Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Client News: Trinity Mother Frances Hospital of Tyler, TX Named a Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospital!


CONGRATULATIONS to our clients at Trinity Mother Frances Hospital of Tyler, TX - TMFH was named a Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospital and Everest Award winner!

The Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals: National Benchmarks is an annual, quantitative study that identifies the best hospitals, overall, as measured on the 100 Top Hospitals Balanced Scorecard. Hospitals are evaluated against similar hospitals, in terms of size and teaching status.

This year’s best hospitals are setting new standards compared to similar hospitals. If all Medicare inpatients received the same level of care as those in the 100 Top Hospitals winners:

* 98,000 additional patients would survive each year.
* About 197,000 patient complications would be avoided annually.
* Expenses would decrease $5.5 billion a year.
* The average patient stay would decrease by nearly half a day.

If the same standards were applied to all inpatients, the impact would be even greater.

The Everest Award honors an elite special group of the National award winners. Everest Award winners have reached the highest level of accomplishment on the national Balanced Scorecard and have the fastest rates of long-term improvement. This award recognizes the boards, executives, and medical staff leaders who developed and executed strategies that enabled a culture of performance improvement to grow rapidly and consistently over five years within the hospital, and that resulted in setting national benchmarks for excellence in the industry.

To learn more about The Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals, click here.

Unibased Systems Architecture extends a huge THANK YOU to ALL DOCTORS for the dedication to the care of others! Happy Doctor's Day!!!

Monday, March 29, 2010

Photo of the Day - Point Reyes Beach in CA

Just posted some great pics on Facebook that were taken by Leslie Neilson, our Senior QA Analyst, of scenery from her visit to our clients at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center in California. Visit Our Facebook Page Here!

Thanks for sharing Leslie!!

Friday, March 26, 2010

Client News: BayCare Health System adding 850 jobs between St. Joseph's Hospital-North and a soon-to-open psychiatric hospital

BayCare Health System is adding upwards of 850 jobs, split between its brand new St. Joseph's Hospital-North in North Tampa — Tampa Bay's first new full-service hospital in 30 years — and a soon-to-open psychiatric hospital in Pasco County. Another hospital approved to serve the Apollo Beach area of Hillsborough County will break ground soon.

View article: "Health care hiring defying jobs slump"

By Robert Trigaux, Times Business Columnist
Published Friday, March 26, 2010
© 2010 • All Rights Reserved, St. Petersburg Times

Client News: Mount Sinai Medical Center had its most profitable year in more than a decade in 2009


Mount Sinai climbs to profits
South Florida Business Journal - by Brian Bandell

In a report to its bondholders, the nonprofit hospital in Miami Beach said it earned $4.1 million on revenue of $124.6 million for the fourth quarter. That’s improved from a $541,000 loss on revenue of $120.6 million in the same period of 2008.

For all of 2009, the 955-bed hospital earned $13.8 million on revenue of $523.5 million, improved from a loss of $5.4 million on revenue of $496.9 million in the previous year. In both years, the hospital received a $10 million contribution from its fundraising foundation that counted as revenue and income.

Mount Sinai’s management and doctors engineered its financial turnaround by attracting more patients who underwent cardiac surgery and more patients from commercial insurance and Medicare, and boosting patient volume in its emergency rooms and outpatient centers.

Read full article here

© American City Business Journals Inc. All rights reserved.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Client News: Jane Murphy, MSC RN NEA-BC FACHE, receives the ACHE Regent's Award

Jane N. Murphy, MSC RN NEA-BC FACHE, Assistant Vice President Patient Care Services, Driscoll Children’s Hospital, received the American College of Healthcare Executives Senior-Level Healthcare Executive Regent’s Award.

The award was bestowed on Murphy by Mark McLoone FACHE, ACHE’s Regent for Texas Central and South Area, The Senior-Level Healthcare Executive Regent’s Award recognizes ACHE affiliates who are experienced in the field and have significantly contributed toward the advancement of healthcare management excellence and the achievement of the goals of ACHE.

Affiliates are evaluated on leadership ability, innovative and creative management, executive capability in developing their own organization and promoting its growth and stature in the community, contributions to the development of others in the healthcare profession, leadership in local, state, or provincial hospital and health association activities, participation in civic/community activities and projects, and participation in ACHE activities and interest in assisting ACHE in achieving its objectives.

Murphy has served as Assistant Vice President Patient Care Services with Driscoll Children’s Hospital since 2008. View press release PDF here.

Client News: Jewish Hospital and Sts. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital Honored by Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates


Jewish Hospital and Sts. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital have been awarded the Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (KODA) Tissue Donation Performance Award for 2009. The honor recognizes hospitals in KODA’s three-state service area for achieving a high percentage of tissue donations. The hospitals were among only 23 hospitals in three states to be honored this year. Read press release here

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Client News: Inova Alexandria Hospital Recognized Nationally for Excellence in Critical Care



The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), the largest specialty-nursing organization in the world, has awarded the Medical Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Inova Alexandria Hospital its Spring 2010 prestigious Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence.

This award signifies that the unit has:
• Met rigid criteria for excellence
• Exhibited high quality standards
• Demonstrated exceptional care of patients and patients’ families

"We’re very proud to be recognized and honored on a national level," said Carol Feike RN, MSN, NE-BC, Patient Care Director, Inova Alexandria Hospital. "Our nursing staff is an extremely dedicated group that's committed to using best practices and providing high-quality care for our patients."

Inova Alexandria Hospital is one of just six hospitals in the Washington, DC, region to earn the Beacon award and one of 242 hospitals in the country to achieve this status.

"Earning a Beacon Award sends a clear message that these units are providing exceptional care and that their commitment to evidence-based practice is unwavering," said Dave Hanson, RN, MSN, President, AACN.

The Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence is a recognition-award program funded
and supported solely by AACN. The goal is to recognize and highlight critical-care units that use quality indicators to evaluate the comprehensive environment of their unit and that reach the highest level of performance, innovation, satisfaction and quality.

Inova Alexandria Hospital joins sister hospital Inova Fairfax in earning an AACN Beacon Award.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Client News: East Texas Medical Center EMS joins an elite group of emergency providers to receive a 3 year accreditation from CAAS

East Texas Medical Center EMS joins an elite group of emergency providers to receive a three year accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) for quality patient care in America’s medical transportation system.

“ETMC EMS is the 134 agency out of 12,000 ambulance agencies worldwide to receive this accreditation,” said Tony Myers, ETMC EMS Vice President & COO. “We are very pleased that our organization has met and often exceeded the “gold standard” determined by the ambulance industry.” Only four EMS providers in Texas have received this recognition.

View Press Release

Client News: Baptist St Anthony's Health System Outpatient Therapy Services Announced New Pediatric Therapy Department (Amarillo TX)


Baptist St Anthony's Health System announced a new Pediatric Therapy department at Outpatient Therapy Services at 5111 Canyon Drive. Their team consists of pediatric therapists from physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy that develop individualized programs to optimize development and address rehabilitation needs. Read more about it here.

PRESS RELEASE: Oakwood Healthcare System Partners with Unibased Systems Architecture to Streamline Healthcare Consumer Access to Care

Chesterfield, MO., March 23, 2010: Unibased Systems Architecture, Inc. (Unibased), the leading provider of enterprise-wide resource management solutions, today announced that Oakwood Healthcare System has selected its consumer portal, Consumer Access and Scheduling for Healthcare (CASH), to simplify and expedite access to services. Unibased’s CASH provides consumers enhanced flexibility and instant access to healthcare services during these times of busy, on-the-go patient lifestyles. The web application is fully integrated with Unibased’s ForSite2020® product suite and provides 24/7 access to scheduling and registration, eliminating the usual impediments consumers experience in obtaining their healthcare needs.

“Improving convenience and streamlining access to care for our patients is an extremely important and ongoing effort for Oakwood Healthcare”, stated Lynn Flynn, Oakwood Healthcare’s Corporate Director of Revenue Cycle. “The consumer portal from Unibased is going to be a powerful addition to our corporate access center and will give patients the flexibility they need to be more informed and in charge of their healthcare delivery. We are excited about all of the opportunities this will provide to our patients and providers alike as we continue to meet their changing needs and priorities in these times of busy lifestyles and increased demand.”

According to Larry Covington, Unibased’s President and CEO, “Today’s healthcare consumer demands convenience. They expect more patient-friendly services that provide more information about treatment options, quality and price. Unibased’s CASH is a completely integrated web-based patient portal designed to improve communications between consumers and their healthcare providers by providing a patient-centered, consumer-focused model. We have to remember that this is all about the patient, and compassion for their needs in this day of rapid pace includes convenience. Consumers are more informed and in control of their healthcare decisions, and realize there are choices out there. They require the same conveniences they receive in other industries, including unrestricted access to scheduling services. By embracing an open, transparent and patient-centered environment, huge gains in safety and quality are attained.”

About Unibased Systems Architecture: Celebrating its 24th year in the healthcare information technology (HIT) industry, Unibased Systems Architecture’s reputation for product quality, reliability and supporting services has no equal. Unibased and its products have maintained the highest rankings from the KLASTM independent reporting for the last eight years. Unibased is often referred to as the “perfect vendor” by its clients. Unibased markets various products that are open, scalable, integrated client/server and web-enabled solutions, designed to meet the unique needs of sophisticated enterprise organizations. Unibased also has major solution offerings in the air travel market, providing real-time production scheduling, human resource, security and financial systems.

In the HIT industry, Unibased offers ForSite2020® as an integrated solution that provides alternative access management techniques, including scheduling, EMPI, and registration, and tracks patient resource needs from pre-access through follow-up. ForSite2020 also monitors the effectiveness of clinical programs, financial productivity and capacity management. ForSite2020 has an integrated module which addresses surgery procedure(s) and surgeon scheduling, pre-admission activity monitoring, surgeon preferences, suite utilization, materials management, clinical worker training and certification, perioperative charting, and surgery based EHR. ForSite2020 results in significant improvements in physician and patient relations by including a physician portal, consumer portal, automated order creation, a business intelligence offering labeled ForSite Analytics and revenue cycle functions such as validation of patient demographics, patient’s current insurance eligibility checking, assurance of medical necessity compliance and estimation of the patient’s out-of-pocket expense based upon scheduled and ordered services. All Unibased solutions are supported by integrated automatic data collection processes such as bar coding, facsimile collection and retention, optical and intelligent character recognition and document image collection and storage, all linked to the appropriate patient and administrative records.

Unibased products and services are available through direct sales, marketing partners, value-added resellers and system integrators. Unibased Systems Architecture is a private corporation founded in 1986, and is based in Chesterfield, Missouri. Visit Unibased on the web at www.unibased.com.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Client News: Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children Opens Pediatric Surgery Center - Child-Friendly Center is First of its Kind in Northern Virginia


Children who come to Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children for surgery will soon have their own dedicated surgery center – the only one of its kind in Northern Virginia. This month the hospital is opening a Pediatric Surgery Center, a child-friendly suite of rooms designed to meet the inpatient and outpatient surgical needs of children and adolescents.

Grand Opening of Pediatric Surgery Center
Thursday, March 25, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children
Ambulatory Surgery Center
Ground Floor, 3300 Gallows Road
Falls Church, VA

The new Center is a licensed, Joint Commission approved facility. It includes a surgical waiting area, private consultation rooms, a pre-op holding area, operating rooms, procedure rooms and recovery rooms. A centralized nurses' station, which allows for open communication among staff, enables nurses to directly see all of the patients. To ensure patient safety, recovery rooms are equipped with pediatric stretchers with side rails, oxygen regulators and airway equipment that is configured according to patient size and weight. The rooms are also larger than standard recovery rooms, to accommodate families.

Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children performs more than 4,000 pediatric surgeries each year. Click here for more info!

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Save the date! - Shannon Medical Center Charity Sporting Clay Shoot , July 16 & 17, 2010


The 11th Annual Shannon Sporting Clay Shoot will be held Friday and Saturday, July 16 and 17, at the San Angelo Claybird Association in San Angelo, Texas. Through the past eleven years, the event has grown into the second largest charity shoot in Texas attracting more than 450 shooters and 1,500 spectators while raising more than $1,000,000 benefiting Juvenile Diabetes, Sports Medicine, Shannon’s Children’s Miracle Network program and Shannon AirMed1.

All event proceeds raised at this year’s shoot will benefit the following programs at Shannon Medical Center:

Oncology – Angel Fund – Shannon Medical Center serves more than 1,100 patients each year through its outpatient chemotherapy and oncology program. The Oncology Angel Fund provides assistance for these patients for medications or other out-of-pocket expenses that are not covered through insurance.

AirMed1 - Support for region served – Shannon AirMed1 serves as the Concho Valley’s only Air Ambulance, bringing critical emergency care directly to the patient. They work in partnership with many outlying EMS services and hospitals throughout the region and will use proceeds to provide equipment and education to these organizations to further improve patient outcomes.

Emergency Department – Shannon’s Emergency Department sees more than 45,000 patients each year from throughout West Texas. As the first line of care for many patients, our highly-trained nurses and physicians provide critical care quickly including trauma care and 24/7 cardiovascular and stroke care. The department is upgrading its technology to further accelerate and share data, expediting patient care.

Trauma – Shannon Trauma Services serves as the hub of the region’s Level III trauma center, facilitating Shannon’s trauma program as well as all regional dispatch communication, emergency management and disaster preparedness, and trauma prevention education. Funds will be used toward additional equipment and training that would further enhance critical care for trauma patients within the region.

Children’s Asthma Camp - Shannon Sneeze and Wheeze Asthma Camp is a four day, medically supervised day camp for children who are entering grades 4th - 7th who have been diagnosed with asthma. The program is designed to give local asthmatic children the opportunity to participate in a camping experience that may otherwise be denied because of their medical condition.

Nurse Education – The Shannon Nurse Education Fund will provide funds to Shannon nursing staff for specialized workshops and conferences outside of the organization. These educational experiences provide an opportunity for staff to enhance their patient care knowledge, learn from colleagues and develop innovative ideas to further
enhance patient care.

For more info, click here.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Client News: Inova Fair Oaks Hospital Honored with Magnet Designation


Inova Fair Oaks Hospital is the proud recipient of the prestigious Magnet™ designation, the highest level of recognition a hospital can achieve for nursing excellence. The announcement was made on March 17 to a large, jubilant crowd of Inova Fair Oaks nurses and other employees, physicians, volunteers and community supporters.

Magnet designation is conferred by the American Nurses Credential Center's (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®. Inova Fair Oaks Hospital joins an elite 5 percent of hospitals nationwide who have received Magnet recognition. In Virginia, only 15 hospitals are Magnet hospitals, including Inova Fairfax Hospital/Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children and Inova Loudoun Hospital.

"Magnet designation is a tremendous achievement for Inova Fair Oaks Hospital," said John Fitzgerald, CEO of Inova Fair Oaks Hospital. "It formally recognizes the excellent work our nurses do each day and reflects the commitment of our entire staff to serve as a team, providing the highest-quality care possible for the people of our community."

The Magnet Recognition Program recognizes healthcare organizations that demonstrate excellence in nursing practice and adherence to national standards for the organization and delivery of nursing services. Applicants undergo a rigorous evaluation that includes extensive interviews about and review of nursing services. Research shows there are clear benefits to the communities served by hospitals that are awarded Magnet status.

In addition to providing a proven process for continual improvement, Magnet facilities attract and retain the best and brightest nurses, said Marie M. Dennis, RN, MSN, NEA-BC and Chief Nurse Executive at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital. In turn, she said, these nurses provide world-class care, resulting in optimal patient outcomes.

For more info, click here.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Complimentary access to the KLAS HIT Buyers Guide



If you're looking to purchase healthcare information technology, KLAS is offering healthcare providers complimentary access to the KLAS HIT Buyers Guide. The buyers guide features performance ratings for over 700 software packages and service offerings, all based on the feedback of thousands of healthcare providers. Get it here!

Client News: Oakwood Hospital reaches new level in trauma care

Oakwood Hospital & Medical Center’s (OHMC) trauma center has been verified as a Level II Trauma Center by the Verification Review Committee, a division of the American College of Surgeons’ Committee on Trauma (COT). This achievement recognizes the OHMC trauma center's demonstrated commitment to provide superior trauma care. As a result of reaching the Level II status, OHMC is state-authorized to provide comprehensive care for seriously injured or ill patients. For more info, click here

Monday, March 15, 2010

Client News: Norton Healthcare president to speak at Western Kentucky University

Stephen A. Williams, President and CEO of Norton Healthcare Inc., will speak Wednesday, March 24, at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY. Williams is this semester’s featured speaker in the Hays Watkins Visiting CEO Lecture Series.

He will present "The Paradox of American Healthcare: Quality vs. Value — Will Healthcare Reform Fix it?" The event will be held at 10:20 a.m. in the Grise Hall auditorium.

Williams, who has been with the Norton organization since 1977, has served as the company’s president since 1993. Norton Healthcare has more than 90 locations in the Louisville and Southern Indiana area, five hospitals, 11 immediate-care centers and 10,900 local employees.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Professionals serving health industry sound off on health care reform



Business First of Louisville - on Friday, March 12, 2010

The debate about health care reform has been raging throughout the country. Opinions run the gamut. So is the case with Business First’s 2010 Partners in Health Care.

As part of the research process in developing content for this year’s Partners in Health Care publication, which is included with this issue, Business First surveyed the 2010 Partners and asked them what they would like to see changed about the health care system in the United States.

Business First’s 173 Partners in Health Care are the business brains behind the local health care economy.

They range from hospital system administrators to researchers/entrepreneurs to architects to attorneys to construction managers.

Their opinions on this issue are as varied as their talents, responsibilities and experiences.

Here is a selection of their comments. Some have been edited for space considerations.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Reduce the role of the insurance companies as they do not add any value or save any lives. Federally enact tort reform. Reward wellness and chronic illness management. Increase research funding.”

— Robert Barbier, CFO and senior vice president, University of Louisville Hospital

Improve access to preventative and primary care. Focus on an interdisciplinary team approach to include physicians, nurse practitioners and clinicians, therapists, pharmacists and others.

There should be provisions for care outside of the traditional “health care” settings in less costly environments, such as the home, schools, community clinics and other community-based settings.

Tort reform is needed to reduce the fear of litigation.Incentives of the providers should be aligned to force collaboration among clinicians, hospitals and payers.

— Joanne Berryman, senior vice president, Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare; dean, College of Health and Natural Science, Spalding University

There should be improved access to care and funding to support it, as well as greater accountability for physicians, hospitals and health providers for improved clinical outcomes.

Insurance reform would allow greater portability, coverage and payment for services rendered.

— Martin J. “Marty” Bonick, president and CEO, Jewish Hospital Medical Campus; vice president, Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare Inc.

“Do not tie (health care insurance) to an employer-based system. This creates problems with gaps in coverage and portability. Reduce the complexity and unnecessary claims management systems currently in place that add cost with little value.”

— Howard F. Bracco, president and CEO, Seven Counties Services Inc.

Pre-existing conditions should be eliminated as a criteria for being accepted or rejected from insurance coverage. Small businesses should be allowed to organize as an association to purchase health insurance and should not be denied that right by insurance companies.

There should be national malpractice reform “that will limit punitive damages to reduce costs and enable states to recruit physicians on an equal footing.”

People should be able to continue on their insurance plans if they move to another state, and insurance companies should be able to compete across state lines.

“There should be a national funding system that incentivizes states to develop health care systems for children and adults that have long-term mental illness resulting from developmental disabilities or brain injury.”

— Timothy F. Brady, president and CEO, Our Lady of Peace


“Add the uninsured to the Medicare and Medicaid system, which appears to work reasonably well. Fund these so that they are solvent, and increase the efforts to attack waste and fraud.

— Dr. E. Britt Brockman, physician and managing partner, John-Kenyon American Eye Institute

“I believe that it is unfair to ask hard-working productive businesses and employees to pay for people who do not work to have themselves insured.”

— John Carroll, president and CEO, Creative Strategies Inc.

“Eliminate the fee-for-service payment system and implement a system more closely tied to an outcome and/or the health status of the individual.”

— Mark B. Carter, managing partner, Dean Dorton Ford PSC

Do not alter the current system, “but rather add hospitals and clinics for the uninsured. The VA hospital system would be a good model for the concept. The VA system works for our veterans and should work for the uninsured.”

— Michael L. Clark, director of design, H&H Design-Build

“We need to move toward a more preventive rather than reactive health care model. By aligning incentives toward wellness, acuity levels, as well as the associated costs, could be reduced.”

— Joseph DeVenuto, system vice president, information services and chief information officer, Norton Healthcare Inc.

“Our health care system is so convoluted, with many of the wrong incentives driving how we as patients are treated. There is no question that we need health care reform. The most important first step is to make sure that everyone gets covered, as our current system distorts how we cover or pay for the treatment of uninsured people.

“Those of us with insurance pay for those who do not have it, either through higher taxes or higher insurance premiums today. If everyone was covered, a lot of this subsidizing of the system, this cost sharing, would go away, making our costs and payments more transparent. … Standardizing care based on best practices, evidence based medicine, would be another significant improvement.”

— George Emont, managing partner, Triathlon Medical Ventures, Kentucky Seed Capital Fund

“We need to get everyone equally involved, with appropriate incentives, to control health care costs — hospitals/health care providers, physicians, managed care companies, pharmaceutical companies, suppliers and others. This needs to be a coordinated effort.”

Michael Gough, senior vice president and CFO, Norton Healthcare Inc.

“Tort reform is desperately needed. Much of the testing provided in our industry is unnecessary. However, providers perform these tests in the event they are sued for medical malpractice.”

— Dennis Johnson, administrator, Baptist Hospital Northeast

“Tort reform is the first and best thing we can do to dramatically reduce the quantity and scale of medical lawsuits. This would truly lower costs by lowering malpractice insurance premiums.

“Second, restrictions on insurance competition across state lines need to be eliminated to open up competition by all insurance companies in all states. Let the free market bring down insurance costs through competition.

“Provide tax credits for those who want health insurance but truly cannot afford it.

— Mark D. Ketterer, senior project executive, Messer Construction Co.

Payment incentives between all payers and providers should be aligned. “Accountable Care Organizations show some promise in this regard. We must move quickly to advance the several case studies and move toward normalizing these concepts across the country.”

— Thomas D. Kmetz, president of Kosair Children’s Hospital and Pediatric Services

“It’s no secret that we spend more per capita on health care than any other industrialized nation and don’t necessarily get better results. We need to focus our dollars and efforts on things that work. We have a very fragmented delivery system that rewards doing more rather than doing what’s right.

“We should be looking at opportunities to better integrate health care providers across the continuum of care so that we don’t duplicate services. Also, we need to make certain that the services we do provide are provided in the most cost-effective setting.”

— Steve MacLauchlan, president, Norton Audubon Hospital

“Our current health care system is, for the insured population, a creation of unconscious demand. Many insured Americans believe a trip to the physician’s office costs $10. While we get explanation of benefits forms telling what our insurance paid, what many of us pay for a trip to the doctor is $10.

“The fundamental problem with the medical benefit system — and why the debate is so difficult — is that Americans don’t know what health care really costs.

“High-deductible plans offer a great start to demand management. But in general, insured Americans don’t know what their health care costs. Providers, insurance companies, even the government aren’t to blame for this crisis.

“The fix is not easy or cheap, but step one is to make all Americans aware of what a visit to a physician, or a hospital, or an urgent care center really costs.”

— Clifford Maesaka, president and CEO, Delta Dental of Kentucky

There should be increased support for the training and education of the next generation of physicians and other providers, and, in turn, there should be better access to health care services.

— Ken Marshall, chief operating officer, senior vice president, University of Louisville Hospital

“I would change the government payment structure. I believe that if all people in the United States were covered, some risk would be defused, as the good risk reduces the exposure of the bad risk.

“Right now all the bad risk goes to the feds, and the good risk lies with the insurance companies. They should be required to take the bad with the good and spread the premiums through larger and more diverse risk pools.”

— Cristine M. Miller, partner, Mountjoy Chilton Medley LLP

“Our ‘safety net’ systems do not provide adequate health care security for underserved populations. This is particularly true in less affluent states like Kentucky. I hope that the current health care reform discussions will help address these issues.”

— Dr. Donald M. Miller, director, James Graham Brown Cancer Center; associate vice president for health affairs, University of Louisville School of Medicine

Emphasize prevention and look to other countries such as Switzerland and states such as North Carolina and Maine as examples of what might work best nationwide

— Michael Muldoon, executive director, Health Enterprises Network

“I would like to see a system that mandates personal responsibility. Perhaps make it more like auto insurance, where everyone personally buys a policy from a carrier — not through employers.

“Credits could be offered for low earners, etc., but insurance companies would be forced to compete on cost and results, which would be pushed back through the entire system.”

— Kent Oyler, CEO, OPM Services Inc.

“Adequate reimbursement continues to be one of health care’s biggest challenges. Medicare and Medicaid hospital payments fail to keep up with the cost of care.

“Additionally, hospitals have seen a significant rise in the number of indigent and uninsured patients, causing margins to be squeezed even tighter.

“Despite rising costs and governmental payments that do not cover the cost of care, Kentucky hospitals continue to provide the safety net for the uninsured and low income population.”

— Michael T. Rust, president, Kentucky Hospital Association

“Tort reform is needed. Those who are injured do deserve a fair measure of compensation – amounts based on facts and not emotion.

“A Congressional Budget Office report issued in October 2009 determined that reforming the medical malpractice insurance system could save $54 billion over the next decade by placing caps on non-economic and punitive damages and shortening the statute of limitations for filing lawsuits.

“Liability costs, including insurance premiums and settlements, currently make up 2 percent, or $35 billion, of health care providers’ annual spending.”

— Tommy J. Smith, president and CEO, Baptist Healthcare System Inc.

Private insurers should receive incentives to provide low-cost policies to cover the uninsured. There should be tort reform.

Cut taxes on small businesses and their owners to stimulate job growth. Allow insurance companies to compete nationally to foster increased competition.

Minimize government involvement as much as possible in health care (and everywhere else).

— Ty Wilburn, chairman and CEO, Merit Health Systems


© American City Business Journals Inc. All rights reserved.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Client News: Huntsville Hospital is a finalist for 2010 Supply Chain Excellence in Healthcare Award



Huntsville Hospital is among the finalists for the 2010 Search for Supply Chain Excellence in Healthcare Awards. These awards honor healthcare providers' ways to provide efficiency in the supply chain.
View article here

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Nurses say one of the biggest distractions and time eaters is "redundant" paperwork

Hospital nurses spend three hours of a typical 12-hour shift away from the patients' bedside to complete regulatory requirements, redundant paperwork, and other non-direct care, a recent online survey of more than 1,600 nurses shows.

View article: "Nurses Say Distractions Cut Bedside Time by 25%"
John Commins, for HealthLeaders Media, March 9, 2010

Monday, March 8, 2010

Join us for the annual AORN conference next week!





Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN)
57th Annual Congress

March 15-18, 2010
Colorado Convention Center
700 14th Street, Denver, Colorado

We'd love to connect with you! If you will be at the AORN conference and would like to meet with one of our specialists, you may contact them directly via the contact information below.

Attending:

Marion Sachs, RN, MSN, CNOR
Director, Surgery Systems Products
Phone: 800-489-6069, ext. 149
Email: msachs@unibased.com

George M. Giorgianni
National Director for Perioperative Solutions
Cell: 404-915-6439
Email: ggiorgianni@unibased.com
Phone: 800-489-6069, ext. 163

Peggy Pittenger, RN, BSN, CRCST
Installation Consultant/Customer Support
Phone: 800-489-6069, ext. 147
Email: ppittenger@unibased.com

For additional information about the conference, click HERE.

Client News: Jewish Hospital Opens Chest Pain Observation Unit - Only Accredited Chest Pain Center in Louisville


Jewish Hospital has added another tool to the hospital’s accredited chest pain center – a new Chest Pain Observation Unit. The unit, which has six dedicated beds, will hold patients who are at low risk of cardiac arrest for observation for up to 24-hours, at which point they will either be discharged or admitted as inpatients. Read press release here

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Client News: Hendrick joins elite group of six honored with fourth Gallup Great Workplace Award

Today, Hendrick Health Center was recognized as one of only six organizations worldwide to be honored with the 2010 Gallup Great Workplace Award for the fourth year in a row. Additionally, Hendrick is the only healthcare facility that appears on the list of four-time winners.

This year, Hendrick was among the list of 25 organizations selected for the award. These distinguished organizations span the globe and represent all facets of business, from healthcare to hospitality, retail to manufacturing, and banks to insurance.

“We are extremely pleased with the announcement of this prestigious award,” said Tim Lancaster, president and CEO of Hendrick. “To be recognized four years in a row as one of the best places to work in the world is simply outstanding. The award honors our greatest resources – our employees. Gallup is only confirming what we already know – that we have the best employees in the world and they are committed to our patients, our patients’ families and the entire Big Country.”

The Gallup Great Workplace Award began in 2007, and is given annually to recognize the most engaged and productive workforces in the world. To receive the award, Hendrick participated in Gallup’s survey of employees around the world, which evaluates 12 criteria of engaged workforces using a 12-question survey.

The award is based on survey results and a best practices portfolio summarizing the steps the organization has taken to increase workforce engagement. To be eligible, organizations must have a sample size of at least 1,000 employees with at least 80 percent of employees responding to the survey. Applicants’ results are compared across a Gallup workplace research database comprised of millions of work teams in more than 120 countries. A panel of workplace experts assesses the applicants’ results to select the winners

“The winners of this award have established a new global standard for engaging people,” said Tom Rath, who leads Gallup’s Workplace and Leadership Consulting practice. “When compared to the millions of workgroups we have studied around the world, the awardees have worked tirelessly to create an environment that values people. They go far beyond trivial perks to ensure that each employee has an emotional connection to the company’s mission and growth.”

Winners of the 2010 award will be presented with a physical award at the Gallup Summit April 27-29, 2010. The physical award is created by Gallup designers in collaboration with R.S. Owens & Co., the company that produces many of the world’s most prestigious awards, including the Academy Awards.

We are a proud sponsor of the Gateway to Innovation (G2I) Conference!



Gateway to Innovation (G2I) Conference
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Chase Park Plaza
212 North Kingshighway Boulevard
St Louis, Missouri 63108




The annual Gateway to Innovation (G2I) Conference brings together many great IT leaders and thinkers from around the globe and the St. Louis region to inspire, collaborate and maintain the competitive advantage in an industry that demands more for less. More than 500 IT leaders and practitioners attended the event in 2009.

The 2010 conference will explore how IT drives growth in the life sciences, manufacturing, finance, global commerce and industries yet to be discovered. Interactive break-out sessions with regional executives and industry leaders will address the convergence of IT with other business imperatives. An evening gala and awards program will recognize the efforts of local leaders and help foster the region’s most significant economic cluster. For more information about the conference, click here.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Photo of the Day



A photo sent in today from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Annual Conference and Exhibition in Atlanta, GA.

On Left: Laretha Hulse, Channel Development Manager, Healthcare Payment Solutions for US Bank

On Right: Bob Grass, Principal Consultant for Unibased Systems Architecture, Inc.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

HIMSS Attendees - Visit us in BOOTH 2706!



We're giving away a fabulous HD television. To enter, simply stop by BOOTH 2706 and fill out an entry form for the the drawing!

Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society
Annual Conference & Exhibition
March 1-3, 2010
Atlanta - Georgia World Congress Center

For more information on the conference, go to www.himssconference.org.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Unibased Systems Architecture Signs Agreement with U.S. Bank


PRESS RELEASE - Chesterfield, MO., March 1, 2010: Unibased Systems Architecture, Inc. (Unibased) announced today that it has added U.S. Bank Healthcare Payment Management™ (HPM) to its slate of client solutions. HPM is a Web-based, peer-reviewed payment tool designed to help hospitals and other healthcare providers increase revenue, reduce bad debt and improve processes.

L.V. Covington, Unibased President and CEO, is excited by the new alliance. "HPM offers unique functionality which should please both the consumer and the hospital provider - from eligibility, estimation and one-time payments to automated payment plans and healthcare lines of credit. HPM’s online bill-pay feature will be integrated with our consumer portal, Consumer Access and Scheduling for Healthcare (CASH). Our clients will appreciate the savings, administrative productivity and revenue enhancement they’ll realize by adopting HPM."

”Patient payment is a critical issue in healthcare,” says Ralph Bernstein, Senior Vice President of U.S. Bank Healthcare Payment Solutions. “Consumers are shouldering more of the financial burden of their care and providers are struggling with collection of payments. Unibased understands these challenges. We are proud to be working together to deliver solutions that lower costs and facilitate responsible, compassionate payment arrangements between patient and provider."

About Unibased Systems Architecture, Inc.:
Celebrating its 24th year in the HIT industry and having achieved “Best In KLAS” (1) in the market segments for surgery management and enterprise scheduling for seven consecutive years, Unibased Systems Architecture, Inc. (Unibased) markets open, scalable, integrated client/server and Web-based products that are designed to meet the unique needs of sophisticated enterprise organizations. Unibased Systems Architecture, Inc. is a private corporation founded in 1986 and is based in Chesterfield, Missouri. All Unibased products are made and supported in the United States. Unibased is an Amerinet supplier. Visit Unibased on the Web at www.unibased.com.

About U.S. Bank Healthcare Payment Solutions: Healthcare Payment Solutions helps patients pay and providers collect. An outgrowth of U.S. Bank's long-standing commitment to the healthcare community, Healthcare Payment Solutions delivers innovations that simplify the receipt and processing of payments, provides new and better ways for patients to meet their financial obligations, and supports the relationship among the participants in the healthcare continuum. For more information about Healthcare Payment Solutions, please contact usbankhealthcare@usbank.com or call 866-285-0933.

About U.S. Bancorp: U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB), with $281 billion in assets as of Dec. 31, 2009, is the parent company of U.S. Bank, the fifth largest commercial bank in the United States. The company operates 3,015 banking offices in 25 states and 5,148 ATMs and provides a comprehensive line of banking, brokerage, insurance, investment, mortgage, trust and payment services products to consumers, businesses and institutions. Visit U.S. Bancorp on the web at www.usbank.com.

Unibased Media Contact:
Stephanie D. Speth, Marketing Manager
Phone: (314) 878-6050, ext. 143
E-mail: speth@unibased.com

U.S Bank Media Contact:

Teri Charest, U.S. Bank Media Relations
Phone: (612) 303-0732
E-mail: teri.charest@usbank.com

(1) © 2009 KLAS Enterprises, LLC. All rights reserved. See www.klasresearch.com, and “The Top 20 Best in KLAS Awards: Software & Professional Services Report”

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