The Basketball Tournament (aka TBT) is a 64-team, single-elimination tourney that invites teams from all over the U.S. to compete for a $1M prize each summer. This year, TBT organizers faced the challenge of managing a complex COVID-19 safety protocol to keep ~1,000 participants and staff healthy during the two-week tournament as it played out […]
Epic UGM is back in-person for 2021! The conference begins on Monday, August 23rd, and concludes on Wednesday, August 25th. Similar to pre-COVID years, the conference is taking place in Verona, Wisconsin at Epic’s campus; however, this year there is a full-vaccination requirement to attend. Streaming options will be available for the Executive Address. Epic […]
The migration to a new Patient Accounting System (PAS), most often as part of an organization’s larger Electronic Health Records (EHR) implementation, requires extensive planning and preparation from revenue cycle management leaders. Due to an increasingly complex payer environment and expectations that PAS’ fit seamlessly into an organization’s tech stack, proper planning and input from […]
Three large employers using regular COVID-19 testing to screen essential workers report success in their efforts to prevent worksite COVID-19 outbreaks. Executives leading the testing efforts at these companies also say that careful planning and communication are keys to implementing a seamless testing program with minimal disruption to the workday. In a recent webinar now […]
Colleges across the United States returned to campus in the fall of 2020 after a spring semester of remote learning and a summer break. Campuses quickly developed and adopted numerous strategies for frequent COVID-19 testing and data reporting in order to ensure the safety of students, faculty, staff members, and the neighboring community. A new […]
Herd immunity for COVID-19 through vaccination is still months away, according to U.S. health experts, but even then, many epidemiologists warn that the pathogen, in some form, will circulate for years, requiring employers to take long-term steps to protect employees. Low-cost interventions such as symptom screening and physical distancing provide some protection but often miss […]
An American Hospital Association study estimates financial losses for U.S. based hospitals at a staggering $320 billion for the year 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has significantly impacted IT spending and forced IT leaders to explore new ways to reduce the cost of IT while ensuring care continuity. Reducing “keep the […]
Smell loss (or Anosmia) is one of the first and telltale symptoms of Covid-19, according to the CDC. That’s why a growing number of experts advocate screening for loss of smell as a simple, cost-effective way to prevent Covid-19 spread. “My impression is that anosmia is an earlier symptom of Covid-19 relative to fever, and […]
The drive to modernize the delivery of virtual care to support the pandemic is unprecedented. More than ever, innovation is needed to deliver primary care via telemedicine and remote monitoring services, and to protect patient data and reduce medical errors. Deploying technology to enhance patient care and safety starts one hospital at a time and […]
Ready or not, price transparency is coming. On Jan 1, 2021, the much-anticipated hospital price transparency rules from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) go into effect. Finalized in November 2019, these rules require hospitals to publicize their list of standard charges for items and services ranging from supplies and room and board […]
Cyber security is a top-of-mind concern for healthcare organizations, especially when it comes to the medical devices that support patient care. In recent years, the vulnerability of connected infusion pumps and patient monitors has been exposed by high-profile ransomware attacks, such as WannaCry, and experts say the risks will grow as Operational Technology (OT) devices […]
Legacy systems are a challenge for all companies, especially those who grow through acquisition or need to focus on immediate profitability after a merger. Modernizing and consolidating systems is often left out of acquisition timelines. Unfortunately, this often leaves IT with a patchwork of legacy systems to manage and a lack of partnership between IT […]
