News 7/18/07

From Inside Outsider: “Re: heart images on iPhone. TPD will be happy to see this.” Web-based image management company Heart Imaging Technologies is offering iPhone access to their browser-based imaging application. Sample images here. Looks cool.

From Malvern: “Re: Misys. Mike Etue is the new Senior VP of Sales for Misys. Mike Etue resigned five days before the Eclipsys ‘announcement'”. Deady convinced Mike to hold off for a week, then claimed he fired Mike.”

From Hatchet Guy: “Re: Cerner and Paul Black. Now Mike Valentine has nobody to blame. Pay close to the number of employees in KC. Compare the number they announce on the earnings call to the annual report. It is shrinking fast. Instead of severance, negative press, and stock reaction, they told a large group of implementation folks they have to move to or stay in KC, knowing that will cause turnover. That’s the plan – that Bedrock will install Cerner’s app without implementation resources needed. In the last 45 days, more than 20 VPs have left the company. One more thing to watch in the coming days in KC: the FDA.” Unverified, as I always add, so if you can verify or contradict, e-mail me.

From Wayne Frake: “Re: Lawson. Is Lawson looking for something new to buy and/or merge with? I saw an email from Debes to Messing. Messing’s response was no interest.”

Epic Escapee sent me a copy of the non-compete agreement he or she signed a few years back. It is quite broad, probably not enforcable legally. Some terms: (a) you will “neither accept nor conduct any other business or professional activities while employed by Epic”; (b) for two years after leaving, you can’t contact any Epic customer in a sales capacity; (c) you can’t have anything to do with companies it has defined as competitors: Allscripts, Cerner, Eclipsys, GE Medical, Healthvision, IDX, McKesson, Misys, NextGen, Per Se, SMS, or WebMD for two years after you leave; (d) you can’t join a business or start your own during that two years if it competes with Epic; (e) for two years, you won’t try to convince any Epic employee to quit; (e) for three years after employment or six months after leaving, whichever comes first, you won’t work for any Epic customer or prospect, except in a role not involving software. It’s pretty smothering, but on the other hand, you don’t have to sign it. You won’t get the job, but maybe that’s best if you’re thinking about your post-Epic career.

From Roscoe Dexter: “Re: Epic. I’m waiting out my non-compete. I’ve heard a rumor that Epic once called customers who were courting a recently fired implementer to tell them not to hire them. I’ve studied non-competes and I know they’re essentially unenforceable, but I’ve heard of Epic blacklisting people from Epic certification who circumvented the clauses. I’ll call these rumors since I didn’t hear them directly from the people involved.”

By the way, if you’ve ever wanted to send me something anonymously like Epic Escapee did, remember that the new Rumor Report form (link to your right) allows attachments. I keep forgetting to mention that.

For you Misys folks, especially those in sales, reliable sources tell me that major changes will happen late this week. The new guard is taking over and much of the old one will be dismissed, including many dozen who will be offered severance to leave quietly. Nearly that many will be marched out, I’m told. I have names of a few high-ranking employees who will be affected (good and bad), but I don’t see any point in plastering them here since it’s unavoidable at this point. Condolences to those about to be negatively affected and tepid congratulations to those who’ll be sliding into the still-warm chairs, at least temporarily.

McKesson will buy Birmingham-based patient throughput software vendor Awarix Inc. St. Vincent’s of Birmingham was their development partner, as I recall, and much of the management team came from Emageon.

Speaking of McKesson, they’ve got offices in good places, according to Money‘s new Best Places to Live list. #2: Louisville, CO. #3: Lake Mary, FL.

Since this isn’t an ad-packed magazine, I don’t have to waste your time writing unimportant stuff just to separate those ads. You are now current on the industry. Congratulations and see you next time. If you are so moved, e-mail me. How’s your summer going?