The Bluegrass HIMSS Kentucky Chapter is off to a great start in 2010! On January 19th we co-hosted a dinner and speaker event with Health Enterprises Network entitled, “Meaningful Use: The Impact of Standards”. Our speakers included Rick Chapman (Kindred Healthcare), Joe DeVenuto (Norton Healthcare) and Kathie McDonald-McClure (Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs, LLP). This was a well attended dinner event with over one hundred in attendance.
On March 18, 2010 our Chapter had a successful education event on ‘Lean Methodologies’ at The Castle Post in Versailles, KY. This event, attended by nearly 60 members, was another successful effort our chapter has embarked upon this fiscal year. As we begin to wrap up this fiscal year (July-June), we plan to organize a membership appreciation breakfast at Churchill Downs and one at Keeneland. More information and online registration will be made available in email in the next month. In the coming months I will begin the transition to our incoming Chapter President, Jeff Rose. Jeff and I will be working to transition leadership roles as well as open elections for the coming fiscal year July 2010 – June 2011). If you have interest in serving on the Bluegrass HIMSS Board, please send me an email at president@bluegrasshimss.org.
Best Regards,
Scott Smiser
President
Bluegrass HIMSS Chapter
president@bluegrasshimss.org
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Castle Post in Versailles, KY
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On behalf of the Bluegrass HIMSS Board and our generous sponsors, we would like to thank everyone who attended the Castle Post LEAN Principles Event. The venue and speakers provided for an enjoyable evening.
BGHIMSS has posted an online slideshow of photos.
As mentioned in the last newsletter, ACS was awarded the contract to begin to prepare the technical groundwork for a more complex system to exchange health data between the Kentucky Department of Medicaid Services, health care facilities, provider-run electronic health records (EHRs) and the state’s three existing regional health information organizations (RHIO's). The state is actively working with six hospitals and one clinic for the pilot project that will be up and running on April 1, 2010.
The six pilot hospitals are:
- Appalachian Regional Healthcare
- Central Baptist Hospital
- St Joseph Healthcare
- Pikeville Medical Center
- University of Louisville Healthcare
- University of Kentucky Healthcare
Three levels of connectivity are offered:
- Silver (receive only)
- Gold (send and receive)
- Platinum (send, receive and store - not available until the end of May)
After the pilot project has been implemented the state will start to bring on other providers in the state. There is no additional funding for hospitals for phase II but the state has been awarded $9.75 Million in ARRA HITECH funding that they applied for through the State Cooperative Agreement that will be used to develop the exchange at the state level.
The state is also creating a Kentucky Health Information Exchange Coordinating Council (KYHIE-CC). Council members will be appointed by the Governors Office.
The KY-HIECC is charged with:
- Assisting GOEHI in development of statewide HIE plan that includes the vision, goals, objectives and strategies for HIE capacity development and use among all health care providers in the state
- Assisting with objectives and strategies for supporting providers in achieving meaningful use
- Providing a process framework for continuous improvement
- Assessing and responding to emerging issues and directives from ONC to assure alignment with national guidelines
- Monitoring the implementation of KHIE in the Commonwealth
- Monitoring the effectiveness and relevance of guidelines
- Recommending strategies for improvement
Click here for more informaiton regarding the KHIE
Healthbridge, a northern Kentucky RHIO was recently awarded the REC contract for Northern/Eastern Kentucky.
The HITECH Act authorizes a Health Information Technology Extension Program. The extension program consists of Health Information Technology Regional Extension Centers (RECs) and a national Health Information Technology Research Center (HITRC). The RECs will offer technical assistance, guidance, and information to support and accelerate health care providers’ efforts to become meaningful users of Electronic Health Records (EHRs). The HITRC will be responsible for gathering relevant information on effective practices and help the RECs collaborate with one another and with relevant stakeholders to identify and share best practices in EHR adoption, effective use, and provider support.
The Nursing Informatics Symposium attracted over 100 attendees on January 29, 2010.
Speakers included:
Susan K. Newbold, PhD RN-BC FAAN FHIMSS
Vanderbilt University
Karen Hill, MSN, RN, NEA, BN, FACHE
Vice President & Chief Nursing Officer
Central Baptist Hospital
Steve Heilman M.D.
Associate Vice President & CMIO
Norton Healthcare
Panelists included:
Susan Newbold
Steve Heilman
Michelle Hager
Tom Carrico
Objectives:
- Explore the emerging trends and technologies driving nursing information systems throughout health systems across the country.
- Cultivate strategies to improve the adoption of physician order entry using nursing intervention.
- Discuss health care information exchanges to improve quality and cost-effectiveness.
- Discuss use of automated systems to promote nursing excellence and achieve Magnet status.
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Mark Birdwhistell
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Thank you to all who attended Bluegrass HIMSS and KHIMA Advocacy Day 2010. With 32 attendees we had more people than ever before. Everyone was involved in actual meetings with legislators. We had 15 meetings scheduled with Kentucky Senators and Representatives.
In the morning Mark Birdwhistell spoke to us on “The Nexus between Health Care Reform & Health Information Technology” and Dr. Carol Steltenkamp gave us an update on “E-Health in Kentucky”.(see related KHIE article above)
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| Dr. Carol Steltenkamp
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We were honored to have Senator Julie Denton speak to us in the afternoon. Senator Denton urged us to get involved and to engage in state government so that we can have a voice in shaping the future. Her message was clear that the best way for us to get involved is to contact our Senators and Representatives when the legislature is not in session.
She urged every one of us to schedule meetings with our Senators and Representatives in our home town and discuss issues, concerns and upcoming legislation.
"Remember, you may not always agree with your Senator and Representative on every issue but try to find common ground and ways to move forward."
According to Senator Denton, the least effective way to motivate legislators is by creating petitions and sending form letters. The best way to motivate our legislators is by meeting with them face to face and working together on the issues.
In her closing remarks she said: "I am leaving you with a personal challenge: Please call your state Senator and Representative and schedule a meeting in your hometown before Advocacy Day 2011."
Watch the Bluegrass HIMSS website for more information about how you can contact your legislators.
