Healthcare IT News - January 2008 - (Page 27) www.HealthcareITNews.com January 2008 s Healthcare IT News 27 HIMSS08 Anchor Exhibitors The HIMSS Insider is featuring profiles of the anchor exhibitors who will be demonstrating their cutting-edge healthcare IT products and innovative emerging technologies at the 2008 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition, Feb. 24-28 in Orlando. This month's Insider profiles Philips Healthcare and Epic Systems Corp. GE Healthcare was profiled in the December 2007 HIMSS Insider, while Siemens Medical Solutions and McKesson Provider Technologies were profiled in the November 2007 issue. WELCOME PLATINUM NEW CORPORATE MEMBERS NetMotion Wireless NetMotion Wireless was established in 2006 in a merger between Padcom Inc. and NetMotion Wireless Inc. The NetMotion Wireless management team comprises a strong blend of technology, marketing and sales professionals. Company employees have extensive experience in wireless software, system-level and TCP/IP networking software development. www.nmwco.com SafeMed Inc. SafeMed Inc. was founded in 2000 by physicians to address the fundamental challenge in healthcare: improving quality and affordability. As a part of this mission, SafeMed created and developed a suite of products founded on its breakthrough Analysis Engine, which has the ability to combine a complex set of clinical algorithms with real-time insurer business rules. www.safe-med.com Philips Healthcare Looks to Strengthen Relationships at HIMSS08 For a vendor like Philips Healthcare, exhibiting at HIMSS08 in Orlando is about building new relationships and strengthening existing partnerships. “The relationship between Philips and HIMSS is a complementary one,” say Stuart Long, vice president of marketing, healthcare informatics, and Eric Mahler, marketing director, healthcare informatics. “We use the industry stage [HIMSS] provides to demonstrate our leadership and also inform ourselves with the latest trends, innovations and technologies from other leaders. And, of course, we use the conference to build deeper partnerships with IT and medical colleagues to generate leads and sales, and provide our customers with education and information. It's a preferred venue to making the connections that make innovation for better health possible. “Our purpose is to strengthen our relationships with our partners, connect with our existing customers, find new customers and demonstrate the future vision our customers can embrace with confidence,” they explain. “We hope the industry will come away from conference knowing open, integrated information systems are here, and they have partners who can help them deliver better healthcare, more efficiently.” Additionally, HIMSS08 provides Philips an opportunity to showcase and demonstrate new and next generation products as well as provide a sneak peek into products that are coming down the pipeline. “In the larger picture, we can present our future vision for the platform: giving our customers technological flexibility for tomorrow, creating solutions that solve the enterprise distribution system and provide clinical relevancy, and having intelligent systems that build sense and simplicity into the decisions care providers make every day,” says Mr. Long and Mr. Mahler. Philips is a Diamond-level HIMSS Corporate Member. The US healthcare industry is a large and complex entity faced with myriad problems to solve and issues to settle. For many healthcare IT vendors, the sheer number of customer and patient needs makes fulfilling them a daunting task. Epic Systems Seeks Improved Experience for Patients, Small Practices Epic Systems Corp., based in Verona, Wis., has watched industry trends closely and believes more needs to be done to empower patients to take greater control over their own healthcare, and help small practices tap into valuable IT resources used by large healthcare organizations. “Small, independent practices provide really good care to their patients, but they don't have the same level of resources of large medical groups and hospitals,” explains Teri Thomas, sales manager for Epic Systems. In an increasingly Web-based society, where more and more patients are expecting–even demanding–their primary healthcare providers connect with them online, many small practices are finding themselves starved for adequate resources. However, Ms. Thomas notes relaxation of the Stark Laws may offer small practices greater access to organizations equipped with the infrastructure necessary to provide clinical systems with the appropriate level of security, backups and redundancy. One result of meeting the needs of small practices is finding new ways to empower patients to exert greater control over their own healthcare. According to Ms. Thomas, Epic's software solutions enhance patientprovider communication through such features as virtual visits, Web access and secure online referrals. “Focusing on the patient as a key stakeholder in the whole healthcare process is probably the most exciting trend we see as a company,” Ms. Thomas says. Epic Systems, a HIMSS Corporate Member, will be exhibiting at HIMSS08 in Orlando. According to Ms. Thomas, this event is an ideal way to continue tracking the latest trends in healthcare IT and stay connected with the most pressing needs of current and potential customers. “Being a part of HIMSS helps us highlight some of the important things we're working on and stay connected with the industry,” Ms. Thomas explains. “This year we plan to spend a great deal of time helping people understand the breadth and depth of our software and market penetration on the ambulatory side, as well as our solutions for those smaller physicians and figure out how they can get to an ambulatory EMR through their friends and neighbors.” s RedHat Founded in 1993, Red Hat is the premier Linux and open-source provider. Rated as CIO Insight Magazine's Most Valued Vendor for the second consecutive year, Red Hat maintains the highest value and reliability rankings among its customers, and is the most recognized Linux brand in the world. RedHat serves global enterprises through technology and services made possible by the open-source model. www.redhat.com GOLD eLifeCare Solutions Inc. eLifeCare Enterprise Inc., headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, was formed in 2002. Through eLifeCare’s patientcentric products and services, all market segments of the healthcare sector benefit from cost-saving improvements and revenue-enhancing opportunities, to deliver better healthcare and quality service. www.elifecare.us To learn more about the benefits of corporate membership, please visit www.himss.org or contact HIMSS Senior Director of Business Development Kelly Laidler at 312-915-9285. Davies Public Health Award DAVIES [continued from page 25] meeting our original intent. The evaluation committee brought an experienced, broad perspective and raised questions for us to consider that led to additional improvement opportunities. The award gave us the chance to celebrate and recognize what we've accomplished. On an external level, the recognition from the award has connected us with similar organizations so we can continue to learn from each other.” –Susan Heichert, Vice President, Health Information and Systems, Allina Hospitals & Clinics, 2007 Davies Organizational Award Davies Ambulatory Care Award • Initiated in 2003, 15 practices have been recognized • Application due date: Wednesday, April 30 “For me personally, the Davies Award started me down a very exciting path of opportunity in healthcare, a chance to make a difference on a larger scale, and to ultimately influence the healthcare of those who I could have never reached without this recognition.” –Jim Morrow, MD, North Fulton Family Practice, 2004 Davies Ambulatory Award • Initiated in 2004, nine public health entities have been recognized • Application due date: Friday, March 14 “Winning the HIMSS award increased awareness of NC DETECT [North Carolina Disease Event Tracking and Epidemiologic Collection Tool] both within North Carolina and at a national level. After the award, we have been asked to present to US Senate and White House biosurveillance staffers. We have also been asked to contribute a book chapter on biosurveillance in North Carolina for a homeland security book.” –Amy Ising, Program Director, NC DETECT, 2005 Davies Public Health Award NEW! Davies Community Health Organization Award • To be launched during the first quarter of 2008 • Application due date: Friday, May 30 The application criteria and requirements for the Community Health Organization Award are currently under development. Watch for details in the February issue of the HIMSS Insider. s For more information, visit www.himss.org/davies. HIMSS Advocacy Award T Nominations Open for 2008 PROGRAM [continued from page 25] industry publications and, depending upon the program level, receive up to a 7-percent discount on HIMSS Analytics' consulting and primary market research. The HIMSS Organizational Affiliate program offers flexibility in choosing the benefit level that best meets organizations' needs as well. There are four levels of Affiliate Membership: Associate Level ($2,975); Pioneer Level ($4,975); Principal Level ($8,475); and Executive Level ($12,975). HIMSS will work with organizations to identify the program level that best meets their needs. s For more information on the Organizational Affiliate program, e-mail orgservices@himss.org or contact HIMSS Healthcare Organizational Services Account Manager Robert Oakes at 312-915-9508. he HIMSS Advocacy & Public Policy Steering Committee's Advocacy Awards Task Force, chaired by Cathryn Stam, PMP, FHIMSS, recently announced a call for recommendations for the prestigious 2008 HIMSS Advocacy Award. Established in 2002, the award recognizes federal or state legislative or executive branch leaders (or their staff) who have made a significant contribution to the healthcare information technology field. All HIMSS members may submit re http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.nmwco.com http://www.safe-med.com http://www.redhat.com http://www.elifecare.us http://www.himss.org http://www.himss.org/davies http://www.himss.org/asp/industryawards_advocay.asp
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