Monday Morning Update 3/26/12

From Fozzie Bear: “Re: University of Mississippi CIO Charlie Enicks. Resigned just a few months before going live with Epic.” Unverified. UPDATE: verified. Charlie tells me he’ll be the new CIO at Georgia Health Sciences University in Augusta starting May 1. He says Epic is doing fine at Mississippi – he just wanted to get closer to family.

From The PACS Designer: “Re: Epic at Yale. It appears that things are going well with Epic, according to Daniel Barchi, CIO at Yale New Haven Health System, who gives us his real experience using the new Epic EMR for a recent physician visit as detailed in the Yale Medical Group News. “

I’ll be making minor changes to HIStalk over the next year based on your reader survey responses, although there won’t be too many — most respondents urged me to not try to fix what isn’t broken. First up is the search function, which I’ve just replaced with a paid Google version that’s faster and cooler. Second: readers suggested bringing on two contributors if I can find them: (a) a frontline provider-side nurse with healthcare IT insight, and (b) a stock and business expert. I’m willing if I can find that rare combination of talent, insight, and the commitment to write even when life intrudes. Some other suggested ideas (new sites, new coverage, putting on conferences, etc.) were good, but not realistic to undertake as a part-timer. They do, however, give me a fall-back position if I ever get sick of my day job and need to scratch out a living on my own. Thanks to the folks who completed the survey – it’s important to me.

Listening: new from Nada Surf, catchy indie rock that’s more upbeat than some of their earlier stuff. They sound just as good in their acoustic performances, a rarity among bands who couldn’t sing Happy Birthday to someone without Auto-Tune help and whose high-ticket shows are more karaoke than concert. They’re on tour now.

Two-thirds of respondents side with Farzad Mostashari in predicting that physicians will order fewer unnecessary imaging tests when previous results are available and new orders are guided by electronic decision support. New poll to your right, inspired by my Pam Pure interview: what target market will offer the greatest HIT opportunity in the next 5-10 years?

Emerging confused and squinting in the first light it has seen in five years is this week’s Time Capsule editorial, EMRs: Free May Not Be Cheap Enough for Physicians, in which I opine, “Imagine what they’ll think when they first encounter hospital IT types, those grudging emissaries of a department built around rigid conformance to rules, perpetual understaffing, and a vision for the common good that squelches the individuality and self-determination that doctors thrive on.”

Cooper Health System (NJ) names Jayashree Raman, formerly of Stanley Healthcare Solutions, as VP/CIO.

Mr. Ciotti turns back the HIS-tory clock  to long-forgotten bedside system vendor MedTake.

Weird News Andy is fascinated by a $100 test that could predict heart attacks weeks in advance. It detects endothelial cells that have been loosened into the bloodstream by fresh artery damage.

Cerner will break ground on its new Kansas City campus this week, planning to start moving an eventual 4,000 employees into the new offices by the end of the year as required by state-provided incentives.

CMS will conduct a free webinar overview of MU Stage 2 on Monday, March 26 at 1:00 Eastern.

CVS Caremark blames a programming error for exposing the detailed medication and condition lists of 3,500 members of Tufts Health Plan to other members by printing the wrong addresses on the envelopes.

In England, Liverpool hospitals are running a “bring your own device” pilot for tablets, installing Kaseya’s device management software on them for security. The hospitals like the idea of cheaper alternatives to desktop PCs and are considering offering an employee subsidy for tablet purchases. Says the CIO, “Refreshing all that kit every three years is becoming cost-prohibitive. People already have really cool devices, which they do bring to work. They just can’t connect them.”

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