IT innovation and integration are alive and very well in 2008. This year’s Top 25 Connected Healthcare Facilities bring impressive resumes, tales of major cost savings and return on investment and excellence in patient care and patient and staff satisfaction.

As imaging departments become increasingly digital, many are usingdifferent components of data storage, protection, migration andarchiving to fit different pieces of the business continuity puzzletogether to provide a seamless and continual flow of images and dataacross the enterprise while providing secure backups without impactingpatient care. Having a plan is the first step.

At a time when reimbursement rates are low and the economic climate isuncertain, imaging centers, hospitals and clinics are looking forsavvy ways to produce non-diagnostic prints for treatment planning andconsultation with colleagues and patients while controlling costs.

Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., chairman of the House Ways and MeansCommittee’s Health Subcommittee, plans to introduce his own health ITbill, separate from the revised legislation approved last week by the House committee.

The Maryland Health Care Commission has chosen MedcomSoft toparticipate in the Maryland EHR adoption acceleration program. 


The House Energy and Commerce Committee Wednesday unanimously approved legislation, designed to promote faster adoption of EHRs.

The state of New York is considering evaluating and accrediting its regional health information organizations (RHIOs).

Notes on paper have a way of getting lost or misplaced. In mostday-to-day activities, this generally presents as an annoyance. In theworld of healthcare, lost or misplaced paper-based notes orinstructions can critically impact patient care and safety. Inaddition, paper-based instructions hinder the efficient and timelytransfer of information from department to department within ahealthcare enterprise.