Readmissions Work, Pharmacy and Interoperability, Clinical Informaticist Teambuilding

Policymakers have set their sights on reducing “avoidable” inpatient readmissions, making reductions a priority for healthcare provider organizations. This month's cover story, beginning on page 10, focuses on the efforts of pioneering clinician, executive and healthcare IT leaders who are engaged in laying the foundation for change in this crucial arena.

Pharmacy has emerged as an area ripe for integration with the hospital's core clinical information system, as many CIOs opt for a more integrated, enterprise-wide approach. The article on page 24 examines the challenges and benefits of taking an integrated approach.

In the imaging arena, the article on page 32 takes a look at an innovative approach the five-hospital Saint Thomas Health Services, has taken ensure continuity of its picture archiving and communications systems by creating a truly fully replicated set of data archives, rather than simply mirrored configuration.

The article on page 41 examines the critical topic of deploying clinical information. G. Daniel Martich, M.D., chief medical information officer and vice president, physician services at the 20-hospital University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, shares his views on building the concept of clinical informaticists and clinical informaticist teams. Dr. Martich will lead a panel entitled, “The Challenge of Building Clinical Informaticist Teams: Achieving Best Practices in Building Effective Teams,” during the HCI Executive Summit, on May 11-13, in San Francisco.

This month's Career Paths column, on page 48, takes a look at five critical signs everyone should be aware during the first few weeks of beginning a new position, to determine whether your new employer is a good fit.

On a separate note, the first-ever HCI Executive Summit, which will take place May 11-13 in San Francisco, is right around the corner. The summit will provide a crucial forum in which healthcare leaders will share their experiences and strategies for meeting meaningful use requirements under the HITECH Act, and will be led off by a keynote presentation by Farzad Mostashari, M.D., senior advisor for the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Find out what pioneering healthcare CIOs, CMIOs and top executives are doing to address challenges around meaningful use; clinical IT; and patient safety, quality and efficiency. We hope to see you there.