Today’s EHR and HIT news includes updates from Wolters Kluwer Health, gMed and Parker University.
Wolters Kluwer Health, The Altos Group Partner to Develop Sepsis Mortality Reduction Program
Wolters Kluwer Health has announced a strategic partnership with The Altos Group to advance development of an innovative sepsis mortality reduction program. Hospitals are currently being enrolled to serve as pilot sites in the program, which brings together mobile technology, actionable clinical content and clinical change management to enable early sepsis identification and intervention.
The Altos Group is a consulting firm that partners with healthcare institutions to implement change management programs that substantially improve patient outcomes. Headed by Julie A. Kliger, MPA, BSN, the firm’s methodology and services have proven particularly effective at impacting sepsis rates. In one case, which was profiled recently by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), a 54.5% reduction in average mortality rates was achieved within three years across nine California hospitals.
“Sepsis is the top preventable cause of death in hospitals. And while hospitals have been proactive in their efforts to reduce its devastating and often fatal consequences, sepsis rates remain unacceptably high because traditional approaches fail to address the human factors involved in early detection and proper treatment,” said Kliger. “By combining The Altos Group’s change management expertise with Wolters Kluwer Health’s advanced decision support technologies and superior clinical content, we are closing the gaps that have hampered hospitals’ efforts to intervene before sepsis becomes life-threatening.”
gMed Celebrates Fifteenth Anniversary
August 2012 marks the fifteenth anniversary of gMed Inc. Established in 1997, gMed was formed to create a better alternative to the paper medical chart. gMed is committed to designing, implementing and supporting a more efficient way to integrate medical information, cut costs, increase revenue, improve patient care and reduce risks for specialty practices.
gMed has shown impressive growth in these last fifteen years. Starting with just a couple of employees at the company’s beginning, gMed now employs a staff of over 100 and has grown from the ground up to serve over 400 practices and more than 3,200 physicians.
gMed has also branched out from Gastroenterology specific EHRs (gGastro) into Urology (gUro) and Cardiology (gCardio) solutions. This fifteenth year is especially important because it marks the introduction of gPM, gMed’s new Practice Management application. The addition of gPM makes gMed’s EHR offering the complete solution to running a successful specialty practice. gMed is the only company offering: EHR, Procedure Reporting, Patient Portal and Practice Management solutions under one single platform.
Dallas-Based Parker University Launches Health Information Management Degree Program
Parker University has announced the addition of three new academic programs launching in January 2013, part of a larger strategic plan to develop 12 new programs through 2017. The development is part of Parker University’s evolution to a health science institute from a school that offers Bachelor of Science, chiropractic and massage therapy degrees. The expansion takes place as the school celebrates its 30th anniversary in the DFW community.
The trio of degrees includes an associate’s degree in Radiologic Technology, bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management and master’s degree in Business Administration, beginning the Spring 2013 trimester. Each of the three programs were selected due to high demand, high salaries and the soaring job outlook in healthcare.
