Just two months after taking over the government's top healthcare IT position, Robert Kolodner, M.D., sat down with Healthcare Informatics to talk about ONCHIT/AHIC's agenda. In "At the Helm," page 26, Kolodner discusses whether or not AHIC will morph from a public entity into a public/private hybrid; whether the current incentives for HIT adoption are sufficient; and what direction he thinks CIOs should take when forming their long-term strategic plans.
What's the real deal on RHIOs in today's marketplace? "Can RHIOs Make the Grade," page 32, highlights the latest developments throughout the industry—including recent RHIO failures. We walk you through the best practices of states with advanced RHIOs: how they got there and how they plan to stay there. Read what some RHIO leaders think are the keys to success, or surefire failure. Coverage on policy, legislation, regulation and privacy issues rounds out this comprehensive package.
In an increasingly connected world, the threat of a widespread disease outbreak looms large. New free software from IBM may help predict the spread of emerging clinical diseases and aid public health officials in preventing epidemics. Read, "Stemming the Tide," page 10, to find out how to get involved in this project.
Lake Charles Medical and Surgical Clinic, a multi-specialty physician-owned partnership based in Lake Charles, La., was looking for an automated way to make sure its payers were living up to their contract terms. In "Two Practices, One Solution," page 12, see the bottom line improvements they expect to get from implementing software to track payers' compliance with contract terms—and see how another specialty practice is already reaping the rewards.
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Clarification The following companies filled out the HCI 100 survey incorrectly, and were thus left off the list. If entered accurately, they would have made the top 100. Computer Sciences Corporation—2006 Revenue $1,190,000,000 Emdeon Business Services—2006 Revenue $751,000,000
