Home » News » Currently Reading:

News 2/20/13

February 19, 2013 News 16 Comments

Top News

2-19-2013 7-43-22 PM

Allscripts reports Q4 numbers: revenue down 10 percent, EPS –$0.14 vs. $0.14. The company’s reported revenue of $350.9 million fell short of expectations of $368 million on weaker sales and a deferred revenue provision, while the loss of $0.14 per share missed expectations of a positive $0.20 per share. President and CEO Paul Black says both the quarterly and annual results “did not meet our expectations.” Shares are up 6 percent in after-hours trading due to higher-than-expected bookings. From the conference call:

  • Reception to the MyWay to Professional program “has been strong.”
  • Two Sunrise acute care agreements have been signed so far this year, one of them with an existing client.
  • The four key areas of focus are client alignment, unlocking competitive advantage, reducing costs, and reporting consistent financial results.
  • Two-thirds of developers will be located in either Raleigh, NC or Boston after office consolidation.
  • The company plans to expand its hosting business.

Reader Comments

From UAHN Rocks: “Thanks for all the great work you to.  I am writing to share a video made by patients, clinicians, and executives from The University of Arizona Health Network’s Diamond Children’s hospital to celebrate the amazing work that they do to improve the lives of children in the community. UAHN is in the midst of an enterprise implementation of Epic, covering Diamond Children’s as well as all of our adult and outpatient facilities, with a go-live later this summer.” The video contains a medley of music, so keep playing, including a big finish with the magnificent Electric Light Orchestra at 3:00.

2-19-2013 8-26-57 PM

From HIMSS Bound and Gagged: “Re: flights to New Orleans. Costs are out of control, causing us to scale back our attendees. Have you heard anything?” According to Travelocity, the round-trip cheapest flights are $1,767 (Chicago), $1,142 (Atlanta), $1,582 (Los Angeles), and $1,687 (New York). Those include some really crappy connections as well, like going through Denver from New York. I seem to recall that the HIMSS post-Katrina booking of New Orleans in 2007 had similar problems, where flights were not sufficient to get people in and out. HIMSS was supposed to have narrowed down its conference cities to just three – Orlando, Atlanta, and Las Vegas – if I’m remembering right from a few years ago. All three are easy to get to, cheap, and have endlessly available hotels, restaurants, cabs, service workers, etc. Then came the charitable addition of New Orleans (whose infrastructure clearly wasn’t up to the challenge despite the HIMSS pitch) and the hometown reach-around to Chicago (where everything, especially union member surliness, cost twice what it would have in those other three cities and it was cold and snowy besides). Both were HIMSS low points in my opinion, yet here we are going back to New Orleans this year and Chicago in 2015. The best city (San Diego) and the cheapest (Dallas) were dropped from the rotation years ago. I’m pretty sure that if HIMSS actually listened to its members, or even asked them for that matter, they would not favor returning to New Orleans or Chicago even though those cities are perfectly fine for personal travel. I booked my flight on January 23 and was griping about paying $300 and now it’s over $1,300. If you don’t already have a flight, aren’t within driving distance, and aren’t a fan of Amtrak or Greyhound, you’re screwed.


HIStalk Announcements and Requests

inga_small In case you missed it we published the HIStalk Guide to HIMSS13 over the weekend. More than 130 vendors (all of whom happen to be HIStalk sponsors) provide details on the products and services they will be featuring this year. We also created HIStalk’s Guide to HIMSS13 Meetups, which includes contact information on about 30 vendors that are not exhibiting but happy to schedule meetings with interested folks. Finally we developed HIStalk’s Guide to Exhibitor Giveaways to help you find the best swag.  When you chat with these vendors, please tell them thanks for supporting HIStalk.

2-19-2013 3-15-25 PM  2-19-2013 3-14-20 PM

inga_small I accompanied a family member to get X-rays yesterday and stood outside in the hallway during the actual scan. While waiting, I was able to read all sorts of patient-specific information on two different monitors, as well as on the computed radiography reader (Mr. H tells me that’s the name of the thingy on the left.) Why worry about privacy, right?

2-19-2013 7-13-45 PM

Welcome to new HIStalk Platinum sponsor Legacy Data Access of Marietta, GA. It’s refreshing that the company’s mission is not only easy to describe, but is even contained in its name. Legacy Data Access provides customers with access to all of that data that’s locked away in their retired legacy applications. The company eliminates the hassle and cost of keeping the old app running solely for occasional lookups or reports. Clients don’t need to pay apps vendors for support, maintain aging servers, chew up big chunks of their disaster recovery plan, and tie up high-level talent keeping an abandoned system running after Legacy has moved data from that old system to a shiny new database and given users a slick Web-based front end and extemporaneous reporting tool for their inquiries. Think of LDA as a retirement home for apps, which might include revenue cycle systems (clients still get receivables functionality), PM/EHR, nursing documentation, and ancillaries. LDA can even provide a Legal Medical Record. Some of the company’s customers are UCSF, Parkland, Stanford, Trinity Health, and others that are so recognizable that it would be just name-dropping on my part to continue reciting them. If your IT stroll down memory lane includes Carecast, Invision, STAR, MedSeries4, Series 2000, ESI, Premis, EMstat, Midas, or others whether they’re on LDA’s list or not, they can help. Once an app is ready for full retirement, LDA will move everything to its LegacyVault, where information will be available indefinitely (like in the case of a lawsuit). Move on to your new-system life by letting LDA help you move gracefully away from the old one. Thanks to Legacy Data Access for supporting HIStalk.


HIMSS Conference Social Events

2-19-2013 3-41-24 PM

inga_small At least in my mind THE social event of HIMSS is HIStalkapalooza. Here are a few vital details for those attending:

  • Invitations will go out starting Wednesday. Make sure to check your spam filters. We’re inviting twice the usual number of folks, so the odds of getting an invitation are favorable.
  • Medicomp is once again sponsoring HIStalkapalooza and they know how to throw a party, as those of you who attended the 2011 event at BB King’s in Orlando can attest. Guests will be greeted on the red carpet and handed a Hurricane Inga or Typhoon Jane. How’s that for hospitality?
  • The Inga Loves My Shoes contest is back by popular demand, so pack your best zapatos. Since HIStalkapalooza is at the Rock ‘N’ Bowl, we will have a category for Best Bowling Shoes, as well as Hottest Men’s and Women’s Shoes.
  • We will again crown a HIStalk King and Queen for the best-dressed guests, so bring your bling. We’ll also recognize the Best Bowling Attire for those opting for the ten pin look. If you haven’t figured out what to wear, here is a tip: nothing says sexy like a bowling shirt, except maybe sequins and a tux. I expect to see plenty of stilettos and Farzad-inspired bow ties. Feel free to leave your company-logoed shirt in the hotel room.
  • The party starts at 6:30 and the contests (followed by the HISsies) will begin about 7:30. Our esteemed judges will begin selecting contest finalists as soon as the doors open, so don’t be late.
  • After the HISsies, the Zydeco band and the fast-paced bowling tournament get going. Bowling teams currently include keglers from athenahealth, Bumrungrad International Hospital, CareCloud, Clinical Architecture, Northrop Grumman, Orion, SuccessEHS, and Vitera.
  • The party goes on until 11:30, so join us late after your fancy dinner at Emeril’s.

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

2-19-2013 7-44-04 PM

Liaison Technologies acquires Ignis Systems, a provider of clinical data integration solutions for lab and radiology orders and results.

Allscripts discloses in a regulatory filing its plans to close 12 offices and implement other changes to reduce costs associated with product development. The company estimates that it will spend $10 million for employee severance, $16 million for relocation costs , and $3 million for lease exit costs.

2-19-2013 7-44-52 PM

Merge reports Q4 results: revenue up 1 percent, adjusted EPS –$0.13 vs. $0.04, missing consensus earnings estimates. The company also announced that its board has unanimously rejected the valuation placed on the company in strategic alternatives proposals and will instead continue to execute its own plan. In the conference call, the company pointed out strongly increased bookings, increasing subscription revenue, increased acceptance of its iConnect enterprise archive, and growth in specialty areas such as cardiology and orthopedics.

2-19-2013 7-04-07 PM

Social network platform vendor iMedicor acquires HITS Consulting Group (HITS CG) and the data mining firm ClarDIS. The company also appointed HITS CG CEO Henry Denis president and ClariDIS Founder and President Joshua Brimdyr as COO.

Clinical research services vendor Quintiles announces plans for a $600 million IPO. The company was taken private by Bain and TPG in 2008 for $3.8 billion and is $2.4 billion in debt. The founder, Bain, and TPG each own shares worth around $500 million.


Sales

Triad Healthcare Network (NC) will implement Alere Accountable Care Solutions for its HIE.

Cardiovascular Care Group selects McKesson’s Paragon HIS for use at its Bakersfield Heart Hospital (CA) facility.

2-19-2013 10-05-45 PM

Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District (CA) will deploy Medseek’s self-service portal tools.


People

2-19-2013 1-56-31 PM

Kimberly Labow (NaviNet) joins ZirMed as VP of marketing.

2-19-2013 5-08-38 AM

Clinithink appoints Russ Anderson (Availity) VP of product management.

2-19-2013 5-11-27 AM

Roland L. Surprenant (Allscripts) joins Patient Safe as a regional VP.

2-19-2013 8-44-45 PM

Hal Andrews (Mainland Morgan & Co.) joins nTelagent as CEO, replacing founder Earl Winter, who remains on the board.

The SSI Group names Terry Pefanis (Healthtech Holdings) as CFO and promotes Mary Hyland to VP of regulatory affairs/chief privacy officer.

Brian Graves (Picis) joins Connance, Inc. as VP of marketing and communications.

HCA Gulf Coast Division (TX) names Carl Vartian, MD to the additional role of CMIO. He will continue as chief medical officer of Bayshore Medical Center (TX).

Alan Huffman (Healthcare Management Systems) joins Shareable Ink as VP of engineering.


Announcements and Implementations

2-19-2013 6-54-40 PM

Benjamin Russell Hospital for Children (AL) goes live on the Versus Advantages Asset Tracking solution, which includes two-way HL7 integration to Four Rivers Total Maintenance System.

2-19-2013 9-01-11 PM

Data analytics and natural language processing vendor Health Fidelity is awarded a National Science Foundation grant to develop technology to identify patient cohorts using EHR data. 


Government and Politics

2-19-2013 6-56-21 PM

HHS names Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation the winner of its Million Hearts Risk Check Challenge for its Heart Health Mobile app and awards the Foundation $100,000 for maintenance and updates.

2-19-2013 9-40-49 PM

CDC releases Solve the Outbreak, a free iPad game.


Technology

2-19-2013 7-50-22 PM

Palomar Health will announce this week that it’s the first customer of a new wireless vital signs monitor for tablets and smartphones. The phone-sized, wrist-attached ViSi Mobile by Sotera Wireless will send continuous information on heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen levels directly to the electronic medical record, allowing non-invasive monitoring from any hospital location.

2-19-2013 9-18-40 PM

Bayada Home Health Care issues 4,000 Samsung Galaxy Tab tablets to its professionals following a 20-person pilot project. They’re using SwiftKey Healthcare ($3.99), which speeds up documentation with an on-screen keyboard, terminology dictionary, and auto-fill capability. More than two-thirds of Bayada’s nurses who use SwiftKey said they would rather document on the tablet instead of on the laptop or on paper. It doesn’t work on iOS devices, though, since Apple doesn’t permit third-party keyboards.


Other

HIMSS will lease 25,000 square feet in Cleveland’s Global Center for Health Innovation (just renamed from Medical Mart at the request of its tenants) to be used for exhibition, education, and demonstration as well as the HIMSS Innovation Center, presumably replacing its planned presence at the defunct Nashville Medical Trade Center project.

2-19-2013 7-58-47 PM

I think I remember a reader’s earlier question about Epic’s Meaningful Use Stage 2 certification status (it involved a claim that they wouldn’t be ready, as I recall). Both EpicCare Inpatient and Ambulatory are now listed on CCHIT’s site as being certified for the 2014 criteria.

2-19-2013 10-10-14 PM

A bomb scare-triggered lockdown this week at Natividad Medical Center (CA) proves the value of its electronic medical record in an emergency. According to the hospital assistant administrator, “We have an electronic medical record, so we are able to see where the patients are and what kind of service they need.”

A Black Book Rankings provider poll finds that up to 17 percent of physician practices may be planning to change EHRs in the next year, which it blames on vendors who are too busy selling and implementing their products to address unmet client needs. Of those practices contemplating a change, more than half said they would prefer a hosted solution. Specialists expressed strong dissatisfaction with their current systems, with more than 70 percent of ENT, immunology, orthopedics, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, urology, and nephrology practices saying their current EHR doesn’t meet their needs.

A trauma center in India implements a new system that eliminates readability issues with physician documentation and reduces the time required to document 30,000 accident cases per year. The self-developed, template-based new system is solely for “medico-legal cases,” i.e. it’s not for patient care, but rather to document cases that may eventually initiate a lawsuit.


Sponsor Updates

  • SCI Solutions adds 93 hospitals in 2012, achieves sequential sales growth of 37 percent, and maintains an attrition rate below two percent.
  • Ping Identity showcases its next-generation cloud and mobile identity management solution during next week’s RSA conference in San Francisco.
  • Greenway’s PrimeSUITE (V17.0) receives 2014 ONC HIT certification as a complete EHR. The company will also integrate the Physicians Interactive eCoupon voucher and coupon distribution system into  the system.
  • Covisint releases its Direct solution that provides secure, scalable point-to-point email-like messaging. 
  • ICA selects Health Language from Wolters Kluwer Health to support its HIE platform.
  • MedAptus VP of Client Services Rick Little shares details of MD Anderson Cancer Center’s use of MedAptus for charge capture.
  • NIH experts validate PeriGen’s fetal heart rate interpretation, which was presented this week at the Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine in San Francisco.
  • Aspen Advisors becomes a Premier CHIME Foundation member.
  • iSirona will be featured in the Interoperability Showcase at the HIMSS conference after passing the interoperability requirements at IHE North America Connectathon.
  • Beacon Partners will offer a session entitled “Habits of Highly Meaningful Users” at the HIMSS conference on March 6.
  • Healthpac will embed PatientPay’s online bill management services into its practice management system.
  • ICA and Futurix Health partner to offer payers, ACOs, and providers enhanced data analytics and benchmarking tools coupled with ICA’s interoperability and informatics platform.
  • DynaMed and Isabel Healthcare partner to allow mutual customers linkage from Isabel’s differential diagnosis tool to DynaMed’s evidence-based clinical information resources.
  • An Iatric Systems video describes the company’s vision for comprehensive healthcare IT integration.

Contacts

Mr. H, Inga, Dr. Jayne, Dr. Gregg, Lt. Dan, Dr. Travis.

More news: HIStalk Practice, HIStalk Connect.



HIStalk Featured Sponsors

     

Currently there are "16 comments" on this Article:

  1. Re: Both EpicCare Inpatient and Ambulatory are now listed on CCHIT’s site as being certified for the 2014 criteria.

    Not accurate neither Greenway or Epic are ONC Certified as FULL EHRs. Only as EHR Modules and to get Module certification all you need do is meet one, yes one, MU criteria. Test agency people tell me the communication requirement for Direrct Messaging is really a bear for all vendors and causing much heart-burn and will delay many full Certifications.

    [From Mr H] CCHIT’s site shows both Epic products as 2014 certified as Complete EHRs. Greenway’s is listed as well for EP.

  2. HIMSS Bound and Gagged reply- I did a search and found that on Southwest site you can still get flights for about $300 one way if you book for the 4th of March, returning on the following Saturday or Sunday. I live in Utah and there are flights left from there, also I did a search for Leaving from NY, and they have one flight on the 4th for $118!http://www.southwest.com/flight/select-flight.html – Chicago from $180, LA from $125- I too went to the typical search engine sites that are supposed to give you the best deals, however SW seems to have them best ones. I dont know how to pass this message onto the person that is looking- can someone help me get his to that person? it is in regards to the post below.

    From HIMSS Bound and Gagged: “Re: flights to New Orleans. Costs are out of control, causing us to scale back our attendees. Have you heard anything?

  3. RE:HIMSS Bound and Gagged – HIMSS may want to move the Chicago rotation one year to 2016, at which point the new hotel, restaurants, bars, jazz/blues venues will all be in place right next to McCormick Place…
    http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130219/BLOGS02/130219778/mcpier-to-build-new-1-200-room-hotel
    Oh, that’s if the property rights for development can be wrestled away and McPier Authority can get $400 million in revenue bonds floated while the state is dead last in debt rating and Chicago remains on a fiscal tightrope…hope you can get unbound and ungagged to enjoy the Big Easy in the meantime.

  4. Re: Allscripts: “Two-thirds of developers will be located in either Raleigh, NC or Boston after office consolidation.”

    Too bad the developers who have experience with Sunrise won’t be in that group. Hardly anybody is relocating to Raleigh or Boston due to a severe lack of faith in leadership (looking at YOU, Cliff).

  5. RE: X-Rays…Inga, did you report to someone at the facility that you were able to see the patient data in the hallway?

  6. 2/3’s of developers? Wonder where they are getting them, no one on my entire team is moving. We have years experience with Sunrise that they are letting go just because we work remote. Seem they can put all that money spent on severance and relo to better use, like much needed development.

  7. Re HIMSS flights. You can still book into Baton Rouge, (BTR) or Mobile (MOB) and drive. I live in ATL and 2 weeks ago my MSY flight options were showing $1100 to $1700. We booked MOB for $350 each for 3 of us and I see that today the ATL/MOB flights are still under $500, based on flying March 3, returning March 7. It is a 2 hour drive MOB/NOLA and about an hour from BTR. If several of your team are going, the cost of a car/van is well more than offset by the airfare savings. Yes, I am shocked at the level of the pricing, but that is the free market at work.

  8. and I agree that NOLA is not an attractive place to hold HIMSS, I wish they’d drop it AND Chicago. San Diego, San Antonio, Orlando, Atlanta, Vegas. Denver all come to mind as more attractive locales than NOLA. NOLA is one of those places that if you’ve never been there – like Vegas – you should go once and experience it. Then there is no reason to return. And this is no slight to my Cajun friends, of whom I have many. The LA hospitality is outstanding and the people are great, but NOLA itself is a dump.

  9. RE: HIMSS Bound & Gagged: As a late add-on to our HIMSS contingent, I just booked my flight yesterday. Flying into Baton Rouge. Now finding a hotel room, THAT’S the real challenge.

    RE: Swiftkey: I have the regular Swifkey keyboard on my Galaxy SIII. I LOVE it. Neat to know they have a healthcare version.

  10. Re: flights to New Orleans. I agree with FlyBuddy and would welcome everyone to fly into Baton Rouge (BTR). You will find friendly people and it is just a short drive to New Orleans. While you are here, stay a few days to enjoy the capital city of Louisiana (http://www.visitbatonrouge.com/). We have great hotels, food and events like music festivals, museums and casinos. Plus, if you like baseball, the highly ranked LSU baseball team is hosting several good teams between March 1 and March 10. See you soon and Laissez les bons temps rouler!

  11. Re: Travel Fees.

    This is certainly a show that requires advanced planning; however, certainly not as bad as RSNA in Chicago that involves a holiday weekend! For whatever it is worth, I found a flight on Southwest out of Denver for under $300 a few weeks back. Granted, I knew it was a deal and grabbed it and canceled my previously booked United flights that were $450 in early January. I have a credit for future travel with United now. If you can travel through these off cities like Denver, it may be worth buying different tix and switch airlines.







Text Ads


RECENT COMMENTS

  1. It seems that every innovation in the past 50 years has claimed that it would save money and lives. There…

  2. Well, this is predicting the future, and my crystal ball is cloudy and cracked. But my basic thesis about Meditech?…

  3. RE Judy Faulkner's foundation wishes: Different area, but read up on the Barnes Foundation to see how things work out…

  4. Meditech certainly benefited from Cerner and Allscripts stumbles and before that the failures of ECW and Athena’s inpatient expansions. I…

  5. Yes, Meditech will talk your ears off about Expanse. There are multiple factors at play here which undercut both Meditech…

Founding Sponsors


 

Platinum Sponsors


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gold Sponsors