance Data Recovery Backup Health IT Healthcare IT Digital Hospital Allscripts Patient Data electronic health record P4P rules and the HITECH Act PayerView Rankings practice management tools $44,000 in Medicare or $66,000 in Medicaid from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act eClinicalWorks, Allscripts, NextGen, GE Centricity, and Meditech
Electronic Healthcare IT Medical Records EMR EHR Clinical Practices eClinicalWorks Allscripts Florida EMR, EHR, electronic medical record, health, records, practice management systems solutions, medication services, PHR Otolaryngology, Orthopaedics, Pain Nuerosurgery, Urology, Ophthalmology, Cardiology, Billing, Appointment Scheduling, clinicalworks, eClinicalWorks, solutions for physicians, hospitals, clinical education and medical services Computerized Patient CPR, Order Entry, CPOE, Document Clinical Information Informatics, Computer-based, SOAP, HIT, Healthcare Encounter Forms, web based, online, clinical rules database, electronic prescribing, e-prescribing, eprescribing, athenaClinicals, certified EMR, certified EHR, HITECH Act VAR Reseller Dealer hipaa privacy doctor, healthcare performance management, data security, hosting, arra, free
Looking for IT work -- Look into a Career in Healthcare IT - November 10, 2009
Orlando Florida -- Small armies of health IT professionals will be needed to deploy, manage, and support new electronic medical record and other related clinical systems being installed in thousands of U.S. hospitals and doctor offices over the next five years.
The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services expects that the federal governments $20 billion-plus stimulus program to push health IT adoption between now and 2015 will create between 50,000 and 100,000 new jobs for health IT professionals, says Brian McCarthy CEO of Sencilo HealthIT Solutions of Orlando Florida.
That's great news if you're one of the relatively few IT pros in the U.S. that have specialized in health IT in recent years. You're bound to see job security -- and job offers -- boom.
But even if you're considering a career path into health IT--but have limited have previous experience working in clinical environments, don't despair. It might take some additional self-promotion, resume tweaking and additional training to land a healthcare IT job without industry experience, but it's not impossible.
There's a wide range of skills that employers will be seeking, said Gretchen Koch, director of workforce development programs at CompTIA, an IT industry trade association.
Of course, previous work in health IT is a big plus. So, play up any prior experience you have working in a clinical environment, where you've gained familiarity with healthcare workflow, processes, and the terminology, she says.
If you don't have experience working in clinical environments, a background in other industries that have similar needs or characteristics of healthcare is also helpful. That's especially true for IT professionals with experience in the financial services sector, where government regulations, security and real-time transactions are a focus. Those are familiar themes for healthcare IT, as well.
"Enterprise-wide hospital deployments not only need project management skills, but also security, networking, database management, business analysis, help desk, change management, skills," said Koch.
Because cloud-based deployments EMR systems, especially in doctor offices that don't want to host and support their own servers, are growing in popularity, "if you have cloud experience, put that at the top of your resume," in targeting employers -- including services firms -- looking to fill health IT-related jobs. "Those resumes will rise to the top," she said.
Who'll be hiring? It's not just hospitals, clinics, and doctors' offices. In addition to IT services firms, large hardware vendors, software providers - -especially EMR vendors -- will be among those looking to beef up their healthcare project teams, Koch said.
If your current arsenal of skills isn't enough to get you noticed, consider taking classes that will lead to certifications in the health IT arena. New certificationsare expected to emerge, as employers and IT services providers figure out the desirable mix of IT and clinical skills needed for successful new deployments and ongoing operations of these systems.
"There will be new cross sections of disciplines between IT and health IT," said Koch. Community colleges will likely be a resource for new cross training programs.
In the meantime, HHS [the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services] is painfully aware that there won't be enough people to fill the need," said Koch, whose organization is among a few working with HHS to scope and develop new health IT professional training programs.
"HHS' goal is to get something up and running for 2010," she said.
For more information please call (407) 265-6293 or visit us at: http://www.sencilo.com
Why Sencilo HealthIT Solutions
When it comes to your healthcare computing needs, Sencilo HealthIT Solutions's main objective is to provide a turnkey solution that can essentially sustain itself. When you choose Sencilo HealthIT Solutions, you don't just gain a vendor who provides you with technology. You get a business partner who walks with you through every step of the process
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions eHealthcare Architecture: More than technology
With Sencilo HealthIT Solutions eHealthcare Architecture, you can leverage the same productivity tools and technology resources that have transformed business. And you get a full portfolio of services too. By working with Sencilo HealthIT Solutions, you can get:
A dedicated customer team
A website customized for your institution
A full portfolio of robust solutions
Easy setup, implementation and maintenance
Simple ordering and delivery
Technology training
Flexible financing options
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services makes it easy
In addition to providing high-quality technology at a low cost, Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services can help you plan your healthcare computing from the ground up. By working with you from the initial construction phases, we can help you save time and money and lead to a truly customized solution.
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services offers complete services that include:
Design
Procurement
Installation
Training
Maintenance
Support
About Us
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions is a Florida-based integrator specializing in EMR EHR Cost Cutting storage, security and managed services solutions. Sencilo delivers a comprehensive portfolio of products from best-of-breed hardware and software from multiple manufacturers including VMware, Dell Fujitsu Data Domain, EMC, Hitachi, Symantec, HDS, IBM, Commvault, Xiotech and HP. Its technical expertise is known throughout the storage and security industry. Clients include leading corporations, major financial institutions, top universities, government facilities, as well as small to medium size businesses. Sencilo's professional services include consulting, integration, project management, storage virtualization installation, maintenance and knowledge transfer.
Sencilo has offices throughout Florida including: Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Orlando, Hialeah, St. Augustine, Gainesville, Ocala, Palm Coast, Clearwater, Kissimmee, Lakeland, Maitland and Cape Canaveral Green Simpana Offerings Projects: BC DR planning Replication De-Dup De-Dupe iSCSI SAN NAS VMware Security EMC NetApp HP IBM Quantum Compliance VTL Data Domain vs Gartner Magic Quadrant Quadrent LTO Backup Exc Pure Disk NetBackup Networker TSM Commvault BakBone D2D D2D2T compare cloud data deduplication thin provisioning DXi Global Compression DDX virtual tape library Data Reduction SEPATON FALCON compare Celerra CLARiiON Equallogic Sencilo HealthIT Solutions NS20 NS40 CX4 CX3-20 CX3-40 CX3-80 FAS2050 FAS3050 Xiotech Nexsan Avamar DLD3 1500 D3 Storwiz storage compression data Ocarina Networks A-SIS compare Sepaton infopro BlueArc OnStor Microsoft Unified Storage data protection StorageX Brocade FAQ SSD Solid state disk SANmelody FalconStor tier zero Xiotech ISE nx4 ax4 greenBytes ZFS Sun Top 10 ROBOBak managed services hosting cloud grid Datacore Compellent compellant equallogic lefthand networks don't buy storage stop buying storage itguardian cherub networks Arkeia Network Backup appliance Data Recovery Backup Health IT Healthcare IT Digital Hospital Allscripts Patient Data electronic health record P4P rules and the HITECH Act PayerView Rankings practice management tools $44,000 in Medicare or $66,000 in Medicaid from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act eClinicalWorks, Allscripts, NextGen, GE Centricity, and Meditech
Electronic Healthcare IT Medical Records EMR EHR Clinical Practices eClinicalWorks Allscripts Florida EMR, EHR, electronic medical record, health, records, practice management systems solutions, medication services, PHR Otolaryngology, Orthopaedics, Pain Nuerosurgery, Urology, Ophthalmology, Cardiology, Billing, Appointment Scheduling, clinicalworks, eClinicalWorks, solutions for physicians, hospitals, clinical education and medical services Computerized Patient CPR, Order Entry, CPOE, Document Clinical Information Informatics, Computer-based, SOAP, HIT, Healthcare Encounter Forms, web based, online, clinical rules database, electronic prescribing, e-prescribing, eprescribing, athenaClinicals, certified EMR, certified EHR, HITECH Act VAR Reseller Dealer hipaa privacy doctor, healthcare performance management, data security, hosting, arra, free
Is Managed IT Services the Answer to EMR / EHR Cost Concerns - November 10, 2009
Orlando Florida -- There’s one aspect of health care reform that appears to contain a rare element of consensus: the push to digitize patient records, says Brian J. McCarthy CEO and well-known speaker on the subject of EMR migration and managed IT services from Sencilo HealthIT Solutions.
"Proponents have championed the goal of converting from paper to electronic formats for years, with the promise of closing safety gaps while improving the quality of care," says McCarthy.
But medical professionals in the trenches are worried about how to make the leap without incurring substantial financial losses.
Nevertheless, efforts among local administrators and technology companies are accelerating thanks to the dangling carrot of $19 billion in federal payments to assist hospitals and providers achieve the goal of computerized records.
Sharp Community Medical Group and Graybill Medical Group this month entered into a joint partnership to develop electronic health records, or EHR, strategies.
Last year, SCMG became one of the first independent physicians associations to implement the Allscripts Enterprise Electronic Health Record and Practice Management solution.
In many large medical groups, such as Kaiser Permanente, doctors already use electronic health records.
Yet overall, only 17 percent of U.S. physicians are using them, according to a government-sponsored survey published last year in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Meanwhile, these computerized record systems are very expensive, complex to maintain, and change the way physicians and nurses work, all of which amount to widespread cause for concern.
“Unfortunately, the federal government has not taken a top-down policy and has left it to individual communities and practices to build up these systems alone, and that has led to a tremendous amount of anxiety” within the health care community, said Ben Kanter, chief medical information officer at Palomar Pomerado Health, a not-for-profit health care system in North County.
Electronic records hold data on a patient’s health history, medications, laboratory tests, treatment guidelines and so on. To proponents, the potential benefits are fewer unnecessary tests, reduced errors and more outpatient care as opposed to hospital stays.
Do-It-Yourself Model
But the question of how to build an EHR system and how much to spend are left to individual health professionals and administrators.
It’s up to them and their technology partners to create the most efficient way to achieve the government’s mandate of a wholesale transformation to electronic health records by 2015 or face penalties in the way of reduced federal reimbursements for Medicare and Medicaid invoices.
Tom Sounhein, CEO at XiMED Medical Group, a San Diego network of 400 physicians, emphasized the enormous economic impact as the government prepares to disburse up to $44,000 as an incentive to doctors over a five-year span, starting in 2011.
“It seems like a good deal until you really do the analysis and take into account the ongoing costs after 2015 has come and gone,” Sounhein said. “So we’re trying to leverage the vendors to give us a deal based on our size.”
Sounhein said his company is in negotiations with an undisclosed technology vendor and just days away from sealing the deal. If an agreement goes through, the estimated cost to XiMED would be $36 million over 10 years.
“Subtract the $17 million that we’d get from federal funding and we’re upside down $19 million,” he said. “This is all a good thing in terms of what it can provide to patients and advancing the effort of transferring information. But it’s very daunting in terms of cost. Where is this money going to come from? It’s that sort of dilemma.”
Solution In The Cloud?
There’s no question that the promise of stimulus money has brought the issue of electronic health records front and center, according to Brian McCarthy CEO of Sencilo HealthIT Solutions, which provides business services to physicians in Florida.
The Escondido-based company said it has so far invested $3 million to implement EHR systems via cloud computing, an Internet-based service model, in which much of the computing firepower and data reside in remote data centers, which medical staff may collectively access via personal computers.
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions partners with Chicago-based Allscripts and sells their technology as a hosted offering.
“Everyone wants to make sure we give the right information to the right provider at the right time,” McCarthy said.
For more information please call (407) 265-6293 or visit us at: http://www.sencilo.com
Why Sencilo HealthIT Solutions
When it comes to your healthcare computing needs, Sencilo HealthIT Solutions's main objective is to provide a turnkey solution that can essentially sustain itself. When you choose Sencilo HealthIT Solutions, you don't just gain a vendor who provides you with technology. You get a business partner who walks with you through every step of the process
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions eHealthcare Architecture: More than technology
With Sencilo HealthIT Solutions eHealthcare Architecture, you can leverage the same productivity tools and technology resources that have transformed business. And you get a full portfolio of services too. By working with Sencilo HealthIT Solutions, you can get:
A dedicated customer team
A website customized for your institution
A full portfolio of robust solutions
Easy setup, implementation and maintenance
Simple ordering and delivery
Technology training
Flexible financing options
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services makes it easy
In addition to providing high-quality technology at a low cost, Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services can help you plan your healthcare computing from the ground up. By working with you from the initial construction phases, we can help you save time and money and lead to a truly customized solution.
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services offers complete services that include:
Design
Procurement
Installation
Training
Maintenance
Support
About Us
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions is a Florida-based integrator specializing in EMR EHR Cost Cutting storage, security and managed services solutions. Sencilo delivers a comprehensive portfolio of products from best-of-breed hardware and software from multiple manufacturers including VMware, Dell Fujitsu Data Domain, EMC, Hitachi, Symantec, HDS, IBM, Commvault, Xiotech and HP. Its technical expertise is known throughout the storage and security industry. Clients include leading corporations, major financial institutions, top universities, government facilities, as well as small to medium size businesses. Sencilo's professional services include consulting, integration, project management, storage virtualization installation, maintenance and knowledge transfer.
Sencilo has offices throughout Florida including: Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Orlando, Hialeah, St. Augustine, Gainesville, Ocala, Palm Coast, Clearwater, Kissimmee, Lakeland, Maitland and Cape Canaveral Green Simpana Offerings Projects: BC DR planning Replication De-Dup De-Dupe iSCSI SAN NAS VMware Security EMC NetApp HP IBM Quantum Compliance VTL Data Domain vs Gartner Magic Quadrant Quadrent LTO Backup Exc Pure Disk NetBackup Networker TSM Commvault BakBone D2D D2D2T compare cloud data deduplication thin provisioning DXi Global Compression DDX virtual tape library Data Reduction SEPATON FALCON compare Celerra CLARiiON Equallogic Sencilo HealthIT Solutions NS20 NS40 CX4 CX3-20 CX3-40 CX3-80 FAS2050 FAS3050 Xiotech Nexsan Avamar DLD3 1500 D3 Storwiz storage compression data Ocarina Networks A-SIS compare Sepaton infopro BlueArc OnStor Microsoft Unified Storage data protection StorageX Brocade FAQ SSD Solid state disk SANmelody FalconStor tier zero Xiotech ISE nx4 ax4 greenBytes ZFS Sun Top 10 ROBOBak managed services hosting cloud grid Datacore Compellent compellant equallogic lefthand networks don't buy storage stop buying storage itguardian cherub networks Arkeia Network Backup appliance Data Recovery Backup Health IT Healthcare IT Digital Hospital Allscripts Patient Data electronic health record P4P rules and the HITECH Act PayerView Rankings practice management tools $44,000 in Medicare or $66,000 in Medicaid from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act eClinicalWorks, Allscripts, NextGen, GE Centricity, and Meditech
Electronic Healthcare IT Medical Records EMR EHR Clinical Practices eClinicalWorks Allscripts Florida EMR, EHR, electronic medical record, health, records, practice management systems solutions, medication services, PHR Otolaryngology, Orthopaedics, Pain Nuerosurgery, Urology, Ophthalmology, Cardiology, Billing, Appointment Scheduling, clinicalworks, eClinicalWorks, solutions for physicians, hospitals, clinical education and medical services Computerized Patient CPR, Order Entry, CPOE, Document Clinical Information Informatics, Computer-based, SOAP, HIT, Healthcare Encounter Forms, web based, online, clinical rules database, electronic prescribing, e-prescribing, eprescribing, athenaClinicals, certified EMR, certified EHR, HITECH Act VAR Reseller Dealer hipaa privacy doctor, healthcare performance management, data security, hosting, arra, free
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions announced today that it has become a certified partner and reseller of Allscripts MyWay - November 10, 2009
Orlando Florida -- Sencilo HealthIT Solutions a full-service IT provider, now offers Allscripts MyWay Electronic Health Records (EHR) solution to small and mid-sized physician practices throughout Central Central Florida. Available as a hosted application or on premise software, Allscripts MyWay is a CCHIT-certified EHR solution that meets the demands of the Hi-Tech Stimulus Act, which offers physicians between $44,000 and $64,000 in funding with early adoption.
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions announced today that it has become a certified partner and reseller of Allscripts MyWay. Allscripts MyWay, an integrated Electronic Health Record (EHR), Practice Management (PM) and Revenue Cycle Management solution to small and mid-sized physician practices throughout Central Florida.
"We're very excited to align ourselves with Allscripts to offer their MyWay EHR solution. Their passion and dedication to providing a quality product, both in software and support, as well as their solvency, were large determining factors in choosing an EHR provider to partner with. Allscripts is a proven leader with over 25 years in the industry and they're here to stay," said Brian J. McCarthy, President of Sencilo HealthIT Solutions. To date, Allscripts solutions have been adopted by over 150,000 physicians, over 700 hospitals and nearly 7,000 post-acute and homecare organizations.
AllScripts MyWay is an integrated, comprehensive "right-sized" solution that gives small practices and even solo practitioners the key application features and functions necessary for Electronic Health Records (EHR), Practice Management (PM) and Revenue Cycle Management. Allscripts MyWay was designed with the smaller practice in mind, offering a feature-rich, customizable solution that's easy to use at a price point that's affordable and appealing to physicians in the small to medium space.
"Independent physicians and small groups are looking for a way to enter the electronic healthcare highway with affordable costs, minimal IT investment and management requirements, and with a product that is easy to learn. We believe our hosted MyWay electronic health record offering is the right answer at the right time," said Kelley Schudy, Vice President of Channel Sales for Allscripts.
For more information please call (407) 265-6293 or visit us at: http://www.sencilo.com
Why Sencilo HealthIT Solutions
When it comes to your healthcare computing needs, Sencilo HealthIT Solutions's main objective is to provide a turnkey solution that can essentially sustain itself. When you choose Sencilo HealthIT Solutions, you don't just gain a vendor who provides you with technology. You get a business partner who walks with you through every step of the process
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions eHealthcare Architecture: More than technology
With Sencilo HealthIT Solutions eHealthcare Architecture, you can leverage the same productivity tools and technology resources that have transformed business. And you get a full portfolio of services too. By working with Sencilo HealthIT Solutions, you can get:
A dedicated customer team
A website customized for your institution
A full portfolio of robust solutions
Easy setup, implementation and maintenance
Simple ordering and delivery
Technology training
Flexible financing options
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services makes it easy
In addition to providing high-quality technology at a low cost, Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services can help you plan your healthcare computing from the ground up. By working with you from the initial construction phases, we can help you save time and money and lead to a truly customized solution.
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services offers complete services that include:
Design
Procurement
Installation
Training
Maintenance
Support
About Us
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions is a Florida-based integrator specializing in EMR EHR Cost Cutting storage, security and managed services solutions. Sencilo delivers a comprehensive portfolio of products from best-of-breed hardware and software from multiple manufacturers including VMware, Dell Fujitsu Data Domain, EMC, Hitachi, Symantec, HDS, IBM, Commvault, Xiotech and HP. Its technical expertise is known throughout the storage and security industry. Clients include leading corporations, major financial institutions, top universities, government facilities, as well as small to medium size businesses. Sencilo's professional services include consulting, integration, project management, storage virtualization installation, maintenance and knowledge transfer.
Sencilo has offices throughout Florida including: Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Orlando, Hialeah, St. Augustine, Gainesville, Ocala, Palm Coast, Clearwater, Kissimmee, Lakeland, Maitland and Cape Canaveral Green Simpana Offerings Projects: BC DR planning Replication De-Dup De-Dupe iSCSI SAN NAS VMware Security EMC NetApp HP IBM Quantum Compliance VTL Data Domain vs Gartner Magic Quadrant Quadrent LTO Backup Exc Pure Disk NetBackup Networker TSM Commvault BakBone D2D D2D2T compare cloud data deduplication thin provisioning DXi Global Compression DDX virtual tape library Data Reduction SEPATON FALCON compare Celerra CLARiiON Equallogic Sencilo HealthIT Solutions NS20 NS40 CX4 CX3-20 CX3-40 CX3-80 FAS2050 FAS3050 Xiotech Nexsan Avamar DLD3 1500 D3 Storwiz storage compression data Ocarina Networks A-SIS compare Sepaton infopro BlueArc OnStor Microsoft Unified Storage data protection StorageX Brocade FAQ SSD Solid state disk SANmelody FalconStor tier zero Xiotech ISE nx4 ax4 greenBytes ZFS Sun Top 10 ROBOBak managed services hosting cloud grid Datacore Compellent compellant equallogic lefthand networks don't buy storage stop buying storage itguardian cherub networks Arkeia Network Backup appliance Data Recovery Backup Health IT Healthcare IT Digital Hospital Allscripts Patient Data electronic health record P4P rules and the HITECH Act PayerView Rankings practice management tools $44,000 in Medicare or $66,000 in Medicaid from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act eClinicalWorks, Allscripts, NextGen, GE Centricity, and Meditech
Electronic Healthcare IT Medical Records EMR EHR Clinical Practices eClinicalWorks Allscripts Florida EMR, EHR, electronic medical record, health, records, practice management systems solutions, medication services, PHR Otolaryngology, Orthopaedics, Pain Nuerosurgery, Urology, Ophthalmology, Cardiology, Billing, Appointment Scheduling, clinicalworks, eClinicalWorks, solutions for physicians, hospitals, clinical education and medical services Computerized Patient CPR, Order Entry, CPOE, Document Clinical Information Informatics, Computer-based, SOAP, HIT, Healthcare Encounter Forms, web based, online, clinical rules database, electronic prescribing, e-prescribing, eprescribing, athenaClinicals, certified EMR, certified EHR, HITECH Act VAR Reseller Dealer hipaa privacy doctor, healthcare performance management, data security, hosting, arra, free
Why the Future of Healthcare will Relay on Technology - November 9, 2009
Orlando Florida -- Katherine Thomas doesn't remember much about the 19 days she spent in the intensive care unit at Methodist Hospital in Houston. Recovering from emergency surgery to remove part of her colon, Thomas, 63, drifted in and out of consciousness. But one vision stands out: the 5-foot robot that stopped in for a visit. "I thought it was something from outer space," she recalls. Piloted remotely by her doctor from a command center on another floor, her alien—which looked like an oversize carpet cleaner with a computer monitor stuck on top—allowed her medical team to do their rounds, "seeing" how she was doing and "reading" her vital signs, without unsettling her or the other extremely ill patients in intensive care.
Robots that glide through hospital halls may offer the most visually arresting example of the future of patient care. But they're just one of many dramatic advances changing how hospitals function. Radio-frequency ID tags that track every doctor, nurse, and piece of equipment in the hospital in real time, for example, can enable a faster emergency response. "Smart" beds that automatically transmit patients' breathing and heart rates to their charts can alert nurses to developing problems more quickly. One day in the not-too-distant future, any doctor in the country may have access to the complete medical history of an unconscious trauma patient—perhaps through an identifier implanted under the skin. According to industry analyst Datamonitor, spending on telemedicine, which now entails everything from remotely monitoring patients to analyzing medical images from afar and someday could even include long-distance surgery, will reach $2.4 billion this year and nearly triple to $6.1 billion by 2012.
The investment hospitals are making in change has basically two goals: to improve clinical care and slash error rates, and to reduce patient stress, encouraging healing. Ironically, one of the most anticipated developments is that technology will allow hospitals to do a better job of keeping people out of them. "By 2015, home will be the hub of care," predicts Naomi Fried, vice president of the innovation and advanced technology group at Kaiser Permanente's Sidney R. Garfield Health Care Innovation Center in San Leandro, Calif. Five years ago, when Kevin Reynolds of Corona, Calif., developed congestive heart failure (the No. 1 reason for hospitalization and readmission), he at first was in and out of the ER or urgent care center nearly every month, plagued by shortness of breath and dizziness. Now, doctors at Kaiser Permanente Riverside Medical Center can check his vital signs with the aid of a device the size of a clock radio connected to a scale and other monitoring equipment in his home. He weighs himself each morning and checks his heart rate, blood pressure, and blood oxygen levels; the data are sent in automatically.
If Reynolds's weight is up, indicating he's retaining fluids, he'll get a call from a nurse suggesting a diuretic. Once, when his blood pressure dropped too low, the nurse called him to the hospital immediately, but overall, Reynolds's time at the medical center is way down. "It's helped me with discipline and with taking care of myself," he says.
Remote diagnosis. In rural areas, where specialist coverage is sparse, telemedicine's contribution grows ever more sophisticated. Take ultra-time-sensitive stroke management, for example. In Michigan, 31 hospitals in far-flung locations now use robots identical to the one in Houston to allow a remote specialist to rapidly diagnose stroke and determine, before a patient's very narrow window of opportunity closes, whether he or she is a good candidate for tPA, a drug that dissolves clots. A neurosurgeon at St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Hospital in Pontiac can observe and talk to patients using the robot's video camera, as well as review the CT scan and other lab results. "After one year, 18 hospitals had administered the drug tPA that had never done so before," says Yulun Wang, the chairman and CEO of InTouch Health, which developed the robot.
Robots are increasingly making their mark in the operating room, too. Originally approved for general abdominal procedures like gallbladder removal, robotic surgery—the surgeon manipulates computer controls rather than a scalpel—is now used for heart and prostate cancer surgery, gynecologic procedures, and bariatric surgery, among others. With the help of a tiny camera inserted through an incision "port," a surgeon can see the surgical field onscreen as he sits at a console in the operating room, from which he guides the robot's instruments, also inserted through ports. Someday, the doctor guiding the robot could be sitting at a console literally across the world from the patient. If remote surgery eventually becomes commercially available, many lives might be saved in hard-to-reach locations, from remote islands to battlefields.
Proponents of robotic surgery note that the robot's "hands" are steadier and have a wider range of motion than human hands and that the instruments are more flexible than traditional laparoscopic instruments. This can lead to less pain and blood loss, and potentially better clinical outcomes, they say. But results of studies on outcomes are mixed, says Richard Satava, a professor of surgery at the University of Washington. "If it costs more to do the same operation with the robot, that will slow down the adoption somewhat," he says.
Records reform. Meanwhile, a slow but sure transformation in the way patient records are gathered and stored gained momentum last winter when the economic stimulus package set aside $19 billion for healthcare information technology. Currently, just 1.5 percent of private hospitals can claim a comprehensive electronic medical records system in all clinical units, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in April. An additional 7.6 percent have a basic system in at least one unit. But putting patient records into digital form and into the massive national database envisioned by President Obama has the potential, assuming it happens, to provide a wealth of information about which treatments work and which don't—and to speed diagnosis and medical care and curtail unnecessary tests and procedures.
A number of institutions offer a hint of what is possible. In the emergency department at Kaiser Permanente's Oakland Medical Center, doctors and nurses carry flat computer tablets about the size of a piece of paper that can access every Kaiser patient's entire medical record. If a patient has previously visited any Kaiser Permanente facility, ER staff can immediately call up his or her medications and any recent test results. They can also sit down next to a bed and show patients an X-ray, say. When Palomar Medical Center West near San Diego opens in 2012, patients will sleep on "LifeBeds" covered in "smart" fabric that records their heart rate, pulse, and respiration and sends the info directly to their medical record.
On a medical/surgical unit at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, a flat-screen monitor is mounted on the wall near the foot of every bed. Hospital staffers wear ultrasound ID tags, and as soon as they walk into the room, their name and job title pop up. The system then makes the appropriate chart information available onscreen—a phlebotomist would see what blood draws to do, for example, while a nursing assistant might see what medications are due. The patient has access to the information as well. "Everyone's engaged, sharing the same information," says Tami Minnier, chief quality officer for UPMC. That's important, say experts. Whereas medical practice has traditionally tended to be paternalistic, practitioners now believe that the sense of empowerment that patients get from being engaged in their care can lead to better outcomes. It's the "I think I can" approach.
Besides engaging people in decisions about their own care, hospital administrators are exploring ways that physical structure and environment can ease anxiety and promote wellbeing. "Evidence-based design" is inspired by studies suggesting that patients heal better if they have access to nature, natural light, and artwork, for example. In one oft-cited study, researchers found that surgical patients whose rooms looked out on trees used less heavy medication, suffered fewer minor complications, and went home nearly a day sooner than patients whose rooms looked out on a brick wall. The plans for Palomar Medical Center West call for a plant-filled central atrium and gardens at each end of every floor, and rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out on the mountains, furnished so that family members can stay overnight.
Room change. Palomar's rooms will also be "acuity adaptable," meaning that as the patient's condition changes, the room can, too—becoming an intensive care unit temporarily, say. Studies show that moving patients less frequently results in fewer falls and medication errors. The traditional centralized nursing station will be replaced by stations outside rooms, where a nurse checking in can see the patient.
Some design changes and concepts speak more to hospitality than healthcare: plush furnishings, parking spaces near the door, a self-serve kiosk check-in system that—like a global positioning system—instructs you where to go ("take 10 steps forward and turn right down the corridor labeled 'east wing' "). Such a focus on comfort "creates a healing environment and helps people feel like they have some control," says Bruce Schroffel, CEO of the University of Colorado Hospital. (Skeptics note it may also give facilities a competitive edge in attracting affluent patients with good insurance.) One day soon, patients may be able to order meals, adjust the room temperature and lighting, surf the Internet, and videoconference with family using a remote control in bed.
Or it may take a little bit longer than anticipated. According to an April survey by the American Hospital Association, nearly 8 in 10 hospitals report that they have stopped, postponed, or scaled back facility upgrades or information technology projects because of the economy's recent woes. "The recession is clearly slowing construction projects down," says James Bentley, a senior vice president at the AHA. "How much, we'll see." At whatever pace, though, change is coming.
For more information please call (407) 265-6293 or visit us at: http://www.sencilo.com
Why Sencilo HealthIT Solutions
When it comes to your healthcare computing needs, Sencilo HealthIT Solutions's main objective is to provide a turnkey solution that can essentially sustain itself. When you choose Sencilo HealthIT Solutions, you don't just gain a vendor who provides you with technology. You get a business partner who walks with you through every step of the process
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions eHealthcare Architecture: More than technology
With Sencilo HealthIT Solutions eHealthcare Architecture, you can leverage the same productivity tools and technology resources that have transformed business. And you get a full portfolio of services too. By working with Sencilo HealthIT Solutions, you can get:
A dedicated customer team
A website customized for your institution
A full portfolio of robust solutions
Easy setup, implementation and maintenance
Simple ordering and delivery
Technology training
Flexible financing options
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services makes it easy
In addition to providing high-quality technology at a low cost, Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services can help you plan your healthcare computing from the ground up. By working with you from the initial construction phases, we can help you save time and moneyâ€â€Âand lead to a truly customized solution.
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services offers complete services that include:
Design
Procurement
Installation
Training
Maintenance
Support
About Us
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions is a Florida-based integrator specializing in EMR EHR Cost Cutting storage, security and managed services solutions. Sencilo delivers a comprehensive portfolio of products from best-of-breed hardware and software from multiple manufacturers including VMware, Dell Fujitsu Data Domain, EMC, Hitachi, Symantec, HDS, IBM, Commvault, Xiotech and HP. Its technical expertise is known throughout the storage and security industry. Clients include leading corporations, major financial institutions, top universities, government facilities, as well as small to medium size businesses. Sencilo's professional services include consulting, integration, project management, storage virtualization installation, maintenance and knowledge transfer.
Sencilo has offices throughout Florida including: Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Orlando, Hialeah, St. Augustine, Gainesville, Ocala, Palm Coast, Clearwater, Kissimmee, Lakeland, Maitland and Cape Canaveral Green Simpana Offerings Projects: BC DR planning Replication De-Dup De-Dupe iSCSI SAN NAS VMware Security EMC NetApp HP IBM Quantum Compliance VTL Data Domain vs Gartner Magic Quadrant Quadrent LTO Backup Exc Pure Disk NetBackup Networker TSM Commvault BakBone D2D D2D2T compare cloud data deduplication thin provisioning DXi Global Compression DDX virtual tape library Data Reduction SEPATON FALCON compare Celerra CLARiiON Equallogic Sencilo HealthIT Solutions NS20 NS40 CX4 CX3-20 CX3-40 CX3-80 FAS2050 FAS3050 Xiotech Nexsan Avamar DLD3 1500 D3 Storwiz storage compression data Ocarina Networks A-SIS compare Sepaton infopro BlueArc OnStor Microsoft Unified Storage data protection StorageX Brocade FAQ SSD Solid state disk SANmelody FalconStor tier zero Xiotech ISE nx4 ax4 greenBytes ZFS Sun Top 10 ROBOBak managed services hosting cloud grid Datacore Compellent compellant equallogic lefthand networks don't buy storage stop buying storage itguardian cherub networks Arkeia Network Backup appliance Data Recovery Backup Health IT Healthcare IT Digital Hospital Allscripts Patient Data electronic health record P4P rules and the HITECH Act PayerView Rankings practice management tools $44,000 in Medicare or $66,000 in Medicaid from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act eClinicalWorks, Allscripts, NextGen, GE Centricity, and Meditech
Electronic Healthcare IT Medical Records EMR EHR Clinical Practices eClinicalWorks Allscripts Florida EMR, EHR, electronic medical record, health, records, practice management systems solutions, medication services, PHR Otolaryngology, Orthopaedics, Pain Nuerosurgery, Urology, Ophthalmology, Cardiology, Billing, Appointment Scheduling, clinicalworks, eClinicalWorks, solutions for physicians, hospitals, clinical education and medical services Computerized Patient CPR, Order Entry, CPOE, Document Clinical Information Informatics, Computer-based, SOAP, HIT, Healthcare Encounter Forms, web based, online, clinical rules database, electronic prescribing, e-prescribing, eprescribing, athenaClinicals, certified EMR, certified EHR, HITECH Act VAR Reseller Dealer hipaa privacy doctor, healthcare performance management, data security, hosting, arra, free
Electronic Medical Records and Why Doctors are Slow to use Technology - November 9, 2009
Orlando Florida -- Most of us in the healthcare IT believe the ARRA (stimulus) bill is a Good Thing for the industry in general. Many existing companies will be able to sell more products and many new companies will be formed to create electronic medical records solutions. I was talking to Dr. Bill Cast last week about EMRs and what he and other physicians thought about them in general and I got some great feedback. Dr. Cast is a practicing Otolaryngologist, and is a past member of the AAO Board of Directors and AMA Delegate from Otolaryngology. He has been a lobbyist for the Indiana Malpractice Law and founding Chairman of Dupont Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana, a managing partner of his medical practice, and President of several multispecialty ambulatory surgical centers. He was editor of Medical Business Review, an economics newsletter for physicians. He is currently CEO of www.nomoreclipboard.com, a personal health records company. I invited him to share his thoughts about why physicians aren’t in love with EMRs which should form some good input for companies looking for ways of improving their own solutions. Here’s what he had to say.
You may ask what qualifies me to speak. First, I am a physician in a six doctor practice who for eight years has been digital, using a fully-featured EMR. Our old record room is now an employee lounge serving Peet’s Coffee. I live in an Indiana city in which 65% of physicians use some form of EMR in their offices and in which a regional health information exchange serves 95% of all providers. Our two hospital systems have EHRs. I’ve practiced in four states, served in the U.S. Army as a surgeon and have worked intermittently in a VA Hospital over a 6 year period. Lastly, I’m CEO of a personal health records company, a spin-off of an EMR company. And so, I’ve seen lots of software installations and talked to lots of unhappy doctors.
How do we know doctors hate EMRs? Look at anemic adoption rates. Big clinics and large physicians’ groups lead the way in buying them, but the most optimistic statistics say that fewer than 50% of even large groups have EMRs. Overall, perhaps 20% of physicians have EMR, but for small groups the best guess is 5%. And, when such features as e-prescribing, e-visit, and PHR integration are considered, it is likely than less than half of physicians use their EMR for little more than their own templates and a few favorite features. The majority of physicians have voted with their feet.
In the business community it is common to hear doctors referred to as computer-phobic and “in denial” about the benefits of computing. That is wonderfully ironic when heard alongside chronic complaints that doctors are overly eager to use expensive technology: lasers, cryro-probes, fiber optics, MRI and PET scanners, stents, and implants. The fact is that doctors love high-tech. They have reason to hate EMRs but not computers and iPhones. This was confirmed at a HealthVault meeting in Redmond when a physician panel member, representing a leading medical association, was asked: “Why are physicians so recalcitrant to use EMR?” He responded: “They are not recalcitrant; they are in open rebellion! Why? Because the software you give them is garbage.” (He actually used a mild expletive.) “It slows them down!” Thus, the problem is better defined: it is not so much that the software is too expensive, but that doctors can’t afford it.
Most physicians receive their first scars at the hands of hospital software. The truly unlucky have experienced a software installation with conversion from paper to EHR. The experience I will share is instructive and metaphoric. I’ll mention no brand names, because the story could be as true for any company. The disaster began on a Monday morning. Following that regrettable morning, I witnessed over two months of computer downtime at a six-hundred bed, general hospital, during which time hired messengers carried paper reports from floor to floor, from lab to ICU. The new system choked when millions of bytes of information were ported from the database to the new system the previous Sunday. Several ICU nurses quit after weeks of frustration and found new employment. And when the crash was fixed, the new product was a negligible improvement for phsicians. For off-site use, a Citrix interface made access to records agonizingly slow. Inside the hospital, computer locations, while no longer in dark hallways, became inconveniently distant from patients’ rooms, dictated by HIPAA privacy requirements. Paper charts remained near patient beds, awaiting eventual digital scanning, but lab and imaging results were often not on the chart but on a computer down the hall. The dollar cost was millions.
It should be a surprise to lay persons that physician participation in selection of hospital equipment and software is too often minimal. While much of the blame may lay with physicians themselves, doctors’ frame of mind is usually that “we were not consulted.” Actually, a few probably were consulted, but hospital-staff dynamics being what they are, tends to involve doctors who are the more technically aware, enthusiastic and amenable to becoming digital. To that disparity in physician cyber-skills, add the fact that software does not burden physicians equally. Even badly designed hospital software is OK for some practices and some specialties. But, if you are a renalogist or pulmonologist making rounds on numbers of very sick patients, the math is simple. Many ICU patients are on a dozen medications. With order-entry requiring serial drop-down menus, each 5 second addition of point and click may add 10 seconds to the entry of each medicine and treatment. An extra 2 minutes per patient costs an unproductive hour for each 30 patients. If patients need few medicines, enjoy short stays with few I.V. fluid orders and no changes in ventilator protocol, a physician may not object to the restrictions of a rigid algorithm. But for rounding-doctors who previously have enjoyed the ease and legibility of pre-printed order sheets, digital order entry has been disastrous to schedules.
Physicians know that better exists. They have experienced Google, Amazon and e-Bay. Game lovers know that Electronic Arts’ “Tiberium,” now 15 years old, exceeds the capabilities of their professional health care software. They know from Yahoo and MSN the value of configuring a home page suited to delivering niche-information of their own preference. They know from using Word and Word Perfect that they can create precision documents merely by tweaking a template. They know they can use voice commands to make a phone call on their Blackberry. They know that they can find drug information more easily on Google than proprietary software. They suspect that if their EHRs and EMRs had physician-specific home page functionality, that they could drop and drag orders, answer FAQs, dictate letters, and save time with templates with many fewer clicks. Ordering medications should be as safe and uncomplicated as using E*Trade.
Today most EHRs and EMRs are invasive both to workflow and finances. While high cost is a significant barrier to physician adoption, workflow disruption remains the killer deterrent. Most proprietary softwares offer a limited palate of practice options, mostly one does things their way. I recently went to the site of a web-based “Health-e-EMR” provider and watched the flash video demonstration. The demo patient, a return visit for an office visit, was typical enough: an obese, diabetic female smoker with a pulmonary problem. Everything was point and click: select, enter, click, read, post—again and again, over and over. The visit timed out at 30 minutes (their calculation, not mine) not including the time spent by a nurse’s clicks and front-office clicks. Allowing for physicians’ differing styles and based on difficulty, I’d expect this visit to take half that time. The record created was excellent. In private practice, at two patients per hour, and at this level of complexity—say 12 to 14 patients per day—one should expect bankruptcy. One would make a better living running a Dairy Queen. The moral may be that such software should be used only by physicians on salary. Also, many doctors do not want to sit in front of a patient looking into a laptop rather than the patients’ eyes. And they suspect that, if vendors respected service and product improvement as much as chasing new sales, their complaints would result in minimally invasive software.
A sign at a dry-cleaner’s shop reads: Low Prices, High Quality, Fast Service: Pick One. The point of EMR design is not to “pick one.” And, I am not advocating modeling medical practice after that in a remote mission clinic where the only record is a toe-tag, although I should recognize that mission outcomes are remarkably good. In the real world you get what you measure. If the metric is the chart, and you are willing to sacrifice time, then have at it. Also, in the real world, physicians are not usually on salary with no increment of production payment. Physicians do not hate high-tech and they do not hate computers. They hate wasting time; they cannot afford it, and neither can our health care system.
Let me close by saying that the federal software stimulus will be good only if the government standards ultimately endorsed, properly guarantee interoperability and avoid paradoxically funding software that is not only too expensive but that also create silos of proprietary isolation. Properly begun, stimulus is likely to fully return government’s investment through efficiency—not immediately, but over several years. Our office covered EMR acquisition in about 5 years. We did not spend $44,000 per physician. As best stated by M. Lynn Marcus in the MIT, Sloan Management Review, “The Magic Bullet Theory in IT-enabled Transformation,” we confirmed that the key to physician satisfaction is flexible software that does not dictate workflow choices. New software is not the goal; the goal is an information system with a good measure of flexibility. To perfect this system, one will need to reserve a measure of their stimulus funds for training, equipment and employee re-tasking. The good news is that after a period of adjustment to accommodate differing practice styles, one creates a shrinking record room, no piled charts, and fewer employees or employee hours spent finding, pulling and re-filing records. And one finds many unexpected conveniences. One cannot put a price on taking call from one’s home with rapid web-based access to the patient’s office chart at 2 AM.
For more information please call (407) 265-6293 or visit us at: http://www.sencilo.com
Why Sencilo HealthIT Solutions
When it comes to your healthcare computing needs, Sencilo HealthIT Solutions's main objective is to provide a turnkey solution that can essentially sustain itself. When you choose Sencilo HealthIT Solutions, you don't just gain a vendor who provides you with technology. You get a business partner who walks with you through every step of the process
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions eHealthcare Architecture: More than technology
With Sencilo HealthIT Solutions eHealthcare Architecture, you can leverage the same productivity tools and technology resources that have transformed business. And you get a full portfolio of services too. By working with Sencilo HealthIT Solutions, you can get:
A dedicated customer team
A website customized for your institution
A full portfolio of robust solutions
Easy setup, implementation and maintenance
Simple ordering and delivery
Technology training
Flexible financing options
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services makes it easy
In addition to providing high-quality technology at a low cost, Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services can help you plan your healthcare computing from the ground up. By working with you from the initial construction phases, we can help you save time and moneyâ€â€Âand lead to a truly customized solution.
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services offers complete services that include:
Design
Procurement
Installation
Training
Maintenance
Support
About Us
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions is a Florida-based integrator specializing in EMR EHR Cost Cutting storage, security and managed services solutions. Sencilo delivers a comprehensive portfolio of products from best-of-breed hardware and software from multiple manufacturers including VMware, Dell Fujitsu Data Domain, EMC, Hitachi, Symantec, HDS, IBM, Commvault, Xiotech and HP. Its technical expertise is known throughout the storage and security industry. Clients include leading corporations, major financial institutions, top universities, government facilities, as well as small to medium size businesses. Sencilo's professional services include consulting, integration, project management, storage virtualization installation, maintenance and knowledge transfer.
Sencilo has offices throughout Florida including: Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Orlando, Hialeah, St. Augustine, Gainesville, Ocala, Palm Coast, Clearwater, Kissimmee, Lakeland, Maitland and Cape Canaveral Green Simpana Offerings Projects: BC DR planning Replication De-Dup De-Dupe iSCSI SAN NAS VMware Security EMC NetApp HP IBM Quantum Compliance VTL Data Domain vs Gartner Magic Quadrant Quadrent LTO Backup Exc Pure Disk NetBackup Networker TSM Commvault BakBone D2D D2D2T compare cloud data deduplication thin provisioning DXi Global Compression DDX virtual tape library Data Reduction SEPATON FALCON compare Celerra CLARiiON Equallogic Sencilo HealthIT Solutions NS20 NS40 CX4 CX3-20 CX3-40 CX3-80 FAS2050 FAS3050 Xiotech Nexsan Avamar DLD3 1500 D3 Storwiz storage compression data Ocarina Networks A-SIS compare Sepaton infopro BlueArc OnStor Microsoft Unified Storage data protection StorageX Brocade FAQ SSD Solid state disk SANmelody FalconStor tier zero Xiotech ISE nx4 ax4 greenBytes ZFS Sun Top 10 ROBOBak managed services hosting cloud grid Datacore Compellent compellant equallogic lefthand networks don't buy storage stop buying storage itguardian cherub networks Arkeia Network Backup appliance Data Recovery Backup Health IT Healthcare IT Digital Hospital Allscripts Patient Data electronic health record P4P rules and the HITECH Act PayerView Rankings practice management tools $44,000 in Medicare or $66,000 in Medicaid from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act eClinicalWorks, Allscripts, NextGen, GE Centricity, and Meditech
Electronic Healthcare IT Medical Records EMR EHR Clinical Practices eClinicalWorks Allscripts Florida EMR, EHR, electronic medical record, health, records, practice management systems solutions, medication services, PHR Otolaryngology, Orthopaedics, Pain Nuerosurgery, Urology, Ophthalmology, Cardiology, Billing, Appointment Scheduling, clinicalworks, eClinicalWorks, solutions for physicians, hospitals, clinical education and medical services Computerized Patient CPR, Order Entry, CPOE, Document Clinical Information Informatics, Computer-based, SOAP, HIT, Healthcare Encounter Forms, web based, online, clinical rules database, electronic prescribing, e-prescribing, eprescribing, athenaClinicals, certified EMR, certified EHR, HITECH Act VAR Reseller Dealer hipaa privacy doctor, healthcare performance management, data security, hosting, arra, free
EMR and Federal Funding - What you will want to know - November 9, 2009
In little more than five years, electronic medical records (EMRs) will be required by the federal government, and if the experience of local health care providers that already use such systems is any indication, the transition is likely to be bumpy, says Brian McCarthy CEO and well-known guest-speaker from Sencilo HealthIT Solutions in Orlando Florida.
Electronic medical records are large, complex systems that must be easy to use yet secure, and like many IT systems, implementing EMR can be complicated.
Putting an EMR system in place isn’t an end unto itself. In fact, it’s only the beginning for doctors and their patients. Like other software, the pace of updates and the number of features available are great and frequently changing. They’ll challenge health care organizations to keep pace, says McCarthy.
“Once meaningful use is defined, you’re going to see a lot of changes” to existing EMR systems and what they offer, explained Chris Diguette, director of application services at Fallon Clinic in Worcester. Fallon Clinic is a large, multi-specialty physicians group practice that has more than 20 locations throughout Central Massachusetts. Diguette implemented Fallon Clinic’s “MyChart” EMR system, which is a product of Epic Systems Corp. of Madison, Wis.
Beginning in 2011, health care providers deemed by the federal government to be getting “meaningful use” out of EMR systems will be eligible for incentive payments from the $51 billion allocated to the health care industry by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Obama administration wants all health care providers to be using EMR systems by 2015.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is still working on the criteria for “meaningful use.”
Once that’s hashed out, health care organizations and patients will see EMR systems update at the same fast pace as other software products.
“You’re going to see reports being available so that you can deal with full registries of patients,” Diguette said.
Eventually, he said, doctors and patients will have entire medical histories at their fingertips.
“You can get the patient in and not have to have them come back every two weeks for different things,” he said. “You’re linking the lab tests, the diagnostic tests, the x-rays and immunizations, and MyChart is going to cater us toward that.”
Like any organization that uses software heavily, how quickly or slowly health care providers update the systems they use and whether they make full use of the systems they implement remains to be seen.
Risky Business
Still, getting past implementation is an achievement itself.
Dr. Peter Blanchard, a dentist and president of the Oral Health Center in Westborough, said EMR systems are “essential for improving health care.”
And when his practice, which sees some 14,000 patients, implemented an EDR (the D is for Dental) system, “we just took the dive. We implemented it in about a month.”
Luckily, the Oral Health Center had been using a fully electronic front office system for years beforehand. When it decided to go with a full electronic system, it found Dentrix Enterprise, which was compatible with the practice’s existing front office system.
“Fortunately, we had the front office system and were able to move that database,” Blanchard said. “The challenge was to implement the electronic charts, and we were able to scan in all patient charts. It was labor intensive and it continues to be labor intensive. And the initial build-out; the up-front cost, I can’t estimate, but it was significant. We have 14,000 patients with records that are continuously updating.”
Still, all the labor is worth it, Blanchard said. The Oral Health Center is about 75 percent paperless, he said. It uses electronic billing, but still prints prescriptions. And the way the system allows patients to understand their personal oral health and how to approach it is a boon.
At Oral Health Center, and at Fallon Clinic, doctors use computer monitors in each exam room to allow patients to better understand what’s going on.
“We have an added capacity to collect data on patients and there’s much more information available,” said Blanchard. “We can better analyze patient risk, and having all that in a database leads to better clinical decisions.”
Engine Swap
The doctors at Fallon Clinic would agree, but they didn’t jump into their EMR system with both feet.
Dr. Larry Garber, chief of informatics at Fallon Clinic, explained that the clinic has been paperless for more than two years, and took six months recently to roll out the MyChart system for patients.
MyChart allows patients to see what doctors see during office visits, and it allows the patients to access their health information and doctors from home.
“It actually empowers patients to take better care of themselves. We talked for years about empowering the patient, but we never gave patients the tools to truly empower them,” Garber said.
Fallon Clinic has spent $24 million in the first three years of going paperless and providing EMRs to patients.
“We’ll eventually recoup that, but in the meantime, we provide much better care,” Garber said.
He said wait times at the clinic and time spent in the exam room hasn’t decreased, “but now people can get care without coming here.”
And now, the clinic’s location on Plantation Street has more room, because all of those old paper files have been moved to a warehouse in Auburn. Also, the clinic doesn’t have to bother with having trucks transport paper medical records all over Central Massachusetts.
Today, 1,400 Fallon Clinic doctors and staff use the system and “several thousand” patients have signed up for MyChart.
“I used to show them their cholesterol numbers and their eyes would glaze over,” Garber said. “Now, they can look at it.” In fact, Garber can almost instantly pull up as much as 18 years worth of cholesterol data for any given patient on a single screen in graph form.
“It’s obvious and very visual. Patients at home can see test results the same way I see test results and they don’t feel like they’re secret anymore,” he said.
But it all took years of planning and preparation. Fallon Clinic had stored years’ worth of patient data in a database in anticipation of going paperless.
“Day one, it looked like we had been using EMR for 15 years,” Garber said.
For more information please call (407) 265-6293 or visit us at: http://www.sencilo.com/healthIT
Why Sencilo HealthIT Solutions
When it comes to your healthcare computing needs, Sencilo HealthIT Solutions's main objective is to provide a turnkey solution that can essentially sustain itself. When you choose Sencilo HealthIT Solutions, you don't just gain a vendor who provides you with technology. You get a business partner who walks with you through every step of the process
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions eHealthcare Architecture: More than technology
With Sencilo HealthIT Solutions eHealthcare Architecture, you can leverage the same productivity tools and technology resources that have transformed business. And you get a full portfolio of services too. By working with Sencilo HealthIT Solutions, you can get:
A dedicated customer team
A website customized for your institution
A full portfolio of robust solutions
Easy setup, implementation and maintenance
Simple ordering and delivery
Technology training
Flexible financing options
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services makes it easy
In addition to providing high-quality technology at a low cost, Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services can help you plan your healthcare computing from the ground up. By working with you from the initial construction phases, we can help you save time and moneyâ€â€Âand lead to a truly customized solution.
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services offers complete services that include:
Design
Procurement
Installation
Training
Maintenance
Support
About Us
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions is a Florida-based integrator specializing in EMR EHR Cost Cutting storage, security and managed services solutions. Sencilo delivers a comprehensive portfolio of products from best-of-breed hardware and software from multiple manufacturers including VMware, Dell Fujitsu Data Domain, EMC, Hitachi, Symantec, HDS, IBM, Commvault, Xiotech and HP. Its technical expertise is known throughout the storage and security industry. Clients include leading corporations, major financial institutions, top universities, government facilities, as well as small to medium size businesses. Sencilo's professional services include consulting, integration, project management, storage virtualization installation, maintenance and knowledge transfer.
Sencilo has offices throughout Florida including: Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Orlando, Hialeah, St. Augustine, Gainesville, Ocala, Palm Coast, Clearwater, Kissimmee, Lakeland, Maitland and Cape Canaveral Green Simpana Offerings Projects: BC DR planning Replication De-Dup De-Dupe iSCSI SAN NAS VMware Security EMC NetApp HP IBM Quantum Compliance VTL Data Domain vs Gartner Magic Quadrant Quadrent LTO Backup Exc Pure Disk NetBackup Networker TSM Commvault BakBone D2D D2D2T compare cloud data deduplication thin provisioning DXi Global Compression DDX virtual tape library Data Reduction SEPATON FALCON compare Celerra CLARiiON Equallogic Sencilo HealthIT Solutions NS20 NS40 CX4 CX3-20 CX3-40 CX3-80 FAS2050 FAS3050 Xiotech Nexsan Avamar DLD3 1500 D3 Storwiz storage compression data Ocarina Networks A-SIS compare Sepaton infopro BlueArc OnStor Microsoft Unified Storage data protection StorageX Brocade FAQ SSD Solid state disk SANmelody FalconStor tier zero Xiotech ISE nx4 ax4 greenBytes ZFS Sun Top 10 ROBOBak managed services hosting cloud grid Datacore Compellent compellant equallogic lefthand networks don't buy storage stop buying storage itguardian cherub networks Arkeia Network Backup appliance Data Recovery Backup Health IT Healthcare IT Digital Hospital Allscripts Patient Data electronic health record P4P rules and the HITECH Act PayerView Rankings practice management tools $44,000 in Medicare or $66,000 in Medicaid from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act eClinicalWorks, Allscripts, NextGen, GE Centricity, and Meditech
Electronic Healthcare IT Medical Records EMR EHR Clinical Practices eClinicalWorks Allscripts Florida EMR, EHR, electronic medical record, health, records, practice management systems solutions, medication services, PHR Otolaryngology, Orthopaedics, Pain Nuerosurgery, Urology, Ophthalmology, Cardiology, Billing, Appointment Scheduling, clinicalworks, eClinicalWorks, solutions for physicians, hospitals, clinical education and medical services Computerized Patient CPR, Order Entry, CPOE, Document Clinical Information Informatics, Computer-based, SOAP, HIT, Healthcare Encounter Forms, web based, online, clinical rules database, electronic prescribing, e-prescribing, eprescribing, athenaClinicals, certified EMR, certified EHR, HITECH Act VAR Reseller Dealer hipaa privacy doctor, healthcare performance management, data security, hosting, arra, free
Maine saves 98 jobs using ARRA funds, will Florida do the same? - November 9, 2009
Orlando Florida -- The Department of Education released a report on Nov. 2 detailing education jobs created and saved by American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. The report states Maine saved 98 jobs in education through stimulus funds and created eight more since the beginning of 2009.
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan held a conference call with reporters Nov. 2 to discuss the report and its implications.
“The numbers in today’s report come directly from states,” Duncan said.
States are required to report to the federal Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board about how they spend their stimulus funding. Maine reported it augmented its higher education budget with nearly $18 million of stimulus money in fiscal year 2009. Maine’s higher education budget topped off at nearly $253 million for 2009 — including stimulus money — according to the report.
The jobs retained include 97 teachers and one guidance counselor. The eight jobs created are all educational technician positions.
“With this first payment to schools, in partnership with the federal government, we are helping relieve the fiscal burden for school districts at a challenging time,” said Governor John Baldacci [1] in a June press release.
The report states the federal government awarded Maine just over $106 million in stimulus funds to help the state augment its education budget.
“We will be able to see its effects for years to come,” Duncan said.
Duncan said the federal government has awarded $35.4 billion in state stabilization funding nationwide so far and expects to spend another $34.2 billion before Sept. 30. He said the government does not distribute stimulus funds based on need, but rather on the merit of each state’s application. In response to whether states should be concerned once the stimulus money dries up, Duncan said, “We should absolutely be concerned.”
Duncan said every school leader “has to be thinking about this in the long haul and plan accordingly.”
Deputy Secretary of Education Tony Miller, also speaking to reporters, said the report bases the jobs created and saved on states’ best estimates of salaries, not necessarily individual jobs. Duncan said the report does not foreshadow job cuts in the future.
“We have to continue to put resources where they’re needed,” said Duncan, who added states and schools need to find where they’re most dramatically affecting students’ lives and use funds accordingly.
Maine spent none of the stimulus money on educational technology or homeless youth programs, according to the report. The state’s second biggest job savings area was in Individuals With Disabilities Act programs — the report states Maine retained six disability service jobs with stimulus money and created 12.
Maine expects its fiscal year 2010 higher education budget to include $11.14 million of stimulus funds, according to the report.
“When a district invests in a new boiler or energy efficiency improvements, they are generating savings in future years,” stated Maine Education Commissioner Susan Gendron in a press release. “And when they invest in professional development, training, laptops and educational planning, they are making wise, limited-duration decisions that will pay educational dividends for years to come.”
Duncan said the report helps keep the government and Department of Education transparent.
For more information please call (407) 265-6293 or visit us at: http://www.sencilo.com/healthIT
Why Sencilo HealthIT Solutions
When it comes to your healthcare computing needs, Sencilo HealthIT Solutions's main objective is to provide a turnkey solution that can essentially sustain itself. When you choose Sencilo HealthIT Solutions, you don't just gain a vendor who provides you with technology. You get a business partner who walks with you through every step of the process
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions eHealthcare Architecture: More than technology
With Sencilo HealthIT Solutions eHealthcare Architecture, you can leverage the same productivity tools and technology resources that have transformed business. And you get a full portfolio of services too. By working with Sencilo HealthIT Solutions, you can get:
A dedicated customer team
A website customized for your institution
A full portfolio of robust solutions
Easy setup, implementation and maintenance
Simple ordering and delivery
Technology training
Flexible financing options
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services makes it easy
In addition to providing high-quality technology at a low cost, Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services can help you plan your healthcare computing from the ground up. By working with you from the initial construction phases, we can help you save time and moneyâ€â€and lead to a truly customized solution.
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions Professional Services offers complete services that include:
Design
Procurement
Installation
Training
Maintenance
Support
About Us
Sencilo HealthIT Solutions is a Florida-based integrator specializing in EMR EHR Cost Cutting storage, security and managed services solutions. Sencilo delivers a comprehensive portfolio of products from best-of-breed hardware and software from multiple manufacturers including VMware, Dell Fujitsu Data Domain, EMC, Hitachi, Symantec, HDS, IBM, Commvault, Xiotech and HP. Its technical expertise is known throughout the storage and security industry. Clients include leading corporations, major financial institutions, top universities, government facilities, as well as small to medium size businesses. Sencilo's professional services include consulting, integration, project management, storage virtualization installation, maintenance and knowledge transfer.
Sencilo has offices throughout Florida including: Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Orlando, Hialeah, St. Augustine, Gainesville, Ocala, Palm Coast, Clearwater, Kissimmee, Lakeland, Maitland and Cape Canaveral Green Simpana Offerings Projects: BC DR planning Replication De-Dup De-Dupe iSCSI SAN NAS VMware Security EMC NetApp HP IBM Quantum Compliance VTL Data Domain vs Gartner Magic Quadrant Quadrent LTO Backup Exc Pure Disk NetBackup Networker TSM Commvault BakBone D2D D2D2T compare cloud data deduplication thin provisioning DXi Global Compression DDX virtual tape library Data Reduction SEPATON FALCON compare Celerra CLARiiON Equallogic Sencilo HealthIT Solutions NS20 NS40 CX4 CX3-20 CX3-40 CX3-80 FAS2050 FAS3050 Xiotech Nexsan Avamar DLD3 1500 D3 Storwiz storage compression data Ocarina Networks A-SIS compare Sepaton infopro BlueArc OnStor Microsoft Unified Storage data protection StorageX Brocade FAQ SSD Solid state disk SANmelody FalconStor tier zero Xiotech ISE nx4 ax4 greenBytes ZFS Sun Top 10 ROBOBak managed services hosting cloud grid Datacore Compellent compellant equallogic lefthand networks don't buy storage stop buying storage itguardian cherub networks Arkeia Network Backup appliance Data Recovery Backup Health IT Healthcare IT Digital Hospital Allscripts Patient Data electronic health record P4P rules and the HITECH Act PayerView Rankings practice management tools $44,000 in Medicare or $66,000 in Medicaid from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act eClinicalWorks, Allscripts, NextGen, GE Centricity, and Meditech
Electronic Healthcare IT Medical Records EMR EHR Clinical Practices eClinicalWorks Allscripts Florida EMR, EHR, electronic medical record, health, records, practice management systems solutions, medication services, PHR Otolaryngology, Orthopaedics, Pain Nuerosurgery, Urology, Ophthalmology, Cardiology, Billing, Appointment Scheduling, clinicalworks, eClinicalWorks, solutions for physicians, hospitals, clinical education and medical services Computerized Patient CPR, Order Entry, CPOE, Document Clinical Information Informatics, Computer-based, SOAP, HIT, Healthcare Encounter Forms, web based, online, clinical rules database, electronic prescribing, e-prescribing, eprescribing, athenaClinicals, certified EMR, certified EHR, HITECH Act VAR Reseller Dealer hipaa privacy doctor, healthcare performance management, data security, hosting, arra, free
