HIMSS UPDATE

HIMSS and the Society for Health Systems (SHS) Offer Dual Membership Options
Reaching out to healthcare professionals in management engineering and performance improvement, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and the Society for Health Systems (SHS) will offer dual membership to individuals interested in joining both organizations. The collaborative agreement, which was effective May 1, offers expanded benefits with specific enhancements in the areas of membership, education, and publications. Management engineers and performance improvement professionals who work in healthcare can join both organizations for one membership fee, an option especially helpful to individuals whose organizations will pay for just one professional membership. However, SHS membership will still include membership in the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE).

2004 HIMSS Networking Technology Survey Reveals Data Security/Productivity as Key Factors for Investing in Networking Solutions
When it comes to investment in networking solutions for healthcare information technology, data security (67%) and productivity gains (60%) rank as major factors, according to respondents of the 2004 HIMSS Networking Technology Survey, sponsored by Cisco Systems and supported by the HIMSS Foundation. Compliance with governmental regulations (54%) and expected operational cost savings (53%) were also identified among the top four reasons for technology expenditures.

HIMSS Finalizes Sale and Acquires Dorenfest IHDS+ Database™ as HIMSS Analytics Expands Its Market Research Efforts
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) has announced that it has formally assumed control of THE DORENFEST IHDS+ DATABASE™ and related business assets from Sheldon I. Dorenfest & Associates, Ltd., a Chicago-based provider of health information technology IT market data. The intent to acquire the Dorenfest assets was announced in early June and the final closing date of the sale was July 15, 2004.

Industry Leaders Launch Health Information Technology Product Certification Initiative
Recognizing the healthcare industry's need for and interest in certification of electronic health record (EHR) products, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and the National Alliance for Health Information Technology (the Alliance) have established a collaborative initiative for the certification of ambulatory EHRs. The organizations have committed initial staff and funding to launch the private sector effort, and were inviting key leaders and stakeholders in healthcare to join an industry-wide board that will guide the certification initiative.

SUPPLIERS NEWS

Providence Healthcare and Vancouver Island Health Authority Win 3M Healthcare Quality Team Awards
The Canadian College of Health Service Executives (CCHSE) and 3M Healthcare honoured the two recipients of the Annual 3M Healthcare Quality Team Awards held at the National Healthcare Leadership Convention in Québec City.

The award for the Programs/Processes in Acute Care Environments category went to a multidisciplinary team from Vancouver's Providence Healthcare. The team, headed by Dr. Alastair Younger, developed a multidisciplinary clinical pathway for foot and ankle patients from first hospital visit to discharge. The team's quality improvement framework uses preoperative patient education and a thorough clinical assessment to prevent unnecessary cancellations and long hospital stays while reducing anxiety levels of patients and hospital staff alike.

Winning the award for the Programs/Processes in Nonacute Care Environments category was a team lead by Dr. Art Macgregor and Sylvia Robinson from the Vancouver Island Health Authority for implementing an expanded chronic care model in an integrated primary-care network.

Siemens, EMC to Deliver State-of-the-Art Integrated Solution for William Osler Health Centre
Siemens Canada Limited and EMC Corporation have teamed up to deliver a comprehensive digital imaging solution at William Osler Health Centre. The joint PACS solution is designed to manage the distribution, sharing and storage of images and information for a multi-site, enterprise RIS/PACS solution.

EMC and Siemens will deliver an online, digital image archive of patient studies (CAT Scans, MRIs, x-rays) that physicians can access in real time to speed up patient diagnoses. The combined solution of SIENET RIS/PACS systems with EMC Symmetrix® storage area network (SAN) and EMC Centera* content addressed storage (CAS) system improves patient care with lower management and overhead costs, while enabling long-term retention of patient images.

MediSolution Wins Strategic Contract
MediSolution's MPlex Solutions division, working in partnership with project manager, Systematix, has been awarded a strategic contract, supplying a corporate Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution to the Régie des rentes du Québec (RRQ), the government agency responsible for the application of the Act governing the Quebec Pension Plan, with a system that manages and integrates financial applications and procurement. The value of this contract for MediSolution is approximately CAN$1.3 million in licences, professional services and software support over the next five years.

Picis to Deliver Total Perioperative Automation to Calgary Health Region
Calgary Health Region has selected Picis CareSuite to automate more than 65 operating rooms (ORs) in four acute care hospitals and a number of satellite sites that serve an estimated 1.5 million residents, with referrals from southern Alberta and southeastern British Columbia.

The CareSuite OR Manager module will integrate with CareSuite's anesthesia module to provide one continuous clinical record and total perioperative automation of the Region. CareSuite's flexibility, ease of use and comprehensive features will also move the Region one step closer to its goal of providing an EHR.

SCAR Funds Annual Grants to Support Medical Research
The Society for Computer Applications in Radiology (SCAR) has announced its support of original research in radiology informatics with two $40,000 grants for 2005. These grants are part of a continuing program that is already producing innovative research that promises benefits throughout the medical enterprise.

The recipient of SCAR's first informatics research grant, Wyatt Tellis, reported on his results on May 22 during the SCAR Annual Meeting in Vancouver, BC. Tellis, a graduate student in biological and medical informatics at the University of California San Francisco, received the grant to study the use of mobile computing technology to improve communication between radiology and emergency departments.

THiiNC Information Management Inc. Is Now SALUMATICS Inc.
THiiNC iMi announced that it has changed its name and its brand to SALUMATICS Inc. The new name and branding supports the company's overall strategic direction and corporate vision, which is to provide solutions to healthcare facilities in all stages of the evolution of patient information. SALUMATICS actually means health informatics - salus is Latin for health and matics is derived from "informatics."

Mezzia Releases Next Generation of Enterprise Capital Management Software
Mezzia, Inc. announced the latest release of the most comprehensive software designed to help healthcare organizations consolidate, control and manage the capital spending process. Mezzia 4.0 gives finance managers more control over capital spending, enables more effective decision-making for capital investments, provides for multiyear visibility into capital needs, enables supply chain planners to drive better purchasing strategies for capital items and simplifies work for all who interact with the capital management process.

The Web-based software provides the financial, materials and process management framework that enables healthcare organizations to become dramatically more effective in how they manage capital. This includes establishing one shared system for all those involved with capital decisions and spending. The Mezzia system is fully scalable, capable of handling millions or even billions of dollars in routine and strategic capital (new facilities, renovations, etc.) and managing thousands of users.

Fujitsu Canada Inc. has entered into a strategic alliance with Siemens Canada Limited. Both partners expect to strengthen their respective market shares in Canada and further support their parent organization agreements on global cooperation. The new alliance will allow both. Siemens and Fujitsu to converge industry-leading expertise with advanced enterprise computing to Canadian customers demanding leading-edge, highperformance, scalable and customized solutions.

Under terms of the agreement, Fujitsu hardware, software and technologies will be integrated or embedded as part of a Siemens customer solution - branded under the Fujitsu- Siemens Computers name. Additionally, Siemens will drive the sales of the new product and service offerings to its existing customers across Canada.

In July, The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) received the 2004 McKesson VIP Award, for its use of information technology to address critical healthcare issues. The Hospital received the award for the implementation a multi-campus picture archiving and communications system (PACS) for radiological examinations.

McKesson VIP Awards are presented every year to six organizations that exhibit vision, innovation and performance in the use of information technology to achieve improvements in core healthcare processes such as clinical outcomes, staff productivity and operational efficiency. McKesson Provider Technologies, the presenter of the award, is a part of McKesson Corporation, the world's largest healthcare services and information technology company.

The only Canadian organization awarded this year, TOH was chosen by a panel of independent judges to receive the International VIP Award. As part of the award, McKesson will be donating $10,000 to the Ottawa Hospital Foundation Capital Campaign.

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