Healthcare It News - February 2008 - (Page 48)

48 Healthcare IT News s February 2008 www.HealthcareITNews.com IMSS and COMCARE have partnered to help advance more efficient and informed emergency medical care through the widespread use of integrated, interoperable healthcare and emergency response IT. COMCARE, a non-profit national advocacy organization, is dedicated to advancing emergency communications. Information obtained throughout the continuum of emergency H HIMSS and COMCARE establish partnership between emergency response and healthcare stakeholders medical care can be used to improve patient care protocols for injuries such as brain and internal trauma, medical incidents such as heart attack and stroke, and emergency care of patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes. Digital efficiencies are transforming patient care delivery in the inpatient and outpatient settings, improving communication, quality, safety and the bottom line. Yet, during emergencies, both day-to-day and large-scale events, a substantial gap exists in the exchange of essential patient information. This gap impacts information flow, hindering the quality of patient care and efficiency for the receiving healthcare organization. Through its partnership, HIMSS and COMCARE will initiate dialogue between healthcare and emergency response stakeholders about the future of emergency medical response; identify requirements essential for achieving interoperability across the healthcare and emergency response domains; and support a proof-of-concept demonstration integrating health and emergency response IT applications. The first major deliverable of the partnership, since COMCARE's participation in the November 2007 HIMSS Virtual Conference and Expo, will be the HIMSS/COMCARE Technology Showcase, where bridging the information gap between the prehospital and hospital environments will be demonstrated. The showcase will be launched as a live event in mid2008, continue as a virtual showcase and culminate with its inclusion in Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise in 2010. The showcase aligns itself well with the current push at the federal level to establish a template for vendors to include pre-hospital components within their existing healthcare IT products. A white paper by the HIMSS First Responder Health Information Technology Work Group exploring issues surrounding the use of electronic health information in emergency response, is available at www.him ss.org. For more information, contact HIMSS Senior Manager of Health Information Systems David Collins at dcollins@himss.org or 703-562-8817. s Raiford exemplifies commitment toward patient safety and quality A valuable contributor to HIMSS beyond the role of volunteer, Robin Raiford, RN, BC, CPHIMS, FHIMSS, chairs the Patient Safety and Quality Outcomes Steering Committee (PSQC). Ms. Raiford has selflessly devoted a great amount of time to advance the development of EHR certification requirements that can improve patient care and quality outcomes. This past December, Ms. Raiford led the PSQC to comment on CCHIT-proposed certification criteria. She led the PSQC in responding to 699 criteria and forming 281 paragraphed comments over the course of just six business days. Ms. Raiford is well acquainted with the devastation that can occur from medical errors and this knowledge, while being so deeply personal, drives her everyday to keep striving to make a difference. HIMSS is pleased to recognize Ms. Raiford for her outstanding leadership efforts, energetic speaking skills, tireless commitment, and unwavering passion for patient safety and quality. Ms. Raiford is a second-time recipient of the “Spirit of HIMSS” Award, having received the award in October 2006 for her advocacy efforts. s DECEMBER SPIRIT OF HIMSS AWARD Nominations for the “Spirit of HIMSS” Award are submitted to the Membership Committee for consideration. Nominations should be submitted to HIMSS Member Services Manager Jessica Bird at jbird@himss.org, and should include a brief description explaining the accomplishments of the member and how he or she earns the recognition of the “Spirit of HIMSS.” Recipients will be selected and announced in the HIMSS Insider and HIMSS Weekly Insider. One annual honoree is selected from the recipients each year. e q Connect: TERAMEDICA 0208 http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.teramedica.com http://www.himss.org http://www.himss.org http://www.teramedica.com http://www.teramedica.com http://www.healthcareitnews.com/eConnect.cms?id=8703

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Healthcare It News - February 2008 Contents Hot Potato Wal-Mart Focus CIO Role Wasteland Linking Docs Katrina Work P4P Team Fire Sale? Emergency Systems Beyond Business

Healthcare It News - February 2008

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