Healthcare IT News - February 2009 - (Page 19) www.himss.org February 2009 I HIMSS Insider 19 S McKesson Sees Economic Solutions in Healthcare IT unny Sanyal, COO of McKesson Provider Technologies, a HIMSS Diamond-level Corporate Member, sees health IT as a critical component in the overall solution for the current economic crisis. “The current state of the economy has just exacerbated the underlying challenges in healthcare,” said Mr. Sanyal, an advisor on the HIMSS Board of Directors. “One of the fundamental problems facing the industry today is unreimbursed care. We see a lot of opportunity to help our hospital and health-system customers improve their overall financial outlook with IT solutions that pay for themselves quickly.” Mr. Sanyal adds McKesson will be taking this message to current and prospective customers at HIMSS09 in April. “The annual conference has always been a great way to get our messages to a broad audience and interact with a large number of customers and prospects very quickly. This year, in addition to providing customers with solutions that will help them automate their clinical environment and improve safety and quality, we are going to put a lot of emphasis on showing customers how they can achieve financial success through our IT solutions. So I am very excited with what we'll have to show and tell this year at HIMSS09.” However, corporate membership and the annual conference are just two parts of a larger relationship between HIMSS and McKesson. “As with any partnership, what you get out of it depends on how much you put into it. Of course, we benefit from attending the conference and participating in other HIMSS events. We also get value from the marketing opportunities and education materials that HIMSS offers. In addition, McKesson is actively involved in the HIMSS EHR Association as well as other special interest groups and industry standards bodies. I also participate in the HIMSS Board as an advisory board member. HIMSS gives us the opportunity to discuss critical industry issues, influence policies and help shape the future of healthcare.” I WELCOME PLATINUM NEW CORPORATE MEMBERS Emtec Emtec is an information technology solutions provider serving the commercial, education, federal, state and local government marketplaces. www.emtecinc.com Allocade Inc. Allocade was founded in 2004 to develop and provide a solution to one of the healthcare industry's most pressing problems: capacity utilization. The company's management team includes former top executives from Siemens Medical Systems, Philips Medical Systems, Winster, Acuson Corp., Sierra OnLine, Stentor and Inzap. The company's technology team includes the former director and leading computer scientist within the Artificial Intelligence Application Group at NASA Ames Research Center. www.allocade.com Enterprise Software Development LLC Staffing Angel Enterprise Software Development is a leading consulting firm dedicated solely to assisting organizations with their challenging and diversified information technology needs. As the company motto says, "We integrate IT." www.enterprisesoftwaredevelopment.com GOLD LifeLinks LifeLinks offers innovative solutions for customers' translating needs - Video Relay Service (VRS) and Video Remote Interpreting (VRI). LifeLinks' mission is to bring people together with clear and easy communication, regardless of language. LifeLinks uses exceptional interpreters and state-of-the-art technology to bridge the communication gap. www.lifelinks.net Accenx Technologies Inc. Accenx™ solutions allow hospitals, physician practices and other participants in the healthcare community to quickly connect and seamlessly share information, to improve patient care, reduce administrative costs and create a high-quality experience for both patients and providers. www.accenx.com zCover Inc. zCover, pioneer and trend-setter in the fashionable protective products market, aspires to be the quintessence of the industry, with its amazing range of products, its promptness and efficiency in adapting to ever-changing consumer needs, its innovative and adventurous spirit and the consummate artistry of its products. www.zcover.com AtStaff Inc. AtStaff's healthcare management software continuously aligns caregivers to the clinical demand requirements of each patient, improving both patient and financial outcomes, facilitating throughput and increasing caregiver morale and satisfaction. www.atstaff.com HIMSS Hosts First Middle East Conference Clinical Architecture LLC At Clinical Architecture, one of the goals is to be as current as possible on the latest standards, trends and technologies in the healthcare IT industry. This knowledge enables Clinical Architecture to provide education, services and products that help its clients and the industry in general move forward adapting, evolving and making healthcare IT as effective as possible. www.clinicalarchitecture.com T o highlight the real-world efforts to improve clinical care and administrative efficiencies through the effective use of IT, HIMSS will convene its inaugural conference in the Middle East in Manama, Bahrain. HIMSS MiddleEast09 Healthcare IT & Management Excellence, which will take place on May 5-7, will focus on health IT business practices in the Gulf Region and health IT and management excellence. In order to develop a better understanding of the region's health IT issues, HIMSS has Bahrain Towers established an educational advisory committee with representatives from the Gulf region's health ministries. The committee will also help HIMSS in the selection of the final education sessions and promotion of the conference in the region. “Governments throughout the Gulf Region are demonstrating clear commitments to improving the healthcare delivery systems of their countries through information technology,” said H. Stephen Lieber, HIMSS president and CEO. “We are working with the Ministries of Health in the region to develop HIMSS MiddleEast09, and therefore, bring world-class education and professional development to the region's IT professionals and healthcare management executives.” The conference will provide information on a number of health IT vital topics including the practical use and application of health IT, interoperability, health IT standards, health IT project management, electronic medical records, data repositories, clinical information systems, business information systems, patient safety and more. The conference, which will include more than 30 educational sessions, expects to attract professionals from a broader area including Turkey, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan, India and other countries. Visit www.himssme.org/09 for more information, including descriptions of keynotes and education sessions. I Xirrus The benefits of Xirrus Wi-Fi are well understood by leading enterprises. The difference between Xirrus Wi-Fi and all other offerings is significant–nothing else comes close. The Xirrus Wi-Fi Array obsoletes all other Wi-Fi offerings and is the only Wi-Fi device capable of replacing ethernet workgroup switches. www.xirrus.com To learn more about the benefits of corporate membership, visit www.himss.org/membership or contact HIMSS Senior Manager of New Account Sales Rebecca Washler at bwashler@himss.org or 319-393-3117. 2009 DAVIES AWARDS [continued from page 17] or a company like Epic Systems Corp., a HIMSS Diamond-level Corporate Member, exhibiting at HIMSS09 in Chicago is about building new relationships and strengthening existing partnerships. “[HIMSS09] gives people who don't know us a chance to learn about what we do,” said Karen Combs, vice president. “It's a good learning opportunity for our staff. Best of all, it's a family reunion–we get to spend a week talking face to face with customers we've known for years and those we've just met.” Additionally, HIMSS09 provides Epic Systems an opportunity to showcase and demonstrate new and next generation products, as well as provide a sneak peak into products that are coming down the pipeline. “The realization among healthcare organizations is that there are benefits only integrated systems can offer,” said Ms. Combs. “We're also optimistic a shift will occur toward emphasizing preventive care and improved disease management. We are posi- Epic Systems Corp. Looks to Strengthen Relationships at HIMSS09 tioned for leadership in both areas through our broad integrated suite of applications, including our MyChart patient portal, which helps engage patients in managing their health proactively.” One of the biggest challenges Epic Systems sees in healthcare is doing more with less. “Healthcare organizations are under constant pressure to improve patient safety, increase the efficiency and productivity of their staff, and manage/reduce their costs–and they have to do this as quickly, broadly and deeply as possible,” said Ms. Combs. “Epic offers a content-rich Model System and implementation methodology designed to help clients get live quickly and reap the benefits of integrated systems. “Leadership is in the eye of the beholder, whether it's measured through market share, customer accolades or staying on the cutting edge of technology,” she continued. “To Epic, it means constantly improving your product, innovating to make better solutions for patient care, and making sure your software is easy to use–and works.” I unique tool to comprehensively assess the objectives and challenges of complex, organization-wide IT implementations. “The Davies Award gave us the discipline to look back subjectively and objectively at what we had accomplished,” said Samuel Lederman, MD, managing partner at Palm Beach (Fla.) Obstetrics and Gynecology PA, recipient of the 2008 Ambulatory Care Award. Additionally, the application process gave him insight into areas of his organization's project that needed to be shored up. In this case, Dr. Lederman saw that his organization's back-up and redundancy systems needed to be more robust. “The Davies Award helps http://www.himss.org http://www.emtecinc.com http://www.enterprisesoftwaredevelopment.com http://www.allocade.com http://www.lifelinks.net http://www.accenx.com http://www.atstaff.com http://www.zcover.com http://www.xirrus.com http://www.clinicalarchitecture.com http://www.himss.org/membership http://www.himssme.org/09 http://www.himss.org/davies
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