Gingrich: Sivler Cross a Pioneer
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich visits Silver Cross Hospital, part of a tour emphasizing the importance of electronic medical records and the link they provide at crucial moments. Silver Cross Hospital is among the first sites in the nation to employ Misys Connect. Full Article >>

Best Practices for Community HIE
The Center for Community Health Leadership is pleased to present the Best Practices for Community Health Information Exchange. Representing the collective expertise of the Center’s Advisory Board and others who have been in the health information exchange (HIE) trenches, Best Practices provides prescriptive guidance on the establishment of sustainable HIE capable of providing demonstrable returns and accommodating the diverse needs of multiple stakeholders. Full Article >>

RHIOs Must Focus on Community Needs First - Five Questions with Laura Kolkman
Regional health information organizations (often also referred to as health information exchanges) across the United States are struggling. Many have failed to develop a solid, sustainable plan for success. Although there are numerous explanations for this struggle—including the structure of the American healthcare “system,” a dearth of effective business models and the lack of interoperability standards—stakeholders are learning from these early failures. They are taking a new approach, directing their efforts to understanding and aligning with their communities’ needs and available resources prior to developing and implementing a technology infrastructure. Full Article >>

State Legislative Updates
From eHealth Initiative, stay up to date with Florida's most recent Health IT legislation. Full Article >>

Benefits of Electronic Health Records Seen as Outweighing Privacy Risks
A sizable majority of Americans believe electronic medical records have the potential to improve U.S. health care and that the benefits outweigh privacy risks, according to a new Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive poll. Full Article >>

Preparing Your Practice for EMRs
Implementing an electronic medical record (EMR) is becoming a common process in medical organizations across the country. The process is not as simple as just turning on a computer, however, and there are a few key steps to take to improve your odds of success. By Alice Loveys, MD, and Leigh Burchell Full Article >>

Doctors charting high-tech path With computers, patient records are at their fingertips
When Dr. Bruce Bullock, a family practice doctor in Rutland, sees a patient, he opens her chart on his computer and at a glance notes her vital signs, the results of her laboratory tests and the medications she's taking. He can pull up a stress test she took five years ago along with the notes he made at the follow-up visit. He can automatically graph her blood pressure and weight between the time of the test and now and show her the relationship between the two. Full Article >>

Bay Area Health Care Vying To Go Digital
The Tampa Bay area has been notified that it's a finalist in a competition for medical software with a retail value of $3 million. The other finalist, out of about 70 applicants, is San Jose, Calif., home of Silicon Valley. The winner is to be announced next month. Full Article >>

EMRs could help diagnose high blood pressure in kids
Electronic medical records could play a role in diagnosing high blood pressure among children and adolescents in the United States, said authors of a study published Tuesday. Full Article >>

Survey: EHR Helps Malpractice Risk
Forty-five percent of respondents to study by Boston-based Medical Records Institute Inc. said they believed that an electronic health records system will make them less vulnerable to malpractice cases. Further, almost 20% said their malpractice insurer offers a discount for having an EHR.  Full Article >>

Healthcare, Computers and the Bottom Line
With such a plethora of patient data that a doctor must contend with, it is no wonder when a diagnostic report, blood work or other data get misfiled in the traditional paper office. Now, much -- if not all -- of this has been eliminated with a computerized office. Full Article >>