Comments on: Monday Morning Update 1/26/09

By: James Hammer

James Hammer — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:24:40 +0000

Eclipsys death spiral??
Considering how their contracts are subscriptions, their ascent would not be steep, nor their decline rapid. From what I can tell they were still profitable last year, and even if missing estimates, you can stay in business an infinite number of years if you maintain profitability. Methinks there’s too much editorailizing in that comment. Major customers move around like musical chairs, frankly because none of the applications from a sole source are as good as they demo.

By: James Hammer

James Hammer — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:13:44 +0000

I don’t know what the fascination is with Larry English and Quadramed in general on this site. English was an outsider who dropped in on a sagging company, made the requisite cuts in expenses and personnel, did nothing to grow sales, and bailed. He never exhibited an interest in learning about HIT, but played the CEO role well. James Earl Jones would have been a better actor, and about as competent.

By: Ralph Hinckley

Ralph Hinckley — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:30:29 +0000

Interesting note about the GE layoffs i Burlington. That might explain why when I (a former IDXer) logged in to LinkedIn this morning there were 26 “Just Joined LinkedIn” folks who were connected to IDX.

By: John@Chilmark

John@Chilmark — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:50:33 +0000

Not sure if this is appropriate venue, but rec’d email from Northeastern here in Boston looking to recruit students for fall semester. In light of the comment above and the forthcoming HIT stimulus package, looks like we’ll be needing more folks trained in HIT.

Here’s the text from that email sent by Stanley Hochberg, MD, Director, Graduate Program in Health Informatics:
The Masters Program in Health Informatics at Northeastern is now accepting applications for the Fall of 2009. Since its inception two years ago, the program has grown to over 70 students, the majority of whom work full time and enroll in the program part time. The program has 18 adjunct faculty who come from senior positions in health care delivery and private industry. Several of the faculty are well known nationally for their professional accomplishments and involvement in setting policy in the area of health care IT. Each class meets once a week at night from 6 to 8:30 pm on Northeastern’s Boston campus and most part time students take 2 or 3 classes a semester. Students come with backgrounds in health care or technology, and include nurses, pharmacists, physicians, programmers, project managers, and analysts amongst others.

Additional information about the program and application process is on the web at http://www.healthinformatics.neu.edu

By: rollo Tomasi

rollo Tomasi — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 03:59:35 +0000

FRom the Dallas Morning News website:

Economists and staffing experts say that while other industries are cutting back and laying off employees, the health care industry is in dire need of workers.

In fact, health care will generate 3 million new wage and salary jobs between 2006 and 2016, more than any other industry, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“People are coming out of other industries and getting into health care because it’s still growing,” said Cheryl Abbot, regional economist with the Labor Bureau. “No other industry can say that.”

In December, while the U.S. economy shed more than half a million jobs, the health care industry added 32,000, the Labor Bureau reported.

For all of 2008, the economy lost nearly 2.6 million jobs while health care added about 372,000, the bureau said.

The trend in Texas is the same: Texas added more than 28,000 jobs in health care and social assistance during the 12-month period ending in December.

Abbot said the industry is growing because of the aging population and because the political climate favors improving health care, which requires more workers.

Sarah Friedman, Baylor’s director of recruiting, said the Dallas hospital system’s hiring has grown steadily, from 3,500 in 2006 to 4,100 last year.