Intellect Resources

A Halloween treat

2011-10-31T09:39:00.000-04:00

Sure, you know we know Healthcare IT, but did you know we could rap?

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

2011-10-18T08:53:00.000-04:00

Are you headed for an ICD-10 crash landing?

A recent HIMSS article suggests that even with the lead time built into ICD-10 there is the very real potential for revenue crippling problems that could affect your bottom line.

The problem is simple. If all goes according to plan, every single healthcare entity in the nation will launch ICD-10 on the same day, at the same time. According to HIMSS, “When problems arise, every organization in the circuit will be affected, with providers at highest risk losing a large percent of revenue. The regulation is counting on all of this to work right the first time it is turned on, which should be a red flag warning to us.”

Are you prepared for an ICD-10 crash landing? Is the regulation itself written in such a way that it almost guarantees problems? Are you prepared to handle a possible loss of revenue?

If you’re interested in learning about the current openings Intellect Resources has available, or to list your job openings with us, send us an email.

Read the full HIMSS article here.

The Black Swan of Healthcare IT?

2011-10-05T12:37:00.000-04:00

The Harvard Business Review (HBR) just put forth a great article discussing the common problems encountered when introducing major technology systems. According to the HBR, 27% of all large-scale IT projects run over budget and do not meet their deadline. This figure alone isn’t shocking; the real shock is that of the projects that do run over, they on average run over by 200% of budgeted costs and take 70% longer to complete than originally thought! Additionally, the HBR states that companies on average realize only 25-50% of the projected benefits due in large part to decision makers who have little to no knowledge of how to implement an IT project. Mismanaged IT projects routinely cost IT managers their jobs and affect so many areas within a company that they can devastate the bottom line. These catastrophic failures are called Black Swans.

With the Meaningful Use deadline looming now is the time for Hospital systems to stop and consider realistically what it will take to meet those deadlines on-time and on-budget. Can a Hospital system afford it if their EMR project goes over budget by 200%? Are Hospital systems planning far enough in advance to allow for deadline overages? Is enough time and care being put into a realistic cost/benefit analysis? What do you think?

If you’re interested in learning about the current openings available for Project Managers with Healthcare IT experience, please email us.

Read the full HBR article here.

Ask a recruiter

2011-09-16T10:54:00.008-04:00

The Best Talent on the Market is Within Your Reach, If You’re Willing to Consider a Few Cost-Saving Options

The Impact of the Decline of the US Housing Market on Permanent Recruitment Efforts

by Brenda Witkemper, CPC
Senior Recruiter

It’s 2011, four years since the decline in U.S. housing prices that hinted at a greater economic crisis. It’s been a long and painful battle since, but 2011 has managed to bring a brighter outlook to our doors. Thank goodness. While we’ve gained some footing following the worst recession since The Great Depression, we’re still a long way from economic health. As a nation, we’re still plagued by high unemployment rates (currently at 9.1%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Aug. 2011), low consumer confidence, and a crippled U.S. housing market. These realities have impacted recruiting efforts on many levels, but perhaps the greatest challenge in recruiting today is in the permanent placement sector.

As a recruiter in healthcare IT, I’m grateful for the growth that our industry is enjoying and for the demand spawned by Meaningful Use and ICD-10 initiatives. While jobs growth remains flat in other markets, we’re seeing ample opportunity in ours. The irony is that many full-time, salaried positions are sitting unfilled. I’m seeing hospitals struggle to entice, secure, and retain resources, despite a jobs-hungry climate.

There are many creative solutions to major roadblocks to permanent placement and cost-saving solutions that you may not be considering. I am neither an economist, nor an expert on employment trends, but I can share my experiences and those of the professionals I serve. In doing so, I hope to prompt new conversations (or re-energize old discussions) as you consider your organization’s employment strategies heading into the 4^th quarter and beyond.

Let’s explore the housing market’s impact on our nation’s talent pool. Nearly a quarter of American homeowners currently owe more on their homes than what they’re presently valued. Of those remaining, 2.4 million borrowers have less than 5% equity in their homes and combined “negative equity and near-negative equity homes made-up 27.5 percent of all residential mortgages” in the 2^nd quarter 2011 (reuters.com). And we haven’t even touched on foreclosure rates, which are staggering and expected to increase. What this means for you as an employer is that, while talent exists and interest thrives, millions are simply unable to contemplate relocation. Furthermore, of those willing to move for the right opportunity, the task of selling their homes may prove painfully difficult. So, unless you’re fortunate to have an endless pool of talent in your backyard, this is your crisis and mine. The conundrum here is that experts agree that employment is key to both organizational stability and economic recovery.

I couldn’t tell you how many times over the past thirty-six months I’ve heard variations of the following: “That sounds like the perfect opportunity for me, but I’m unable to relocate at this time” or “I need to be honest with you… I’m currently upside-down on my mortgage, so while I’d love to consider this position, I cannot sell my existing home.” This reality has become my nemesis when fielding permanent searches. However, when I probe deeper, candidates are quick to offer “carrots” that could make a change plausible for them despite their personal situations.

The most popular suggestions include:

Option to work from home or telecommute
Combination of travel and telecommuting, indefinitely or until home sells
Monthly stipends to offset rental fees on a second residence
Company-sponsored temporary housing

The most affordable option from above list is, by far, the institution of a work from home program. Within the healthcare IT industry, this arrangement is often quite feasible as well. It is one of the lowest-cost means of expanding your talent pool in any market, but appeal to both employer and employee increases in times of economic decline. If your facility is located in a high cost of living area or in an area where home values have remained relatively steady, you might find it even more difficult to fill vacancies with qualified resources, unless you explore such arrangements.

The idea of telecommuting, or working from a home office, is not new to most and is slowly gaining in acceptance. But it remains an undervalued and underutilized option for solving tough employment challenges. Many employers remain leery of remote work arrangements, despite consistently positive research findings. Let’s look at some of the most significant employer benefits of remote work arrangements:

Significant reduction in relocation expenses
Reduced office overhead and less congested work environments
Quality skills acquisition due to a broadened talent pool
Greater employee retention / less turnover. In my personal experience, some of the hardest candidates to recruit are those who work from home. They love their current work situations and are not generally motivated to make a change.
Increased productivity due to fewer interruptions and elimination of daily commutes. Various studies show increase in productivity of 10-40 %.
Technical and/or customer support coverage after hours, if needed
Reduction in auto emissions, making for a cleaner environment
Happier workforce
Fewer work absences, due to mild illnesses and ailments
Opens jobs to more disabled Americans, who are otherwise qualified
Employers may be able to incent candidates to accept lower salaries in exchange for work-from-home option. In a recent study of 637 employees from a cross sampling of industries, 80% indicated that they would consider lesser earnings in exchange for the opportunity to work from home. (Work+Life Fit Reality Check Summary. Madison, NJ: Work+Life Fit, Inc., 2011)

For the candidate, benefits might include:

Ability to consider employment opportunities despite economics
Reduced travel to/from work
More dedicated daily work time
Ability to work unconventional hours, due to home office arrangement, if necessary
A quiet work environment
Work-life balance

Despite the benefits, remote work arrangements are not suitable for all people or for all situations. It’s essential that candidates present with strong work ethic and are self-motivated, organized, and structured in their approach to work. Furthermore, it’s vital that employers provide reliable technologies, software, and communication devices that allow workers access to information, shared documents, and to their fellow co-workers. Despite the distance that may separate one employee from another, team cohesion and a sense of belonging remain important contributors to employee satisfaction.

It’s worth repeating that jobs growth is vital to continued economic recovery. With this in mind, I implore you to identify creative solutions to filling your employment vacancies. I’ve started the conversation and Intellect Resources would love to hear your thoughts. Please, comment on this posting, write on our Facebook wall, Tweet us or send me an email.

It’s now 11:19 p.m., and as a dedicated resource working from the comfort of my home office, I think I’ll call it a day!

Ask a Recruiter: How can I make it easier for my recruiter to help me find a great job?

2011-08-12T16:15:00.002-04:00

This could seem like a simple question but I can guarantee that every good recruiter would be happy to hear you ask this question or follow the suggestions below.

Be honest and upfront from the beginning about the following:

What your current job situation is like and why you are seeking a change.
If you are truly seeking a change now or looking to establish a relationship for the future. If it is for the future, when that might be.
Your experience and skills, including your proudest accomplishments.
Why you have parted ways with former employers.
What your dream job would be like.
Your willingness and considerations for relocation and/or travel.
Any employers that you would love to work for or vice versa.
Your current compensation and your realistic needs to make a change.
Your status and progress in the job search. Mainly the key facts that will impact your availability. Ie, if you are expecting an offer soon, deep in the interview process, just starting, etc.
How soon you could be available to interview.
The timeframe you will require to make a change when you get the right offer. This may include, notice required to current employer, upcoming vacations, time to move and other variables.

Be responsive. Timing can make all the difference for some opportunities. If your recruiter knows you well enough to match you to a great opportunity but can’t get a response from you, it may disappear. Make sure your recruiter has your mobile phone and the email address that you check most often.
Update your recruiter on progress with other opportunities. If your recruiter knows that you are getting close to taking another offer, they may be able to take some steps to expedite a response from his clients per other offers.
Even if you get a job that you like by some other means, stay in touch with your recruiter periodically. You never know when you may need to make another change so make sure to let them know.

Best wishes,
Stowe Blankenship

Congratulations!

2011-06-13T03:38:00.000-04:00

The entire Intellect Resources recruiting team successfully passed the CPC (Certified Personnel Consultant) certification. Congratulations Brenda, Eileen, Jennifer, Stowe and Tiffany!

Ask A Recruiter

2011-04-07T14:40:00.001-04:00

Q : I am considering consulting and have spoken to a number of recruiters, seen some job postings, which mention W-2, or 1099. What does that mean?

A: Jargon, jargon!! Both of these refer to the IRS forms on which you will report income earned, and the difference between the two is in terms of the relationship between you, the consultant, and the company which hires you. Say Company A wants to hire you as a consultant. If they offer you W-2 employment, that means you will become an employee of Company A, you will list Company A as an employer on your resume, you will be paid a salary, and if the company offers benefits, such as paid time off, healthcare, retirement plans, you may be eligible to participate in them. Company A will also collect tax on your behalf. Note that it is possible to be hired as a W-2 employee and be paid on an hourly basis. Benefits such as healthcare, paid time off, etc., will be pro-rated depending on the hours you work. You may also be hired as a W-2 consultant for a short term project – many companies will not want to do that, as there is often a waiting period for benefits, and there are on-boarding costs for them, but it is certainly possible to be hired as a W-2 consultant for a fixed project lasting, say, 6 months. Lastly, some companies offer limited W-2 employment, usually for a fixed length assignment, which they may call “W-2 project”, where you are an employee, they collect your employment taxes, but you are not eligible for company benefits such as healthcare, time off, etc.

If, however, Company B wants to hire you, and offer you 1099 employment, that is similar to the relationship you might have with a painter. You want them to paint your house and agree a sum for that job. At the end of the job, or periodically during the job, if it’s a big house, the painter will send you invoices, and you, hopefully, will pay them. You don’t collect taxes for the painter, you don’t offer them paid time off, or health insurance. You do, however, need paint, and either you supply it, or the painter will buy it, and charge you for it. Similarly, Company B wants you to carry out an assignment for them, and you agree a sum for that assignment, most often in terms of an hourly rate you’re paid while carrying out that assignment. You may agree to include your travel and accommodation costs in that sum, or to charge for that separately. Alternatively, Company B may have its own travel department, and may book your travel for you. What is important, though, is that Company B will only pay you for the time you work, will not offer you any company benefits, and will not collect taxes for you. They are all your responsibility, so you must factor those into the price you agree. Periodically, most often every two weeks, you will send an invoice to Company B, asking for payment for the work you’ve done, and for any travel and accommodation costs you’ve accrued. This arrangement is most often used when a company has a short term need.

Thanks, that all makes sense – but what does “corp to corp” mean, then?

Well, these are nuances in the type of 1099 form you are filing at the end of the year. You can either file as an individual, using your own Social Security number, or, you can incorporate as a company, and use your company ID on the 1099. The IRS has recently focused its attention on companies which hire 1099 individuals. According to their rules, a company can only hire someone as a 1099 individual employee in very restricted and defined situations. In all other cases, they should be hired as a W-2 employee. Given that extra scrutiny by the IRS, a lot of companies are avoiding hiring 1099 individuals altogether, and are requiring that the consultant is incorporated, and thus the relationship is between corporations, corp to corp.

How to Talk to a Recruiter

2011-03-24T13:53:00.001-04:00

In a previous and excellent article posted to this site titled “Working with a Recruiter”, Tiffany Crenshaw answered several common questions regarding things such as the recruiter’s role, compensation, expectations, etc. So, I hope to simply provide an addendum to hers, to assist with some of the common communication problems candidates and recruiters can run into. Many of these will apply to just about any interview situation as well, so there should be something for everyone.

When working with a recruiter, it’s important to be willing to answer questions and tell your recruiter all about your work life. Do not fall into the trap of thinking that the “real” interview is only with the direct employer. The fact is, a recruiter needs to represent you to the potential employer, and they simply can’t do that effectively if they don’t know you. Few things are more embarrassing for a recruiter than to be asked a basic question about a candidate’s experience or goals and not have the answer. Further, they won’t know what additional opportunities to contact you about if they don’t understand your experience, goals, and relevant personal situations. The more they know about what makes your tick, the better.

At the same time, do not drone on and on and on. You know that person at parties that everyone avoids lest they be cornered for the rest of the evening? Don’t be that person. If you find you have the tendency to be long-winded, then do some homework in advance. Develop succinct answers to common questions beforehand and practice on a friend or family member. Ask for and be open to constructive feedback on your responses.

Further, do not talk to your recruiter at length about technical details. They are likely not a technical person themselves, nor do they need to be to represent you well. Several years ago, my brother made this mistake when I was trying to coach him on his resume and job search. He enthusiastically and at great length told me all kinds of details regarding programming code he was writing… blah, blah, blah. It went completely over my head – I was left dazed and confused. Once I put on the brakes and explained what I needed, my brother adjusted the conversation, I discovered the basics I needed to know in order to give him advice.

Lastly, is my own personal pet peeve - never respond to questions about your personal experience using “we” or “our”. When I ask someone: “Tell me about your accomplishments on your current project”, I never want to hear “we implemented the system to 30 physician practices”. That’s great, but what did you do? It’s a good idea to give context for what you did, so mentioning your team for that purpose is fine, but ultimately, your recruiter only wants to know about your experience.

If you follow these simple guidelines, the experience with your recruiter is bound to be a great one.

News Alert: U.S. Added 192,000 Jobs in February; Unemployment Rate at 8.9%

2011-03-04T14:52:00.001-05:00

Breaking News Alert

The New York Times

Fri, March 04, 2011 -- 8:34 AM ET

-----

U.S. Economy Added 192,000 Jobs in February; Unemployment Rate at 8.9%

The nation's employers added a net 192,000 jobs in February, the Labor Department reported on Friday. That was close to economists' expectations of 196,000 jobs.

The change for January was meanwhile revised to a gain of 63,000 from an initially reported 36,000.

The unemployment rate fell to 8.9 percent, from 9 percent.

This rate, which comes from a separate survey and is based on the total number of Americans who want to work, has inched downward in recent months but remains stubbornly high despite payroll growth.

http://www.nytimes.com?emc=na

Friday Fun

2011-03-04T14:48:00.002-05:00

Have some Friday Fun, check out www.extormity.com. A tough of Healthcare IT humor courtesy of fictional electronic health record, Extormity – expensive, exasperating, exhausting!

To Be a Valued Consultant is to be a Valued Servant

2011-02-28T00:27:00.003-05:00

I like the definition of the word consultant, provided by SearchITChannel.com. It reads, “A consultant is an experienced individual (who) is trained to analyze and advise a client in order to help the client make the best possible choices.” However, I’d like to explore what it means to be a valued consultant.

From my vantage point, the best Consultants in our industry bring the following qualities to their candidacies:

· Depth of knowledge in regards to relevant technologies, processes, and methodologies

· Lessons learned from similar experiences (industry best practices)

· Professional polish, in both communication and presentation

· Passion for their work, accompanied by a service-minded delivery style

Furthermore, the Consultants who consistently deliver all of the above are most valuable to their clients, which can considerably narrow the ideal talent pool. Here’s why… One can forever acquire new skills and experience and, with a little guidance, even improve their professional appeal. But neither genuine passion nor commitment to service can be taught. A consultant either intrinsically desires to be of service, or not.

As a Recruiter, I’m fortunate to have innumerable technically and clinically skilled resources in my proverbial circle. All are capable of being a value-add at some level on the project chart. But those who demonstrate the above skills, while articulating their passion and commitment to help clients realize their objectives, overcome project-based and/or political obstacles, and eventually conclude their projects with a sense of positive collaboration and forward-facing momentum… those are the candidates that stand out for me. It is no surprise, either, that these same candidates are the ones who prove most successful in the consulting world! They are appreciated by the clients they serve, asked to stay on or return later, and yes, fairly compensated for their contributions. They are of value.

In our industry (and I suspect most others), the opposite is true as well…. Consultants who bring knowledge and experience to their initiatives, but fail to humbly see themselves as invited guests and service-providers on the job, miss their marks.

Whether you are a seasoned road-warrior or simply aspiring to be, please pause to ask yourself the following: Are you serving your clients well? Are you a valued consultant?

Best to you,

Brenda

Bullying At Work A Growing Trend

2011-01-25T13:28:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, January 25, 2010.
Original Article Posted on AOLjobs By Barbara Safani

According to an AOL Jobs Survey, 22 percent of the respondents have personally felt threatened or bullied at work. Of those, 57 percent state it was from their manager, while 47 percent say it was from a peer, and 79 percent say that the abuse they experienced was verbal. Twenty-five percent have witnessed someone being bullied at work. Out of those people who witnessed it, 59 percent reported it.

What is workplace bullying?

Workplace bullying is the tendency of individuals or groups to use persistent aggressive or unreasonable behavior against a co-worker or subordinate. The abuse displayed may be verbal, non verbal, psychological, or physical.

Bullying can take the form of the obvious (such as being berated in front of colleagues, being gossiped about, or being the target of office pranks) as well as the not so obvious (not being included in important meetings, not having your phone calls or e-mails returned, or getting the silent treatment from co-workers or supervisors). Any of these actions can have a detrimental effect on employees.

According to Diane M. Pfadenhauer, an attorney and president of Employment Practices Advisors, Inc., “many bullies are ‘equal opportunity bullies’ who threaten or abuse people regardless of gender, race, etc. While it is not illegal to bully, it is generally a violation of company policy and something that employers need to pay attention to. if the employee’s complaint that he/she is being bullied is not addressed, the employee may chose to make a discrimination complaint instead and have enough evidence to support it. This can lead to a formal investigation, which results in expensive legal fees, a disruption in the workplace, and the loss of productivity.”

Why does workplace bullying occur?

A tough economy may be perpetuating bullies in the work force. People are under an enormous amount of stress, and expectations for worker productivity are high — despite the fact that employees are being forced to do more with less. Managers are under pressure to get work done through their teams. If they are successful, those managers may receive positive rewards or promotions, fueling the cycle of abuse. And subordinates may be fearful that if they complain about inappropriate management practices they will lose their jobs.

What are the effects of workplace bullying?

Bullying can take an enormous toll on the victim’s health. According to the Workplace Bullying Institute, the stress can lead to debilitating anxiety, panic attacks, clinical depression, and post-traumatic stress or physical health problems including cardiovascular problems, adverse neurological changes, immunological impairment, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

How do I know if I’m being bullied?

The Workplace Bullying Institute, an organization dedicated to raising awareness of and creating a public dialogue about workplace bullying, suggests using the following checklist to determine whether you may be the victim of workplace bullying:

Experiences outside work:

•Your frustrated family demands that you to stop obsessing about work at home.

•You feel like throwing up the night before the start of your workweek.

•Your doctor asks what could be causing your skyrocketing blood pressure and recent health problems, and tells you to change jobs.

•You feel too ashamed of being controlled by another person at work to tell your spouse or partner.

•All your paid time off is used for “mental health breaks” from the misery.

•Days off are spent exhausted and lifeless; your desire to do anything is gone.

•Your favorite activities and fun with family are no longer appealing or enjoyable.

•You begin to believe that you provoked the workplace cruelty.

Experiences at work:

•You attempt the obviously impossible task of doing a new job without training or time to learn new skills, but that work is never good enough for the boss.

•Surprise meetings are called by your boss with no results other than further humiliation.

•Everything your tormenter does to you is arbitrary and capricious, working a personal agenda that undermines the employer’s legitimate business interests.

•Others at work have been told to stop working, talking, or socializing with you.

•You are constantly feeling agitated and anxious, experiencing a sense of doom, waiting for bad things to happen.

•No matter what you do, you are never left alone to do your job without interference.

•People feel justified screaming or yelling at you in front of others, but you are punished if you scream back.

•HR tells you that your harassment isn’t illegal, that you have to “work it out between yourselves.”

•You finally, firmly confront your tormentor to stop the abusive conduct and you are accused of harassment.

•You are shocked when accused of incompetence, despite a history of objective excellence, typically by someone who cannot do your job.

•Everyone — co-workers, senior bosses, HR — agrees (in person and orally) that your tormentor is a jerk, but there is nothing they will do about it (and later, when you ask for their support, they deny having agreed with you).

•Your request to transfer to an open position under another boss is mysteriously denied.

How can I deal with a workplace bully?

Katherine Crowley, author of ‘Working for You Isn’t Working for Me’ and ‘Working for You is Killing Me,’recommends the four Ds — detect, detach, depersonalize, and deal.

Detect involves naming/documenting the bullying behaviors that you are witnessing or experiencing — document what is happening and how the bully is targeting you (or others).

Detach is to take a step away from the bullying by taking actions to restore your energy, repair your emotional state, and rebuild your confidence. Bullies take a serious toll on our health — mental, emotional and physical. It’s extremely important to counteract the negative effects of being bullied. Seek counsel for your mental health; exercise to release the toxins for your physical health; spend time with people who believe in you for your confidence.

To Depersonalize is to understand that you aren’t the first target and you won’t (unfortunately) be the last. It’s not about you — although bullies try to make it seem that way. This person is sick and taking out his or her illness on you.

Finally, Deal by taking some kind of action. You can report your experience to someone in the company who is in a position to do something about it. If no one is willing to address the bully, you may have to leave.

You may need help from others in order to manage the situation. Consider enlisting the help of a career coach, counselor, or mental health professional. A few other books to take a look at are ‘The Bully at Work,’ ‘The No Asshole Rule,’ ‘What Would Machiavelli Do?,’ ‘Can They Do That?,’ and ‘Brutal Bosses and Their Prey.’

Blumenthal Cuts Ribbon On EHR Incentives Program

2011-01-21T09:31:00.000-05:00

Friday, January 21, 2010
Original article by Anthony Guerra, InformationWeek

More than 100 healthcare organizations had already applied for federal electronic health records incentives before the program launched at an event with National Coordinator David Blumenthal.

On Jan. 10, more than 125 health IT stakeholders, including hospital executives, IT professionals, physicians, and medical and public health students convened at George Washington University Hospital to kick off the start of the government's electronic health record (EHR) meaningful use registration process.

David Blumenthal, MD, head of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC), headlined the event. He shared information from a Department of Health and Human Services survey which claimed 81% of hospitals plan to take advantage of the incentive payment program.
Gretchen Tegethoff, CIO of George Washington University Hospital, said GWU was approached by both the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) to host the event. "Given our location in the nation's capitol and the distance from the White House, this was the perfect venue to hold the kickoff, with hospitals committing to achieving meaningful use. So that's how the event really got started. It was a team effort to decide who the speakers and attendees were going to be, so we got a really nice group of national, regional, and local participants all working on the incentive program."

At the time of the event, Tegethoff said 100 hospitals had enrolled in the program, though she personally had seen the road would have some bumps. "We have run into some of the little snags, but we have started our registration."

Other speakers included leadership from HIMSS and CHIME; representatives from ONC grantees the D.C. Primary Care Association and D.C. Department of Health Care Finance; CIOs from three area hospitals and Stephen Badger, CEO of the GW Medical Faculty Associates, one of the largest private physician groups in the District.

Tegethoff said the event paid dividends for her staff beyond the statistics shared. "One thing this event did, which was a great thing to see, was it really brought even more enthusiasm into what we're trying to do at our hospital. We had physicians, we had administration, we had students from the university, we had people from D.C. agencies and associations, directors, and nurses. I think them seeing the event, and the way it was put together, helped them really see the overall picture of what we're trying to do, and it's more than just replacing systems here at the hospital. That's what they see on an everyday basis, that we're implementing new systems, that we're working on changing policies, but I think they got to see and hear there are bigger objectives that we're looking to meet, and that we're doing this for bigger reasons than just replacing our systems to find better systems."

Under both Medicare and Medicaid, eligible hospitals may receive millions for becoming meaningful users of certified EHR technology. Individual practitioners who qualify may receive up to $44,000 from Medicare or $63,750 from Medicaid.

Anthony Guerra is the founder and editor of healthsystemCIO.com, a site dedicated to serving the strategic information needs of healthcare CIOs. He can be reached at aguerra@healthsystemCIO.com.

Top 10 external factors for EHR success in hospitals

2011-01-19T13:44:00.002-05:00

Wednesday, January 19, 2010.

Original article by Molly Merrill, Associate Editor at Healthcare IT News

FALLS CHURCH, VA – Meaningful use, improved patient care and competition among providers are a few of the reasons electronic health records are succeeding at hospitals, according to one expert.

David Lewis, principal at CSC Consulting, shared with Healthcare IT News his top 10 list of why EHRs are gaining more positive traction, based on what he's seeing from his hospital clients.

In November, Healthcare IT News also interviewed Karen Fuller, a principal with CSC's Health Delivery Group, who weighed in on her top 10 list of why EHRs are succeeding today. The difference between the two lists is that Fuller focused on internal factors that had an impact on EHR implementation, such as leadership and governance, whereas Lewis's list focuses on external factors, such as the government's meaningful use incentives.

Top 10 external reasons EHRs are succeeding:

1. Meaningful use (MU) incentives – and future reimbursement penalties for not meeting those guidelines – are creating additional reasons to implement EHRs. "The Medicaid incentives are what people are worried about right now over Medicare," said Lewis. He said there are tools out there that will help "organizations to run numbers against MU requirements and penalties to see the exact impact," it might have. "Hospitals operate on pencil-thin margins right now. That's why any cuts in Medicare or Medicaid are just note feasible right now," he added.

2. MU, as defined for the EHR incentive program, eliminates ambiguity about what comprises an inpatient EHR, and provides guidance for implementation. Lewis said that although the final rule has been published, there still exists some "leeway" that will result in hospitals having to make decisions. For example, he said they might have to ask themselves whether they're going to do just enough to meet the MU requirements or will they go above and beyond. "There are nuances within the rule that I think each hospital will have to examine for themselves," said Lewis.

3. Partly because of the above, vendor products are getting better – finally incorporating all required functionality, with improved ease of use. Lewis noted that there is a distinction between meeting MU requirements and having a vendor product that is certified to meet the requirements. The certification just means that the technology has "the functionality and ability to capture data elements needed for MU," he said.

4. Organizations are embracing the need to implement this technology and are committing resources to it. Even though "money is still tight" at most of the organizations Lewis talks to, he says that committing resources to EHRs is a top priority.

5. Costs have always been a major barrier, and although the financial incentives of MU are tied to achievement rather than intentions, they are generous enough to cover part of the cost involved in implementing EHRs. Depending on the organization, the incentives will cover part an EHR and make it easier for the hospital to at least budget for it, said Lewis.

6. There are now enough success stories in U.S. hospitals and health systems to show that what is called for in MU can be done with current EHR technology. Hospitals know that a switch to an electronic system has been coming for a long time, said Lewis. The government incentives just help to speed things up a little.

7. Competition among provider organizations is forcing adoption; there is awareness among patients of the technology and they are demanding it. Putting the financials aside for a moment, Lewis has heard from his own clients that, "we are doing this because we have to, because our competitors are doing it and patients will start to ask for this."

8. Hospitals will need to share information with patients and with unaffiliated providers who are participating in the care of patients. In addition, there are mandates to report on required measures of performance as a byproduct of EHR use. "I heard a senor exec of a large organization say, 'Yeah, yeah the money is important to us, and receiving incentives and not incurring penalties, but we are doing what we have to do. It is the right thing for our organization and the community we serve.'"

9. Physicians, nurses and other providers are less reluctant users of the EHR. Once past the learning curve and duplicative processes of paper and electronic record, productivity improvements may occur, which could help with shortages of primary care physicians and nurses. "As time passes, you do run across less people with zero keyboard skills," Lewis said. However, he recommends setting up special programs for typing skills for those that might need it.
10. Improved patient safety, quality of care, improved clinical outcomes, and reductions in LOS and readmissions. With the improvements in quality of care that the EHR has helped produce and the technology's potential for providing care at a lower cost, Lewis asked, how can anyone argue that this is a bad thing?

Lewis' list can be found at CSC's Meaningful Use Community – an open and interactive online community for providers seeking to achieve meaningful use of EHRs. There are currently more than 1,300 members, with more than 200 hospitals represented.

ONC to focus on getting interoperability right in 2011

2011-01-14T12:00:00.000-05:00

Friday, January 14, 2010.
Original article by Mary Mosquera, Government Health IT

WASHINGTON – The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT will focus in 2011 on activities that will enable healthcare providers to perform complex exchanges of information and on the technical foundation to support secure sharing.

ONC is considering a set of tasks it needs to undertake "in short order" to make it possible for Stage 2 meaningful use to have a more robust exchange of information, said David Blumenthal, MD, national health IT coordinator, at the Jan. 12 meeting of the Health IT Standards Committee .

Those activities are centered around standards and certification criteria, privacy and security protections, governance of exchange. They will also focus on the assurances the public will need that the organizations exchanging information have accomplished the conditions that foster trust and interoperability, he said.

Sense of urgency

Blumenthal also highlighted the importance of getting Stage 2 of meaningful use requirements right. With that, interoperability and all its associated issues will "flow to the top of the agenda," he said.

"In part, we feel a sense of urgency because we fear if we don't lay the groundwork for that soon that we may not be able to do it later on," he said.

That means having a comprehensive policy around privacy and security, as well as making sure that standards are in place that will assure that willing providers can technically exchange information. Then, having the community and national resources, organizations, rules, regulations and systems of governance that allow for solving problems when they arise.

Through the use of standards, ONC has set its sights on increasing transactions for electronic prescribing, on public health, on consumer participation in exchange of their information, and on providers being able to send patient care summaries to each other for referrals and transitions of care, said Dr. Farzad Mostashari, ONC's deputy national coordinator for programs and policy.

"These are all meaningful use actions that require someone on the other end to also hold up their end of the bargain," he said. "We need to make it as seamless and easy and low cost as possible."

ONC will re-sharpen its focus on improving healthcare outcomes associated with health IT, the "what's it for, our North Star," he said. This means a renewed emphasis on clinical decision support and on bringing it into institutions beyond the few early adopter and benchmark hospitals, and rapidly improving how it is deployed and effectively used.

"We all know that clinical decision support inexpertly applied can lead to alert fatigue and dissatisfaction, just as much as appropriately implemented it can lead to dramatic improvements in quality and safety," he said.

Also in 2011, ONC will expand its activities around usability of electronic health record systems, such as having measures or benchmarks by which vendors can prove the usability of their products and being transparent about it to their customers.

When You Don’t Land the Job…

2011-01-07T13:54:00.000-05:00

Friday, January 7, 2010.
By Stowe Blankenship

Simple Fact #1:

Many experienced, skilled professionals will, at some point in their careers, progress far into the interview process for a seemingly well-suited job only to learn that the employer does not want to move forward any further with them.

Darn! So, what now?

I have a lot of respect for candidates who tell me that they would love to hear feedback about their interviews and the selection decision, no matter what it is, so they can use the feedback to improve themselves for their next opportunity.

Simple Fact #2:

Though some employers will still share helpful feedback about candidates they interview but don’t hire, these days many employers do not. Their response may be as straightforward as, “We are going to pass on that candidate.”

Really?? Why is this?

For me, it always brings to mind Captain Barbossa’s line in Pirates of the Caribbean, “I am disinclined to acquiesce to your request…means no.” Basically, some employers just don’t give information about rationale for turning a candidate down. Their silence isn’t anything personal and shouldn’t be taken as such. Even though it may be frustrating for a candidate, there are a number of legitimate reasons for an employer’s terseness when it comes to sharing about rejections. Below are a few to consider:

• Legal – If they share something, how could it come back to hurt them legally?

• Moving on – They may be interviewing heavily for pressing business initiatives and not have time to elaborate.

• HR Disconnect – HR contacts may not get any relevant feedback from a hiring manager.

• And there could be plenty of others. The gist of it is that some employers have made this part of their hiring policy, whether written or unwritten, and it just is what it is.

However, if you still want to learn from the experience so you can try to increase your chances with the next job, try reviewing the interviews and ask yourself how you did with some of the following:

• Did you take the time to prepare by researching their company?

• Did you stay positive, smile and make eye contact?

• Were your grooming and attire appropriate, professional and sharp?

• Did you answer questions with successful examples from your own background?

• Were you an active listener so they could tell you were engaged?

• Did you understand the job description and make sure to convey how your experience could make you a valued team member in this role?

• Did you prepare quality questions in advance and ask them?

• Did you let them know that you would be interested in next steps?

• Did you follow up after the interview with a Thank You letter or email?

At the end of the day, just relax and keep your chin up! If you were a good match for the job and you represented yourself professionally and effectively in the interviews, there can be many reasons for not getting an offer that have absolutely nothing to do with you personally. Smile, stay focused and move forward!

Best wishes,
Stowe Blankenship

Blumenthal Looks Back at 2010, Offers Peek Into Plans for 2011

2011-01-04T12:01:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, January 4, 2010.
Original article by Kate Ackerman, iHealthBeat Senior Editor

From the release of the final rule on meaningful use to the launch of the temporary electronic health record certification program to the establishment of 62 Regional Extension Centers aimed at helping physicians become meaningful users of EHRs, there was a flurry of health IT activity in 2010.
Much of the activity centered on implementing policies and programs related to the meaningful use incentive program included in the 2009 economic stimulus package's HITECH Act. Under the program, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health records beginning in 2011 can qualify for incentive payments through Medicaid and Medicare. Beginning in January 2015, health care providers who are not meaningfully using EHRs will face penalties equal to a 1% reduction in annual Medicare payments per year up to 5%.
In an interview with iHealthBeat, National Coordinator for Health IT David Blumenthal discussed the biggest challenges the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT faced over the last year, his office's game plan for 2011 and concerns about current EHR adoption rates. Blumenthal also discussed the importance of health IT to the implementation of the federal health reform law, the role of the government in overseeing EHR safety and why other countries have expressed interest in the U.S.' meaningful use program.

A transcript of the interview follows.

iHealthBeat: At the 2010 ONC Update meeting in December, you outlined the progress ONC and HHS have made in implementing policies and programs related to the HITECH Act, including the final rule on meaningful use Stage 1, the final rule on standards and certification criteria and the temporary certification program. What were some of the biggest challenges in implementing these policies?

Blumenthal: I think probably the biggest challenge was doing all of this at once, and with such short timeframes and doing things that had never been done before and trying to do them in a way that stakeholders thought was reasonable and that also met the objectives of the HITECH Act and of the administration to move forward the process of adoption of meaningful use.

So I think it was just the number of activities we had to do at the same time. Not the least of which was to make sure that we had, while we were creating the rules, the infrastructure in place to support providers who want to be meaningful users. So in figuring out what we could reasonably expect from them, while at the same time making sure we were on the trajectory toward realizing the ambitions of the act, which I think were pretty far reaching. So I think it was managing long-term gains and vision against short-term increments, and doing a lot of very practical things at the same time.

Figuring out what meaningful use should consist of was a big conceptual challenge. And, one that we took on with a lot of help from our Policy Committee and a lot of feedback from the community. And, I think we had to learn a lot along the way about what the situation is out in the country, with respect to electronic health records, and what's possible and not possible, and where that line is between what you can hope for and what you can reasonably expect. I think it was in retrospect a challenging period, but one that we navigated with a lot of help.

iHealthBeat: Do you expect to alter your process at all moving forward as you prepare to release additional policies, such as criteria for Stage 2 of the meaningful use program?

Blumenthal: I think as tight as our new timeframes are, they're a lot more generous than the first set of timeframes. And, we know a lot more and have a lot more experience. So I think that we're going to have ... a more deliberative process than we had the last time.

We're also going to have the benefit of experience with Stage 1. That is going to be a big factor. One of the ways in which the process will be different will be looking at our experience with adoption and meaningful use as a source of input into our rulemaking, and that's a very, very important new element in the rulemaking process.

We also now have a certifying process, and we pretty much well know what the certifying process consists of and maybe have some sort of idea what the standards and certification regulations should look like in light of that certification process.

I also think that one of the things that's different is that we have a lot of conversations going now that weren't going on before. We have a conversation about standards that wasn't previously present in the current forums. So I think people are perhaps used to now discussing these things. We have two committees -- the Standards Committee and the Policy Committee -- that have proven, at least in my view, their worth and their responsibilities so that I hope they'll be viewed as legitimate and as important forums for discussions by the key stakeholders.

iHealthBeat: A recent CDC survey finds that while about half of U.S. office-based physicians are using electronic health records, only 10% of office-based physicians said they have a fully functional EHR system. Meanwhile, a separate survey from the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives finds that the percentage of CIOs who expect their organization to qualify for meaningful use incentive payments by April 2011 dropped from 28% in August to 15% in November. What are your expectations as far as providers being able to comply with meaningful use criteria in 2011 and beyond?

Blumenthal: I guess some of these numbers are a matter of half full/half empty. Ten percent [from the CDC survey] is up from 6%, so that's a 4 [percentage point] increase on a 6% base, which is not bad -- that's two-thirds. So that's how sigma adoption curves work. They suddenly go up, and the first couple of data points don't look absolutely so great, but once the slope changes, you're on a very, very steep curve. So I'm hoping that's what we're beginning to see here.

I'm not surprised that the CIOs are looking more closely at the April timeframe, but April is just April. They've got two years to become meaningful users in Stage 1. We have some other data that we hope to be releasing in not too long that's a good deal more optimistic than this data.

So I do believe that achieving meaningful use is becoming a marker of excellence for hospitals. As I talk to hospital leaders around the country, none of them are proudly proclaiming that they don't think they're going to be meaningful users any time soon. I think the leading hospitals in the United States, the leading systems, have taken this on as a serious responsibility. I [recently] saw a PricewaterhouseCoopers survey ... that shows that most hospital executives expect health IT to be their leading investment over the next year.

So I think we've sort of passed a point of no return. Admittedly, there will be some hospitals that are out ahead of other hospitals, but I'm quite confident that the president's agenda will be successful. Now will it be six months more or less, I can't predict. But, I think we're at the point of change, and I think the Congress' initiative under HITECH will be seen in retrospect as a fundamental turning point in laying the foundation for changing the delivery system in the United States.

iHealthBeat: How important are federal health IT efforts to the implementation of the health reform law?

Blumenthal: I think on both a theoretical and practical level, health reform cannot achieve its goals without a vibrant health information technology infrastructure. And, I say that because as I say often, information is the core resource for change in our health care system. It's essential to changing clinicians' behavior, it's essential for managers to change the behavior of their organizations, it's essential for policymakers to change the direction of policy and policy priorities. And, we don't have and haven't had adequate information to do any of those things in the past.

The only place I can see that kind of information coming from in a timeframe that's meaningful is from electronic sources. So I don't think there's any way of realizing our accountable care organization agenda, our medical home agenda, our bundled payment agenda, our readmission reduction agenda, our hospital-acquired infection agenda, you name it. I don't see a way to get there reliably on a systemwide basis without a strong health information system, and in the 21st century, that means an electronic system.

iHealthBeat: HHS and the European Commission recently signed a memorandum of understanding promoting a common approach on the interoperability of electronic health records and education programs for health IT. You've noted before that the U.S. lags behind several countries, such as Denmark, in health IT adoption. What kind of response has ONC received from the international community about the meaningful use program and recent U.S. efforts to accelerate health IT adoption?

Blumenthal: I, personally, have found an enormous amount of interest in our framework. Lots of countries -- even those that are well ahead of us in adoption -- are interested in our meaningful use framework because it sets expectations for the use of information and information technology, which have only been implicit in the plans of many other countries. ... I was in France [in November]. The French are actually adopting a version of meaningful use to promote health information technology adoption in their hospital sector. And, I think there's interest in the U.K.; there's interest everywhere in how you link expectations and goals to the use of health IT.

Now, most European countries are focusing on exchange because they've already accomplished adoption. And, so they're very interested in what we're doing to promote exchange, and they're very interested in the standards that we're setting around exchange. The idea that you would not just promote adoption but that you'd promote use of certain types, I think is seen as an important new contribution to the international conversation.

iHealthBeat: What kind of role do you think the U.S. government should play in overseeing the safety of EHRs and other health IT systems?

Blumenthal: Well, we've asked the Institute of Medicine to give us their advice on that. I think there are a number of ways that we could go, and they all have consequences for both innovation and safety. We attach a lot of importance to both innovation and to safety, and we want to get the right balance. This whole process of policy development at ONC over the last 18 months, 20 months has been a balancing act. This is another one of those.

It would be a lot simpler if there were easy generalizations here. We know on the one hand that promoting the spread of electronic health records improves the safety of care overall, but we also know that safety of the use of individual pieces of equipment and the safety of implementation needs to be assured as well. So I think that's a conversation that the Institute of Medicine can give us a lot of perspective on so we're waiting to hear what their advice would be.

iHealthBeat: Because of federal rulemaking regulations, I know you cannot comment on the specifics of Stage 2 of the meaningful use program, but when can we expect that rule to be released and what is your office hoping to accomplish with the next stage of the program?

Blumenthal: Well, we are hoping that we will give the field at least as much warning and time to prepare for Stage 2 as they had for Stage 1. I hope we can give them more because our Policy Committee has already put out for comment a set of proposed Stage 2 concepts and measures. So I think the conversation is already well under way. We don't want to rush the field, we don't want to get too far in front of Stage 1 and complicate the implementation of Stage 1 with discussions about Stage 2. But we also want to have a long, deliberate, deep conversation about Stage 2.

So I think that throughout the spring into the summer, there will be a very robust, open conversation about what Stage 2 ought to include. And, I think that'll give a lot of information to vendors and other stakeholders about what may be expected of them in Stage 2. I think it will probably be the following winter before a formal notice of proposed rulemaking comes out and then somewhere in the next spring or summer before the final rule is issued. Those are guesses at this point. You know these timetables have a way of changing.

What we are going to be most adamant about in Stage 2 is improving the processes of care through the use of information and decision support. That's point one. And, point two will be increasing the amount of information that is exchanged in response to patient needs, assuring that that information is crossing organizational and commercial boundaries as it must because patients don't restrict themselves to single organizations for the most part for their care.

Read more: http://www.ihealthbeat.org/features/2011/blumenthal-looks-back-at-2010-offers-peek-into-plans-for-2011.aspx#ixzz1A5N7ws5j

Relocation and Your Pets: Top Six Tips

2010-12-23T18:54:00.000-05:00

Thursday, December 23, 2010.

By Tiffany Crenshaw, President and CEO of Intellect Resources

In the chaos of moving it is important not to overlook your non-human companions. Pets are very sensitive to changes in their environment, so consider these tips to help make their transition—and yours—smooth.

Planning Ahead

Make a list of all the logistics necessary to successfully relocate your pet. For example, find out about local leash laws, pet restrictions, and vaccination requirements. Also, if you will be stopping at a hotel on the way to your new location, call ahead to make sure it is pet friendly. Depending on your method of transportation, verify pet policies and ensure you have the appropriate carrier. If traveling by air, obtain any necessary airline veterinary or acclimation certificates. If you have any exotic pets, preplanning is especially important, as city, state, and airline regulations tend to be stricter.

Pre-Move Vet Visit

Schedule a visit to the veterinarian shortly before your move. In addition to a general checkup, have all required vaccinations administered. Make sure to get a current rabies tag and attach it to your pet’s collar. Obtain copies of all your pet’s medical records and keep them handy during the move. Consider asking for a mild sedative to give your pet if he tends to get anxious about riding in cars or if your pet will be conveyed alongside unfamiliar animals in a plane’s cargo hold. You might also ask for anti-nausea medication if travelling by road.

Finding a New Vet

Before you move, use the Internet to locate an emergency veterinarian nearest to your new home. Keep the phone number and address on hand during the transition. If at all possible, locate a new non-emergency vet before you move. But don’t just choose the one closest to your new address. Instead, ask for referrals from your pet’s current vet, your real estate agent, a relocation coordinator, coworkers, and new neighbors.

Travel Safety

Before you leave town, make sure to program the old and new vets’ phone numbers into your cell phone. If travelling by car, use a leash every time you stop to walk your dog. The disruption in routine created by travelling and the unfamiliar territory your pet finds herself in can foster anxiety and panic. You don’t want to risk her running away. Make sure your pet is wearing identification with your name, cell phone number, and new address, in the unfortunate event that she does get lost. Never leave any pet unattended in your car, as temperatures can rise and drop dangerously inside a vehicle. Keep any small pets, especially cats, inside a carrier, so they don’t pose a hazard by running under the driver’s feet. This also protects the animal in case of a sharp turn or a collision.

Travel Comfort

Keep the ride as comfortable as possible for your pet. Get a carrier big enough for your animal to stand, turn around, and lie down in. Line the carrier with his favorite soft blanket or towel. Pack his favorite toys with him. Let him travel with you if at all possible, because you are, after all, his family. If your pet is not comfortable riding in cars, take her on several short trips around the neighborhood before your move and reward her with a treat. Cats especially need help getting acclimated to car rides. Provide a mild sedative or anti-nausea pill if it will make your pet’s journey easier. Plan plenty of rest stops so your animal can take care of business without adding the stress of an “accident” or putting strain on an animal that is “holding it in.” Use these pit stops to stretch your dog’s legs and give them a little exercise—on a leash, of course! As much as is possible, feed your pet on his regular schedule, so that at least some aspects of the journey are normal to him.

Home Sweet Home

Animals are routine oriented. Establish routines in your new house as soon as you can. Start by setting up her feeding and sleeping areas in similar parts of the house as before. Do this as soon as you arrive, to create a comfortable, somewhat familiar space for your pet. Stick with the same feeding, walking, and bathing routine as much as possible. If you have a dog, gradually introduce her to new parts of the neighborhood, allowing time for the territory to become familiar. Sequestering your feline for a few days in a quiet room will provide him with a sense of security. Then allow him to gradually explore the house as natural curiosity replaces anxiety. If you have an outdoor cat, you may need to keep him strictly indoors for a couple of weeks until he has had time to adjust.

Remember, relocation is hard on your pet, too. Keeping the above tips in mind will ease your pet’s anxiety and make the transition easier on her. Most importantly, through all the logistics, routine, and changes, love on your pet generously!

Blumenthal to Set Aggressive Pace for Health Data Exchange

2010-12-20T15:31:00.000-05:00

Monday, December 20, 2010
Original article by Mary Mosquera for Government Health IT

Dr. David Blumenthal, the national health IT coordinator, expects to aggressively pick up the pace on health information exchange following the recent call from the White House for a common language and format for exchanging data between electronic health records systems.

To that end, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT will create an advisory panel to see how to implement some of the ideas laid out in the White House report. The work group, comprised of members of ONC’s Health IT Policy and Standards Committees and other privacy and security experts, will make recommendations to both committees by April.

The report, published Dec. 8 by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), directed ONC and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to develop the technical definitions and descriptions for the standard language and include them in requirements for meaningful use of electronic health records in 2013 and 2015.

The administration is absolutely committed to achieving interoperability, and it’s “not a minor issue” for them, Blumenthal said at a standards committee meeting Dec. 17.

“We are going to move forward with a great deal of aggressiveness on health information exchange and interoperability, and even faster than we had expected based on the council’s report,” he said.

However, he added, it will be up to the committee to pick a path that is “technically as refined and as open to innovation, but as reliable, as we can make it.”

The standards committee will weigh the proposals that eventually emerge for a universal exchange language. The report urged that it be based on extensible markup language (XML) so it can be machine-readable, in structured data format and include code sets or controlled vocabularies for each data element.

“Ultimately, when we are setting standards for the second stage of meaningful use, we’re going to be relying on this committee,” Blumenthal said.

Information for the most part is still held in proprietary systems, and providers cannot share and act upon the data, according to the report, “Realizing the Full Potential of Health Information Technology to Improve Healthcare for Americans: The Path Forward.”

It proposed that health data be broken down into the smallest individual pieces that make sense to exchange or aggregate. These data elements should be accompanied by a mandatory “metadata tag” that describes the data, the patient’s preferences around the data and required security and privacy protections.

Other “directional” themes from the PCAST report included development of middleware to exchange information between EHRs, PHRs, and other repositories, John Halamka, committee co-chair and CIO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, said at the meeting.

Data elements should also be able to be separated out from their original documents, such as in problem lists and laboratory results, and used for other purposes.

“If we want to aggregate information across multiple information sources so that we can have an accountable care organization, a community of care coordination, or a population health analysis,” he said “being able to discern how an individual data element relates back to a patient’s gender, zip code or something that would indicate how the data was gathered, by whom and for what purpose is reasonable.”

The report also described search engine technology as a mechanism to order or index data at a national level instead of using a document registry or database exchange.
Data elements and their metadata might be appropriately searched and organized through search engines, but would have to incorporate patient privacy protections and controls for users, Halamka said.

Survey: Top 5 reasons providers not ready for meaningful use

2010-12-13T11:17:00.000-05:00

Monday, December 13, 2010.
Original post by Molly Merrill, Associate Editor of Healthcare IT News

NEW YORK – About 90 percent of healthcare providers that purchased electronic medical records technology are off track to meet their meaningful use implementation goals, according to the 2011 Black Book Ranking's user survey.

Black Book Rankings is a division of the market research firm Brown-Wilson Group. Its user survey ranks the top EMR vendors for 2011 based on key performance indicators including meaningful use.

As a subset of the 2011 Black Book Ranking's Electronic Health Record (EMR) User Survey, nearly 4000 healthcare leaders responded on several commonly discussed EMR issues. Despite the technology's escalating adoption rate, the survey found that only one in 10 users foresees achieving the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 requirements for stimulus funding by this spring.

"Over four hundred Electronic Health Records (EHR) system developers have emerged in the market over the past year and, as in most fast adoption environments, not all vendors equally service and support their new clients," said Kevin Parker, lead EHR researcher for Black Book Rankings.

"The customers of only a handful of high performance EHR vendors expressed high confidence in meeting the demonstration of meaningful use deadlines," adds Parker. "The perception of an effective technology partner is highly dependent on the quality of EHR vendor support through a several month implementation."

EHR users surveyed indicated the following as the top five reasons they are losing implementation traction:

1.A lack of substantive support from their EHR vendor (93 percent);

2.Delayed implementation due to the cost of additional support from EHR vendor/consultants (89 percent);

3.A hurried selection of an EHR vendor has resulted in negative consequences (82 percent);

4.Lack available and/or trained staff to properly implement an EHR (77 percent); and

5.They are unprepared and underfunded to rectify difficult system interfaces (69 percent).

"User experience is the only accurate way to assess future performance for prospective EHR buyers," said Parker. "The top performing vendors have demonstrated, as a qualified group, their ability to satisfy client expectations higher than the entire field of competing EHR vendors. This will be evidenced in the meaningful use success rates of 2011 by their collective clients."

Ask A Recruiter : Selecting Your Professional References

2010-12-10T11:16:00.002-05:00

Thursday, December 8, 2010.
by Brenda Witkemper

We’ve been conducting a lot of references here at IR lately, and it seems this might be a great time to review best practices in selecting appropriate professional references. So, here’s my advice…

First, identify your advocates! A reference is worth little value to you, if he’s not your champion. Please steer clear of using anyone you may have had strong differences with. Likewise, don’t reach-out to anyone who’s ethics you question. True story – I once had a reference say to me, “Well, she’s OK, but I’m better. I feel I’d be a much stronger candidate for this job. Would you like to see my resume?” Ouch.
A good reference is someone who understands the role you held within the organization and the challenges you overcame, personally witnessed your talents, and can speak positively to your strengths. Whenever possible, try to provide names of direct supervisors. This relationship lends credibility to their professional feedback.
Choose individuals who regularly practice discretion (tact, if you will). All too often, references volunteer unnecessary gossip and/or personal information, which can damage one’s candidacy. Examples: financial set-backs, bouts of depression over not being able to find work, nasty divorce details, etc. A good reference will exercise restraint in regards to these personal matters.

Lastly, consider this individual’s communication skills. Is he/she capable of detailing your interpersonal skills and job-related competencies? This is a critical consideration. A reference may be discarded altogether by your prospective employer, because he/she failed to provide them with usable feedback. You may be surprised at the number of references who try to answer every question with a simple, “Uh-huh.” To that, I say… Ugh.

Survey Projects Growth in Hiring for Health IT Industry During Q1

2010-12-08T09:10:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Originally posted on iHealthBeat

Hiring in the health care IT industry is projected to grow in the first quarter of 2011, according to a new report from industry group Robert Half, Healthcare IT News reports (Merrill, Healthcare IT News, 12/6).

The report is based on interviews with more than 1,400 CIOs across the nation.

Key Findings

Health care, manufacturing and professional services are the top IT industries that will see employment growth, according to the report (Ballenstedt, "Wired Workplace," Government Executive, 12/6).

Health services CIOs are the most likely to hire in the first quarter, compared with other industries, with 18% of executives in the sector planning to expand their IT departments, the survey found. None of those surveyed expect to reduce their staff, according to the report.

In addition, the most in-demand health IT professionals, who CIOs also said were the most difficult to find, include:

■Skilled software developers; and

■Networking and security professionals (Healthcare IT News, 12/6).

8 Key Roles to Incorporate Into an Excellent Health IT Team

2010-12-06T10:48:00.000-05:00

Monday, December 6, 2010.
Written by Jaimie Oh and originally on Becker's Hospital Review

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, hospitals and healthcare organizations have the opportunity to become eligible for incentive payments upon demonstrating meaningful use of electronic medical records. However, a shortage of health IT workers in the healthcare industry has added another challenge to healthcare leaders scrambling to implement health IT solutions in their respective organizations. Because of this, it is becoming now more important than ever for hospitals to hire health IT staff members who can serve as veritable support to hospital leaders, specifically CIOs. Here are seven of some of the top health IT leadership and support roles hospitals should hire into their organizations.

Leadership roles

1. Chief medical information officer. A CMIO is typically a physician employed by the hospital who, in this position, serves as the liaison to other physicians during health IT initiatives. This individual, who already has a clinical understanding, should also have a deep technological understanding. This prevents silos from building between administrative and the physician staff on health IT processes. "Health IT initiatives like computerized physician order entry are almost always done better when you have a CMIO acting as a liaison between physicians, IT and administrative staff," says Bob Sarnecki, vice president and CIO of Phoenix (Ariz.) Children's Hospital.
For example, Phoenix Children's CMIO is in the process of checking dose ranges for the hospital's already-installed CPOE. Dose ranges for medication can be a tricky situation because rather than being a straight calculation, ranges are based on height, weight and age, Mr. Sarnecki says. "His job in this instance is primarily to translate these ranges and implement them into the CPOE so that our physicians can be warned when a dose is too low and ineffective or too high and dangerous to the patient," he says.

2. Chief nursing officer. Michael Sauk, vice president and CIO of University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in Madison, Wisc., says hospitals would deeply benefit from appointing a CNO who is committed to and believes in the EMRs. In the same vein as the CMIO, a CNO acts as the motivator to nurse managers and nursing staff members. Working with the CNO could be a nursing informatics function, which aids the CNO in developing workflow procedures and policies and training content for the nursing department staff members.

"If you have a CNO who truly believes the organization needs a paperless EMR, [he or] she ensures the nursing directors are committed to getting their staff trained, that the directors of nursing participates in the design and testing of the system and so on," Mr. Sauk says.

3. Chief medical officer or chief quality officer. Chief medical officers and chief quality officers are also key leaders who must support EMR programs, says Mary Anne Leach, vice president and CIO of The Children's Hospital in Aurora, Colo. These leaders must actively use, understand, govern and lead their physician and clinician communities toward meaningful use of EMRs.

"These roles are critical to healthcare IT initiatives due to the fact that EMR and meaningful use projects must be clinically and medically led by such individuals," she says.

Support roles

4. Operational leader. At UW Hospital and Clinics, there are two operational leaders —for inpatient and ambulatory services — who are responsible for ensuring all departments in their scope of responsibility understand how to use an EMR by adequately training departmental staff.

"For example, we had an operational leader whose role was to represent the ambulatory staff and leadership at steering committee meetings and governance meetings," Mr. Sauk says. "She was involved in the design of the EMR, development for training material and ensured everyone on the ambulatory staff was engaged throughout the process, present for the go-live and available for post-implementation reviews. A similar operational leader was in place for the inpatient departments."

5. Integration manager. One aspect of meaningful use and EMRs that hospitals will ultimately need to grapple with, whether that be within an accountable care organization or within just the enterprise itself, is how patient information is shared so that care can be delivered on a more global scale. At Phoenix Children's, an integration manager is responsible for ensuring health IT solutions such as EMRs are incorporated into physician practice groups with the goal of becoming more connected, more efficient and paperless. The integration manager is also responsible for integrating applications to help support meaningful use initiatives at physician practice groups, such as voice recognition or having patients' vital signs automatically recorded into their EMRs without the need for a nurse to type in the information.
"There will be an increasing need for devices and applications to be hooked into hospitals' EMRs, so that it takes away the need for clinicians to manually transcribe or type directly into a patient's record," Mr. Sarnecki says. "Especially with the nursing and health IT worker shortages, hospitals need to start looking how to do more with less. Integration frees the clinical user to focus on the clinical aspects of their profession."

6. Project manager. Mr. Sarnecki says that while CIOs are usually the individuals charged with spearheading every health IT initiative, project managers can help alleviate the burden of closely managing each and every health IT project. Project managers ensure the coordination of effort between departments and assist in keeping the team focused on both implementation tasks and return-on-investment metrics that collectively define a successful project, he says.

Ms. Leach adds this position will become more important as the health IT solution market continues to expand and offer very specialized products. "Not all clinical applications come from the same vendors. For example, there are cardiology solutions, radiology solutions and other specialized diagnostics and systems that will always have to be interfaced back to the EMR," she says. "On-going integration of different applications requires long-term governance, project management and oversight."

Mr. Sauk also emphasizes the importance of project management. "Without project management, projects slip and miss their delivery date and exceed their budgets. It's important to have good project managers who are used to holding people accountable to tasks that are assigned to them and set up the road to get to destination," he says.

7. Infrastructure manager. Hospitals and healthcare organizations should avoid the mistake of overlooking infrastructural needs by appointing an individual to manage all infrastructure-related issues and projects. Most health IT solutions, including EMRs and CPOE, require more than just software installation and in many instance require major infrastructure overhauls. Because of this, a seasoned infrastructure manager who is keenly adept at the most up-to-date and state-of-the-art technology can help hospitals configure what infrastructure fit their facilities best while also containing costs.

"Right now, healthcare organizations want to get the biggest bang for the buck for health IT systems they put in place. An infrastructure manager would help make sure the systems and applications actually help the physicians do their jobs more effectively," Mr. Sarnecki says. "For example, our infrastructure manager has been transitioning us to virtual servers, decreasing the cost of installing, powering and cooling physical servers by two-thirds. He is also charged with looking for solutions that complement our clinical users' workflow and existing investment in network and server hardware."

Ms. Leach says hospitals must recognize the need for technology leaders, such as directors of technology services, to help oversee the complex technical operations of health IT initiatives on a day-to-day basis. "Our facility is spending $2 million to $3 million annually to keep our infrastructure evolving and performing optimally," she says. "Take an EMR, for example, if it's not up and running at nearly 100 percent availability and performing very quickly, then no physician is going to use it."

8. Director of data warehouse and business intelligence. Eventually, hospitals and healthcare organizations will have to use the data and information collected through their EMRs in such a way that improves clinical outcomes, reduces costs and meets regulatory quality measures. Hospitals should implement data management solutions, such as an enterprise data warehouse, and hire directors who can lead business intelligence functions and analytics programs, including predictive modeling. These kinds of analytics is what will ultimately improve the quality and lower the cost of healthcare as more healthcare providers learn to meaningfully use data to keep patients healthy proactively.

"Analytics means taking the data out of EMRs and other systems, mining the data for opportunities and improving the performance of the healthcare system," Ms. Leach says. "Data warehouses allow data to be collected across different systems, so a hospital could have 80 different source systems collecting data in one location, either virtually or physicially. The question is how that hospital will use the data after it is captured to help the organization perform better."

Top 25 Clinical Informaticists - 2010

2010-12-01T14:57:00.001-05:00

Wednesday, December 1, 2010
By Maureen McKinney, originally posted 11/8/10 on ModernHealthcare.com

Richard Ambrosino

Richard Ambrosino, 51, is medical director, clinical decision support and reporting, at 12-hospital University of Pittsburgh Medical Center health system, where he has worked in various informatics leadership roles for nearly a decade. He has led the system's efforts to improve functionality, rules and reports within its electronic health-record system. Before joining UPMC, Ambrosino, a physician, was co-director of the clinical informatics team at the Pittsburgh VA Healthcare System, where he helped design and implement a computerized physician order entry system. His background also includes 20 years as a primary- and emergency-care physician.

Richard Bankowitz
As chief medical officer for the Premier health alliance, Charlotte, N.C., Richard Bankowitz, 53, works with clinicians at the enterprise level on a number of quality- and performance-improvement initiatives, including Quest, a multiyear collaborative with more than 200 participating hospitals. He previously was vice president and medical director of Premier Healthcare Informatics. Before joining Premier, Bankowitz, a physician, was vice president and medical director of CareScience, a clinical data-mining and quality-improvement company Premier acquired in 2007. He also spent more than a decade at the University HealthSystem Consortium, Oak Brook, Ill.

Dotty Bollinger
Dotty Bollinger is senior vice president of medical operations at the Laser Spine Institute, Tampa, Fla. Bollinger, 46, joined the institute as vice president of quality and compliance in 2008 and was promoted to her current position in February. She helped lead the implementation of electronic medical records at the organization's three surgical centers, enabling staff to exchange patient information, track appointments and measure quality. Bollinger previously served as vice president of legal and compliance at Horizon Bay Retirement Living, also in Tampa.

William Bria

As chief medical information officer for Shriners Hospitals for Children, William Bria oversees the medical informatics plan for all of the 20 hospitals within the Tampa, Fla.-based system. Bria, 59, who has held the role since 2006, also is co-founder and president of the Association of Medical Directors of Information Systems. Prior to joining Shriners, Bria served for more than 16 years as the CMIO and medical director of clinical information systems at 849-bed University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers, Ann Arbor. Bria is a practicing pulmonary critical-care physician.

Peggy Budnik

Peggy Budnik, 62, is the project lead for clinical applications at two-hospital St. Francis Health System, Tulsa, Okla., a position she has held for more than a decade. Budnik, whose background is in clinical nursing, joined the system's information services team in 1997 as a senior management analyst. Her career also included stints as a nursing instructor and as a senior management consultant at the New York City Health and Hospitals Corp., where from 1988 to 1993 she helped to implement an early hospital information system.

Reid Coleman

During Reid Coleman's tenure as medical informatics officer at Lifespan, Providence, R.I., the four-hospital system has implemented a systemwide clinical information system, computerized physician-order entry and bedside bar-coding for medication administration. Coleman, 60, whose background includes 20 years as a primary-care internist, also serves as the co-chairman of the Rhode Island Quality Institute's Health Information Technology Physicians Advisory Committee.

Maureen Gaffney

Maureen Gaffney is chief medical information officer and senior vice president of patient-care services at 504-bed Winthrop-University Hospital, Mineola, N.Y. Gaffney, 50, began her career as a critical-care nurse at the hospital in 1992 and later became a physician assistant in cardiology and emergency medicine. She served six years as Winthrop-University's director of physician-assistant and nurse-practitioner services, and in 2006 Gaffney was named CMIO. She has led the rollout of several clinical IT systems, including computerized physician order entry.

William Hersh

As professor and chairman of medical informatics and clinical epidemiology in the school of medicine at Oregon Health & Science University, William Hersh heads one of the largest educational informatics programs in the nation. Hersh, 52, helped lead the “10 x 10” program, a collaborative effort with the American Medical Informatics Association, begun in 2005, that sought to educate 10,000 healthcare professionals in biomedical and health informatics by 2010. The initiative has trained more than 1,000 professionals so far and is still ongoing. Hersh, a physician, trained in internal medicine and completed a research fellowship in medical informatics at Harvard University in 1990.

Brent James

Brent James is executive director of the Institute for Health Care Delivery Research and vice president of medical research and continuing medical education for Intermountain Healthcare, a 19-hospital system based in Salt Lake City. Through a partnership with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, James, 59, a physician, has overseen the Advanced Training Program in Health Care Delivery Improvement, a clinical quality-improvement education program completed by more than 1,200 medical leaders. James also is an adjunct professor in the department of family and preventive medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

Elizabeth Johnson

Elizabeth Johnson is vice president of applied clinical informatics at Tenet Healthcare Corp., a 53-hospital system based in Dallas, with annual revenue of more than $9 billion. Johnson, 58, has led electronic health-record implementations at Tenet hospitals and also heads the system's IMPACT Program (Improving Patient Care Through Technology), an initiative that utilizes clinical operations leaders and trains them in technology and workflow improvement. She joined Tenet in 2002 and previously served as the chief operating officer and executive vice president at HealthLink, a health IT services company based in Houston.

Brent Lambert

Brent Lambert, 55, is vice president and chief medical information officer at 12-hospital Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, N.C. Lambert assumed the role in June. Before joining the system, Lambert, a physician, spent seven years as vice president of medical informatics and CMIO at Carilion Clinic, a seven-hospital system based in Roanoke, Va. While at Carilion, Lambert led the rapid deployment of an enterprise electronic health-record system across all of its facilities.

Howard Landa

Howard Landa serves as the chief medical information officer at 310-bed Alameda County Medical Center, Oakland, Calif., and as CMIO at Kaiser Permanente Hawaii. In Kaiser's Hawaii region, Landa, 53, oversaw the implementation of an integrated electronic health-record system that received HIMSS Stage 6 certification. At Alameda County, Landa is leading the hospital through the process of selecting a vendor for an integrated ambulatory, inpatient and financial system. Landa is a practicing pediatric urologist.

Christopher Longhurst

Christopher Longhurst, 35, joined the clinical informatics team at 272-bed Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif., in 2004 and has led the hospital's implementation of computerized physician-order entry. After serving as physician lead and medical director for clinical informatics, he was named Lucile Packard's chief medical information officer this year. A pediatrician, Longhurst previously worked as a hospitalist in the division of neonatology at 509-bed Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose, Calif.

Blackford Middleton

Blackford Middleton is director of clinical informatics research at 10-hospital Partners HealthCare System, Boston. Since joining Partners, Middleton, 53, a physician, has expanded the clinical informatics team from 12 staff members in 2001 to more than 120 staffers, researchers and contractors this year. Before joining Partners, he was senior vice president for clinical informatics and chief medical officer for MedicaLogic, an EHR vendor General Electric Co. acquired in 2002. He also held posts at Stanford University Medical Center.

Robert Murphy

Since 2008, Robert Murphy, 46, has served as chief medical informatics officer for eight-hospital Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, Houston. During that time, he has spearheaded efforts to implement evidence-based order sets and automated clinical decision-support tools within the system's electronic health record. Prior to his current role, Murphy was Memorial Hermann's medical director of information systems. He also spent more than five years at Norton Healthcare, Louisville, Ky., most recently serving as associate vice president and CMIO. Murphy trained as an emergency physician.

Eric Poon

Eric Poon is director of clinical informatics at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston. Poon, 39, has held the role for four years, and has helped lead a range of initiatives, including the 776-bed hospital's implementation of an electronic medication-administration and bar-coding system. Poon, a physician who also is an assistant professor of internal medicine at Harvard Medical School, has conducted research on topics such as computerized physician-order entry adoption, and this year was the lead author on a study showing a link between bar-coding technology and improved medication safety.

George Reynolds

George Reynolds, 52, is vice president, chief information officer and chief medical informatics officer at 143-bed Children's Hospital & Medical Center, a free-standing children's hospital in Omaha, Neb. Reynolds joined the hospital's clinical staff in 1996 as a pediatric intensivist and became director of pediatric critical care. He has led the development of clinical analytics and enhanced clinical decision support at Children's. He previously served as director of the pediatric intensive-care unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, also in Omaha.

Jeff Rose

Jeff Rose is vice president of clinical excellence, informatics, at 75-hospital Ascension Health, St. Louis. Rose, 57, was named to the post in 2004, and has led programs focused on closed-loop medication processes, nursing informatics, medical terminology and electronic health-record implementation. Before joining Ascension, Rose, a physician, was vice president and chief medical officer at Cerner Corp., Kansas City, Mo. He also was a clinical project leader in the Rocky Mountain division of Kaiser.

Sandy Savino

Sandy Savino's career includes stints as a registered nurse, nurse educator and lead project analyst at 434-bed Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Since 2008, Savino has been a clinical systems analyst and team leader of the clinical content team at five-hospital Catholic Health Services of Long Island, Rockville Centre, N.Y. Savino has led efforts to implement clinical decision-support tools and to standardize the use of order sets in preparation for the system's future implementation of an enterprise-wide electronic health record.

Michael Shrift

Michael Shrift is vice president and chief medical information officer at Allina Hospitals & Clinics, an 11-hospital system based in Minneapolis. Shrift, 47, who has held the post for two years, has led rollouts of clinical decision-support and patient-safety compliance tools. Before joining Allina, Shrift, a physician, spent a decade at Centura Health, Englewood, Colo., where he most recently served as vice president of information technology and CMIO. He led the implementation of an electronic medical record and a picture archiving and communication system.

Richard Snow

For nearly a decade, Richard Snow has served as medical director for performance improvement at Doctors Hospital, a 191-bed facility in Columbus, Ohio, that is part of eight-hospital OhioHealth. Snow, 55, was chairman of the hospital's performance-improvement committee and has overseen a successful adverse drug-event prevention program and a comparative-effectiveness initiative aimed at improving outcomes and reducing mortality rates for heart attack patients. He also worked on population-based quality-of-care studies examining patient outcomes in such areas as asthma care, childhood immunizations and prenatal care. Snow planned to return to primary-care practice in October, after a five-year hiatus.

Christopher Snyder

Christopher Snyder is chief medical information officer and medical director of performance improvement at 366-bed Peninsula Regional Medical Center, Salisbury, Md. Snyder, 43, who joined PRMC in 1998, has led the hospital's efforts to roll out computerized physician order entry, electronic-progress notes and closed-loop medication administration. In January, the hospital received HIMSS Stage 6 certification, the second-highest level. Snyder, who still works as a family-practice physician, also serves as a deputy medical examiner for the state of Maryland.

Khiet Trinh

Khiet Trinh is the first-ever chief medical information officer for 138-bed Ephrata (Pa.) Community Hospital, a role he has held for two years. Trinh, 39, also was named the hospital's associate vice president of medical affairs in 2009. As CMIO, Trinh served as a physician champion for a hospital-wide rollout of an electronic health-record system, and also led implementation of a biometric, single sign-on system at physician workstations. Trinh is a board-certified family physician and continues to practice.

Ferdinand Velasco

Ferdinand Velasco, 46, is vice president and chief medical information officer of Texas Health Resources, a 13-hospital health system based in Arlington. Trained as a cardiothoracic surgeon, Velasco first became interested in clinical informatics as a medical student. At THR, he has led a five-year, $200 million implementation of an electronic health record. He has also used clinical analytics to evaluate the EHR's impact on medical errors. Velasco is chairman of the National Quality Forum's eMeasure Format Review Panel.

Joel Vengco

Joel Vengco, 35, is chief applications officer and director of IT at 527-bed Boston Medical Center. Vengco assumed the post in 2007 and has led the hospital's development of a community information exchange, which enables clinical data-sharing with 15 community health centers. Previously, Vengco was a senior medical informatician at Partners HealthCare System, Boston. He also served as a consultant and senior adviser at Dimagi, a healthcare technology services company based in Charlestown, Mass.

View the photo gallery of the Top 25 Clinical Informaticists

Tiffany Crenshaw is Interviewed by HIT Radio – Gimme a Break

2010-11-23T08:28:00.000-05:00

Monday, November 22, 2010.

Tiffany Crenshaw, CEO of Intellect Resources, gives the low down on the BigBreak audition.

Click the link below to listen:
Episode 17 – Gimme a Break

The BP Crisis and Information Security Compliance in Health Care : Parallel Disasters?

2010-11-17T10:27:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, November 17, 2010.
By Feisal Nanji of Techumen, a Channel Partner of Intellect Resources

'Organizations Must Build in Security with the Right Balance of Processes, Behavior Changes, and Technology Controls.'

Read the complete article by clicking on the link below.
Journal of Health Care Compliance - Feisal Nanji - Final

Commentary: Health IT market to consolidate into ‘superstores’

2010-11-16T10:12:00.001-05:00

Tuesday, November 16, 2010.
Written by Editorial Staff of CMIO

The U.S. health IT market is in the early phases of a massive consolidation that will ultimately create a handful of “healthcare IT superstores” or "healthcare information networks," according to a recent commentary from Marlin & Associates, a strategic and financial advisory firm for the technology and healthcare industries.

The commentary noted that a confluence of technologies will enable radical changes at relatively reasonable costs. In addition to advances in the field of medicine, there have been breakthroughs in telecommunication, data management, infrastructure and analytics technologies, laying the foundation for more innovative technologies for the industry.

In the not-too-distant future, a few companies will emerge to lead the healthcare information industry, according to the commentary. These companies will integrate the key components of a healthcare information network—and thereby will be in a position to set industry standards.

The market commentary makes five predictions for the future of health IT:
•A quickening pace of merger and acquisition activity among administrative (payor and provider sides), revenue cycle management and analytics businesses.

•Payors will take a more active part in individualizing medicine to avoid becoming commoditized.

•An increasing trend toward outsourcing, which will lead to the creation of a new breed of companies that will focus on managing the information flow in many health information exchanges.

•Incumbents in the health IT industry such as Ingenix; telecoms such as AT&T or Verizon; or large technology companies like IBM and Microsoft will all strive to provide the health information networks.

•The private sector will set the standards for the industry; just as Microsoft and Intel set technology standards in the 1980s.

HIMSS, AUPHA and CAHME to Jointly Define IT Curriculum

2010-11-12T14:13:00.000-05:00

Carla Smith of HIMSS

Friday, November 12, 2010.
Mike Miliard, Managing Editor Healthcare IT News
Edited by Intellect Resources

CHICAGO – HIMSS, the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) and the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) have announced a collaboration to develop a model curriculum in healthcare IT, which will be designed for undergraduate and graduate students in healthcare management programs.
“This collaboration grew out of our recognition that CAHME accredited programs need enhanced teaching and learning tools to equip our program graduates with the skills they will need to navigate the rapidly changing arena of information technology," said John S. Lloyd, president of CAHME. "We are pleased that HIMSS and others are willing to stand with us to develop these much needed tools.”

The project scope not only includes the curriculum design, but also the development of course modules that can be combined to form stand-alone courses or integrated individually into existing courses. To deliver the modules, necessary teaching tools – such as syllabi, class exercise, simulations, case studies, exam questions and instructor manuals – also will be developed.

CAHME current and candidate programs, as well as undergraduate programs, will be able to access these modules to update their curriculum.

“Future executives must be educated in the art and science of adopting proper information technologies, integrating them technically and organizationally, and extracting benefit from them,” said AUPHA president and CEO, Lydia Middleton. “This collaboration, and the products that will be developed from it, will make it possible for our member programs to ensure that the future leaders they prepare have the requisite skills and knowledge to face the IT challenges of the current and future healthcare system.”

Materials from the collaboration will be used for Train-the-Trainer tools, resources designed to prepare both non-expert academics and expert non-academics to teach in the AUPHA-member program classrooms.

The project will take place over three years with completion scheduled for fall of 2013.

“Robust educational offerings of high-quality on health IT and management systems have always been a primary focus of HIMSS,” said Carla Smith, executive vice president of HIMSS. "We look forward to supporting CAHME and AUPHA in the development of these modules for inclusion in undergraduate and graduate health management programs across the United States.”

Ask A Recruiter

2010-11-11T08:20:00.001-05:00

Thursday, November 11, 2010.
By Eileen Dick

Question : I have found a job posting online, and I know I could do the job. However, I don’t have the requisite skills or experience. Should I still apply?

Answer : This is a really difficult question to answer. It is understandable for you to want to apply when you see a position you know you could do, especially if you are out of work. While you may be quite capable of doing the job, employers usually list their
required background, skills and experience for a reason…and you really should respect that. Employers may need someone to “hit the ground running” and may not have time to spend training an individual. If they were willing to take someone on at an entry level basis, or someone moving from a different industry, they would have said so in their posting. Considering the employer has taken the time to think through the minimum educational requirements, experience, etc. they want the job-holder to have, it doesn’t give a great impression that you have ignored the employer’s needs by applying when you don’t have the required skills. Add that to the fact in today’s economy there are far more applicants to each job opening than ever before and you are only setting yourself up for disappointment.

Whether an outside recruiter or an internal HR person, somebody has got to sift through all those resumes with the express purpose of identifying those who are a fit for the job. So, chances are that you won’t get past that first stage. Since these days recruiters and HR professionals are being inundated daily with countless applicants to their limited positions, chances are that you may not even get a reply to your application, at least not quickly. First priority will be in passing qualified candidates through to the hiring manager, not in responding to unqualified applicants. At the end of the day, while it is very tempting to apply for such a position, it would probably be better to focus on those positions where your skills and experience do fit the desired profile. This approach, quality before quantity, will be better for all in the long run.

Intellect Resources and Mount Sinai Medical Center "BigBreak" Success

2010-11-09T09:21:00.000-05:00

Monday, November 8, 2010.
By Tiffany Crenshaw, President and CEO of Intellect Resources

Phew! After weeks of preparation and a few sleepless nights, the BigBreak audition was held last Friday at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square, NYC. It’s safe to say it was a unique, exciting and successful experience for all involved. Our first contestants arrived an hour before registration (that’s dedication) followed by a steady flow of contestants until closing (and beyond). All were prepared
with a great attitude, polished demeanor and sense of adventure. Intellect Resources manned the registration desk and fielded questions while Mount Sinai orchestrated a well-thought out audition track for contestants including speed interviews, improvisation, camera time, and for some - a live audition for contestants to show off their presentation skills. Both Mount Sinai and Intellect Resources were impressed by the enthusiasm, professionalism and caliber of contestants who turned out for the event. While we marketed this event mainly to the New York City market, contestants flew in from North Carolina, Florida, Michigan and beyond.

Before the day even concluded, comments like these began pouring in via email and the BigBreak LinkedIn page:

“It was like no other hiring event; reinvented for sure. Thanks to you and your entire crew.”

“Thanks so much for the Intellectual Resources team on Friday! It was very well-organized, smooth and amazing! I expected to stay for the interview process for couple of hours and I was out within an hour. Thanks again for that kind of professionalism!”

“I wanted to thank you for the opportunity to take part in the Big Break Audition. Everyone that I came into contact with was very professional and couldn't have been nicer. Congratulations to Mount Sinai and Intellect Resources for developing and implementing a high quality, well thought out and fun recruitment process.”

“Strategically this event started the night before as we all joined LinkedIn and utilized the social networks to gain more insight of both the prospective employer and employee(s). Interview video, beautiful, smart people and a two minute speech on "Vacation"; Loved it! Technology is changing and wisely Intellect Resources and Mount Sinai reinvented the interview experience.”

Thank you to all who participated and attended, you truly made this experience memorable. Stay tuned as video and photographs of the event are sure to follow.

Memo to BigBreak Contestants from Mount Sinai Medical Center

2010-11-03T18:35:00.001-04:00

Wednesday, November 3, 2010.

By Egan Visker

IT'S Show Time!

We’d like to congratulate you on being chosen to participate in our hiring event. This approach is new and exciting for us. Healthcare IT is one of the few industries still experiencing growth. We’re thrilled to be able to give our community an opportunity to jump into the field.

The Mount Sinai Medical Center staff sets a high standard of care for our patients and we are determined to follow that standard in our care of our physicians, nurses, PCAs, social workers, techs, Bas, OTs, PTs....you get the picture. Their time is valuable and we need you to help make the most of that time.

Our goal is to find a group of individuals to help us deliver exceptional, engaging and FUN training to our hospital personnel. What better place than New York City to find such a group! So bring your “A” game, competition will be fierce.

Show us you were made for this!

BREAK A LEG!

Massive Hiring Event Held for Mount Sinai

2010-11-01T09:03:00.001-04:00

Monday, November 1, 2010.
By Molly Merrill of Healthcare IT News

NEW YORK – Next week a massive hiring event will be held for The Mount Sinai Medical Center, which is looking to take on 90 temporary technology trainers to help instruct staff on how to use its new electronic health record system.

Mount Sinai, a 1,171-bed, tertiary-care teaching facility in New York, is implementing an EHR form Verona, Wis.-based Epic Systems Corporation. In order to ease the transition away from paper, the hospital is looking to take on these new workers for three-to-six months
"Instead of targeting only those who already have experience training medical and administrative staff on healthcare technology systems, we are collaborating with Mount Sinai to give an opportunity to the many unemployed and under-employed New Yorkers who need a helping hand to transition to a more stable career path, or one that they will enjoy more than their current job," said Tiffany Crenshaw, president and CEO of Intellect Resources, the firm hired to host the event. "That's why we're opening our doors to anyone from actors to teachers, retirees and recent college graduates who think they have the innate personality, work ethic and people skills to succeed as a healthcare technology trainer."

Hospital officials say the audition is designed to have an element of surprise for the candidates because good trainers need to be adaptable and quick on their feet. It will also include an opportunity for finalists to show off their presentation skills and demonstrate what separates them from everyone else, and may also include traditional interviews.

"We're really hoping to find some great candidates from all walks of life who are interested in getting into the high growth field of healthcare technology," said Susan Brassell-Knox, director, Strategic Planning and Project Management Office at The Mount Sinai Medical Center. "The audition process is an exciting way to let candidates be a little more creative than the typical job interview, so we're looking forward to this unique "recruiting experience."

The event will be held on Nov. 5 from 8:00 am – 5:30 p.m. at the Marriott Marquis in New York. Click here for more information. Tickets are necessary for entrance.

Video about the BigBreak into Health IT on November 5th in NYC

2010-10-29T13:57:00.000-04:00

Friday, October 29, 2010.

Don't miss this great video about the BigBreak event in NYC on November 5th by Tiffany Crenshaw, President and CEO of Intellect Resources. Great information for those attending and those wanting to know more!

IRBeat : ASHIM Presents Intellect Resources BigBreak with Mount Sinai Medical Center

2010-10-26T10:05:00.004-04:00

Tuesday, October 26, 2010.
James Johnson of ASHIM, Tiffany Crenshaw of Intellect Resources, and from Mount Sinai Medical Center in NYC - Kristin Myers Vice President of IT and Epic Clinical Transformation Group, Egan Visker / Training Manager, Dr.Bruce Darrow, MD, PhD and Amy Albano, RN, MBA, Senior Director, Nursing Operations.

Listen to the new IRBeat where we discuss the upcoming BigBreak audition!

Industry professionals are all here to share their expertise and insight on the ground breaking audition, and why you should be a part of it!

Top 10 Reasons to Apply for the Big Break Audition

2010-10-25T08:19:00.001-04:00

Monday, October 25, 2010.
By Tiffany Crenshaw, President and CEO of Intellect Resources

Worth playing hooky from work
Practice your interview skills
Network with interesting, entertaining, professional people (We might ask Paula Abdul to be a judge.)
It is NOT Project Runway
Opportunity to get your foot in the healthcare IT door
See who can make the most words out of our industry’s Alphabet soup – EMRCPOECLINCDOC
Could learn EPIC, only the hottest EMR on the market today
Opportunity to participate in a GROUND BREAKING new way to recruit
Get your presentation skills critiqued. (Simon Cowell will NOT be there!)
Work with one of nation’s most prestigious healthcare organizations
Learn what EMR stands for and other healthcare IT “thingys”

Visit www.intellectresources.com/bigbreak

November 5th Auditions Could Provide a New Career Path for 90 New Yorkers Seeking their "Big Break"

2010-10-22T10:54:00.002-04:00

Friday, October 22, 2010
(CNBC - BUSINESS WIRE)

Intellect Resources, a search firm specializing in full-time and contract placements in the healthcare IT industry, is hosting a "casting call" style audition event on November 5th to find 90 New Yorkers who are seeking a new opportunity to be fully trained and gain valuable job experience as healthcare technology trainers. The individuals selected during the audition will be placed on 3 -- 6 month assignments at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York.

The trainers will be teaching Mount Sinai's staff -- from physicians to administrative clerks -- how to use a new electronic health records system that the hospital is implementing from Epic Systems Corporation, the industry leader in electronic health records. The new system is being implemented to comply with a provision of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which encourages healthcare providers to convert to electronic records in order to reduce cost and increase the efficiency and accuracy of health records management.

"Instead of targeting only those who already have experience training medical and administrative staff on healthcare technology systems, we are collaborating with Mount Sinai to give an opportunity to the many unemployed and under-employed New Yorkers who need a helping hand to transition to a more stable career path, or one that they will enjoy more than their current job," said Tiffany Crenshaw, president and CEO of Intellect Resources. "That's why we're opening our doors to anyone from actors to teachers, retirees and recent college graduates who think they have the innate personality, work ethic and people skills to succeed as a healthcare technology trainer." The auditions will be held on Friday, November 5th from 8:00 am -- 5:30 p.m. at the Marriott Marquis in New York. To apply for an audition, candidates are encouraged to go to www.intellectresources.com/bigbreak and complete the application, upload their resume and complete a short questionnaire before the application window closes on November 1, 2010.

Approved applicants will receive an e-ticket to the event and further instructions for the audition via email. No walk-ups will be admitted. There is no relocation package or reimbursement for travel/commute expenses for these jobs, so only residents within commuting distance of Mount Sinai in New York are encouraged to apply.

Ideal candidates will have excellent presentation skills, flexible working schedule, English fluency, some college or equivalent professional experience and computer proficiency. Candidates selected from the auditions must successfully complete a paid 4-6 week credentialing course in order to be placed on assignment at Mount Sinai.

The audition is designed to have an element of surprise for the candidates because good trainers need to be adaptable and quick on their feet. It is a mass hiring event that will definitely include an opportunity for finalists to show off their presentation skills and demonstrate what separates them from everyone else, and may also include traditional interviews.

"We're really hoping to find some great candidates from all walks of life who are interested in getting into the high growth field of healthcare technology," said Susan Brassell-Knox, Director, Strategic Planning and Project Management Office at The Mount Sinai Medical Center. "The audition process is an exciting way to let candidates be a little more creative than the typical job interview, so we're looking forward to this unique recruiting experience."

About Intellect Resources - Intellect Resources is a search firm specializing in full-time and contract placements in the healthcare IT industry, primarily in core healthcare information systems implementations. Founded in 2000 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the company serves clients throughout the country, and is particularly well-known for the company's ability to find top talent with both healthcare and IT expertise to assist their clients within these specialized environments. The firm currently employs 11 people in recruiting and administrative roles and its clients include hospitals like Bon Secours Health System, VCU Medical Center, Stamford Hospital, University of Miami Hospital and others, as well as consulting firms who cater to this industry, such as Innovative Consulting Group, IT Advantages and Source 88. More information is available at: www.intellectresources.com.

About The Mount Sinai Medical Center - The Mount Sinai Medical Center encompasses both The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Established in 1968, Mount Sinai School of Medicine is one of few medical schools embedded in a hospital in the United States. It has more than 3,400 faculty in 32 departments and 15 institutes, and ranks among the top 20 medical schools both in National Institute of Health funding and by U.S. News & World Report. The school received the 2009 Spencer Foreman Award for Outstanding Community Service from the Association of American Medical Colleges.

The Mount Sinai Hospital, founded in 1852, is a 1,171-bed tertiary- and quaternary-care teaching facility and one of the nation's oldest, largest and most-respected voluntary hospitals. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks The Mount Sinai Hospital among the nation's best hospitals based on reputation, patient safety, and other patient-care factors. Nearly 60,000 people were treated at Mount Sinai as inpatients last year, and approximately 530,000 outpatient visits took place. For more information, visit www.mountsinai.org.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6479363&lang=en.

SOURCE: Intellect Resources CONTACT: The Sales Factory Tracy Shilobrit, 262-825-2613, tracys@salesfactory.com Copyright Business Wire 2010 -0- KEYWORD: United States

CACI Awarded $1 Billion CDC Health IT Contract

2010-10-20T14:59:00.000-04:00

Wednesday, October 20, 2010.
By Nicole Lewis , InformationWeek

Ten-year deal will provide infrastructure enhancements to advance Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientific research and public health protection.

CACI International has been awarded a prime contract to support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) information technology infrastructure work under the overall CDC Information Management Services (CIMS) contract. The 10-year, multiple-award, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract for IT infrastructure work has a ceiling value of $1 billion.

The Arlington, Va.-based company announced on Tuesday that it will provide CIMS with information and data analysis, requirements analysis, the design and development of new systems, system security, modifications to existing systems, database administration, and user training. Not only does the award represent new business, but it leverages CACI's position in the growing healthcare IT field. The company will provide support at the CDC's main campus in Atlanta as well as its offices worldwide.

The award strengthens CACI's functional core competency in enterprise IT and network (EITN) services, drawing upon its years of IT, network engineering, and healthcare expertise. CACI's infrastructure support will help the CDC reach its goals of providing near-real-time gathering of health information, developing analytic tools for scientists, and enhancing public health and community collaboration.

"CACI continues to execute on its strategic growth plan of aligning its capabilities with the nation's highest priorities, such as improving healthcare and enhancing government systems," Paul Cofoni, CACI's president and CEO, said in a statement. "The Centers for Disease Control is new to our family of clients and this contract is key to CACI's strategy of increasing our support to federal healthcare agencies. We look forward to offering the CDC proven solutions for its important mission."
CACI is currently providing the Defense Medical Logistics Standard Support -- Defense Logistics Agency program with professional services and IT to help manage medical supplies and services for military forces worldwide.
According to Bill Fairl, CACI's president of U.S. operations, the company has focused its efforts on improving efficiency, maintaining security, and reducing costs in IT infrastructure environments. "Our support will play a pivotal role in helping the Centers for Disease Control continue to provide credible health information and better protect the health of the public," Fairl said in a statement.

Blumenthal: Federal program will ease IT worker shortage

2010-10-19T16:07:00.001-04:00

Tuesday, October 19, 2010.
From Fiercehealth IT

Worried that you won't have enough IT staff to complete an EMR implementation toward achieving "meaningful use," or perhaps making the conversion to ICD-10 coding? National health IT coordinator Dr. David Blumenthal wants you to relax.

"Help is not only on the way--it's here," Blumenthal says in his latest public letter, touting the $84 million federal Health IT Workforce Development Program.

He notes that the University of Texas at Austin, a beneficiary of some of the government funding, recently graduated its first class of health information management and exchange specialists, and that the school will add three more health IT certificate programs next year. "Right now, most of the graduates are looking to enter--or have already entered--the health IT workforce. Graduates are landing jobs with consulting firms, software vendors, technical assistance companies, and healthcare providers," Blumenthal writes.

From outside Washington, we see that the IT field in general is booming. According to Menlo Park, Calif.-based IT placement firm Robert Half Technology, starting salaries for IT professionals should increase by 3.4 percent in 2011, and healthcare has a large role in that projected growth. "We've seen a strong demand for IT professionals, from developers to help desk, to assist with the conversion to electronic medical records," John Reed, executive director of Robert Half Technology, says in a press release.
"In fact the data indicate a shortfall over the next five years of about 50,000 qualified health IT workers required to meet the needs of health professionals and hospitals as they move to adopt EHRs. As one vendor recently said, what we need is a 'small army,'" Blumenthal writes, acknowledging the extent of the problem. But he says the federal training effort will alleviate 85 percent of the shortage.

IR Beat : Naga Kamineni Interview on Project Management

2010-10-15T09:48:00.000-04:00

Friday, October 15, 2010.

PMP training and project management degrees are discussed by Naga Kamineni, a senior software engineer, with Donna Nelson of Intellect Resources. Listen to the interview by using the player below.

Research on IT Salaries Suggests Demand, Compensation Will Increase for Health IT Experts

2010-10-14T14:19:00.000-04:00

Thursday, October 14, 2010.
Written by Jaimie Oh of Beckers Hospital Review

Robert Half Technology, a company that staffs information technology professionals on a project and full-time basis, has released its Salary Guide 2011, which outlines key findings and trends in IT compensation, according to a company news release.
The guide predicts there will be a particularly strong demand for IT professionals in the healthcare industry next year. Compensation of IT experts will likely see an average salary increase of approximately 3.4 percent in 2011. Other findings include the following:

• Base compensation for ERP technical developers – who tailor ERP software for their organizations – is projected to increase 5.2 percent next year, to a range of $79,250 to $109,500.

• Average starting salaries for business intelligence analysts will rise 5 percent, to the range of $82,500 to $116,250 annually.

• Data modelers can expect base compensation in the range of $80,750 to $111,250, a gain of 4.5 percent over 2010.

• Network managers will see average starting salaries rise 4.3 percent, to the range of $79,250 to $109,500 per year.

• Base compensation for IT auditors will increase 4.2 percent, with starting salaries of $77,750 to $108,000 annually, on average.

Intellect Resources and Mount Sinai Medical Center Create an EPIC Event

2010-10-14T10:29:00.002-04:00

Thursday, October 14, 2010.
By Tiffany Crenshaw, President and CEO of Intellect Resources

In collaboration with the Mount Sinai Medical Center, Intellect Resources is pleased to present “Big Break.” This is an audition-style selection process to on-board 90 New York based trainers to our team to assist Mount Sinai's EPIC Inpatient implementation. Like Mount Sinai's investment in technology, this audition is ground breaking. Nothing like this has ever been done in our industry before. What a great opportunity for those who want their big break in healthcare IT and also for healthcare IT professionals interested in adding EPIC to their credentials. For more information, click here.

Before, During and After Musts When You Have a Non-Compete Agreement.

2010-10-13T11:13:00.001-04:00

Wednesday, October 13, 2010.
By Tiffany Crenshaw, President and CEO of Intellect Resources

Many companies include a non-compete agreement in their new hire paperwork. Basically, this is an agreement outlining terms in which one can engage in future employment as to not compete with their company for a specific period of time. Restrictions may include working for specific competitors, clients or vendors or working within specific geographic territory or industries.
Too often candidates are so excited about a potential job or a potential employer they fail to review non-compete agreements in detail. It’s not until they are ready to make a job change that the reality of this agreement sets in and they realize that little piece of paper significantly limits their employment opportunities.
To eliminate the surprise as well as the limitation of a non-compete agreement, here are musts for every employee presented with a non-compete agreement:

Before signing any offer letter, ask for the non-compete agreement. Read it thoroughly and make sure you can live with the contract as written. If you are uncertain of its meaning, get clarification from your potential employer. If it feels limiting, get a second opinion from your attorney.
During your employment, keep a copy of the document. Asking for it once employed is a sign you are looking for another position. Certainly that’s information you prefer to keep confidential.
After you decide to look for another position, re-read the non-compete to direct your job search appropriately. Before accepting another position, it’s a good idea to present to your potential employer. It’s also in their best interest to ensure you are free and clear of any non-compete restrictions.

Non-compete agreements can significantly limit your job search, so best to act before it’s too late!

Listen to CareerMoxie Radio when Tiffany Crenshaw and Allison Grace talk with Josh Dickinson, a non-compete lawyer and creator of http://www.noncompetelawyers.com/. Non-Compete contracts are commonplace these days, but what do they mean when you are out looking for a job and how often are they really used against the former employee? What is the difference if you have been fired or if you quit when looking for your next job and have a prior non-compete contract?

Listen to internet radio with Career Moxie Radio on Blog Talk Radio

Europe Provides Lessons on EHR Privacy

2010-10-12T12:31:00.007-04:00

Tuesday, October 12, 2010.
This is an article from HealthcareInfoSecurity.com
By Howard Anderson, Managing Editor, Read the original

Public acceptance of electronic health records is much greater in Europe than the United States because European patients are more confident that their information will remain private, says David Baumer, head of the business management department at North Carolina State University.

In an interview (transcript below), Baumer calls for the United States to follow Europe's lead in:

Making it much more clear that everyone has a fundamental right to privacy;
Holding medical records to a higher level of protection than financial records;
Setting tougher penalties for privacy violations and devoting more resources to enforcement, going far beyond the measures called for in the HITECH Act.

"Despite the benefits of widespread EHR adoption, its acceptance and implementation will not be achieved unless its risks are mitigated," the new report states. "A significant obstacle to public acceptance of EHRs is the concern over the privacy and security of personal health information."

The report, "Privacy and Security in the Implementation of Health Information Technology (Electronic Health Records): U.S. And EU Compared," soon will be available from the Boston University Journal of Science and Technology Law. A summary is available from North Carolina State University.

Co-authors of the report are Janine Hiller, professor of business law at Virginia Tech; Matthew McMullen, program director, office of international research, education and development, Virginia Tech, and Wade Chumney, professor of business ethics and law at Georgia Institute of Technology.

Baumer, who holds a doctorate in economics and a law degree, is professor of law and technology at North Carolina State University, where he has been on the faculty since 1979. He has written extensively on privacy and security issues.

HOWARD ANDERSON: You are one of the co-authors of a new report on electronic health records that concludes that insufficient privacy protections are hindering public acceptance of EHRs in the US. Can you explain that conclusion for us?

DAVID BAUMER: There historically has been a substantially greater privacy concern in Europe relative to the United States. The EU explicitly has as one of its principles that citizens are entitled to a right of privacy. That had not been the case in the United States up until HIPAA was passed, which is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act in 1996. Until then, you had essentially state control of privacy, and every state had their own laws and they often conflicted. So once HIPAA was passed, at least we had a nationally uniform law. It was not as strong as what is present in Europe, but we have advanced toward at least national uniformity on the issue of privacy of medical records.

So to summarize, the EU has had a longer and stronger history of protecting privacy. All medical records in the EU are deemed sensitive information, which is a higher level of protection than, say, bank records or things of that nature. And as a result, I would say there is greater public acceptance of electronic health records.

EHR Security

ANDERSON: Your report states that the full benefits of EHRs will not be realized until they are used by all or nearly all healthcare providers. Can you tell us why that is the case, and do you believe that EHRs will not be pervasive unless Americans become more confident that their information will be secure?

BAUMER: Answering the second question first, I would say yes that electronic health records will not become prevalent until we have greater public acceptance of them. And the benefits of EHRs are very similar to any kind of network: The benefits take place if all or nearly all of the participants use compatible technology. EHRs are envisioned by many healthcare professionals to be a system where doctors can easily look up medical records and they will not have to interpret handwritten letters. And they'll have access to the latest techniques and data. All this will result in lower cost or potential savings under any kind of healthcare system.

At this point in Europe, in several countries, there is virtually universal use of electronic health records. They have at least as good of a healthcare system as we do, and the costs per patient are far less.

Tougher Penalties

ANDERSON: Now you call for the U.S. to emulate some of the electronic health record privacy protections now commonly used in the European Union. What are the most important lessons that the U.S. could learn from Europe?

BAUMER: I think that there are clear disparities between the United States and Europe, and because of these disparities there is much greater acceptance of electronic healthcare records in Europe. We need to take specific steps to ensure better protection of privacy in the United States. One of the steps that certainly could be taken is to increase the penalties and enforcement for those that steal medical records and make use of them.

EHR Standards

ANDERSON: Are there particular other laws or regulations in Europe that you would like to see in the U.S. emulate?

BAUMER: In Europe, in 1996, they passed the information directive, which basically required all European countries to abide by various standards of privacy for medical records. And one of the things that they required is that any country in Europe or company operating in Europe cannot transmit those records to any other country that doesn't have equal standards -- the United States was one of the countries that they were most concerned about. It took a lot of maneuvering on part of the United States just to be able to share medical records with European firms because again, they have standards and they say, "not only do we have these standards but we're not going to transmit any information to other countries who don't abide by our standards." ... When somebody's medical records are accessed inappropriately, word gets around and has a very detrimental effect. So the United States healthcare organizations that have access to these records need to do a better job.

Right to Privacy

ANDERSON: Finally, is there a particular lesson to be learned from the Europeans that you would like to leave people with?

BAUMER: I don't want to sound like a broken record, but in Europe they do start off with the principle that there is a right of privacy. In the United States, we don't have an explicit right of privacy, so I think that is one substantial distinction. Any company that collects records in Europe has to have a reason for collecting the records and must have a superintendent of information. ...

Certainly information is collected on people in the United States without a valid purpose. ... It appears to work in Europe to have a clear indication that you do have a right of privacy. You don't have to claim it. It's not based on consent, even though they have many more protections in terms of consent. Even if you signed over access to your records, you can withdraw that access to your records, and the companies that have access to your medical records have to respect that.

I guess, fundamentally, what we're talking about is starting at ground zero with an agreement that there is a right of privacy and that any derogations, as they call them, from that are strictly an exception. ... And there are far fewer exceptions to the right of privacy and medical records in Europe than there are in the United States.

Health Care IT Industry Career Strategies

2010-10-08T15:48:00.002-04:00

Friday, October 8, 2010.
Career Strategies How to Enter the Healthcare IT Industry – UIC Webinar Series. This version has been edited.

Have you asked the question, “How can I transition to, or further develop my career in health IT?”
View the presentation here.

■Indeed.com lists over 6000 HIT jobs as of mid year 2010

■HIT job postings increase 30% in the last year

■ANIA-CARING.org lists over 800 clinical IT and informatics jobs

■Monster.com lists over 1000, HIMSS.org over 300

■Recruiters are much busier than last year

U.S. Economy Lost 95,000 Jobs in September; Jobless Rate Steady at 9.6%

2010-10-08T09:01:00.000-04:00

Friday, October 8, 2010.
From the New York Times.

The United States economy shed 95,000 nonfarm jobs in September, the Labor Department reported Friday, with gains in private-sector employment outweighed by cutbacks in government payrolls. The steep drop was far worse than economists had been predicting.

While private companies added 64,000 jobs, total government employment fell by 159,000. The unemployment rate, which measures the percentage of workers actively looking for but unable to find jobs, stayed at 9.6 percent.

The recovery that officially began in June 2009 has slowed considerably in recent months, raising concerns about the long slog the country will have to endure before the economy finally starts to feel healthy again.

Read More

CHIME Reports Shortage in Health IT Workforce

2010-10-08T08:58:00.002-04:00

Friday, October 8, 2010.
Written by Jaimie Oh
Beckers Hospital Review

A study conducted by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives suggests staffing shortages in healthcare information technology can put health IT projects at risk and become a barrier to successfully implementing electronic health records, according to a CHIME news release.

CHIME surveyed and received responses from 182 chief information officers that are a part of the organizations. Seventy percent of the CIOs who responded to the survey reported their healthcare organizations lacked the staffing needed to implement health IT. Of the total number of CIO respondents, 51 percent reported staffing deficiencies could possibly affect their chances of successfully implementing an EHR system, thereby affecting their chance of receiving stimulus funding for demonstrating meaningful use of the technology. Another 10 percent reported staffing deficiencies would definitely affect their chances.

To compensate for a shortage in the health IT workforce, CIOs have reported they have turned to other strategies to ensure successful implementation of EHRs, such as third-party consultants, hiring and training from within and using recruiters to find qualified staff.

Read the CHIME news release about its survey on deficiencies in health IT.

First EHR Products Certified For Meaningful Use

2010-10-07T08:44:00.000-04:00

Thursday, October 7, 2010 08:00 AM
Thirty six electronic health record products are first to be certified as capable of meeting Meaningful Use Stage 1 criteria.

By Marianne Kolbasuk McGee
InformationWeek

A wave of three dozen e-health records products are the first to be certified capable of meeting Meaningful Use Stage 1 criteria. The certifications should help doctor practices and hospitals be more confident about the EHR products they’re using or planning to purchase.

Certification of EHR products is required for healthcare providers to qualify for the $20 billion-plus incentive funding that’s been allotted under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s HITECH Act programs for the “meaningful use” of health IT.

The largest group of products certified so far -- 33 -- were announced by the Certification Commission for Health IT; another three product certifications were granted by Drummond Group.

CCHIT and Drummond Group are two of three organizations that the federal government’s Office of National Coordinator for Health IT has authorized, at least so far, as a certification and testing bodies under the HITECH Act. The third certification body named by ONC as an "Authorized Testing and Certification Body" or ATCB, is InfoGard Laboratories.

In order to qualify for the HITECH incentive payments, clinicians and hospitals need to "meaningfully use" health IT products that have been certified by an ATCB.

Till recently, CCHIT -- which has been around for several years -- was also the first (and only) organization recognized in the health IT circle as a certification body for e-health record products.

However, under HITECH Act, ONC is designating several ATCBs to test and certify products are compliant to the government’s meaningful use requirements.

An InfoGard spokeswoman said the company expects to announce its first Meaningful Use Stage 1 certified products in coming weeks.

The products that received certification by Drummond include one "complete" EHR and two modules.

Unlike complete EHR packages, modules can focus on certain functionality, meeting one or more meaningful use criteria, but not all. Modules can allow healthcare providers additional flexibility in choosing applications that meet their organization’s particular needs beyond meaningful use.

The complete EHR package certified by Drummond is ChartLogic Inc.’s ChartLogic EMR version 7 for ambulatory care. The two modules that Drummond certified are:

QRS Inc.’s Paradigm version 8.3 for ambulatory care and ifa united i-tech Inc.’s ifa EMR version 6 for ambulatory care settings.
Meanwhile, the first wave of 33 products certified by CCHIT as being capable of meeting the 2011-2012 Meaningful Use stage 1 criteria include 19 complete EHR packages and 14 modules.

Here’s the list so far of “complete” EHR products certified by CCHIT as meeting the ONC-ATCB 2011/2012 meaningful use requirements. The list provided by CCHIT includes the vendor, product and version certified, as well as the product’s target use, whether it’s in a hospital or by “eligible providers,” such as doctor practices and other clinicians in ambulatory settings.

Complete EHRs

ABEL Medical Software Inc. ABELMed EHR - EMR / PM 11 (Eligible Provider)
Allscripts Allscripts Professional EHR 9.2 (Eligible Provider) Aprima Medical Software Inc. Aprima 2011 (Eligible Provider)

Athenahealth Inc. AthenaClinicals 10.10 (Eligible Provider)

CureMD Corp. CureMD EHR 10 (Eligible Provider) The DocPatientNetwork.com Doctations 2.0 (Eligible Provider) Epic Systems Corporation EpicCare Inpatient - Core EMR Spring 2008 (Hospital)

Epic Systems Corporation EpicCare Ambulatory - Core EMR Spring 2008 (Eligible Provider) GE Healthcare Centricity Advance 10.1 (Eligible Provider)

GloStream, Inc. GloEMR 6.0 (Eligible Provider)

Intuitive Medical Software UroChartEHR 4.0 (Eligible Provider)

MCS - Medical Communication Systems, Inc. iPatientCare 10.8 (Eligible Provider)

Medical Informatics Engineering WebChart EHR 5.1 (Eligible Provider) Meditab Software Inc. IMS v. 14.0 (Eligible Provider) NeoDeck Software’s NeoMed EHR 3.0 (Eligible Provider)

NextGen Healthcare NextGen Ambulatory EHR 5.6 (Eligible Provider)

Nortec Software Inc. Nortec EHR 7.0 (Eligible Provider) Pulse Systems 2011 Pulse Complete EHR 2011 (Eligible Provider)

SuccessEHS SuccessEHS 6.0 (Eligible Provider)

Here are the modules that CCHIT have certified so far as meeting the ONC-ATCB 2011/2012 meaningful use requirements, including vendor, product name, version and targeted user:

Allscripts Allscripts ED 6.3 Service Release 4 (Hospital)

Allscripts Allscripts PeakPractice 5.5 (Eligible Provider)

EClinicalWorks LLC eClinicalWorks 8.0.48 (Eligible Provider)

Health Care Systems, Inc. HCS eMR 4.0 (Hospital)

NexTech Systems Inc. NexTech Practice 2011 9.7 (Eligible Provider)

nextEMR, LLC nextEMR, LLC 1.5.0.0 (Eligible Provider)

PeriGen PeriBirth 4.3.50 (Hospital)

Prognosis Health Information Systems ChartAccess 4 (Hospital)

Sammy Systems SammyEHR 1.1.248 (Eligible Provider)

T-System Technologies, Ltd. T SystemEV 2.7 (Hospital)

Universal EMR Solutions Physician's Solution 5.0 (Eligible Provider)

Vision Infonet Inc. MDCare EMR 4.2 (Eligible Provider)

WellCentive WellCentive Registry Version 2.0 (Eligible Provider)

Wellsoft Corp. Wellsoft EDIS v11 (Hospital)

The healthcare industry is undergoing a sea change as medical records go digital. In this report, we'll advise midsize practices on how to get up and running with a server structure ready for electronic medical records, from scoping hardware and selecting software to deciding the in-house vs. outsourced question. Download it here (registration required).

Ask A Recruiter

2010-10-07T08:06:00.001-04:00

Thursday, October 7, 2010.
By Jennifer Williams Salter

Question : How important are thank you notes, and should I send them in writing or via email?

Answer : A thank you note is not likely to be the deciding factor in whether or not an employer will hire you. However, it certainly can’t hurt and can definitely demonstrate a good attitude and genuine appreciativeness. In ideal world, a hand-written note definitely offers that extra personal touch. Since many hiring managers today rarely look at their paper correspondence, email maybe your only option. Talk to your recruiter or HR representative to get some guidance on the preferred method.

If you do decide to send a thank you via email, let the email sit for a while before sending it on. Then, go back and look it over 2 or 3 times for grammatical errors, misspellings, misstatements, etc. It is so easy to send a hasty email that can produce disasterous results.

Top 10 Most Influential Informatics Professors

2010-10-04T09:37:00.000-04:00

Monday, October 4, 2010.
By Linda at HealthTechUtopia.
Read the original article. This version has been edited.

Health informatics is making headway in the news, and innovators such as the ones listed below in our (HealthTechUtopia) top 10 most influential informatics professors, are highlighted in recent headlines. Their work, creations and publications in both the fields of health and in informatics influence how leaders view informatics and their use in today’s market. With their inroads into this field, you might consider application to the college that hires a specific professor — especially if you want to learn from the best.

Dr. Dominik Aronsky, MD is Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics & Emergency Medicine at Vanderbilt University, is interested in interdisciplinary research with a focus on developing, implementing, integrating, and evaluating decision support systems for real time, clinical applications. He is on the board of the AMIA (American Medical Informatics Association) as well as serving as board member for the AMIA’s new GHIP (Global Health Informatics Partnership). His recent work in emergency department information systems was presented by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) as part of a informatics lecture series.

Dr. William Hersh, MD, Professor and Chair, Department of Medical Informatics & Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, is a leader and innovator in biomedical informatics both in education and research. Among his many accomplishments, Dr. Hersh spearheaded OHSU’s efforts in distance learning for biomedical informatics, which are available up to the master’s degree level. He also conceptualized and implemented the first offering of the AMIA’s 10×10 program, which aims to educate 10,000 health care professionals and others in biomedical informatics. He also maintains a blog called the Informatics Professor.

Dr. John H. Holmes, Associate Professor of Medical Informatics in Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, conducts research in medical informatics and epidemiology. He is an active member for the AMIA, serving as Chairs of the Education Committee and of the GHIP. He has an international reputation for applying evolutionary computation to epidemiologic data mining, and his work reaches across gender and race in fields of clinical research and public health in areas such as African-American men and prostate cancer screening and firearms-related morbidity and mortality in indigent, urban and mentally ill populations.

Dr. Julie Jacko is a Professor of Public Health at the University of Minnesota, and a Faculty Fellow in the Academic Health Center’s Institute for Health Informatics. Her research activities focuses on human-computer interaction, universal access to electronic information technologies, and technological aspects of health care delivery. She is the author or co-author of over 120 research publications, and is internationally recognized for her contributions to applications and theory development related to human aspects of personal, mobile, and networked computing, and particularly her landmark contributions advancing technology access for people with visual impairments.

Dr. Daniel Janies, associate professor of Biomedical Informatics at the Ohio State University, along with Prosanta Chakrabarty, are taking a deeper look into the Gulf oil disaster. Through research and re-purposed technology, the two are investigating the extent of oil and chemical and the distribution of various fish species. Janies’ research objectives are to continue to develop computational and evolutionary sciences in a comparative genomics context to develop novel phylogenetic methods. To this end, Janies has created several applications to track the avian influenza virus (H5N1) — and, more recently, to monitor the H1N1 virus — on a real-time geographic information system. Dr. Janies recently was elected as Vice President of the Willi Hennig Society.

Dr. Gloria Mark is a professor at the Department of Informatics in the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, UC Irvine. Her research interest is in Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) which is the study of collaboration technologies and people. Dr. Mark is widely published in the fields of computer supported cooperative work and human-computer interaction and her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Time magazine. Her recent study about multitasking has made headlines, as she found that people who frequently were interrupted often work faster, but produce less.

Dr. J. Marc Overhage, President and CEO of IHIE (Indiana Health information Exchange), also is the Director of Medical Informatics at the Regenstrief Institute and Regenstrief Professor of Medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Overhage’s research has focused on the use of informational interventions to modify provider behavior including computerized provider order entry, clinical decision support systems and other forms of feedback. Recently, Dr. Overhage began advising the federal government on policy-guiding health information technology and developing sustainable models for providing health information services. Dr. Overhage is a fellow of the AMIA and the American College of Physicians (ACP).

Dr. Beth Plale, a professor in the IU Bloomington School of Informatics and Computing, is an experimental computer scientist whose research interests are in data management, data-driven computing, and the long-term preservation of digital data. She is the founder and Director of the Center for Data and Search Informatics (DSI) in the School of Informatics, and leads the Data to Insight Center in the Pervasive Technologies Institute. Dr. Plale is on the leadership team of several major grant funded projects, and she co-founded the Women in Informatics and Computing group at IU. She is a recipient of the prestigious DOE Early Career Award and has authored or co-authored over 65 publications.

Dr. Joseph Tan is the Wayne C. Fox Chair in eBusiness Innovation and Professor of Health Informatics, DeGroote Business School, McMaster University, Canada and Professor of Information Systems Management at Wayne State University. Tan’s research interests, which include eHealth and eBusiness, have enjoyed significant support from local, national, and international funding agencies and other sources, has been widely cited and applied across a number of major disciplines. He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief at International Journal of Health Information Systems and Informatics.

Dr. Gregory D. Weber, associate professor of informatics at Indiana University East, has developed an open source software program to help informatics students to effectively learn recursion by drawing diagrams. Sifflet is a visual, functional programming language that provides a graphical high-level view of how a complex computation works and allows users to ‘zoom in’ to see more details as needed. Sifflet is not the first open source software program Weber has written. He has also developed OrganDesigner, a graphical editor and SoundFont converter for MIDI-based virtual organs.

Nashville's Health Care IT Companies Struggling to Find Employees

2010-09-29T22:09:00.000-04:00

Thursday, September 30, 2010.

Nashville Business Journal - by April Wortham Staff Writer

Read more: Nashville's health care IT companies struggling to find employees - Nashville Business Journal

Middle Tennessee health care executives say they are struggling to find information technology professionals to support the rapid changes transforming health care and the way they do business.

“By necessity, we at times are using a lot of contractors and folks to fill in temporarily,” said Kyle Duke, chief information security officer at Franklin-based HealthSpring Inc. “Just finding the talent level to fill those gaps is sometimes challenging and continues to be a challenge.”

Filling the health care IT “gap” was the focus of a forum today at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, organized by the Nashville Health Care Council and the Nashville Technology Council.

Executives from health care providers, health IT professional support organizations and academia discussed strategies for developing the talent needed to drive health IT innovation in Middle Tennessee.

A numbers game

At Nashville-based HCA Inc., the problem isn’t finding the right caliber of IT talent so much as the right quantity, said Janet Gilmore, HCA’s assistant vice president of human resources and information technology and services.

“We’ve got incredible thought leadership and incredible skills at HCA in both the IT specialties as well as the clinical services specialities, but we just don’t have enough,” Gilmore said.

HCA employs more than 3,000 IT professionals nationwide, including about 1,300 based in Nashville. Gilmore said the company is increasingly looking for IT professionals with skills and experience in both the technical and clinical aspects of the hospital business.

“We’d love to get nurses and pharmacists who have abilities in the technology space, but at the same time we still need nurses and pharmacists, so we really look for that blend of professional expertise,” she said.

In 2009, IT was the fastest-growing division at HealthSpring, despite the recession, Duke said. The company currently employs about 125 IT professionals, most of them based in Franklin, even though the company has operations in seven states.

“We really look for Nashville to step up and provide the IT talent that we’re going to need as we grow and take on new initiatives,” he said.

Since moving to Nashville from California in 2006, Brentwood-based Cogent Healthcare has seen its IT staff grow from five to 20 people, said Cheryl Slack, senior vice president of human resources. Seven of those are based in California, Slack said, where IT professionals are in greater supply.

“Can the market provide what Cogent needs? We hope so. But with our growth, we’ve had to use all of our resources,” she said.

HR Strategies

How to fill the talent gap is a top concern among local health care leaders, who hope to position Middle Tennessee as a pioneer in the health IT space.

Gilmore said HCA is experimenting with an “immersion program” in which current IT employees spend a week at an HCA hospital. The company is also in discussions with Nashville State Community College about implementing health informatics courses at the school, she said.

HCA, HealthSpring and Cogent all have internship programs with local universities, executives said. However, HealthSpring’s Duke said tomorrow’s health IT professional will need to approach the job from a business perspective, rather than a purely technical one.

“We need more business people who can do IT and not more IT people in the traditional sense of it,” Duke said. “How we integrate better with the business so it’s a joint effort to create systems and processes that help drive the business and help change health care is people who are business people first — finding those people is kind of hard to do.”

The perfect candidate

Janet Gilmore, assistant vice president of human resources and information technology and services at HCA describes the “perfectly prepared HIT professional” as someone who:

Has domain expertise, such as a programmer, network engineer, pharmacist or nurse.
Has exposure to HCA hospital operations
Understands clinical informatics concepts and philosophies
Has exposure to and experience with clinical systems in hospital and physician office.

April Wortham covers health care, technology and venture capital for the Nashville Business Journal. She can be reached at awortham@bizjournals.com or 615-846-4276.

It's Official, The Rush for Talent Has Begun

2010-09-28T13:33:00.002-04:00

Tuesday, September 28, 2010.
By Tiffany Crenshaw

In recent weeks a number of existing and prospective clients have called me for a pulse on the healthcare IT recruitment marketplace and thoughts on how to attract quality resources. After a number of such calls, I decided to put my thoughts in writing and share.

Let’s start with the good news --- industry hiring is definitely picking up and employed candidates are now less afraid to make a career change then they were three to six months ago.

As for hot products, it’s no secret that EPIC is hot, hot, hot. Hospitals are purchasing EPIC left and right. Honestly, there are simply not enough EPIC resources, especially EPIC-certified resources, to go around, so the talent war is raging. Cerner recruitment remains modest but steady while McKesson needs are starting to rebound after quite a lull. In the ambulatory market we are seeing more and more requests for eClinicalWorks and Allscripts. New names like Sage and Greenway are coming to light. And occasional Meditech, Siemens, IDX/GE and Eclipsys needs are surfacing. On the integration side, Cloverleaf and e-Gate skills are still in demand, but we are seeing more requests for web-based and lesser known products like Ensemble, Symphony and Rhapsody.

By far, the hiring demand is highest for hands-on resources to design, build and install EMR applications. However, there is a fair amount of activity for sales, project management and training professionals including go-live support. CPOE, Clin Doc, Pharmacy, Oncology and HIM are generating the most recruitment activity within the applications. Based on new client requests, we foresee growing needs for business intelligence, security and report writing resources.

In addition to employers’ desire for one or more of the skill sets mentioned above, most are adding clinical designation to the requirements. Over 50% of our job requisitions right now require clinicians. Pharmacists, nurses and physicians with healthcare IT experience are in great demand.

However post-recession hiring is creating challenges previously unheard of in my 12-year history recruiting in this industry. The process is now wrought with excruciatingly slow interview scheduling, shrinking employee benefits packages, little to no relocation assistance and financially conservative offers resulting in more and more frustrated candidates.

Things have changed drastically since the lowest points of the recession. After the release of meaningful use requirements, recruiting mania has taken off. Everyone seems to have hiring needs. Candidates are getting called left and right by internal and external recruiters. Just check out a few of the job boards if you don’t believe me - you’ll see countless job postings. Furthermore, check out all of the recruiting firms with no previous healthcare IT experience trying to break into this market as experts claim abundant need for resources.

If your organization is currently or will be in the market soon for these in-demand resources, you may want to evaluate your hiring process, recognize that your competition is fierce and take note of a few trends our candidates and clients have shared with us quite candidly over recent months.

• New Car Syndrome: Candidates are migrating to new implementations. Who can blame them? It’s more exciting to be on the ground level and see a project through from A to Z.

• Red Carpet Treatment: Employers who roll out the red carpet win. When weighing decisions between job offers, candidates almost always choose the employer who provided quickest response time and showed sincere interest in them. (Both response time and sincerity are simple and no-cost ways to roll out that red carpet.)

• Relocation Blues: Relocation is a HUGE issue right now. Even if candidates want to move, they can’t do so because of the housing market. Kudos to all of the organizations willing to work around this by providing remote work, commuting or coverage of interim living expenses.

• Communicate: Many, many candidates are feeling jerked around by potential employers because of lack of communication in the interview process. Here’s what they are thinking, “If I don’t feel valued as a candidate, how are they going to treat me as an employee?” On the flip side, these candidates are communicating with plenty of their peers. Too many hospitals and consulting firms are getting bad reputations as being lousy places to interview and to work.

• Too Much is Not Always a Good Thing: In the quest for resources, too many organizations are panicking and calling in all of the troops -- internal recruiters, employee recruiting bonuses, dozens of external recruiters and advertisements. Candidates get called multiple times by different sources all looking to fill the same positions. Not only do they end up confused, but all the activity makes candidates suspicious. They wonder what’s wrong with an organization that has such a hard time attracting and retaining talent?

• Get On Board: We are hearing more and more horror stories about candidates showing up on the first day only to find their new employer is not ready for them. This gets them off to a bad start, from the get go. Employees stay longer and perform better when they feel welcomed and the transition process is smooth. The period of time between offer acceptance and start date can also be a black hole, when candidates are most vulnerable. Employers are losing candidates this far into the game because they aren’t communicating with them. If you don’t have a formal on-boarding program, now is probably a good time to look into it.

• Disconnect between Human Resources and Hiring Managers: As an outside firm, we work with both HR representatives and hiring managers. We hear complaints on both sides about the other on a regular basis -- namely due to lack of response. The Hiring Managers want candidates fast. And HR wants answers fast. Throw candidates in the mix who get frustrated as well, and it’s a nasty situation. However we find that employers who really engage the final decision-maker in the process from beginning to end and set response expectations up front, have the least amount of frustrations and the most successful outcomes.

In summary, you can safely say that the industry is quickly changing to a candidate-driven market and that the market is impacted heavily by post-recession recovery and meaningful use. It is official. The rush for talent really has begun.
Tiffany Crenshaw is the President and CEO of Intellect Resources, a recruiting firm celebrating its 10 year anniversary working exclusively in the Healthcare IT Market. The information provided was gathered by her ten-person team through meaningful one-on-one conversations with industry professionals, both hiring professionals and candidates. Their database is strong, over 89,000 professionals deep and growing.

Tidewater Community College to kick off HIT program

2010-09-23T15:00:00.001-04:00

Thursday, September 23, 2010.
by Molly Merrill, Associate Editor of Healthcare IT News
HAMPTON ROADS, VA – Tidewater Community College (TCC), one of five health IT education consortiums in the U.S., is launching its Health Information Technology (Health IT) Workforce Development Program next week.

To kick off the six-month HIT program, college officials said “critical” orientation sessions will be held on Sept. 28 and 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Advanced Technology Center, TCC Virginia Beach Campus.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) selected TCC to lead a consortium to educate as many as 7,500 information technology professionals in healthcare in a 12-state region over the next two years through a grant for $16,017,608. The TCC-led region has 25 percent of the U.S. population – more than 75 million people – one of the largest regions in the initiative. TCC is coordinating the collaboration of more than 100 community stakeholders and 22 other community colleges to provide training needed to establish or expand health IT systems.

Leading educational partners in the TCC consortium are Sentara Healthcare, Eastern Virginia Medical School and Virginia’s Statewide Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center.

TCC’s program will be offered in evening classes and will be free for the first cohort accepted into the program (up to 150 qualified students), officials said.

The program focuses on unique skill sets for first-ever jobs in health IT, identified at the national leve

Practice workflow redesign specialist
Clinician/consultant
Implementation support specialist
Implementation manager
Technical/software support staff
Trainer

“These are skill sets that never existed before,” says Gretchen LeFever, TCC’s new director for the HIT consortium. “And the people accepted into our first session will be pioneers among a select group across the United States.”

Click here for more information on the program.

Ask A Manager with Tiffany Crenshaw

2010-09-22T15:24:00.000-04:00

Wednesday, September 22, 2010.

Q. Do you see the employment market improving in the next six months to a year? If so, in what ways and if not, how best would job seekers and/or current employees seeking a career change prepare for this issue?

A. There is definitely activity. Jobs are opening and interviews are in full swing. However, companies are very slow to actually extend offers, if at all. Job seekers, don’t be surprised if you get revved up for interviews and employers come back at the end of the process and say, “I’m sorry we decided not to fill the position” or ”we’ve hired a consultant instead” or “we don’t have approval for this position after all.” Caution is a current a trend and one we see here to stay for at least the next 6 – 12 months. Employers are weighing all options right now to make the best financial decision(s) they can for their organization. Thus, organizations are heavily scrutinizing their hiring decisions. At least we are moving in the right direction. A year ago, there was minimal interview activity. So, stay strong, don’t lose your edge, and whatever you do – don’t get discouraged. In this job market, you just have to work harder and interview better than you ever have before to win the job.

Health IT Group Urges Restraint

2010-09-16T09:45:00.000-04:00

Thursday, September 16, 2010.
By John Pulley on nextgov

As the government considers which "quality measures" to include in the second round of meaningful use requirements for electronic health records, members of a federal health IT policy committee are urging restraint.

"I am nervous that the government is going to get into the EHR design business," said Judy Faulkner, chief executive officer of Epic Systems and a member of the Health IT Policy Committee, which advises the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Faulkner's comments appeared in InformationWeek.

Her observations followed a presentation by the committee's newly formed quality workgroup. That subcommittee, one of 10 that reports to the full committee, will make recommendations on how to prioritize quality measures that will inform meaningful use criteria in the more restrictive second phase of those standards. Compliance with those standards will determine whether health care providers receive financial incentives for using EHRs or, later on, financial penalties for noncompliance.

"We need to be careful about these committees not becoming the design committees for what the country will do," said Faulkner.

Neal Calman, president of the Institute for Family Health and a member of the committee, expressed concern that overly broad quality measures could divert attention away from "improvement activities" that might be more relevant to a particular organization.

"Once you set out measures," he said, "you get organizations to function around those measures."

Intellect Resources Monday Morning Minute, for Healthcare IT News and Jobs

2010-09-13T12:02:00.000-04:00

Monday, September 13, 2010.

Monday Morning Minute is a weekly newsletter designed to share opportunities and industry news with our healthcare IT colleagues Candidates rely on the MMM because it is an informative and effective quick read. Our Candidate Edition is designed just for you and includes listings of open jobs with reputable companies in the healthcare IT field.

To view the most recent Monday Morning Minute, click here.

To subscribe, click here.

The Job Market Maze – What’s Really Happening in the Healthcare IT Marketplace?

2010-09-13T10:09:00.001-04:00

Monday, September 13, 2010.

By Tiffany Crenshaw

Lately I’ve been inundated with calls and emails from our candidates and clients for thoughts on the healthcare IT hiring market. Having four such calls in the last two days, I felt the need to share. Feel free to comment or respond.

So, the good news for the industry is that hiring is definitely picking up. The downside is that employers are more selective than ever before thanks to the recession. If you are a frustrated job seeker, don’t take it personally if you experience slow interview processes, more competition, fewer benefits, little to no relocation packages and financially conservative offers. These are trends we are seeing in the hiring market place. However, when the demand for resources increases as “experts” project, we fully expect this to change in favor of the candidate.

As for hot products, it’s no secret that EPIC is hot, hot, hot. Hospitals are purchasing EPIC left and right. Honestly, there are not enough EPIC resources to go around. (Too bad EPIC certifications can only be achieved with sponsorship from a hospital or approved consulting firm). Cerner recruitment has been modest, but steady while McKesson needs are starting to rebound after quite a lull. And, in the ambulatory market we are seeing more and more requests for eClinicalWorks and Allscripts.

By far the hiring demand is highest for hands-on resources to design, build and install HIS applications. However, there is some hiring activity for sales, project management and training professionals. Within the applications CPOE, Pharmacy, Oncology and HIM are generating the most recruitment activity.

We also receive lots of inquiries from candidates considering educational pursuits. If you have the time and resources to go back to school, think clinical. Over 50% of our open jobs require a clinical degree. Clinical expertise consistently outweighs requests for MBA, MPH and PMP degrees/designations combined.

On that note, here’s the link to our latest newsletter which highlights training and educational opportunities in healthcare IT. Enjoy! As always, would love to hear from you. Please keep us up to date on your professional pursuits and check our website often for open jobs.

Autumn 2010 Newsletter

The Rise of Healthcare IT Degrees

2010-09-10T09:50:00.001-04:00

Friday, September 10, 2010
Interview with James Johnson, New Relationships Manager, ASHIM

Who are the new ASHIM Healthcare IT Certification courses designed for? Do you need experience in Healthcare or IT?
They are designed for anyone that is interested in a career in Health IT. The training courses are set up in such a way that you can receive training for just IT or training in just Healthcare, as well as both if you so desire. It is a very comprehensive training course and includes new information from the recent meaningful use definition release. You do not have to have prior experience to take the courses.

What certification does one receive once the courses are completed, and what sort of jobs will this certification open doors to?
Students will be trained to work in a variety of healthcare settings and roles such as: Application Analysts, Application Sales, Application Maintenance, Help Desk Specialists, and more. Students entering the program with previous clinical experience (i.e. CPC, CCS, and RN) may work in health IT job roles such as: Clinical Software Trainer, EHR Implementation Specialist, Health System Integration Professional, Practice Work Flow Analyst, and more. Students entering the program with previous IT experience may work in health IT job roles such as: Network Engineer, Programmer, Developer, Database Professional, System Administrator, and more.

How long does it take to complete and how much should one expect to invest financially in this?
Right now we are offering a back to school special for the entire course (both the IT and the Healthcare tracks) for $999.00. This will go on for about 2 weeks. Normally the full course is $2,500.00 and each individual track is $1,600.00. The classes are online and at a "go at your own pace", spread out over 3-4 months.

For more information on ASHIM's Health IT Certification Courses click here.

Tiffany Crenshaw of Intellect Resources Discusses Temp Work with Monster and Gina Cappiello

2010-09-08T15:22:00.001-04:00

Wednesday, September 8, 2010.

The Perks of Temp Work

by Gina Cappiello, http://www.123movers.com/
The numbers of temp jobs have been showing relatively healthy gains during the employment market's very sluggish recovery. And many experts see the increase in temporary employment as a good sign that the recovery will continue--companies often hire temp workers as a way to increase production or development without the financial obligation that full-time employees bring.

But the rise in temp jobs isn't beneficial only for companies--it can also be a great option for job seekers.

"Obviously it brings in an income, but there are many benefits to temp work," says Tiffany Crenshaw, a cofounder of CareerMoxie.com. Here are some benefits to consider when you evaluate a temp job:

Test-driving a job
Ever wish you could test-drive a job before fully committing to it? Temping lets you do just that. "Temping allows you to assess whether an opportunity and company culture really 'fit' you," says Crenshaw. "Since fit can often be hard to ascertain in an initial interview, I like to think of temping and consulting as a 30- to 90-day interview resulting in a much better understanding of what the position really entails."

Potential to go full-time Another huge perk of temping is the potential for any role to go full-time. "The employer has a chance to evaluate your performance prior to making the expensive investment in hiring you full-time," says Crenshaw. "You have an opportunity to try on lots of different jobs, industries, and companies until you find the one that feels right, without wreaking havoc on your resume. This can be a win-win for both you and the employer."

Something productive to do
"Some of my unemployed candidates will turn down temp assignments because they want full-time work," says Crenshaw, though she tries to steer candidates away from doing that. "If a job seeker can do something, versus sitting idle during the job hunt, it can be beneficial," she says. "It shows potential employers that you took initiative and didn't just sit around."
Keeping busy and showing initiative aren't the only reasons temping can be good for you while you search for a job. Temping can also "keep your mind fresh, keep your skills sharp, and build your self-esteem up," says Crenshaw.

Try something different
Why wouldn't you want to give something new a shot? "If you have an opportunity to temp somewhere that you may have never considered, you have an opportunity to do something different," says Crenshaw. "You may discover a new industry that you want to be part of." Plus, you're getting paid to get valuable on-the-job training within your new industry instead of having to spend extra time and money on additional schooling.

BYOB (be your own boss)
Temping gives you the freedom to call the shots. In a HotJobs poll conducted in March 2010, 22 percent of respondents said that the biggest advantage to temping is the schedule flexibility. "You can decide what you're going to do, what your rates are, and when you want time off," says Crenshaw, and that's something that the average job cannot do for its employees.
Tiffany Crenshaw is a cofounder of CareerMoxie.com, a career-services company dedicated to helping individuals manage, change, improve, and develop their careers with tact, professionalism, and a sense of humor. Tiffany Crenshaw is also the CEO and President of Intellect Resources.

Ask A Recruiter

2010-09-07T22:22:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, September 7, 2010.

How is the Healthcare IT jobs market doing?

Very well! Though we haven’t returned to pre-recession levels yet, we have seen a significant recovery in 2010. We have many longtime clients, both hospital systems and consulting firms, as well as new clients that are actively seeking and hiring resources right now. Our clients are sending us new job orders on a daily basis for a wide range of HIT skill areas and job types. These are real jobs for real needs and our candidates are getting interviewed and hired at a good rate. We are very optimistic that this trend will continue and even improve.

What types of jobs and skills are most in demand?

Whether you are looking for full time or contract work, there is a good variety right now. The most common jobs are obviously oriented towards the bulk of the workforce that is typically needed to implement HIT applications – Project Managers, Analysts and Trainers. The clinical application areas are strongest right now but we are also seeing opportunities on the financial / revenue cycle side. Of course, we continue to have routine opportunities for technical positions like integration / interfacing, report writing and security. More often than not, clients are looking for employees that have experience with one of the major HIT applications like Epic, Cerner, McKesson, Siemens, GE, Meditech, etc. Experience and opportunities with prominent Ambulatory applications like Allscripts, NextGen and eClinicalWorks has also seen a strong upswing and is more active than we have ever seen. Sometimes clients require specific experience with an application but some are willing to cross train new hires that have related experience with another application. Though it goes without saying, candidates that are able to relocate and/or travel will have the best ability to find multiple opportunities to pursue.

I hope this has been an encouraging and informative Q & A. If you are a Healthcare IT professional and interested in having a trusted advisor and advocate for your next career move, please let us know! You can contact me, Stowe Blankenship, directly by email - sblankenship@intellectresources.com

Intellect Resources Autumn Newsletter and Survey

2010-09-02T15:38:00.001-04:00

Thursday, September 2, 2010.

To view the Autumn Newsletter click here

Survey : Which is valued most by employers, education or experience?
Click here to answer

Ask A Manager : 10 Ways to Irritate Your Boss, Or Worse Yet, Find Yourself Back in the Job Market

2010-09-01T09:08:00.004-04:00

Wednesday, September 1, 2010.
by Tiffany Crenshaw

1. Let your boss know you are interviewing for other jobs. Why would you even consider it? Some people think it makes them more valuable when another company is interested in them, resulting in more respect and more pay from the current employer. WRONG. This only demonstrates that you are not trustworthy and unreliable, making you less valuable and less respected then before.

2. Tell, not ask for things. As an example, “I am taking a longer lunch today, but I’ll stay late and make it up” will be met more graciously if coined, “I have a lunch that will run late today, but I’m prepared to make up that time. Is that OK by you?” What is your boss going to say, “No?” Very doubtful, if handled properly.

3. Disagree on everything. Questioning things and differences of opinion are good. If you and your boss agreed on everything then one of you would be unnecessary. However, disagreeing with EVERYTHING can be incredibly annoying and time consuming for your boss.

4. Tell your boss how to do their job. Once again differences of skills, opinions, work styles, and personalities are healthy in a work place. It’s the melting pot of skills that make a company and team successful. But sending emails or making statements telling your boss how to do their jobs is basically an invitation for being fired. There are more mature and healthier ways to share your thoughts. As an example, approach the conversation with, “Have we ever thought about doing things like this?”, or, “Do you think we could improve, if we tried this.” Casual conversations over lunch, brainstorming sessions, or employee reviews when you are given an opportunity to voice your opinion are great times to share your views.

5. Ask for vacation days in the middle of the workday. Come on people. This is just as bad as surfing the net, shopping on E-bay or updating your status on Facebook in the middle of the day. This shows that your mind is anywhere but work. Best to send these requests in the evenings to show you aren’t using company time to manage your personal life.

6. Call your boss at home without permission or for non urgent items. Some managers have open-door policies and encourage calls 24/7. If your boss is like that, have it! But others don’t want to be bothered at all. Look for clues and invitations from them. And, then if you have the urge to call, think twice. Can it wait till morning or later? Is it that urgent? Is email better? If you still think the call is necessary, go ahead and make the call and always start with, “I’m so sorry for calling you at home, but…”

7. Be the HR nightmare that all of your colleagues complain about. There is always one irritant in every office. Not only do your colleagues get tired of complaining, but your boss gets really tired of dealing with it! The most common complaints are things such as not pulling your weight with the team, being confrontational and believe it or not, being down right annoying. Some examples of “annoying” complaints include: playing music too loud, drumming fingers or other noisy habits, smacking your food, having a pig sty for an office, and not cleaning up your lunch dishes.

8. Be habitually late in the morning and for meetings during the business day. It never fails that the habitually later arrivers are the ones who habitually leave early. And, yet they are usually quite timely with their lunch, snack or smoke breaks. If this is you, think about it – you are showing your boss that you are UNCOMMITTED and DISRESEPCTFUL of company policies.

9. Bail out of company sponsored team building activities, retreats and social functions. Yes, there are going to be times that you just can’t attend such events due to personal scheduling conflicts. But being an active member of the team both in the office and out shows that you are not only committed to the company, but that you are making every effort to be a good team player. If all things are even with you and your teammates skill-wise, then when downsizing is necessary, guess who will get cut first? Think about it.

10. Constantly ask for clarification. Don’t get us wrong; asking for clarification is a good thing, especially when you are new on the job. It demonstrates that you want to understand your boss’s expectations and the deliverables you need to provide. However, asking for clarification on EVERYTHING makes you look as if a) you weren’t listening or b) you are not capable of doing your job. Stop before you ask for clarification and think, do I really, really need it? If your boss has to spend time clarifying EVERYTHING, then they may as well do the job themselves and you become REDUNDANT.

The Intellect Resources Monday Morning Minute - For the Latest Health IT Jobs and News

2010-08-30T09:51:00.000-04:00

Monday, August 30, 2010.

Monday Morning Minute is a weekly newsletter designed to share opportunities and industry news with our healthcare IT colleagues Candidates rely on the MMM because it is an informative and effective quick read. Our Candidate Edition is designed just for you and includes listings of open jobs with reputable companies in the healthcare IT field.

To View the latest Monday Morning Minute, click here

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UT Austin receives $2.7M grant to train health IT workers

2010-08-27T10:53:00.000-04:00

Photo : University of Texas - Austin

Friday, August 27, 2010.
Per healthcareitnews.com

AUSTIN, TX – The University of Texas at Austin's new Health Information Technology program is being bolstered by a $2.7 million federal grant that will support four programs aimed at "fast tracking" university graduates into the field of healthcare information technology.

The program graduated its first class of 54 students this past July.

"Our first graduates are really impressive," says Leanne Field, director of the program. "They are entering a field that is rapidly growing and will only continue to gain importance as we move toward electronic health records across the country. The industry demand is very high."

Texas State University is the lead institution for the PURE HIT consortium, a project supported by a grant from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), that aims at recruiting students to participate in healthcare IT certificate programs and a master's program in electronic health record/health information exchange implementation. The University of Texas College of Natural Sciences in Austin and The University of Texas Health School of Biomedical Informatics at Houston are also participants.

Total funding for the consortium is $5.4 million, the largest award in the nation funded for university-based education in health IT. The University of Texas at Austin certificate program is the first in the nation among those receiving ONC health information technology funding to graduate students.

At the university, the funding will support the establishment of four programs in the health information technology field:

The summer Health Information Technology Certificate for recent graduates,
A Health Information Privacy and Security Certificate for computer science students,
A Public Health Informatics Certificate for public health students, and
A Health Information Technology Sub-Specialist Certificate for graduate students.

"A groundbreaking transformation is occurring in the delivery of healthcare in the United States," says Field. "The College of Natural Sciences and the School of Biological Sciences are rapidly responding to this need."

The summer certificate program is nine weeks of intensive study that trains students in the fundamental concepts of health information technology, project management and workflow redesign, operational models of healthcare practice and skill development in the use of various electronic health record systems.

Students are given opportunities to enhance their professional communication and career development skills. Graduates of the program are awarded a certificate as a "Health Information Manager and Exchange Specialist."

Students gain experience in the Health Information Technology Learning Laboratory at the Clinical Education Center at University Medical Center Brackenridge, a member of the Seton Family of Hospitals. They also engage in a two-week practicum with Texas-area e-health companies.

For example, students in their practicum this summer at the Gulf Coast Regional Extension Center in Houston were deployed by Kim Dunn, MD, to a local nonprofit clinic called Shalom that relied completely on paper health records. The students were given one day to overhaul Shalom's system for monitoring patients with diabetes. They created a new database system for the clinic to add patients and track their health over time.

"The situation in the field right now is really poor," says Daniel Fritz, one of the summer program graduates who interned with Dunn. "These health clinics really need major changes, but if you really sit down and think about the problem you can come up with a solution. We started that day with nothing and came away with something great."

The students were particularly effective because they had gained skills using six different electronic health record systems donated by industry partners, including Allscripts, eClinicalWorks, e-MDs, Inc., GE Healthcare, NextGen Healthcare and Sage.

"It's an investment in the future of our industry and in the young minds that will shape it," said Jim Corrigan, vice president and general manager of GE Healthcare IT. "We're thrilled to participate in this learning opportunity and assist in the education of the critical primary care physician segment." GE donated its GE Centricity Advance software.

The summer certificate program has also benefited from major support and collaboration from key players in the e-health industry and nonprofits, including Seton Family of Hospitals, the Texas e-Health Alliance, the TMF Health Quality Institute and the Texas Medical Association.

"We couldn't have accomplished this without the incredible support from these partners," says Field.

To learn more about the program, click here.

Getting Motivated With Your "Every Day Image"

2010-08-26T14:07:00.000-04:00

Thursday, August 26, 2010.

While working on a power point presentation today, I googled “every day image.” The following Nike ad popped up, and it certainly resonated with me. Not only does it inspire me to get out and exercise “every damn day”, but I feel like it could easily be a workplace uniform. How many people in your office need the SAME daily reminders? How many of your vendors ask the same questions OVER and OVER again? How many employees do you have that aren’t meeting their DAILY productivity goals? Do you feel like you have to nudge your boss EVERY day to get something accomplished? Could this t-shirt motivate all of those colleagues who aren’t getting the job done your way or the job done at all? Could it give you your own kick in the pants? If the answer is yes, perhaps you should don the t-shirt or clip this ad to get motivated. Thanks Nike!

Look, Listen, Learn, and Love Your Way to a Successful Career

2010-08-18T13:43:00.001-04:00

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Individuals who are happy and successful in their careers have similar qualities. They look for opportunity, listen to others, thirst to learn and love what they do. Here’s how you, too, can look, listen, learn and love your way to a successful career.

LOOK for opportunity in everything, including triumphs and setbacks. If you give a presentation at work and receive rave reviews, why not explore other speaking opportunities within and outside of your company? If you are the go-to person in your office for technology problems, is there a position for you within your company’s IT department? Or perhaps with a software company specific to your industry? If your company is selling off or dissolving your division, is there an opportunity to start your own business to meet the needs of customers who will be impacted? Don’t let opportunities pass by you unnoticed--identify what opportunities are in your path, consider how you can approach them, and then take action. One of my favorite mantras is “The greatest risk you will ever take is the risk of regret.” How many opportunities have you let slip by because you didn’t notice them, didn’t know what to do with them, or were afraid to act on them?

LISTEN to those around you. It’s a given that you can enhance your career with lessons learned from others. Yes, conferences, workshops, classes, speakers, podcasts and webcasts are great ways to learn from others. But tuning in to everyday people is just as effective, more affordable and sometimes a more pleasant experience. Listen to the success and failure stories of those in your own network: friends, family, colleagues, superiors, neighbors and mentors. What opportunities did they seize? Ask for their advice about a particular situation or ask them for a critique of you. Listen thoughtfully to their responses, even if you don’t agree. Peer groups are one of my favorite places to listen and learn. Seek out other professionals in your field to meet with periodically over dinner or for overnight retreats to share successes and discuss issues with which you struggle. The advice you give and get back will be invaluable.

LEARN from mistakes. Early in my career I was drawn to successful employers. But I had a knack for selecting personalities who had contentious relationships with team members, customers and vendors and who ran very high-stress, deadline oriented companies. I wouldn’t trade these experiences for anything. They made me who I am today. I learned more from their flaws than I ever did in a classroom, conference or training session. Purposefully tuning in to the way they conducted themselves professionally and seeing the results in action helped me set my own standards for how a company should operate. As a result, our company’s practices are vastly different from my former employers’, and those practices work well for us. Yes, I’ve made plenty of my own mistakes, and you will, too. But it’s what we do with those mistakes that can elevate our careers.

LOVE what you do. Your work hours take up far too much of the day to be doing something you don’t love. And, believe me, I know what it is like to love a job, and I know what it is like to hate a job. I spent the first five years of my career counting down the minutes until five o’clock, the signal to break free from my cubicle prison. And then I found recruiting. Most days I truly look forward to getting into the office. Rarely do I think twice about working long hours that may consume evenings and weekends, because, for me, it’s a passion. If you don’t love what you do, you need to ask yourself two questions: “How content am I with my current career?” and “If I were to make a career change, what three things have to be in my next job/career to take it seriously?” Reflect on the answers and then seek out career options that align. The result should be career contentedness at the very least and passion for your career at the very best.

If you are committed to enhancing your career I urge you to ignite your career senses, including your common sense, by looking for opportunity, listening to others, learning constantly and loving what you do. When ignited, you’ll find career happiness and success.

Health IT workforce will require higher skill set

2010-08-13T14:34:00.000-04:00

Friday, August 13, 2010.
Per Healthcare IT News

SAN ANTONIO – As trends in technology change the employment landscape, training and certifying IT workers will require a higher skill set, said Terry Erdle, senior vice president, skills certification, of CompTIA in remarks he delivered at Breakaway 2010, the premier event for IT companies in North America. For healthcare IT workers, for instance, this may mean having a broader knowledge of areas such as security.

CompTIA's Breakaway conference, which concludes today, was held in San Antonio and included sessions on healthcare IT and green IT, cloud computing and cybersecurity among others.

Current estimates place the number of IT job openings in the United States at between 300,000 and 500,000. Forecasts for IT job growth through 2018 approach 20 percent.

According to experts, top in-demand job categories are computer systems engineers, developers, project managers, network engineers, security specialists, technology sales specialists and support staff and help desk employees. And for areas such as security, cloud computing, healthcare IT and green IT, they expect to see even faster growth as organizations expand their reliance on technology solutions in these areas.

But Erdle said the types of jobs available today and in the future require a different skill set. Many positions will require a combination of high-level skills. For example, workers in healthcare IT are likely to need a strong knowledge base in security as well, he said.

"Trends in technology are changing the employment landscape," said Erdle. "It doesn't mean that we don't need people. It's just a different kind of job."

CompTIA is planning several new certification programs in the next six to twelve months, Erdle said. They include certifications in advanced security skills, healthcare IT, storage and cloud computing
"We're trying to push the industry up to a mastery level of skills," he said.

CompTIA and Tempe, Ariz.-based Certification Partners, LLC announced this week that they've jointly developed a new credential that validates skills and standards-based knowledge in today's convergence technologies. The new CTP+ certification available Aug. 30 is designed to address the rapidly changing landscape of new network convergence products and solutions, such as voice-over-IP (VoIP) telephony, unified messaging and web conferencing.

Get Involved!

2010-08-11T12:38:00.000-04:00

Wednesday, August 11, 2010.

If you don’t get out of your comfort zone or your every day routine it’s difficult to achieve greater things. How can you tell how truly remarkable (or unremarkable) you are if you don’t get out and benchmark yourself with like professionals?

We don’t want to be the experts for your profession. However, we know too well how some of you like to pick apart industry establishments for their uninspired trade organizations, lack luster conferences, and training venues that re-circulate the same content and speakers over and over again. Instead, we would encourage you to seek out and get involved in at least one association that is one of the more forward thinking in your industry. Find the one that pushes the envelope by delivering innovative ideas to inspire, to challenge, to educate, and bring together your professional community.

Once you’ve found it, ask yourself : “ What if I got involved? What could I achieve from the training? What valuable connections will I make? What could I do with the tools and best practices I can learn and implement in my own career or in my own business?”

No doubt, you can and will be successful without membership to a professional association. But think how much more remarkable you could be in meeting the demands of your profession with an association at your side.

If you don’t get involved, that’s your choice. But, this is 2010. Post recession recovery is the biggest story of the year. Some of you will fail, some will maintain, and some will achieve great heights. How about you, what will you do?

Our favorite associations for healthcare it are ASHIM and HIMSS.

Ask A Recruiter : 'Bench Time Trending, A Question for our IR Road Warriors'

2010-08-05T15:27:00.003-04:00

Thursday, August 5, 2010.
By Brenda Witkemper

This month, I’d like to turn “Ask a Recruiter” on its ear. As a healthcare IT staffing professional in this industry, there are certain candidate questions that frequently surface, but never get much easier to address. Here’s an example:

“I’m looking to step into the consulting ring, but I’m still a bit nervous. I’m wondering how much downtime I should realistically expect between assignments. Can you help me work through this?”

Well, as you and I know both know, there are numerous variables to consider here (i.e. Size and scope of engagements, years and depth of one’s experience, particular skill set, typical project role, travel limitations or lack thereof, marketing efforts being conducted on a resource’s behalf, personal reputation and marketability, etc… not to mention the state of the economy). The only honest answer I’ve been able to offer my candidates to date is, “Project gaps will vary and there are simply no guarantees as to the degree of bench time you might experience as a consultant. So, be sure to develop a financial plan to cover unforeseen breaks in employment.” Unfortunately, this response doesn’t tool a candidate with any hard data to aid in their decision-making. It occurs to me, however, that I have a wealth of knowledge within reach to help me fine-tune my future response to this question and therefore better manage my candidates’ expectations. That knowledge base, of course, is you – our seasoned HIT Consultant!

I’d like to solicit input from those of you who’ve been on the road long enough to have weathered our industry’s growth, general contract anxieties, and market fluctuations. In an effort to gather averages and trending data related to “contractual job stability”, I ask that you please complete the following survey.
(If responding by email, please use “Bench Time Trending” as your subject header and direct the email to bwitkemper@intellectresources.com)

Thank you all, in advance! I appreciate your assistance and look forward to reading your responses. I plan to share the compiled data with you at a later time, so stay tuned!
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1. Name (optional)

2. Typical Project Role (i.e. PM, Clinical Strategist, Application Analyst/Builder)

3. Years Consulting

4. Typical Travel Schedule (i.e. remote resource, M-F, M-TH)

5. Average period of time between engagements for the years:

2010 to date
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005

6. Total project bench time for each of the above years

7. Are you an Independent Contractor, 3rd party contractor, or Full-time / W’2 Consultant?

8. Would you be willing to speak with HIT professionals considering a move into consulting? If so, please provide your preferred contact information.

9. Have you spoken with an IR Recruiter? If so, who? (Select from Tiffany Crenshaw, Eileen Dick, Jennifer Salter, Stowe Blankenship, Brenda Witkemper, Anne Sydnor, or Susan Grace)

10. Any additional comments?

Thank you again for your participation!