Volume 2 - Issue 9 - December 2007

Industry Spotlight: HIMSS Analytics . . . What Services are Your Facility Missing Out On?

I recently had an opportunity to talk with Jack Price, VP of HealthCare Organization Services at HIMSS, to learn about HIMSS Analytics. Most of you reading this newsletter are already familiar with the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), and many of you are members of this healthcare industry organization, as well as its regional chapters. However, not as many of you know about HIMSS Analytics and you may very well be missing out on some quality services available to your organization.

I have known Jack Price for 5 years now. We first met when Jack was CIO of Shore Health System of Maryland and they were embarking on the implementation of MEDITECH at their two-hospital system. In 2005, Jack took on a new challenge for which he was ideally suited. He now uses his in-depth knowledge of the healthcare IT industry to provide other healthcare organizations with information designed to help them realize their goals.

Q. Tell me a little about HIMSS Analytics and its history.

HIMSS Analytics supports improved decision-making for healthcare organizations, and healthcare IT companies and consulting firms by delivering high quality data and analytical expertise. The company collects and analyzes healthcare organization data relating to IT processes and environments, products, IS department composition and costs, IS department management metrics, healthcare delivery trends and purchasing related decisions. HIMSS Analytics is a wholly-owned, not-for-profit subsidiary of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS).

Back in 2004, HIMSS purchased the Dorenfest IHDS+ Database™ and created HIMSS Analytics. They hired Dave Garets as CEO to take the information and improve it. The database consists of over 5000 hospitals, including Critical Access Hospitals, and tracks over 100 applications and related equipment the hospitals use. Initially, information contained in the Dorenfest database was sold primarily to vendors to use for prospecting purposes. I was initially hired to manage the team which performs primary market research. In addition to providing vendors with valuable hospital data, HIMSS Analytics also performs perception studies, branding studies, and value proposition studies.

Q. Does HIMSS Analytics only provide information to vendors?

No. There’s actually a key service that HIMSS Analytics provides to hospitals as well: peer comparison reports. HIMSS Analytics has established a process whereby our Market Research Associates survey hospitals on an annual basis and update the information in our massive database. The database tracks information such as systems utilized, hardware, and buying plans. There are up to 30 different peer comparison reports available. Peers are categorized by type of facility, bed size, overall revenue, and services provided. Full reports, including graphical presentations, are provided to all organizations that participate in the survey process.

Q. Is the survey data used when evaluating facilities for the Davies Awards?

Although survey data is not used as a direct evaluation of a Davies Award applicant, it may be used indirectly for this purpose. The Nicholas E. Davies EHR Recognition Program, sponsored by HIMSS, encourages and recognizes excellence in the implementation of EHR systems. The program recognizes healthcare provider organizations that successfully use EHR systems to improve healthcare delivery. The Davies Award is based on an evaluation framework that involves a two-step process. Applicants are asked for assessment and documentation of their progress based on four key areas including management, functionality, technology, and overall value. It is through this application process that a survey participant may gather and report on valuable information about their facility’s progress from our EMR Adoption Model™.

Q. What is the EMR Adoption Model?

Understanding the level of EMR capabilities in hospitals is a challenge in the U.S. healthcare IT market today. HIMSS Analytics has created an EMR Adoption Model™ that identifies the levels of EMR capabilities ranging from the initial clinical data repository (CDR) environment through a paperless EHR environment. HIMSS Analytics has developed a methodology and algorithms to automatically score the approximately 4,000 hospitals in the HIMSS Analytics™ Database (derived from the Dorenfest IHDS+ Database™), relative to their IT-enabled clinical transformation status. The data provides peer comparisons for care delivery organizations (CDOs) as they strategize their path to a complete EMR.

Q. As a former CIO of a MEDITECH site, you know some of the challenges that small to mid-sized facilities face when implementing new technology or applications. What are some specific examples of how MEDITECH facilities can benefit from the products/services that HIMSS Analytics offers?

Okay, so after months of due diligence your Board has approved your request to enhance your EMR with CDSS and evidence-based everything. Your Docs will be armed with some of the best tools and knowledge available to ward off potential medical errors and prevent adverse events. The implementation goes well; the Docs are happy and your boss is happy. In fact, he wants you to present the results to the Board and to contrast the capabilities of our EMR before and after implementation.

Easy? Before the implementation began, I had updated my information in the HIMSS Analytics™ Database (derived from the Dorenfest IHDS+ Database™). The benchmarking reports provided me with my EMR Adoption score and some excellent PowerPoints I could use in my presentation. After the install, I contacted my MRA at HIMSS Analytics and she updated my information, recalculated my EMR Adoption score and provided me with a new set of benchmarking reports. I updated my presentation and I was now ready to tell my story to the Board. When I told the MRA that I was preparing for a Board presentation, she sent me a slide that included not only my hospital’s EMR Adoption score but the average and median scores for my State and for the nation. The Board was impressed. They could clearly see the level of transformation we achieved as well as where we are today. Now the Board was asking what it would take to achieve the next stage of EMR Adoption.

The EMR Adoption Model™ is a no-cost service that HIMSS Analytics provides to organizations that participate in our annual data collection. With close to 30 benchmarking reports, we can provide you with information you can use to show your Board what you have been able to accomplish with the funds they have allocated for Information Technology. It’s a great way to compare your progress from year to year.

For more information about the EMR Adoption Model™ or any other healthcare organization services, contact Jack Price at jprice@himss.org or 302-424-0742.

Jack Price is VP of HealthCare Organization Services for HIMSS. Jack has a B.S. degree in Biology and over 25 years of experience in the Healthcare industry. Having led technology change initiatives for several healthcare organizations, Jack has worked with a variety of vendors and technologies. In addition, Jack is a Charter member of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), and currently serves on the EHR Workgroup of the American Healthcare Information Community (AHIC).

Featured Employer: Sponsored by MeditechCareeers.com

We recently announced the beginning of our new web site: MeditechCareers.com. In addition to the basic job posting, we will provide some general information about the employer and their environment, and highlight them as a "Featured Employer" in this newsletter.This new web site was created in order to give MEDITECH professionals a place to explore career options and opportunities. Visitors to the site will be able to view MEDITECH-related job postings and submit their resume for consideration. Having a separate web site for this purpose will allow us to maintain the original focus of The MEDITECH Community Bulletin on our loyal readers who are seeking news and information rather than job postings. We certainly hope this new web site will provide some value to the MEDITECH user community.

Hermitage Medical Clinic
Dublin, Ireland

About the Organization:
Officially open to patients in 2007, the Hermitage Medical Clinic is a brand new, state-of-the-art hospital. Located in Lucan, West Dublin, this private hospital provides medical, surgical, and advanced radiotherapy care to patients by using the latest cutting edge systems. Hermitage Medical Clinic is an acute care facility with 101 inpatient beds, 24 day care beds, and 39 consulting suites. The Treatment facilities include 7 operating rooms, an 8 bedded ICU / HDU, Day Surgery and Endoscopy, Oncology Treatment Areas and Therapeutic Radiotherapy. The most up to date radiology equipment is available including MRI, PET / CT, Nuclear Medicine, 64 slice CT, Mammography, Ultrasound, X-ray and Fluoroscopy. We will have full Cardiological services including a Cardiac Catheterisation Suite and Clinical Laboratory services. A fully comprehensive physiotherapy unit, pharmacy, shop, chapel, restaurant and ancillary facilities are also available.

About the Location:
County Dublin is situated on the east coast of Ireland having borders with counties Meath, Kildare and Wicklow. Home to Ireland's capital city Dublin, the county has a population of 1,530,000 making it the most densely populated of Ireland's counties and yet one of the smallest in terms of land area. Other larger towns are located at Tallaght, Swords, Balbriggan and Howth. As with any capital city, the variety and number of things to visit and see are endless. Dublin City is steeped in history and and furnished with buildings of great architectural interest. The city is a hive of activity with shopping, pubs, restaurants and clubs waiting to be explored. The famous River Liffey runs through the heart of the city and provides a focal point for this capital city. Dublin port is a busy stopping point for international shipping and provides easy access for the visitor bringing a car from the UK. The international airport on the outskirts of the city makes access to Dublin and the surrounding areas easy from destinations around the world.

About the Department:
Our MIS Department is comprised of 6 IT staff members, an Applications Manager, and the CIO. Staff members include 2 Clinical Analysts, a Financial Analyst, a Network Manager, a PC Support Technician, and a PACS Administrator. We have a multi-national team with members coming from the United States, Canada, South Africa, and, of course, Ireland. We have completed Phase I of our MEDITECH HIS implementation. We plan to implement all of the clinical, financial, and administative applications, and we are on the MAGICplatform. In addition to MEDITECH, we're implementing the GE Centricity RIS/PACS system, and Iguana HL7 Integration Engine. Hermitage Medical Clinic was recognized with the 2007 Most Wired International Citation of Merit, according to the results of the 2007 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study released today in the July issue of Hospitals & Health Networks magazine which has named the 100 Most Wired hospitals and health systems since 1999.

Current Position(s) Available:

Clinical Systems Analyst
Permanent, Full-Time

Description:
Clinical Systems Analyst is a qualified analyst in the area of clinical information systems. This position typically implements, modifies, tests and administers clinical system applications. Liaison between IT personnel and users to resolve procedural questions. Assess user needs and recommends modifications. Recommend and document procedural changes. Develop simple customer defined screens and NPR reports. Job duties include but are not limited to:

• Serves as an organizational resource in reviewing, understanding, analyzing and using clinical and quality data for the purpose of measuring or improving operational performance.

• Collaborates with medical and hospital staff leaders to determine new needs for information. Designs reports and analyzes data in response to the need.

• Continued professional and educational advancement by attending and actively participating in appropriate training sessions provided by ICT vendors ensuring attendees are made fully aware of the systems functionality, use and related regulatory requirements including but not limited to JCI, Freedom of Information and Data Protection.

• Cost savings and operational improvement by optimizing the use of installed systems.

• Responsible for promoting Hermitage CQI and Patient/Guest Relations Programs through teamwork, respect of others, consensus building and confidentiality.

Qualifications:

• A Bachelors degree in Computer Science is preferred

• 3+ years of MEDITECH experience in a clinical applications support and implementation role is required

• Strong user support and training skills are required

• MAGIC platform experience is preferred

• NPR Report Writer experience is a plus

• Experience with interface engines preferred

How to Apply:
To apply for this Job, please email your resume to Human Resources and reference job "Clinical Systems Analyst".

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DCH Health System
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

About the Organization:
The DCH Health System is a not-for-profit, community-owned group of hospitals and health services located in West Central Alabama, one of the South’s most vibrant educational and manufacturing centers. The DCH Health System has grown and evolved to ensure that the latest services and procedures are available to our community. Over the last 75 years, we have grown from a small hospital in the city of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, into one of the state’s largest systems of hospitals and health services. Our system includes a major regional referral hospital, two community hospitals, a nursing home and a home health agency. This wide range of services for our community means there is a wide range of opportunities available for our 4,000-plus employees. In the ever-changing world of healthcare, it’s good to know that you can explore many exciting opportunities within the system without having to change employers or leave this progressive and charming community.

About the Location:
The DCH Health System is located in West Alabama, only a short drive from many of the South's main attractions. At the heart of the region is the scenic Tuscaloosa/Northport area. This beautiful community offers the economic, educational and cultural opportunities of one of the South's most progressive cities. Because Tuscaloosa is the home of the University of Alabama, residents can enjoy the excitement of big-time college athletics, as well as theater, concerts and cultural activities sponsored by this natioanally-acclaimed University. The region has an added cosmopolitan atmosphere thanks to the Mercedes-Benz U.S. International production facility and other national and international businesses. Here, you'll find everything you would expect from a metropolitan city, along with a few distinctly southern twists you won't find anywhere else.

About the Department:
The DCH Health System IS department is comprised of 49.5 FTE's (including a seven person management team) who support the IT and telecommunications needs of our four facilities. Our Primary hospital information system is Meditech MAGIC. We run virtually all of the Meditech applications available and are currently actively involved in advanced clinicals implementations in our Emergency Departments, operating rooms and with our physician customers. This solid core system has been in place since 1991 and is the source system for the add on systems that support outcomes management, HIM, Radiology PACS, Dietary ordering, Pharmacy Robot and medications distribution cabinets and other specialty systems that Meditech does not have. The Information Services department is not only responsible for desk tops, servers, infrastructure, help desk, development and implementation, but acts as the major force for change and performance improvement in the Health System. The DCH IS Department prides itself on excellent customer service. Over 98% of our 1,000+ service requests per week result in a satisfied customer. Help desk issues are resolved in less than four hours on average. The IS Department team serves of performance improvement teams, patient safety teams and physician and employee satisfaction teams throughout the Health System. We are an energetic, positive, "can do" department with lots of job security!

Current Position(s) Available:

I/S Team Leader - Implementation
Permanent, Full-Time

Description:

• Manages a team of seven analysts whose primary focus is the implementation and support of applications, workflow projects and project management for technology implementation across the four hospitals of the DCH Health System.

• Serves as a primary resource for coordination of multiple, simultaneous implementation projects while providing staff to support all ready Live applications and processes.

• Responsible for hiring, evaluating, mentoring, monitoring, disciplining and terminating implementation and support staff.

• Participates in the budget and strategic planning process for the DCH Health System.

• Maintains performance, patient and employee satisfaction and financial standards as outlined in the performance evaluation.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree is required. A minimum of five years of health care management in I/S or related field with increasingly complex responsibilities is required.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to make formal presentations required.

• Solid knowledge of Billing/Accounts Receivable applications and processes required

• Exhibits strong interpersonal skills and abilities to deal effectively with all levels of internal and external personnel.

• Must be able to read, write and speak English.

• Possesses expert personal computer skills with experience in applications and operating systems software or knowledge of IS and healthcare systems and processes.

How to Apply:
To apply for this Job, please email your resume to Amy Sumner and reference job "I/S Team Leader - Implementation".

Recent News: Halloween Announcement ... Trick or Treat?

Just months after the announcement of one major merger/acquisition within the MEDITECH Consulting world, MEDITECH customers are left wondering if this second major announcement on Halloween is a trick or a treat. First, JJWild decides to sell off to Perot Systems, and now THIS?!

Computer Sciences Corporation (NYSE: CSC) and First Consulting Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCGI) announced on October 31st that they have entered into an agreement and plan of merger through which CSC will acquire First Consulting Group (FCG) in an all-cash transaction for $13.00 per share, or approximately $365 million.

More info: http://www.csc.com/newsroom/press_releases/3289-csc_agrees_to_acquire_first_consulting_group

Worth a Read: Articles of Interest to the Healthcare IT Field

A Leading Role
By: Mark Hagland
HealthCare Informatics, October, 2007

C.I.O’s from across the country and industry observers talk about the core characteristics needed to run a top tier H.I.T. shop in a large healthcare system.

Read article

At Your Service
By: Daphne Lawrence
HealthCare Informatics, October, 2007

Mid-sized hospital CIO’s discuss the classic IT question – Who owns the implementation?

Read article

A Steady Flow
By: Michelle Grey
HealthCare Informatics, October, 2007

A look at the technology available and the challenges met in the process of meeting Joint Commissions mandate on Managing Patient Flow. From housekeeping’s use of tele-tracking dirty/clean beds, to staff and administrative use of patient time-stamps, to looking at ED and Surgical flow, three hospitals discuss their attempts to expedite patient flow through their system.

Read article