I recently viewed a video of President Obama about his healthcare plan. In this plan, he would like to reduce readmissions to the hospital, have physicians to work together as a team, with the primary care physician being the "leader."
Decreasing the readmissions to the hospital... first of all the governmentis going to have to figure out how to decrease the frequent flyers and treat their needs in an economical fashion? To take care of these problems effectiently won't that include a longer hosptial stay? Let's face it, the hospital stays have been getting shorter and shorter since I got into healthcare in the early 1990s. We get patient's until their "good enough" then out the door they go. As a nurse it is my responsible to educate that patient on what to do at home, but what about the compliance of the patient? The real success of failure of the patient at home is called COMPLIANCE... So, therefore, my question to Mr. President is how are we going to make sure that the patient's are compliant with the treatment that we have set up for them?
Physicians working together as a team... How many times have nurses had to put their foot down because the docs want to play phone tag with the nurses in the middle. In this fast paced world, I don't know if there is enough time for all this communication. Doctors would have to call each other instead of having the nurse or unit secretary call the other physician. What about a treatment plan? What happened to nursing care plans and/or treatment plans? There have been quite a few hospitals that I have gone to recently that there is absolutely no communication about what the real treatment plan is for the patient. Communication is going to have to get A LOT better for physicians AND nurses to work together as a team.
Primary care physicians being the leader... Now-a-days I'm seeing more and more use of hospitalist for hospital care and primary care physicans (or PCPs) used only at their offices. How is the PCP supppose to lead the team if they aren't even in the hospital? Do the hospitalist and PCPs communicate with each other on each patient? Does the hospitalist really know the plan that the PCP has for the care of that patient?
I think that before any of this to work, we're going to have to make healthcare more personal. Nurses and doctors are going to have to get back into the CARING field and not just the COVER YOUR HINEY field...
Twitter Updates
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago First Hospital to Install Innovative Shape-HF™ Cardiopulmonary Testing System
New FDA-approved medical device "is specifically designed to objectively measure cardiopulmonary gas exchange in heart failure patients. It can make a dramatic difference in treating CRT patients." Dr. Abraham Kocheril, Professor of Medicine and Director of Clinical Electrophysiology at the University of Illinois at Chicago
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN (PRWEB) May 6, 2009 -- The University of Illinois Medical Center, the primary teaching facility for the UIC College of Medicine (the nation's largest medical school), is the first such institution to install and begin using the innovative Shape-HF™ Cardiopulmonary Testing System. Developed by Shape Medical Systems, Inc, this non-invasive medical device assesses heart-lung interaction and ventilation in patients with chronic heart failure and other cardiopulmonary disease. While gas exchange testing devices have been used for several years to measure cardiopulmonary response to exercise, Shape-HF™ is the first device specifically designed for cardiology. Shape-HF™ is FDA-approved, easy to use, easy on the patient, and provides clinically relevant data that is easy to understand, reproducible and immediately useful to a cardiologist.
Upon being introduced to the Shape-HF™ System, Dr. Abraham Kocheril, Professor of Medicine and Director of Clinical Electrophysiology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, saw immediate applications for the device. "It broadens the pool of heart failure patients we are able to accurately test because it is less cumbersome than existing cardiopulmonary testing devices and it is patient friendly for those with heart failure," says Dr. Kocheril. Shape-HF™ uses low intensity, sub-maximal or steady state testing protocols to allow testing of even high-risk patients with little or no discomfort.
Cardiologists know that measuring patient gas exchange is the best method of assessing patient functional capacity, monitoring their response to therapy and predicting outcome. Shape-HF™ is designed to quantify the severity of dyspnea on exertion and fatigue and evaluate the interaction between the heart, lungs, and other organ systems. This makes it possible for the physician to evaluate therapy options for the individual patient and track patient progress. In addition, cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has become a mainstay in treating patients with severe heart failure when alternative treatment options have been exhausted. According to Dr. Koucheril, "The CRT response rate in heart failure patients is about 70%. The Shape-HF™ System is likely to help us get the remaining 30% feeling better--those we call non-responders--because it lets us objectively measure response to CRT and optimize timing between the atrium and the two ventricles of the heart in real time while the patient is exercising."
In addition to being the first and only device that objectively measures cardiopulmonary gas exchange easily and quickly without undue strain on the patient and in the office setting, Shape-HF™ provides real-time physiological assessment to enable CRT optimization during exercise and is cost-effective and easy to use. According to Shape Medical Systems President and COO Clarence Johnson, "Cost, logistics and the complexity of testing and data interpretation, as well as the significant level of patient discomfort associated with cardiopulmonary exercise testing has limited its utility and deprived physicians and their patients of much needed physiological information. Shape-HF™ overcomes these limitations. It provides objective data to the cardiologist right in the office or clinic. The test is easy on patients and the equipment is intuitive and easy to use."
Dr. Kocheril is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Cardiovascular Disease and Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology. He has published extensively, serves as a reviewer for several journals, and is on the editorial board of one journal. He has spoken internationally and takes an active role as faculty in the annual scientific sessions of the Heart Rhythm Society.
The University of Illinois Medical Center is a comprehensive teaching and research hospital and is the state's largest public medical facility. Founded in 1925, the medical center has pioneered dramatic innovations in medical treatment, technology and cutting-edge research with a dedication to patient care. The medical center includes a 507-bed hospital and more than 40 primary care and specialty outpatient clinics. It is associated with UIC's health sciences colleges of medicine, pharmacy, nursing, dentistry, public health and applied health sciences. The hospital serves as the primary teaching facility for the UIC College of Medicine, the nation's largest medical school, graduating approximately 300 physicians each year. In Illinois, approximately one in six physicians is a graduate of the UIC College of Medicine.
Shape Medical Systems Inc is a privately held, St. Paul, Minnesota-based medical device company whose core technology lies in the development and commercialization of products for assessing heart/lung interaction and ventilation in chronic heart failure and other cardiopulmonary disease. Shape's clear mission is to develop products that increase the quality of patients' lives by helping doctors quantify shortness of breath, assess patient functional capacity, optimize drug, device and rehabilitation therapy, and monitor patient progress. Shape Medical Systems was founded in 2004 and received FDA market clearance for the Shape-HF™ Cardiopulmonary Testing System in April 2009. The Shape-HF™ System, testing protocols and applications are protected by patent 7,225,022 and other U.S. and foreign patents issued and pending.
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN (PRWEB) May 6, 2009 -- The University of Illinois Medical Center, the primary teaching facility for the UIC College of Medicine (the nation's largest medical school), is the first such institution to install and begin using the innovative Shape-HF™ Cardiopulmonary Testing System. Developed by Shape Medical Systems, Inc, this non-invasive medical device assesses heart-lung interaction and ventilation in patients with chronic heart failure and other cardiopulmonary disease. While gas exchange testing devices have been used for several years to measure cardiopulmonary response to exercise, Shape-HF™ is the first device specifically designed for cardiology. Shape-HF™ is FDA-approved, easy to use, easy on the patient, and provides clinically relevant data that is easy to understand, reproducible and immediately useful to a cardiologist.
Upon being introduced to the Shape-HF™ System, Dr. Abraham Kocheril, Professor of Medicine and Director of Clinical Electrophysiology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, saw immediate applications for the device. "It broadens the pool of heart failure patients we are able to accurately test because it is less cumbersome than existing cardiopulmonary testing devices and it is patient friendly for those with heart failure," says Dr. Kocheril. Shape-HF™ uses low intensity, sub-maximal or steady state testing protocols to allow testing of even high-risk patients with little or no discomfort.
Cardiologists know that measuring patient gas exchange is the best method of assessing patient functional capacity, monitoring their response to therapy and predicting outcome. Shape-HF™ is designed to quantify the severity of dyspnea on exertion and fatigue and evaluate the interaction between the heart, lungs, and other organ systems. This makes it possible for the physician to evaluate therapy options for the individual patient and track patient progress. In addition, cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has become a mainstay in treating patients with severe heart failure when alternative treatment options have been exhausted. According to Dr. Koucheril, "The CRT response rate in heart failure patients is about 70%. The Shape-HF™ System is likely to help us get the remaining 30% feeling better--those we call non-responders--because it lets us objectively measure response to CRT and optimize timing between the atrium and the two ventricles of the heart in real time while the patient is exercising."
In addition to being the first and only device that objectively measures cardiopulmonary gas exchange easily and quickly without undue strain on the patient and in the office setting, Shape-HF™ provides real-time physiological assessment to enable CRT optimization during exercise and is cost-effective and easy to use. According to Shape Medical Systems President and COO Clarence Johnson, "Cost, logistics and the complexity of testing and data interpretation, as well as the significant level of patient discomfort associated with cardiopulmonary exercise testing has limited its utility and deprived physicians and their patients of much needed physiological information. Shape-HF™ overcomes these limitations. It provides objective data to the cardiologist right in the office or clinic. The test is easy on patients and the equipment is intuitive and easy to use."
Dr. Kocheril is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Cardiovascular Disease and Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology. He has published extensively, serves as a reviewer for several journals, and is on the editorial board of one journal. He has spoken internationally and takes an active role as faculty in the annual scientific sessions of the Heart Rhythm Society.
The University of Illinois Medical Center is a comprehensive teaching and research hospital and is the state's largest public medical facility. Founded in 1925, the medical center has pioneered dramatic innovations in medical treatment, technology and cutting-edge research with a dedication to patient care. The medical center includes a 507-bed hospital and more than 40 primary care and specialty outpatient clinics. It is associated with UIC's health sciences colleges of medicine, pharmacy, nursing, dentistry, public health and applied health sciences. The hospital serves as the primary teaching facility for the UIC College of Medicine, the nation's largest medical school, graduating approximately 300 physicians each year. In Illinois, approximately one in six physicians is a graduate of the UIC College of Medicine.
Shape Medical Systems Inc is a privately held, St. Paul, Minnesota-based medical device company whose core technology lies in the development and commercialization of products for assessing heart/lung interaction and ventilation in chronic heart failure and other cardiopulmonary disease. Shape's clear mission is to develop products that increase the quality of patients' lives by helping doctors quantify shortness of breath, assess patient functional capacity, optimize drug, device and rehabilitation therapy, and monitor patient progress. Shape Medical Systems was founded in 2004 and received FDA market clearance for the Shape-HF™ Cardiopulmonary Testing System in April 2009. The Shape-HF™ System, testing protocols and applications are protected by patent 7,225,022 and other U.S. and foreign patents issued and pending.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
pMDsoft Releases Charge Capture Software for BlackBerry Storm
pMDsoft, Inc. today extended its popular mobile charge capture and rounding software to the BlackBerry Storm. Combining on-the-go connectivity with the simplicity of a touch interface, this device is a natural evolution for pMDsoft, which emphasizes realtime communication and exceptional ease of use. Practices seeking to save time, recover lost income, and improve patient hand-off can benefit immensely from charge capture; but only if they choose the right solution for their needs.
Long Island City, NY (PRWEB) February 25, 2009 -- pMDsoft Releases Charge Capture Software for BlackBerry Storm
pMDsoft, Inc. today extended its popular mobile charge capture and rounding software to the BlackBerry Storm. Combining on-the-go connectivity with the simplicity of a touch interface, this device is a natural evolution for pMDsoft, which emphasizes realtime communication and exceptional ease of use. Practices seeking to save time, recover lost income, and improve patient hand-off can benefit immensely from charge capture; but only if they choose the right solution for their needs.
What's Wrong with Paper? A paper solution for capturing charges - such as 3x5 index cards, the status quo for tracking hospital patients in many practices - is quick to use and highly mobile. No one can dispute its simplicity. Nonetheless, it exacts hidden tolls in the form of lengthy hand-off conversations, lost or forgotten charges, and delays in reaching the biller. An electronic solution can address these concerns while actually reducing the amount of time that it takes to document each patient encounter; but only if it was designed well for this purpose.
Dr. Jonathan Matthews, of DFW Hospitalists, has realized the benefits of adopting an elegant charge capture solution such as pMDsoft, declaring that "pMDsoft has made our lives a lot simpler, saving me hours of administrative work every week. Now when I leave the hospital, I'm usually done with my billing by the time I get to the car. Information flows easily within my practice, and my life is more efficient - which is more important than ever now that I'm starting to grow my small hospitalist practice." For small practices, great technology can make the difference between prospering and struggling to stay independent.
So what's wrong with paper? It cannot re-use demographics that doctors or staff have previously entered. It cannot help doctors stay abreast of which patients they and their partners have already seen, today or in the distant past. It cannot find its own way to the biller, or be accessed using a Web browser if the doctor forgets to bring it along. And if it is lost or stolen, patients' privacy may suffer.
Fortunately, today's smartphones - capable, friendly devices such as the BlackBerry Storm and the iPhone - have allowed pMDsoft to create a solution that is not only better than the competition; it's also definitely better than paper.
Save Time, Recover Lost Income, and Improve Patient Hand-Off: A practice that is considering adopting mobile charge capture must first determine where its existing process could be improved. In the rush to provide the best patient care or spend time with family, does billing ever fall by the wayside? In this case, the practice stands to tighten its accounts receivables cycle, getting reimbursed more quickly and more reliably for its work. Doctors may also benefit from being able to tell at a glance whom they've seen today and whom they haven't.
On the other hand, the practice's billing might be airtight, up-to-date, and accurate; but the checks and balances that it has put into place to ensure this are consuming it with administrative work. This time could be spent in a more productive way. If this rings true, then the practice stands to recover an immense amount of time by transitioning to a system that cuts out the middle man and sends patient encounters directly to the biller from the point of care. Like Dr. Matthews, the doctors could already be finished with their billing by the time they leave the hospital.
Finally, doctors may be spending a lot of time on the phone with your partners, catching them up on the status of each patient. In this case, the practice may improve both the speed and quality of hand-off by adopting a system that updates highly visible sign-off notes in realtime. Dr. Raj Patcha, of the Huntington Heart Center has found that "I am hardly calling my partners about whom I have to see as it continuously updates itself. It's like my biller is following my clinical rounds. Thanks for making my life easier to run our practice."
pMDsoft retains the best aspects of paper billing, and adds the simplicity of a well-written, truly mobile software solution. Learn more by calling 800-587-4989 or emailing sales (at) pmdsoft (dot) com
About pMDsoft: Headquartered in New York City, pMDsoft develops wireless applications that help physicians streamline and automate their entire practice from point-of-care through reimbursement. The company was started in 1999 to address physicians' need for an effective, mobile alternative to their paper-based method for recording patient encounters. pMDsoft developed the powerful, flexible, reliable and easy-to-use mobile charge capture solution physicians were seeking. By providing real-time access to patient information anywhere, at any time via handheld devices or desktop computers, pMDsoft's medical billing program enables physicians to automate charge capture; view hospital census and office schedules; create a centralized patient information resource for the practice; and more. Through it all, we protect your patient data by adhering to the highest standards for performance, security and reliability.
Today, pMDsoft's customers include individual physicians, physician practice groups, managed care organizations, hospitals, and billing companies located across the country. We attribute our success to our unwavering commitment to developing the best solution on the market and to our superior 24/7 customer support.
Long Island City, NY (PRWEB) February 25, 2009 -- pMDsoft Releases Charge Capture Software for BlackBerry Storm
pMDsoft, Inc. today extended its popular mobile charge capture and rounding software to the BlackBerry Storm. Combining on-the-go connectivity with the simplicity of a touch interface, this device is a natural evolution for pMDsoft, which emphasizes realtime communication and exceptional ease of use. Practices seeking to save time, recover lost income, and improve patient hand-off can benefit immensely from charge capture; but only if they choose the right solution for their needs.
What's Wrong with Paper? A paper solution for capturing charges - such as 3x5 index cards, the status quo for tracking hospital patients in many practices - is quick to use and highly mobile. No one can dispute its simplicity. Nonetheless, it exacts hidden tolls in the form of lengthy hand-off conversations, lost or forgotten charges, and delays in reaching the biller. An electronic solution can address these concerns while actually reducing the amount of time that it takes to document each patient encounter; but only if it was designed well for this purpose.
Dr. Jonathan Matthews, of DFW Hospitalists, has realized the benefits of adopting an elegant charge capture solution such as pMDsoft, declaring that "pMDsoft has made our lives a lot simpler, saving me hours of administrative work every week. Now when I leave the hospital, I'm usually done with my billing by the time I get to the car. Information flows easily within my practice, and my life is more efficient - which is more important than ever now that I'm starting to grow my small hospitalist practice." For small practices, great technology can make the difference between prospering and struggling to stay independent.
So what's wrong with paper? It cannot re-use demographics that doctors or staff have previously entered. It cannot help doctors stay abreast of which patients they and their partners have already seen, today or in the distant past. It cannot find its own way to the biller, or be accessed using a Web browser if the doctor forgets to bring it along. And if it is lost or stolen, patients' privacy may suffer.
Fortunately, today's smartphones - capable, friendly devices such as the BlackBerry Storm and the iPhone - have allowed pMDsoft to create a solution that is not only better than the competition; it's also definitely better than paper.
Save Time, Recover Lost Income, and Improve Patient Hand-Off: A practice that is considering adopting mobile charge capture must first determine where its existing process could be improved. In the rush to provide the best patient care or spend time with family, does billing ever fall by the wayside? In this case, the practice stands to tighten its accounts receivables cycle, getting reimbursed more quickly and more reliably for its work. Doctors may also benefit from being able to tell at a glance whom they've seen today and whom they haven't.
On the other hand, the practice's billing might be airtight, up-to-date, and accurate; but the checks and balances that it has put into place to ensure this are consuming it with administrative work. This time could be spent in a more productive way. If this rings true, then the practice stands to recover an immense amount of time by transitioning to a system that cuts out the middle man and sends patient encounters directly to the biller from the point of care. Like Dr. Matthews, the doctors could already be finished with their billing by the time they leave the hospital.
Finally, doctors may be spending a lot of time on the phone with your partners, catching them up on the status of each patient. In this case, the practice may improve both the speed and quality of hand-off by adopting a system that updates highly visible sign-off notes in realtime. Dr. Raj Patcha, of the Huntington Heart Center has found that "I am hardly calling my partners about whom I have to see as it continuously updates itself. It's like my biller is following my clinical rounds. Thanks for making my life easier to run our practice."
pMDsoft retains the best aspects of paper billing, and adds the simplicity of a well-written, truly mobile software solution. Learn more by calling 800-587-4989 or emailing sales (at) pmdsoft (dot) com
About pMDsoft: Headquartered in New York City, pMDsoft develops wireless applications that help physicians streamline and automate their entire practice from point-of-care through reimbursement. The company was started in 1999 to address physicians' need for an effective, mobile alternative to their paper-based method for recording patient encounters. pMDsoft developed the powerful, flexible, reliable and easy-to-use mobile charge capture solution physicians were seeking. By providing real-time access to patient information anywhere, at any time via handheld devices or desktop computers, pMDsoft's medical billing program enables physicians to automate charge capture; view hospital census and office schedules; create a centralized patient information resource for the practice; and more. Through it all, we protect your patient data by adhering to the highest standards for performance, security and reliability.
Today, pMDsoft's customers include individual physicians, physician practice groups, managed care organizations, hospitals, and billing companies located across the country. We attribute our success to our unwavering commitment to developing the best solution on the market and to our superior 24/7 customer support.
Southeast Missouri Hospital Implements Chart Links Rehabilitation Software for Therapists
Chart Links, LLC announces the implementation of its rehabilitation software by HealthPoint Rehab which consists of two outpatient rehabilitation centers for Southeast Missouri Hospital, a 269-bed regional medical complex serving southeast Missouri and southern Illinois. The implementation includes functionality for electronically managing therapy documentation, scheduling, referrals, insurance authorizations, charges, and more.
New Haven, Connecticut and Cape Girardeau, Missouri (PRWEB) February 27, 2009 -- Chart Links, a provider of rehabilitation software, announces the implementation of its therapy documentation and scheduling system by a team of 26 physical, occupational and speech therapists and assistants at HealthPoint Rehab, consisting of two outpatient rehabilitation facilities, for Southeast Missouri Hospital. Southeast Missouri Hospital is a 269-bed regional medical complex serving nearly 600,000 people in 21 counties in southeast Missouri and southern Illinois.
The implementation includes functionality for electronic therapy documentation, cross-discipline therapy scheduling, referral and insurance authorization management, charges and more. It also includes an ADT and billing interface to the Meditech hospital information system.
"Transitioning to electronic medical records was the right decision," says Frankie Erlacker, PT, MHS, Executive Director of HealthPoint Rehab. "Southeast chose Chart Links both because it could be customized to meet the unique needs of the department and because of the support Chart Links offered during the building and implementation process. With Chart Links, we will document according to national standards in a way that makes sense to both clinicians and our referral sources. The management staff will be able to more effectively monitor trends and strategize proactively."
Chart Links software streamlines all of the daily tasks associated with a patient's physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech language pathology, or audiology visit. The software manages adult and pediatric therapy treatment by automating evaluations, flow sheets, plans of care, progress notes, patient education, and clinical correspondence. It also manages payer compliance, provider reimbursement, outcomes reporting, administrative functions, business intelligence and enterprise productivity.
About Chart Links, LLC: For 15 years, Chart Links has developed rehabilitation software that automates workflow for referrals, insurance authorizations, cross-discipline scheduling, documentation, charges, and more. Chart Links allows medical rehabilitation facilities to be more efficient and to provide a higher quality of care by delivering results in the areas of compliance, outcomes, analytics and revenue. http://www.chartlinks.com?source=prweb
About Southeast Missouri Hospital's HealthPoint Rehab: Southeast Missouri Hospital's two HealthPoint Rehab complexes, located in Cape Girardeau and nearby Jackson, MO, offer a full scope of specialized physical, occupational and speech therapy services as well as orthopedic and sports medicine for both adults and children. Highly specialized therapies include lymphedema therapy, treatment for TMJ disorders and myofascial release. Both facilities are equipped with large, state-of-the-art therapy gyms as well as private treatment areas. The highly experienced, credentialed therapists make the transition from rehabilitation to fitness a personalized experience for patients.
HealthPoint Rehab in Cape Girardeau also utilizes both warm water and fitness pools for therapeutic aquatics.
New Haven, Connecticut and Cape Girardeau, Missouri (PRWEB) February 27, 2009 -- Chart Links, a provider of rehabilitation software, announces the implementation of its therapy documentation and scheduling system by a team of 26 physical, occupational and speech therapists and assistants at HealthPoint Rehab, consisting of two outpatient rehabilitation facilities, for Southeast Missouri Hospital. Southeast Missouri Hospital is a 269-bed regional medical complex serving nearly 600,000 people in 21 counties in southeast Missouri and southern Illinois.
The implementation includes functionality for electronic therapy documentation, cross-discipline therapy scheduling, referral and insurance authorization management, charges and more. It also includes an ADT and billing interface to the Meditech hospital information system.
"Transitioning to electronic medical records was the right decision," says Frankie Erlacker, PT, MHS, Executive Director of HealthPoint Rehab. "Southeast chose Chart Links both because it could be customized to meet the unique needs of the department and because of the support Chart Links offered during the building and implementation process. With Chart Links, we will document according to national standards in a way that makes sense to both clinicians and our referral sources. The management staff will be able to more effectively monitor trends and strategize proactively."
Chart Links software streamlines all of the daily tasks associated with a patient's physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech language pathology, or audiology visit. The software manages adult and pediatric therapy treatment by automating evaluations, flow sheets, plans of care, progress notes, patient education, and clinical correspondence. It also manages payer compliance, provider reimbursement, outcomes reporting, administrative functions, business intelligence and enterprise productivity.
About Chart Links, LLC: For 15 years, Chart Links has developed rehabilitation software that automates workflow for referrals, insurance authorizations, cross-discipline scheduling, documentation, charges, and more. Chart Links allows medical rehabilitation facilities to be more efficient and to provide a higher quality of care by delivering results in the areas of compliance, outcomes, analytics and revenue. http://www.chartlinks.com?source=prweb
About Southeast Missouri Hospital's HealthPoint Rehab: Southeast Missouri Hospital's two HealthPoint Rehab complexes, located in Cape Girardeau and nearby Jackson, MO, offer a full scope of specialized physical, occupational and speech therapy services as well as orthopedic and sports medicine for both adults and children. Highly specialized therapies include lymphedema therapy, treatment for TMJ disorders and myofascial release. Both facilities are equipped with large, state-of-the-art therapy gyms as well as private treatment areas. The highly experienced, credentialed therapists make the transition from rehabilitation to fitness a personalized experience for patients.
HealthPoint Rehab in Cape Girardeau also utilizes both warm water and fitness pools for therapeutic aquatics.
Best New Product Awards Winners Named at Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference
Products from AnaSpec, Accelrys, Almac Diagnostics, Seahorse Biosciences, BioFortis recognized for their innovation across the life industry.
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) March 3, 2009 -- Cambridge Healthtech Institute's Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference has named five biotech companies that have won the Third Annual Best New Product Awards: The winning products include AnaSpec's ClearPoint Peptides, Accelrys' Pipeline Pilot Cheminformatics Collection, Almac Diagnostics' Ovarian Cancer DSA Research Tool, Seahorse Biosciences' Seahorse XF96 Extracellular Flux Analyzer, and BioFortis' Labmatrix.
One company was selected within five technology categories. Winning products were selected by delegates of the Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference, who voted for products they felt best exemplified innovation in their field. The following winners were selected from 25 finalists.
Biological Samples & ReagentsClearPoint Peptides by AnaSpec
ChemistryPipeline Pilot Cheminformatics Collection by Accelrys
Assays & Kits for Basic ResearchOvarian Cancer DSA Research Tool by Almac Diagnostics
Assays & Kits for Drug DevelopmentSeahorse XF96 Extracellular Flux Analyzer by Seahorse Biosciences
Discovery Informatics: Labmatrix by BioFortis
Best New Product Award Winners include:
ClearPoint Peptides: By spiking protein tryptic digests with internal heavy isotope labeled peptide standards, Mass Spectrometry becomes an absolute quantitation (AQUA) method. With a choice of heavy hydrogen (2H), carbon (13C), or nitrogen (15N)-isotopes specifically labeled at single, multiple or universal positions, ClearPoint™ peptides are an ideal solution for absolute protein quantitation.
Pipeline Pilot Cheminformatics Collection: Accelrys' chemistry-centric List Management and Query Services system (LMQS) enables rapid searching of different data sources that utilize a variety of database search engines and schemas. Results can be automatically organized into lists that can be manipulated within Pipeline Pilot, enabling users to reuse, share, report and analyze their data.
Ovarian Cancer DSA Research Tool: The Ovarian Cancer DSA(TM) research tool is the first high-density disease focused transcriptome based microarray for the study of ovarian. With ~100,000 transcripts derived from ovarian tissue, the Ovarian cancer DSA(TM) research tool represents the most complete tool available for the study of ovarian cancer.
Seahorse XF96 Extracellular Flux Analyzer: The Seahorse XF96 Analyzer is the first analytical instrument for the kinetic measurement of mitochondrial oxygen consumption and cytoplasmic glycolysis in a 96-well microplate. The easy-to-use instrument assays cells in minutes, using a label-free, non-destructive method. Measure mitochondrial function in primary cells, adherent cells, tumor and suspension cells and isolated mitochondria.
About Labmatrix: Labmatrix™ is a web-based software application for management of clinical, specimen and molecular assay data. With the ability to integrate these data sets in a tightly linked, highly annotated manner, Labmatrix™ is being used by multiple customers in the biopharmaceutical industry, academic and government research institutes for biomarker discovery, biobanking and translational clinical and genetic research.
About Cambridge Healthtech Institute (CHI): Founded in 1992, Cambridge Healthtech Institute (www.chicorporate.com) is the preeminent life science network for leading researchers and business experts from top pharmaceutical, biotech, academic, and niche service provider organizations. CHI's integrated life science portfolio of products and services includes Cambridge Healthtech Institute Conferences, Pharmaceutical Strategy Series, Barnett International, Insight Pharma Reports, Marketing Services, Meeting Planners, and Cambridge Healthtech Media Group, which includes numerous eNewsletters, Bio-IT World magazine, as well as Lead Generation Programs.
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) March 3, 2009 -- Cambridge Healthtech Institute's Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference has named five biotech companies that have won the Third Annual Best New Product Awards: The winning products include AnaSpec's ClearPoint Peptides, Accelrys' Pipeline Pilot Cheminformatics Collection, Almac Diagnostics' Ovarian Cancer DSA Research Tool, Seahorse Biosciences' Seahorse XF96 Extracellular Flux Analyzer, and BioFortis' Labmatrix.
One company was selected within five technology categories. Winning products were selected by delegates of the Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference, who voted for products they felt best exemplified innovation in their field. The following winners were selected from 25 finalists.
Biological Samples & ReagentsClearPoint Peptides by AnaSpec
ChemistryPipeline Pilot Cheminformatics Collection by Accelrys
Assays & Kits for Basic ResearchOvarian Cancer DSA Research Tool by Almac Diagnostics
Assays & Kits for Drug DevelopmentSeahorse XF96 Extracellular Flux Analyzer by Seahorse Biosciences
Discovery Informatics: Labmatrix by BioFortis
Best New Product Award Winners include:
ClearPoint Peptides: By spiking protein tryptic digests with internal heavy isotope labeled peptide standards, Mass Spectrometry becomes an absolute quantitation (AQUA) method. With a choice of heavy hydrogen (2H), carbon (13C), or nitrogen (15N)-isotopes specifically labeled at single, multiple or universal positions, ClearPoint™ peptides are an ideal solution for absolute protein quantitation.
Pipeline Pilot Cheminformatics Collection: Accelrys' chemistry-centric List Management and Query Services system (LMQS) enables rapid searching of different data sources that utilize a variety of database search engines and schemas. Results can be automatically organized into lists that can be manipulated within Pipeline Pilot, enabling users to reuse, share, report and analyze their data.
Ovarian Cancer DSA Research Tool: The Ovarian Cancer DSA(TM) research tool is the first high-density disease focused transcriptome based microarray for the study of ovarian. With ~100,000 transcripts derived from ovarian tissue, the Ovarian cancer DSA(TM) research tool represents the most complete tool available for the study of ovarian cancer.
Seahorse XF96 Extracellular Flux Analyzer: The Seahorse XF96 Analyzer is the first analytical instrument for the kinetic measurement of mitochondrial oxygen consumption and cytoplasmic glycolysis in a 96-well microplate. The easy-to-use instrument assays cells in minutes, using a label-free, non-destructive method. Measure mitochondrial function in primary cells, adherent cells, tumor and suspension cells and isolated mitochondria.
About Labmatrix: Labmatrix™ is a web-based software application for management of clinical, specimen and molecular assay data. With the ability to integrate these data sets in a tightly linked, highly annotated manner, Labmatrix™ is being used by multiple customers in the biopharmaceutical industry, academic and government research institutes for biomarker discovery, biobanking and translational clinical and genetic research.
About Cambridge Healthtech Institute (CHI): Founded in 1992, Cambridge Healthtech Institute (www.chicorporate.com) is the preeminent life science network for leading researchers and business experts from top pharmaceutical, biotech, academic, and niche service provider organizations. CHI's integrated life science portfolio of products and services includes Cambridge Healthtech Institute Conferences, Pharmaceutical Strategy Series, Barnett International, Insight Pharma Reports, Marketing Services, Meeting Planners, and Cambridge Healthtech Media Group, which includes numerous eNewsletters, Bio-IT World magazine, as well as Lead Generation Programs.
Health Strategies & Solutions Diagnoses Trends and Implications for Healthcare Industry in 2009 and Beyond
Health Strategies & Solutions, Inc., (HS&S), the nation's leading healthcare strategy firm, is announcing its forecast for the health care industry in 2009. Provoked by the deteriorating economy and the prospect of significant federal health care reform, substantial changes will affect the future for both patients and providers.
Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) March 4, 2009 -- Health Strategies & Solution., (HS&S), the nation's leading healthcare strategy firm, is announcing its forecast for the healthcare industry in 2009. Provoked by the deteriorating economy and the prospect of significant federal health care reform, substantial changes will affect the future for both patients and providers.
With health care as a major element of domestic policy for the new president and a high priority for congressional leaders, major reform lies just on the horizon. "Reform legislation is likely to call for expanded coverage of the uninsured, a new or expanded federally sponsored insurance plan, greater use of information systems by providers, enhanced preventive services, and increased payment incentives for better and safer care," states Alan Zuckerman, nationally recognized healthcare consultant and president of the Philadelphia-based firm, HS&S. "Less clear, however, is how reform will be financed and whether it will be positioned initially as part of an economic stimulus package or funded by raising taxes and through savings generated by various efficiencies."
Zuckerman says the effects of the deteriorating economy are already being felt throughout the industry. As the economy continues its downward spiral in 2009, additional effects can be expected on postponable demand such as elective procedures. Overall, an acceleration of the gap between continuing underlying cost inflation and likely relatively modest reimbursement increases will create stress for all.
At its most basic level, HS&S predicts the deteriorating economy will cause a reexamination and redirection of previously crafted strategies and plans for most organizations. "It will undoubtedly precipitate some pruning of marginal or peripheral operations and businesses and greater concentration on the core," Zuckerman adds. Healthcare organizations will be challenged to focus on improving their market positions and increasingly differentiate themselves from the competition in their key service lines.
A secondary effect of the deteriorating economy will be to undermine the continuing viability of many organizations. Already, there have been growing gaps between the "rich" and "poor" which will only accelerate in the emerging environment. A significant effect of escalating financial difficulties will be a new wave of consolidations and failures, rivaling the last wave which swept the industry about 10 years ago. The strong will give consideration to their role in this dynamic situation, and the weak will seek partners while they still have value and negotiating leverage.
With the country's economic circumstances absorbing national attention, it is impossible to tell at this point if healthcare reform will occur in the near future and if so, how sweeping the changes might be. Savvy organizations will deal with the uncertainty of healthcare reform through a two-track strategy: one track predicated on business as usual and the other track on the common elements of the proposed reform initiatives. Only by following a two-track strategy can the uncertainty of this potential major development be addressed appropriately. And, between the two tracks there is much common ground, including the likelihood of escalating financial pressures and the inevitability of greater consolidation.
About Health Strategies & Solutions, Inc: Health Strategies & Solutions, Inc., is the nation's leading healthcare strategy firm. From their corporate headquarters in Philadelphia and regional offices in New York, Virginia, Florida, Michigan, Colorado, and California, they have served more than 300 academic medical centers, community hospitals, multihospital systems, physician groups, and specialty organizations across the country. For more information, please visit hss-inc.com.
Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) March 4, 2009 -- Health Strategies & Solution., (HS&S), the nation's leading healthcare strategy firm, is announcing its forecast for the healthcare industry in 2009. Provoked by the deteriorating economy and the prospect of significant federal health care reform, substantial changes will affect the future for both patients and providers.
With health care as a major element of domestic policy for the new president and a high priority for congressional leaders, major reform lies just on the horizon. "Reform legislation is likely to call for expanded coverage of the uninsured, a new or expanded federally sponsored insurance plan, greater use of information systems by providers, enhanced preventive services, and increased payment incentives for better and safer care," states Alan Zuckerman, nationally recognized healthcare consultant and president of the Philadelphia-based firm, HS&S. "Less clear, however, is how reform will be financed and whether it will be positioned initially as part of an economic stimulus package or funded by raising taxes and through savings generated by various efficiencies."
Zuckerman says the effects of the deteriorating economy are already being felt throughout the industry. As the economy continues its downward spiral in 2009, additional effects can be expected on postponable demand such as elective procedures. Overall, an acceleration of the gap between continuing underlying cost inflation and likely relatively modest reimbursement increases will create stress for all.
At its most basic level, HS&S predicts the deteriorating economy will cause a reexamination and redirection of previously crafted strategies and plans for most organizations. "It will undoubtedly precipitate some pruning of marginal or peripheral operations and businesses and greater concentration on the core," Zuckerman adds. Healthcare organizations will be challenged to focus on improving their market positions and increasingly differentiate themselves from the competition in their key service lines.
A secondary effect of the deteriorating economy will be to undermine the continuing viability of many organizations. Already, there have been growing gaps between the "rich" and "poor" which will only accelerate in the emerging environment. A significant effect of escalating financial difficulties will be a new wave of consolidations and failures, rivaling the last wave which swept the industry about 10 years ago. The strong will give consideration to their role in this dynamic situation, and the weak will seek partners while they still have value and negotiating leverage.
With the country's economic circumstances absorbing national attention, it is impossible to tell at this point if healthcare reform will occur in the near future and if so, how sweeping the changes might be. Savvy organizations will deal with the uncertainty of healthcare reform through a two-track strategy: one track predicated on business as usual and the other track on the common elements of the proposed reform initiatives. Only by following a two-track strategy can the uncertainty of this potential major development be addressed appropriately. And, between the two tracks there is much common ground, including the likelihood of escalating financial pressures and the inevitability of greater consolidation.
About Health Strategies & Solutions, Inc: Health Strategies & Solutions, Inc., is the nation's leading healthcare strategy firm. From their corporate headquarters in Philadelphia and regional offices in New York, Virginia, Florida, Michigan, Colorado, and California, they have served more than 300 academic medical centers, community hospitals, multihospital systems, physician groups, and specialty organizations across the country. For more information, please visit hss-inc.com.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
A Newly Approved CMS Medicare Package Expands Reimbursement Coverage for Telehealth Originating Sites Beginning January 1, 2009
AMD Global Telemedicine, Inc. anticipates growth and expansion of telemedicine services to include skilled nursing facilities, hospital based renal dialysis centers, and community mental health centers.
N. Chelmsford, MA (PRWEB) January 26, 2009 -- As telemedicine acceptance continues to advance, regulations pertaining to hospital and physician reimbursement are expanding as well.
Medicare is a health insurance program run by the Federal Government for America's senior citizens. It is the largest health care payer in the United States. The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA) mandated that Medicare reimburse telemedicine consultations and fund telemedicine demonstration projects across the United States.
At this time, Medicare reimburses for telehealth if the services are performed in one of the following originating sites: the office of a physician or practitioner, a critical access hospital, a rural health clinic, or a federally qualified health center or hospital.
On June 6th, 2008, the Senate Finance committee released comprehensive Medicare legislation that includes a provision expanding telehealth originating sites to include the following;
- Hospital-based renal dialysis centers, which will allow patients receiving dialysis to receive other medical consultations via telemedicine at the same time.
- Skilled nursing facilities allowing many nursing homes to now host telemedicine systems and earn their investment back by qualifying for an "originating site fee" per consultation.
- In-patient follow-up visits which will allow outside specialists (other than the admitting doctor) to consult with inpatients who are already in the hospital.
- Community Mental Health Centers
As of January 1, 2009, a remote physician consulting with a patient using telehealth technology, located in any of the facilities mentioned above, can receive reimbursement from Medicare for those services. The originating sites of those consultations, namely the facilities that purchase telemedicine equipment will also receive an "originating site fee" per consultation. With this change brings great incentive to physicians, practitioners and health care facilities to participate in using telehealth technology to consult with skilled nursing home patients.
More good news for clinicians! Medicare also provides a 5% bonus payment, above the regular consultation fee, for any physician or practitioner who uses telemedicine to consult with patients who reside in a federally designed Physician Shortage Area (PSA). The physician or practitioner does not have to be located in the PSA area, only the patient or participating originating site.
About AMD Global Telemedicine: AMD Global Telemedicine (www.amdtelemedicine.com) is the leading, worldwide supplier of telemedicine equipment and technology devices used in telemedicine with over 5,000 sites in 74 countries. AMD devices and tConsult™ software products offer clinically acclaimed, cost-effective solutions for the most challenging medical applications. AMD also provides complete technical support in program design, device integration, training, and remedial service to assure a successful program implementation. For more information on AMD Telemedicine, please visit www.amdtelemedicine.com, or call 866-511-0923.
N. Chelmsford, MA (PRWEB) January 26, 2009 -- As telemedicine acceptance continues to advance, regulations pertaining to hospital and physician reimbursement are expanding as well.
Medicare is a health insurance program run by the Federal Government for America's senior citizens. It is the largest health care payer in the United States. The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA) mandated that Medicare reimburse telemedicine consultations and fund telemedicine demonstration projects across the United States.
At this time, Medicare reimburses for telehealth if the services are performed in one of the following originating sites: the office of a physician or practitioner, a critical access hospital, a rural health clinic, or a federally qualified health center or hospital.
On June 6th, 2008, the Senate Finance committee released comprehensive Medicare legislation that includes a provision expanding telehealth originating sites to include the following;
- Hospital-based renal dialysis centers, which will allow patients receiving dialysis to receive other medical consultations via telemedicine at the same time.
- Skilled nursing facilities allowing many nursing homes to now host telemedicine systems and earn their investment back by qualifying for an "originating site fee" per consultation.
- In-patient follow-up visits which will allow outside specialists (other than the admitting doctor) to consult with inpatients who are already in the hospital.
- Community Mental Health Centers
As of January 1, 2009, a remote physician consulting with a patient using telehealth technology, located in any of the facilities mentioned above, can receive reimbursement from Medicare for those services. The originating sites of those consultations, namely the facilities that purchase telemedicine equipment will also receive an "originating site fee" per consultation. With this change brings great incentive to physicians, practitioners and health care facilities to participate in using telehealth technology to consult with skilled nursing home patients.
More good news for clinicians! Medicare also provides a 5% bonus payment, above the regular consultation fee, for any physician or practitioner who uses telemedicine to consult with patients who reside in a federally designed Physician Shortage Area (PSA). The physician or practitioner does not have to be located in the PSA area, only the patient or participating originating site.
About AMD Global Telemedicine: AMD Global Telemedicine (www.amdtelemedicine.com) is the leading, worldwide supplier of telemedicine equipment and technology devices used in telemedicine with over 5,000 sites in 74 countries. AMD devices and tConsult™ software products offer clinically acclaimed, cost-effective solutions for the most challenging medical applications. AMD also provides complete technical support in program design, device integration, training, and remedial service to assure a successful program implementation. For more information on AMD Telemedicine, please visit www.amdtelemedicine.com, or call 866-511-0923.
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