Transitions of Care

Fast on the heels of an announcement by the ONC that the agency was launching a patient matching initiative, CHIME’s Russ Branzell gave HCI’s Mark Hagland an industry-first interview regarding CHIME’s praise for ONC’s announcement, and CHIME’s response to that announcement.

If anyone can provide an in-depth look at how CIOs are feeling about Stage 2 of meaningful use in anticipation of October, it’s Micky Tripathi, the President and CEO of the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative (MAeHC). This is part 1 of a two-part podcast series, in which Tripathi talks with Healthcare Informatics Associate Editor Gabriel Perna about some the concerns that have been expressed by CIOs on Stage 2.

Compared with some industries, mobile computing came late to healthcare. But now, the revolution is accelerating—both on the clinician end-user side, and in the arena of clinician-patient communications and care management. How are IT leaders engaging clinicians and helping clinicians engage patients, in the emerging healthcare? CIOs and CMIOs are figuring out how to help their organizations survive--and thrive--in the emerging world of mobility.

Highmark Health Services, a Pittsburgh-based health insurer, has announced the formation of the Accountable Care Alliance, in collaboration with health care providers in the Allegheny Health Network (AHN), which it maintains will improve the coordination of care and lower health care costs.

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?