Healthcare Online Blog

This blog will keep healthcare clients informed about the latest announcements and product releases relevant to the healthcare market.

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  Created: David Finn 29 Oct 2012

  Health IT Jobs – A Retention Perspective . . . my thoughts from the HIMSS Blog

  The demand for professionals to fill health IT jobs continues, as noted in this recent article, in AllVoices: ”The U.S. Department of Labor has earmarked both healthcare and information technology as two job sectors that are expected to show real growth in the next few years, but when the two are combined, the job prospects soar.” I asked one of our HIMSS e-Executive Mentors and former HIMSS Board member, David Finn, to share his perspective on the health IT job market.  It all comes down to leadership . . . my comments can be found on the HIMSS Blog at: http://blog.himss.org/2012/10/26/health-it-jobs-a-retention-perspective/
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  Updated: David Finn 23 Jun 2012

  Health Information = A Hacker’s Gold Mine

  What makes the healthcare industry such a hot target for hackers? The answer lies in the records that they keep. Medical records contain some of the most valuable personal information — social security numbers, birth and death dates, family information, billing information including credit card data — that allow hackers to gain full reign on a person’s identity and do some major damage. Just like any other business, even in hacking it boils down to the bottom line, and hackers want the most payout for their efforts. Healthcare organizations are the latest gold mine. Yet, so many organizations are doing a poor job of protecting patient data. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center 2011 Breach Stats Report, 20 percent of all data breaches reported in 2011 were in the healthcare industry; the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse pegged this number at 33 percent in 2011. So, anywhere from one-fifth to one-third of data breaches last year...
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  Updated: David Finn 09 May 2012

  What does the Jefferson Memorial have in common with Privacy and Security in the Age of Meaningful Use?

  At the Jefferson Memorial you find a lot of Jefferson’s writings - - as opposed to Lincoln’s, for example (one thing that makes sense in Washington, DC).  One of them says this:  “I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind.”  One of my very first IT assignments was to write the coding standards for a major university - - we did all our own development at that time and were about to completely re-do all major systems (billing, collections, records and registration, scheduling, grading - - everything).  My writing experience had previously been journalistic or for the theatre.  So, I started asking people who had more experience.  First stop was a very senior manager who pointed to two shelves full of three inch, three ring binders on his bookshelf.  “Here’s a good example,” he said, “of...
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  Created: David Finn 22 Jan 2012

  HIMSS12

  Well, this is the time of year when everyone involved in health information technology, directly and indirectly, from the providers, payers, government, banking, venture capitalists and vendors begin to turn their attention to HIMSS.  This year HIMSS is in Las Vegas - -  after a long absence from this venue.  For many years, Vegas didn’t have the classroom capacity required but that has changed and HIMSS will be making a return engagement in February.  First, remember we’re on a new schedule this year Monday through Friday (February 20 – February 24). If you haven’t booked rooms or travel, get on it!  If you haven’t registered better get that done, too.  And then start working on your “dance card”.  The days fill up fast and five days at CHIME & HIMSS disappears very quickly.  And that is just educational sessions, booth visits and professional association meetings or Symposia.  Don...