Allscripts Sunrise Acute Care, Version 5.5 and Sunrise Emergency Care Version 5.5 have been certified as Complete Electronic Health Records for 2011/2012 by the federal government's Certification Commission for Health Information Technology, the company announced this week.
"CCHIT is pleased to be testing and certifying products so that companies are now able to offer these products to providers who wish to purchase and implement certified EHR technology and achieve meaningful use in time for the 2011-2012 incentives," CCHIT Chair Karen M. Bell, MD, said in a media release issued by Allscripts.
The 2011/2012 criteria support the Stage 1 meaningful use measures required to qualify eligible providers and hospitals for funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Additionally, Sunrise Acute Care Modular Version 5.5, Sunrise Emergency Care Modular Version 5.5, Sunrise Ambulatory Modular Version 5.5, and Sunrise Patient Portal Version 5.5 are all CCHIT 2011/2012 compliant and were also certified as EHR Modules on Dec. 21 by CCHIT.
"Certification of our Sunrise Acute Care, Emergency Department and Ambulatory Electronic Health Records is an important milestone for the company as it marks the completion of ARRA certification for our full portfolio of ambulatory and acute EHRs, a commitment we made to our clients," said Glen Tullman, CEO of Chicago-based Allscripts.
Allscripts said it submitted Sunrise Acute Care and Emergency Care for certification as both a Complete and Modular EHR to accommodate hospitals that prefer to keep an existing third-party analytic system. Hospitals can either use the Sunrise Clinical Analytics embedded within Sunrise Acute Care or Sunrise Emergency Care to demonstrate the quality measure reporting requirement of Meaningful Use, or choose to integrate their third-party system to with Sunrise Acute Care Modular to satisfy the requirement.
That third-party reporting system, however, will be required under ARRA rules to be ARRA-certified as an EHR module, otherwise the hospital will have to certify the reporting module themselves - a time-consuming and expensive process, Allscripts said.
Three clinical components of Allscripts Sunrise 5.5 EHR were certified by CCHIT in July. Those components included: Sunrise Clinical Manager 2011 Suite, Version 5.5, Sunrise Ambulatory Care 2011 Suite, Version 5.5 and Sunrise Emergency Care 2011 Suite, Version 5.5.
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Authorized Testing and Certification Body 2011/2012 certification program certifies that Complete EHRs meet all of the 2011/2012 criteria and EHR Modules meet one or more – but not all – of the criteria approved by HHS for either eligible provider or hospital technology.
Companies offering ONC-ATCB 2011/2012 certified EHR modules may return to test additional criteria and certify their products as Complete EHRs later.
CMS and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology announced that registration will begin January 3, 2011, for eligible providers hoping to participate in the Medicare EHR incentive program.
Florida Hospital and Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute have teamed up with Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. to research and evaluate new drug therapies for obesity and its negative health consequences such as diabetes and heart disease, the three entities jointly announced.
“There is an epidemic of obesity in the US; two-thirds of Americans are now overweight or obese. These staggering statistics serve as a call for decisive action, including innovative bench-to-bedside translational research,” says Steven R. Smith, MD, scientific director of the Florida Hospital-Sanford-Burnham Translational Research Institute (TRI) for Metabolism and Diabetes, where the Florida Hospital work will be performed. “This partnership with Takeda, TRI and Sanford-Burnham represents a major milestone in the quest for a better understanding of obesity as a disease and a pathway forward for the development of safe and effective therapies.”
The Centers for Disease Control report that more than one-third of Americans are overweight and another one-third are obese. Obesity causes at least 112,000 premature deaths in the United States each year and reduces lifespan by up to eight years. Medical-related expenses attributable to obesity are projected to top $344 billion by 2018.
The partnership is the first corporate-sponsored research jointly undertaken by Sanford-Burnham and TRI. Advanced technologies, including genomic and metabolite profiling, will be used to identify metabolic signatures, genes and pathways that could serve as biomarkers, and novel drug targets aimed at developing more personalized treatments for obesity and its complications. The research model combines laboratory research with detailed investigations of patient cohorts so that scientists can compare data from experimental models and humans to identify genetic and metabolomic matches.
“This research partnership is a collaborative model that capitalizes on the synergistic expertise of each group and provides all partners with access to our Cardiometabolic Phenotyping, Metabolomics and Genomics technology cores,” says Daniel P. Kelly, MD, scientific director, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute. “It offers much promise for expediting new drug candidates into Takeda’s development pipeline.”
The two-year collaboration includes research funding from Takeda divided between Florida Hospital-TRI and Sanford-Burnham. Takeda executives say the collaboration represents one of the largest discovery research partnerships that it has conducted with the not-for-profit sector.
“We view this collaboration as an opportunity to further Takeda’s goal of identifying targets for new therapeutics to treat obesity and its negative health consequences, including metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and heart disease.” says Paul Chapman, general manager, head of Pharmaceutical Research Division of Takeda.
The partners say the agreement will set the stage for future collaborative drug discovery campaigns aimed at novel therapeutics to treat obesity.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention apparently can’t control and prevent losing or accounting for millions of dollars worth of its own property, a federal audit shows.
The audit by Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General identifies property accountability problems at CDC that were first identified by OIG in a 1995 audit but which apparently were not acted upon.
The new OIG audit found that the federal government’s top medical research laboratory either could not account for or had incorrectly processed about $8.2 million in government property, including a $36,828 microplate reader and a $31,866 microscope.
“CDC’s property system was neither accurate nor complete,” OIG says. “These inaccuracies occurred because CDC did not always adjust the property system to reflect the results of the annual physical inventory and did not barcode all newly acquired property for entry in the property system. Based on these continuing problems with property accountability, we concluded that CDC had not fully implemented the recommendations in our prior report to strengthen management controls over property.”
The audit notes that CDC’s Procurement and Grants Office is responsible for managing the approximately 49,837 items totally $350 million at CDC’s various sites in across the nation at the end of fiscal year 2007. OIG examined a sampling of 200 property items, ranging in value from $1 to more than $400,000. Of the 200 items, OIG could not locate 15, and based on that sampling, OIG estimated that CDC had lost or misplaced about $8.2 million in government property, effective Sept. 30, 2007.
The audit found that CDC also had added only 171 of the 200 items of newly acquired property into the property system. “For the 29 remaining items, CDC either had not added the items to the property system or had recorded the items in the property system at amounts less than the purchase costs,” OIG says. “Based on these sample results, we estimate that the property system was understated by approximately $1.5 million for purchases made in FY2007.”
OIG recommended that CDC:
• Adjust their property system based on annual physical inventory results and removing from the property system any lost or missing property, including the estimated $8.2 million in property OIG identified.
• Ensure that all newly acquired property items, including at least $1.5 million worth of items acquired in FY 2007, are bar coded and correctly added to the property system; and
• Reconcile the general ledger to the property system to identify any outstanding discrepancies and resolving such discrepancies.
In a letter to HHS Inspector General Daniel R. Levinson, CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, MD, concurred with the findings and said many of the recommendations listed in the audit were already being implemented.
Anderson Regional Medical Center in Meridian, MS, has confirmed that it will buy Riley Hospital from Health Management Associates, Inc. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Anderson President/CEO L. Ray Humphreys said the medical center will take ownership of all assets of Riley Hospital on Jan. 1. The acquisition will add 140 licensed beds, making Anderson Regional a 400-bed facility—among the largest in Mississippi and the region. The acquisition allows Anderson to add service lines including long-term acute care, wound care, inpatient rehabilitation, a pain management center, and enhanced obstetrics services.
"This is a natural fit for Anderson Regional Medical Center," Humphreys said. "This acquisition will allow our healthcare system to expand its campus, enhance and increase key services to help us better serve the residents of this region."
Humphreys said Anderson plans an orderly transition, with no near-term changes that might impact patients, physicians, or interrupt scheduling and other procedures already in place.
"We are optimistic the purchase will proceed and close in a timely manner, allowing for what we hope will be a seamless transition merging the services, capabilities, technical and human resources of Riley into the Anderson family," said Riley CEO Pam Tvarkunas. "We're committed to working together, collaborative planning and maintaining a high level of service."
Humphreys said the approximately 400 employees at Riley Hospital would become Anderson Regional Medical Center employees on Jan. 1. Anderson Regional will employ approximately 1,700 after the sale is finalized.
"Our mission is clear— to provide healing through the services we provide and to improve life for the people who live and work here," Humphreys said. "This is consistent with our mission, and it elevates the Meridian and East Mississippi/West Alabama region as a medical hub."
When the sale is completed, Naples, FL-based HMA will operate 59 hospitals in 15 states, with approximately 8,000 licensed beds in non-urban settings.
The federal government on Monday awarded $206 million in bonuses to 15 states that streamlined processes and boosted enrollment for uninsured children in Medicaid. This year's bonuses are more than double the $75 million awarded to 10 states last year, the Department of Health and Human Services said.
The funding was included in the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization legislation signed by President Obama in February 2009. To qualify for the CHIPRA bonuses states must have adopted at least five program features—like providing a guarantee of 12 months of continuous coverage, using a joint application for both Medicaid and CHIP and streamlining procedures for renewing a child's coverage—that encourage enrollment and retention of eligible children.
States must also be able to document significant increases in Medicaid enrollment among children during the year that are above and beyond what would have been expected, even with the economic recession. States with increases of more than 10% above this baseline qualify for a higher award amount.
"Today's announcement highlights the ongoing and committed efforts by states to improve access to health coverage programs and take the aggressive steps necessary to enroll eligible children," HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Monday. "Their actions reflect President Obama's serious commitment to assuring that our country's children get the health care they need. These performance bonuses demonstrate our support for the effective strategies these states have undertaken."
The recipient states and their award amounts are: Alabama $54.9 million; Alaska $4.4 million; Colorado $13.6 million; Illinois $14.9 million; Iowa $6.7 million; Kansas $2.5 million; Louisiana $3.5 million; Maryland $10.5 million; Michigan $9.2 million; New Jersey $8.7 million; New Mexico $8.5 million; Ohio $12.3 million; Oregon $15 million; Washington $17.6 million; and Wisconsin $23 million. Awards vary by state according to a formula set out in CHIPRA.
The nation's hospitals reported six “mass layoffs” of 50 or more employees in November, down considerably from the 16 mass layoffs reported in October, and the 10 reported in September, Bureau of Labor Statistics data show.
In the first 11 months of 2010, there have been 134 mass layoffs at hospitals, averaging more than 12 mass layoffs each month. In 2009, hospitals reported 152 mass layoffs.
Through November 2010, hospital layoffs resulted in 10,317 initial claims for unemployment benefits, which would project to 11,254 claims for all of 2010. In all of 2009, there were 11,787 initial claims for unemployment linked to hospital layoffs, BLS data show.
Despite the layoffs, the nation’s hospitals continue to report gains in hiring, including 8,000 payroll additions in November, and 42,200 payroll additions in the first 11 months of 2010. However, those numbers are well off the pace of hospital job growth for most of the decade, BLS data show. After erratic hospital job growth in the first seven months of this year, hospitals have seen four straight months of growing employment, and have added 23,900 jobs since August. Overall, hospitals employed more than 4.7 million people in November.
In the overall economy, BLS reports that employers took 1,586 mass layoffs involving 152,816 workers in November, down 65 mass layoffs from October. The manufacturing sector led the way, with 354 mass layoffs resulting in 39,465 initial claims for unemployment. The national unemployment rate was 9.8% in November, up from 9.6% in October.
Journalists love closure. I started the year with eight predictions for healthcare HR in 2010. So, I thought I'd end the year with a look back to see how well – or poorly – I did as a prognosticator.
Prediction 1: "The healthcare sector will continue to see job growth." Verdict:Correct!
I will confess that this was hardly a difficult prediction. The healthcare sector has never seen long-term job contraction. We won't have the final numbers for all of 2010 until early January. But it's safe to say that the healthcare sector, once again, was a major driver for job creation in this country, as it has been for decades. Bureau of Labor Statistics figures for the first 11 months of 2010 show that healthcare job creation was significantly slower than it was during the middle of the decade. However, the rate of healthcare job growth in 2010 has nearly doubled the historically low rate of job growth in 2009. Look for this hiring trend to continue into 2011.
Prediction 2: "The hunt for qualified healthcare IT workers will intensify." Verdict: Depends.
There was a lot of talk last year about where hospitals, physicians' offices, and other providers would find the people with the clinical and technical expertise to operate these complete interoperable electronic health records. Some providers are having more luck than are others. Generally, rural providers are finding it more challenging than are their colleagues in urban areas, many of whom report a glut of qualified help. That shouldn't be too surprising because that dynamic holds true on just about every other healthcare staffing issue, where rural providers are struggling to attract qualified people. Plus, the recession is making hospital employment more attractive to people who see healthcare as more resistant to economic doldrums.
Prediction 3: "Wash your hands!" Verdict: Sort of.
I suggested last January that HR would take a significant role in improving employee awareness about the importance of hand washing. I'm not so sure that has proven to be the case. However, hospital/healthcare-acquired infections is still a huge issue, and two recent and alarming reports suggest that the healthcare sector has made little if any progress in preventing tens of thousands of hospital deaths will ensure that the issue remains on the front burner in 2011. Besides, if your HR folks aren't taking an active role in hand washing campaigns, they ought to be.
Prediction 4: "Coming soon to a hospital near you: Unions. Verdict: Spot On!
Labor unions are rolling healthcare. The 35th Semi Annual Labor Activity in Healthcare Report—conducted by IRI Consultants for the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration—found union win rates in healthcare representation elections have held above 70% for five straight years. Even more impressive, in the first six months of 2010 the Service Employees International Union won 91% of its representation elections, and the newly formed National Nurses United won 100% of its elections. If a union targets your hospital for organization, odds are it's already too late for you to do much about it.
Nurses unions are making staffing ratios a huge priority and they have a compelling argument that resonates with the public, although the movement has not gained as much traction in the last 12 months as I would have anticipated. However, I do believe it will pick up steam as the super union National Nurses United gains members and clout. Even if mandatory staffing ratios are not necessarily implemented widely, the mere threat of demanding mandatory staffing ratios will remain a powerful bargaining chip for nurse organizers.
Prediction 6: "Cracking down on patient confidentiality." The Verdict: Correct!
Patient confidentiality is not a fad . It is here to stay. Get used to it. The federal government has invested tens of billions of dollars in healthcare information technology, and it desperately wants patients to trust that their personal information will remain confidential in the age of electronic medical records. Woe betides any provider that violates that trust.
Prediction 7: "Healthcare sector employee health and wellness programs." Verdict: Correct, for the most part.
I could have phrased this prediction a little better. My point back in January was that the healthcare sector has been something of a laggard in the wellness movement, and that the sector would spend 2010 trying to catch up with other industries that have had wellness programs in place for more than a decade. In that sense, I was correct. We are hearing more talk about hospitals and other healthcare providers that are finally recognizing the need to implement effective wellness programs to reduce the cost of healthcare coverage, sick days, and other illness-related expenses, and to improve employee morale.
Frankly, that's not enough. The healthcare sector – and hospitals in particular – should be leaders by example in the wellness movement. That includes not only implementing the wellness programs, but studying wellness programs to find out what works, what doesn't, and how much money they can save. Hospitals are often the economic engines of a community and the largest employer. If your hospital implements effective wellness programs, others will follow.
It seems like every week the U.S. Justice Department is writing about a multimillion dollar whistleblower lawsuit settlement. Often as not, the defendant is a healthcare provider, a pharmaceutical company, or an insurer. A lot of the growth in the whistleblower industry in the last few years has deservedly been directed at the financial sector. There is good money in informing, which can garner as much as 30% of the value of the settlements for whistleblowers and their attorneys.
Let me know what you think is on the radar screen for 2011.
Psychiatrist, Research Director, Naval Medical Center San Diego U.S. Navy Reserve Commander Robert Neil McLay's field of expertise involves post traumatic stress disorder and the effects of combat-induced stress on the brain. He is a pioneer in the use of computer-based virtual reality simulators for treating PTSD. His treatment regimens, which include traditional therapy and consultation, have enjoyed success rates of up to 75%, even for patients with a history of treatment resistance. [Read more]
For trauma surgeon John Brebbia, MD, volunteer work in Haiti after the Jan. 12 earthquake was inspired by the memory of a fallen colleague, as much as it was by the knowledge that the practical expertise and care he could provide was desperately needed in the stricken island nation. [Sponsored by McKesson]
To find a working, bipartisan, political system that focuses on practical results within budgetary constraints, leave the Beltway and look to the states. In striking contrast to Congress, Vermont provides a great example of what Republicans and Democrats can achieve in healthcare when they agree upon a common goal. And perhaps no one better embodies that bipartisan spirit in the Green Mountain State than long-serving Republican Gov. Jim Douglas. [Sponsored by McKesson]
