Bill Siwicki

The chief innovation officer at Phoenix Children’s lived up to his title when he enabled inexpensive, ubiquitous, hands-free virtual care using devices meant for the home in his 750 exam rooms – with no new FTEs to support them.

The New York health system also successfully migrated, consolidated and shut down data centers and servers, achieving monetary savings and remediating security risks.

What’s needed during big EHR and other system changes to protect cash flow, improve data integrity, and drive better system adoption and satisfaction? Rich Amelio, VP of healthcare IT operations and consulting at consulting firm e4health, has answers.

The practice's optimal start rate – when a patient begins dialysis at home, receives a preemptive transplant or begins in-center hemodialysis – had been 40%. With the new electronic health record, it's now 90%.

Its use of a special tool to connect patients with aid is an "excellent example of applying technology to value creation," says the health system's CFO. "Trying to access such programs manually, or not at all, is suboptimal for providers and patients alike."

Moving into 2024, there will be a greater commitment to accountable care models – and the technologies that support nontraditional care scenarios – as healthcare organizations aim to improve patient outcomes, reduce health inequities and control costs.

The average wait time for a specialist appointment across healthcare can be well over three months, but volunteers on this FQHC-focused initiative usually respond in less than 10 hours. Timely access to specialty care impacts health outcomes.

A broad RTLS deployment, new augmented intelligence systems and 75-inch footwall monitors to enhance patient experience are just some of the innovations the New Jersey hospital hopes will satisfy patients, providers and staff.

That's an approximately 30% decrease in data center cost, coming from reductions in labor costs, software maintenance, data center equipment and maintenance, and utilities. Further, the cloud migration has boosted the recovery posture.

The nurse stroke program manager offers an in-depth look at the virtual care initiative, which brings neurologists from other sites into critical decision-making.