Bernie Monegain

Clinical research that used to take months now takes minutes at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, thanks to new software that accesses data in electronic medical records.

The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives, which has a membership of 1,300 CIOs across the country, weighed in last week on its definition of “meaningful use” for healthcare information technology.

Bob Sarnecki, CIO at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, one of the largest pediatric hospitals in the nation, figures the second time rolling out CPOE will be a charm.

Editor Bernie Monegain interviews David Blumenthal, MD, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.

We at Healthcare IT News, who depend on words as our life’s work, would never suggest that words don’t matter. We know that the words themselves matter. Sentence structure matters, and cadence matters. Getting it right matters most of all.

Information technology would push some healthcare reform plans discussed last month in what the White House called a “breakthrough” meeting between President Barack Obama and representatives of insurance companies, doctors, hospitals and pharmaceutical firms.

The recession has forced more than half the nation’s hospitals to either scale back information technology projects already in progress or postpone them, according to a new survey from the American Hospital Association.

The best way to support the nation’s healthcare IT initiatives is to back healthcare reform, says David Blumenthal, MD, the national coordinator for health information technology.

The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology has approved final 2009-2010 criteria for certification of ambulatory, inpatient and emergency department electronic health records.

Sutter Health, known for its progressive approach to information technology, has cut 121 IT employees, including some who support Sutter's electronic health record.