September 17, 2013 Mark Hagland
In an era in which commemorative weeks and months are everywhere and happening during any given week, does it make sense to celebrate something like the “National Health IT Week”? Actually, it does. Here’s why…
August 27, 2013 Mark Hagland
When The New York Times runs an article on page 1 of its Sunday Business section, people notice. And that goes double when the headline on the article reads, "How to Charge $546 for Six Liters of Saltwater." The bottom line? The push for transparency will only intensify in the new healthcare.
August 24, 2013 Mark Hagland
The timing of MGMA's plea for leniency towards physicians working to meet the requirements of meaningful use couldn't be more challenging for whoever becomes the next National Coordinator for Health IT. What should ONC do--maintain policy rigor or accede to the demands of providers? The answer could prove pivotal to the entire HITECH program.
August 19, 2013 Mark Hagland
It was fascinating to read a recent account in the July/August issue of “Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare” about a Six Sigma project around improving perioperative outcomes and processes. Not only was the case study a worthwhile read in itself, it clearly had implications for healthcare IT leaders.
August 6, 2013 Mark Hagland
The announcement from HHS on August 6 that Farzad Mostashari, M.D. was preparing to leave his position as National Coordinator for Health IT this fall was very surprising. What's important now is for the next National Coordinator to be as strategic and persuasive a leader as he has been.
August 5, 2013 Mark Hagland
A sometimes-heated discussion taking place in New York City around introducing a physician pay-for-performance program into that city’s immense public hospital system speaks to the broader debate around how best to transform U.S. healthcare
July 31, 2013 Mark Hagland
Though every healthcare IT leader and industry expert I interviewed for our July/August cover story package shared with me how complex their movement towards mobility has been so far, one very positive element in that overall movement is this: a strong clarity with regard to what the future holds, at least with regard to the big picture
July 25, 2013 Mark Hagland
In late July, healthcare leaders brought forward concerns around the rigorous requirements of Stage 2 of meaningful use to federal officials at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT and the Department of Health and Human Services. How might federal officials respond—and what kinds of concerns must they balance?
July 23, 2013 Mark Hagland
If recent surveys are any indication, the leaders of physician groups nationwide are making the decision to move forward on absolutely needed clinical information technology implementation, despite the challenges inherent in a shifting reimbursement landscape.
July 17, 2013 Mark Hagland
The July 16 announcement by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that nine of the 32 patient care organizations participating in the Pioneer ACO Shared Savings Program were leaving the Pioneer program, with two of them leaving the Medicare Shared Savings Program altogether, was cause for reflective pause. But is the glass half-empty or half-full in this case?
