Client News Coverage

The search for sustainable health information exchanges (HIEs) demands more than simply following the money. Driven by the desire or the necessity to stand on their own two feet, some HIEs have found a formula for success.

CMIO»

The march towards meaningful use (MU) has created a sense of urgency within the physician community to adopt EHRs for their offices — as it should. Hospitals and eligible professionals (EPs), which include physicians, began attestation for MU incentive payments on April 18, and the first payments were issued in May.

Becker's ASC Review»

The new buzzword in healthcare technology, meaningful use plays an important role in a hospital’s ability to qualify for incentive funds under The Health InformationTechnology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. With payments starting at $4 million for hospitals that qualify under both Medicare and Medicaid programs, hospitals are eager to comply with meaningful use criteria. However, a high volume of duplicate records may hinder a hospital’s ability to do so.

Western Pennsylvania Hospital News»

The highly anticipated proposed rules for Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) were released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on March 31, 2011. The hefty document — nearly 500 pages of potential regulatory structure — was open to public comment through the end of May.

Medical News of Arkansas»

Many of the issues facing the healthcare system relate to controlling costs while improving quality. Enter accountable care organizations (ACOs), coordinated systems of collaboration designed to closely connect groups of providers willing to take responsibility for improving overall health status, care efficiency, and the experiences of a defined patient population.

For the Record»

Effective inpatient throughput is essential in managing length of stay (LOS), avoiding diversion of patients to competing hospitals and achieving stellar patient satisfaction scores. One area that is sometimes overlooked in the broader content of patient flow or throughput, but which deeply impacts the movement of patients throughout the facility, is isolation management.

Executive Insights»

It is no secret that, by October 2013, all physicians, hospitals and payers must have made the switch from ICD-9 to the greatly expanded ICD-10 diagnosis code set. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized this decision back in January 2009.

Manatee-Sarasota Medical News»

Wolters Kluwer Health, a Philadelphia-based provider of information and business intelligence for professionals, students and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health and pharmacy, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Lexi-Comp Inc., a Hudson, Ohio-based provider of drug information and clinical content for pharmacists and clinicians. The acquisition is the latest in a series of strategic acquisitions Wolters Kluwer Health has made in its Clinical Solutions business as part of the company's strong focus on serving the point-of-care segment.

Healthcare Informatics»

Medical content and educational services firm Wolters Kluwer Health will acquire Lexi-Comp Inc., a vendor of point-of-care drug clinical decision support software for hospital pharmacists and clinicians. Acquisition terms were not disclosed.

HealthData Management»

Philadelphia-based Wolters Kluwer Health has entered into an agreement to acquire Lexi-Comp, a drug information and clinical content provider based in Hudson, Ohio. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Modern Healthcare»

Steve Claypool, MD, is vice president of clinical development and informatics, and Allison Errickson, CPC-H, is director of coding compliance and content, Clinical Solutions Division, for ProVation Medical.

Becker's ASC Review»

After two decades of critical nurse and physician shortages, an economic climate of high unemployment would seem to be the antidote for the healthcare sector. Yet those same economic forces are preventing hospitals and health centers from hiring enough people to satisfy demand, labor specialists say.

Healthcare Finance News»

Besides requiring computerized physician order entry (CPOE), meaningful use criteria specify that providers who want to qualify for federal financial incentives implement clinical decision support (CDS) in the form of drug-drug, drug-allergy, and drug-formulary checks as well as five CDS rules relevant to specialty or high clinical priority, including rules for diagnostic test ordering. Providers will also need to demonstrate the ability to track compliance with those rules.

For the Record»

On April 1, the Department of Health and Human Services released the much-anticipated ACO (accountable care organization) guidelines – to a degree of hype that one health IT executive said “could begin the redefinition of our nation’s healthcare system.” Along with such glowing remarks, however, are a handful of shortcomings that others would like to see addressed.

Government Health IT»

Palmetto Physician Connections, LLC has successfully launched a new Medicaid managed care health plan in South Carolina's Healthy Connections Choices program. Under a contract with the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS), Palmetto Physician Connections is providing healthcare services through a medical homes network to beneficiaries in 39 counties.

Healthcare Technology Online»