Healthcare IT News - May 2008 - (Page 3)

www.HealthcareITNews.com industry news May 2008 ■ Healthcare IT News industry Healthcare IT News posts original news stories on its Web site daily. Here are recent top stories, as selected by the editors. news GaO: Link data on hospital infections HHS called to task for siloed data, lack of leadership. HeAltH evolution PArtners mAkes its first investment Health Evolution Partners, the investment management firm founded by the nation’s former national healthcare information technology chief, has made its first investment - an undisclosed amount - in e-prescribing company Prematics. As a result of the funding, David J. Brailer, MD, will join Prematics’ board of directors. Brailer founded Health Evolution Partners in 2007 after he resigned from his post as national coordinator for healthcare information technology, appointed by President Bush. Date: 4/28/08 By BernIe MonegaIn, Editor WASHINGTON – The government must do more to protect patients from hospitalacquired infections, beginning with how it collects it data, says the Government Accountability Office. In its report published April 16, the GAO noted that three HHS agencies – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality – have four separate programs to collect information on hospital acquired infections in separate databases. “Each of these databases presents only a better understand where partial view of the extent of and how HAIs occur.” the HAI (hospital acquired The GAO released the infection) problem because report at a hearing of the each focuses its data colHouse’s Committee on lection on selected types of Oversight and Government HAIs and collects data from Reform, chaired by Rep, a different subset of patients Henry A. Waxman, (Dacross the country,” the GAO Calif.). report states. “Although offiIn his opening remarks, cials from the various HHS Waxman took HHS to task agencies discuss HAI data for its lack of leadership. collection with each other, we “Today we will examine did not find that the agencies an epidemic that causes were taking steps to integrate Rep. henry a. Waxman presided over any of the existing data by a recent hearing on hospital-acquired about two million infections and 100,000 deaths each creating linkages across the infections. year and costs the nation databases, such as creating common patient identifiers. Creating link- billions of dollars, “ he said. He cited the GAO’s assertion that HHS ages across the HAI-related databases could enhance the availability of information to InfeCTIons see page 6 tecHnology PlAys A criticAl role in new foundAtion The use of information technology is one of the funding priorities of a foundation formed by The Regence Group, which will fund $2.5 million in healthcare projects in its first year and $4 million per year thereafter. The Regence Group is the largest health insurer in the Northwest-Intermountain Region. Its new foundation has identified three funding concerns: The use of technology to engage and educate healthcare consumers, healthcare access and quality, and improvements to the way the healthcare system supports individuals and families during the end-oflife process. Date: 4/17/08 Healthcare to seek 40,000 Lots of IT talk, It professionals, study says no legislation sented the findings at a recent meeting of – As the nation’s healthcare the Steering Committee on Telehealth and system moves toward automation, the need Healthcare Informatics on Capitol Hill. U.S. Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.) moderatfor healthcare information technology professionals in the workforce is growing. The ed the meeting. Wu authored a bill (H.R. 1467) addressing need is deemed to be “(the) findings the need to train at almost 40 percent more – or 40,000 further justify the more healthcare IT additional IT employneed for my 10,000 professionals, which the House passed ees at U.S. hospitals, trained by 2010 recently. The bill according to a new Act ” is awaiting Senate study. The report is based – U.S. Rep. David Wu, (D-Ore.) action. “I commend Dr. on an analysis of the HIMSS Analytics Database, which contains Hersh for his research on healthcare IT workforce issues,” said Wu. “His findings information from about 5,000 U.S. hospitals. William Hersh, MD, professor and further justify the need for my 10,000 chairman of the Department of Medical Trained by 2010 Act, which provides funds Informatics & Clinical Epidemiology at for healthcare IT education. A workforce Oregon Health & Science University, preworkforCe see page 4 By BernIe MonegaIn, Editor WASHINGTON By DIana Manos, Senior Editor HOuGH mANy ON Capitol Hill talk of the benefits of healthcare IT, nothing substantial has been done this year to bring those benefits closer to fruition. Some on the Hill predict this will be a tough year to pass any healthcare IT legislation due to tight funding and the distraction of the election. There is speculation that the only way a healthcare IT measure will pass is if it’s attached to some other must-pass legislation. Former Rep. Nancy Johnson (R-Conn.), chairman of Health IT Now!, wA sH i ngton said timing is everything. As the election year progresses, passage of a bill will become more difficult. Certainly with that in mind, Senate and industry leaders met on Capitol Hill April 1 to push the “Wired for Healthcare Quality Act,” a bill that came close to passing by special vote last December but hasn’t budged since. The WIRED Act, introduced last June by Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Michael Enzi (R-Wyo.), would provide a foundation for nationwide healthcare IT adoption, its sponsors say, but it is strongly opposed by privacy activists who hope the tough legislative year healthcare IT is facing will derail it. Deborah Peel, MD, chair of Patient Privacy Rights, says the Wired Act lacks proper protection. Patient Privacy Rights and the Coalition for Patient Privacy have worked steadily to block the bill since its inception. Manos see page 4 t wisconsin boosts sHAred eHr effort in rurAl HosPitAls In an effort to establish a shared electronic record infrastructure for Wisconsin community hospitals, the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative Information Technology Network will use Nashville-based Healthcare Management Systems, Inc.’s hospital information system from a common data center. The exchange of clinical data is slated to begin by 2009. The initial implementation will be at the RWHC ITN’s four independent rural hospitals, and there are plans to implement it in larger hospitals. Date: 4/15/08 Military awards $55M IT contract Watch The DMLSS mission is to modernize the military healthcare logistics supply chain, with DLA providing the software development capability to continually maintain and update DMLSS technology tools and systems. The DMLSS-DLA program primarily supports DLA’s Defense Supply Center Philadelphia Directorate of Medical Materiel, which performs worldwide medical supply chain management for the Defense Department. CACI is already supporting DMLSSDLA on other contracts, and the company expects to compete for expansions in the size and scope of this work. With this award, CACI officials said the company continues to increase its logistics and material readiness capabilities and its growth as a provider of healthcare logistics solutions for the Department of Defense. ■ More at HealthcareITnews.com e Connect: MILItarY 0508 By Molly MerrIll, Associate Editor Public HeAltH ProgrAm mines emrs for infections Researchers have created a set of computer programs that use electronic medical records to detect contagious illnesses and automatically report them to public health departments. The new system, called Electronic Medical Record Support for Public Health, or ESP, was described in the April 11 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a publication of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The research team involved the collaboration of experts at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Harvard Medical School, Atrius Health and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Date: 4/11/08 More at HealthcareITnews.com e Connect: WeBBrIeFS 0508 ● – CACI International Inc., a provider of information technology for national security, intelligence and e-government, has been awarded a $54.8 million, five-year blanket purchase agreement to support the Defense Medical Logistics Standard Support-Defense Logistics Agency program. CACI will provide professional services and information technology to help manage medical supplies and services for military forces worldwide. DMLSS, based in Falls Church, Va., is a partnership involving the wholesale medical logistics, medical information management, medical information technology and user communities. The Defense Logistics Agency, or DLA, is the Department of Defense’s largest combat support agency, providing worldwide logistics support to the military as well as several civilian agencies and foreign countries. DLA is based at Fort Belvoir in Northern Virginia. ARLINGTON, VA ● http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://HealthcareITnews.com http://HealthcareITnews.com http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=9152 http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=9151

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Healthcare IT News - May 2008 Contents Help Wanted Speeding Up Government Silos Privacy Pressures Tracking Disease Rah Rah Health! TriZetto Suit Outcomes Watch Ambulatory EHRs

Healthcare IT News - May 2008

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