Comments on: Monday Morning Update 10/22/07

By: Wondering 2

Wondering 2 — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 11:26:45 +0000

Re: Wondering’s boundless optimism about Kaiser and Madison. Maybe they’re in the process of reevaluating one of the largest blunders in US healthcare history. Maybe their flagship hospital on Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles is going to be delayed more than another year because the inpatient side of the project is in shambles and they made no contingency plans for how to open the hospital with the legacy systems. Maybe the four (TOTAL, out of more than thirty) hospitals where inpatient is live are fed up.

Maybe its time for Mr. HIStalk to find out just how much is REALLY done at this point, on the largest (spending) project in US (civilian) healthcare history?

By: Wondering

Wondering — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 03:32:14 +0000

Re: Kaiser layoffs – maybe they’ve completed something big and are beginng the process of rolling people off one of the largest projects in US healthcare history.

Maybe its time for Mr HISTalk to find out just how much is really done at this point? The numbers quoted at Epic’s UGM were pretty impressive if real.

By: Bob LaBla

Bob LaBla — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 21:36:52 +0000

I don’t understand HISJunkie or John Horton. My feeling is that if you want to debate efficiency or productivity, measure it precisely. An entity that makes money, loses money, grows, or stagnates can have examples of efficienty, productivity, as well as imbecilic waste. I don’t believe hospitals, SNF, and physicians have been the best examples of operational excellence. If so, they would be writing business best sellers and getting alot more publicity in business media. When I see “How to Run Your Business Like a Hospital.” on the NY Times Best Seller…then I think we can say their time has come.

By: John Horton

John Horton — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 19:29:44 +0000

Anyone that thinks healthcare executives have been able to “ignore” efficiency for 50 years hasn’t been paying attention since, at least, 1986. If you don’t believe it, go check out the bottom line figures for hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home health and primary care physicians. Sure, some are making money – some are even thriving, but the industry is not awash in profits as HISjunkie implies.

factor the increase for usage of services versus profits. BTW – the pharmas, device manufacturers, for-profit insurance companies, and specialists are the ones making money.

By: Dr KillDare

Dr KillDare — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 19:24:12 +0000

The PDF on the Canadian study of EHR’s is REALLY good. I am working with a system now that wants to provide a standalone EHR and are only focused on the technical challenges of doing so. No why’s or interest in what happens once the targeted groups of docs start using the EHR.

The only driver appears to be creating some way to lock the docs to this particular system. A little scary and also sadly reminiscent of the practice buying disaster of 10 years ago with the same end in mind. A little scary. Why can’t we just focus on whether or not a given EHR solution and implementation actually makes sense within the context of providing an actual benefit to the patients and participating docs.