Category Archives: Uncategorized
This Year’s HIMSS Discussion Priorities –Ovum’s 2013 Take
This coming week, Ovum, an information and communication technologies (ICT) specialized research and consulting firm, will be at the HIMSS conference in New Orleans. Bill Clinton is speaking, as a major activity of the Clinton Foundation is fighting childhood obesity. “Treating and preventing obesity-related diseases requires a profound shift to patient-centric care,” says Charlotte Davies, lead analyst of Ovum’s Healthcare practice. “This is a major strategic shift, and it has become the guiding force of the HIMSS’ agenda. Achieving this requires action across the board; a much more strategic approach to IT and service design, changes in legislation; addressing the [...]
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Curious Bed Fellows: The Shuttle Columbia and Benghazi Disasters
Today marks the ten-year anniversary of the shuttle Columbia disaster. Seven astronauts were killed. In case you don’t remember, as Columbia passed over Texas en route to a routine landing in Florida, its left wing failed and the craft literally came apart. As it turned out, Columbia failed to survive some routine damage it sustained during takeoff. Naturally, a full-blown witch-hunt ensued and NASA’s aging, insular and rigid bureaucracy was exposed. The entire institution was put on trial. Indeed, bureaucracies like NASA’s and the “middle aged white men” who ran them became related in an unfortunate way during those hearings [...]
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16 of the Top 17 US Hospitals –GHX Customers are SCM Leaders
U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals Honor Roll for 2012-2013 provides the public with a snapshot into the most progressive and effective hospitals in the country. GHX, the industry’s largest supply chain technology provider, processing more than $50 billion per year in purchasing transactions through the GHX Global Network, works with 16 out of 17 hospitals honored. Not only do these organizations demonstrate excellence in patient care, but they also illustrate savvy innovation with their healthcare supply chains – a critical and often-overlooked component for lowering costs and improving patient care. The healthcare industry is at a crossroads. Closely [...]
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Spend Matters Site Round-Up and Other News
“Government-run facilities meet only 20% of the country’s healthcare requirements…” Govt advises industry to transform healthcare through technology New Delhi: With the addition of nearly 120 million healthcare seekers by 2016 on the back of the increased penetration of medical insurance, expensive medical technology will be the most significant obstacle in meeting the needs of patients. On Friday, the government advised the medical technology industry to emulate the Indian pharmaceutical sector in its growth strategy to help overcome the obstacle… What’s your reaction to this ruling? Tobacco Groups Win Challenge to FDA Cigarette Label Rule Tobacco companies defeated a U.S. [...]
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UPS & FedEx Revise Guidance: Stocks Down, But Not For Long
Despite slight sales gains, both UPS and FedEx reported lower earnings than anticipated and revised their 2012 guidance –downward. As a result, UPS shares finished down 3.2% yesterday at $75.42. FedEx shares dropped to $89.26 at the closing bell (down from about $93 a share). UPS is blaming what it calls “an increasing uncertainty in the United States” (have we heard that before?), as well as the same ongoing themes reported by most companies, such as weakness in Asia exports and the debt crisis in Europe. Of course, FedEx is saying the same and has vowed to make significant cost [...]
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Genomes in the Cloud?
And you thought you understood what “big data” meant? Whenever I see a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based byline, I give the story a second look. Having spent the better part of my career working for Cambridge-based BBN (a diversified contract R&D firm), I have a genuine affinity for the concentration of brainpower that seems to thrive in the Fresh Pond Circle area. Twas there that I learned that all men are not created equal –that some of us, in fact, are quite a bit more equal than others. Anyway, I don’t mind admitting that I was a pretty good “straight man” to [...]
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GHX Customers Surpass $2 Billion Savings Milestone
Some of the most sophisticated supply chain organizations in healthcare readily acknowledge that they’ve worked hard to achieve contract compliance rates in the 50% range. Among other things, that means they admit to only capturing about half the savings opportunity they worked so hard to identify; that roughly half of the benefits are pouring right out the door in broad daylight. That’s why addressing such “leakage” must be front and center in any discussion about improving supply chain management practice. Not that any other SCM investment would be putting the cart before the horse, but almost. There are solutions. And [...]
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“Meaningful Use” Pay Offs Working: They Usually Do!
There’s been a lot of talk –and scrambling—going on concerning “meaningful use” of Electronic Health Records (EHR). Well, the Medicare and Medicaid electronic health record program has paid $4.5 billion to 76,612 physicians and hospitals in incentive payments through March 2012. How’s that for “meaningful?” Here’s some more about the “incentive payments”: Of that amount, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) paid out $339.9 million for Medicare eligible providers, according to its latest data. 7,668 doctors received payments in January; 12,356 in February; 8,651 in March. 84 hospitals received payment incentives in February and 115 received them in [...]
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Healthcare is Establishing its Own SCM Learning Curve –A Very Good Thing!
Amidst what seems like an endless amount of anecdotal evidence floating around suggesting that “in-sourcing” and “near-shoring” are the wave of the future, a recent Hackett Group Survey reflects just the opposite. The Group’s recently published survey indicates “a mixed bag,” perhaps to soften the blow among the community of procurement professionals it calls on and who might be adversely impacted. Although the survey shows a “modest” expected increase in the outsourcing of procurement-related functions, it is far less subtle in debunking the idea that American companies are rushing to re-establish their US-based manufacturing capacity. In fact, the survey indicates [...]
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BravoSolution –The Market’s Contrarian Continues to Show Strong, Profitable Growth in 2011
Back in December of 1999, FreeMarkets caught the height of the B2B ecommerce craze and went public on the idea of transforming corporate purchasing using reverse auctions. Although the company had yet to show a profit, it had a market cap of $8 billion at the close of opening day trading. Overnight, dozens of new millionaires were made –both inside and outside of the company. I’ll never forget my father shaking his head and saying to me, “companies don’t go public to raise money anymore; they go public to create liquidity for investors –and it aint going to last.” Naturally, [...]
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Super Committee’s Ineptitude Set to Trigger Deep Cuts to Medicare
PRINCETON, N.J. – The Super Committee’s apparent inability to reach an agreement raises renewed worry for healthcare organizations and the people they serve. Hospitals and other healthcare providers such as nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities and home health care face $500 billion in Medicare cuts over the next nine years under an automatic 2 percent cut that will be triggered if the Super Committee fails to pass recommendations through Congress. These cuts would follow closely on the heels of $155 billion in hospital cuts over the next 10 years under the healthcare reform law. The impact for New Jersey’s healthcare community [...]
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- Healthcare in the Cloud: Forecast Still Hazy : HIMSS 2013: Top Takeaways Gathering Clouds said: [...] to David McCament’s mind, the future of healthcare cloud is not so clear. In a gue... more
- Time Definite Logistics –MNX Expands Global Network and Adds Track & Trace : Daniel said: Everything is very open with a precise description of the issues. It was definitely inform... more
- Varian Runs a “Clinic” in Effective Lobbying –Harry Reid Rides Shotgun : Thomas Finn said: Thanks for your comment Bo. I do not fully comprehend the differences between the two opti... more
- Varian Runs a “Clinic” in Effective Lobbying –Harry Reid Rides Shotgun : Barton 'Bo' Cooke said: Tom, you nailed it. This rider, put in at the last minute and was rushed into the Congres... more
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