Profile of Anthony Guerra

Blog Posts: 135

Healthcare CIOs Top Power Play: Friendship

7/20/2011
By wielding power softly, it's easier to convert electronic medical record doubters into advocates.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Improve Your Feedback Loop

5/31/2011
We need an accurate and fast data-feedback loop. IT data reports that take six months or more to come out don't make the grade.
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KLAS Finds Partial IT Outsourcing On The Rise

5/26/2011
With a majority of healthcare groups using such services, the key to success is knowing what services to send out and what to keep in-house.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Beware Cost Of MU, ACOs

5/23/2011
The feds want your involvement in Accountable Care Organizations and Meaningful Use, but will you see a meaningful return on investment?
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Guerra On Healthcare: Respect The Clinical Specialists

5/20/2011
CIOs may believe that primary-care-centric EMRs are the way to go, but all too often, it's the best-paid specialists who call the shots.
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AHA Says ACO Costs Far Exceed CMS Estimates

5/20/2011
The American Hospital Association says the feds used figures based on physician group practices that already have many ACO elements in place.
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CHIME Questions Patient Opt-Out For ACOs

5/13/2011
Letting patients restrict access to their records could hurt efforts to improve clinical outcomes and reduce costs, the advocacy group says.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Follow The HIE Leaders

5/9/2011
CHIME, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers, and several private organizations are all influencing the development of health information exchanges.
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Guerra On Healthcare: New Perspectives On Meaningful Use

5/3/2011
The chairman of the Health IT Policy Committee seems to be adopting a more realistic attitude about what's possible versus what's desired.
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Guerra on Healthcare: MU Debate On Lab Reporting

4/29/2011
Some members of the Meaningful Use Workgroup question the need for office labs to keep public health agencies in the loop on diseases and lab data.
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Guerra On Healthcare: In Memory Of Veteran Leader

4/26/2011
HIMSS Analytics' VP of market research Marc Holland left a deep legacy on health IT, family, and colleagues.
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Healthcare Providers Voice Gripes At EHR Usability Hearing

4/25/2011
The federal Health IT Policy Committee's Adoption/Certification Workgroup became a sounding board for doctors frustrated with complicated electronic health record software.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Health IT Committee Missing Focus

4/19/2011
The latest Policy Committee meeting suggests that the debate on Stage 2 meaningful use could go on forever.
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Meaningful Use Quality Reporting Haunts CIOs

4/15/2011
Capturing and submitting data to CMS directly from an EHR remains a big concern, according to a recent CHIME survey.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Clinicians Work In Flawed System

4/11/2011
A recent hospital stay by family members generates equal parts admiration and frustration.
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Frustration Flares In ONC's Meaningful Use Workgroup Debate

4/7/2011
Health IT policy committee members can't agree on how to provide patients with access to hospital data.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Gathering Support For Your EMR

4/6/2011
To get a capital-intensive health IT project funded, you may need some advanced political skills.
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Guerra On Healthcare: In Meaningful Use, Knowledge Is Power

4/4/2011
The key to success in today's ever-changing healthcare policy environment is to gather information wisely and selectively from a wide range of sources.
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Health IT Advisers Blast Data Exchange Policies

4/1/2011
A federal workgroup said that data element access services provisions are "fundamentally flawed," pose privacy challenges.
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Meaningful Use Workgroup To Review Timing Options

3/25/2011
The recommendations and deadlines for MU Stage 2 are too tough, and a subcommittee of ONC's HIT Policy Committee is going to look for ways to ease the burdens.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Cutting Ties With An EMR Vendor

3/21/2011
If you find yourself in the unenviable position of breaking up with your electronic medical record provider, honesty, forthrightness, and transparency go a long way.
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Prospects For Meaningful Use Stage 2 Progress Questioned

3/18/2011
Members of a President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology workgroup said the lack of standardized universal exchange language message wrapper compromise feasibility.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Procrastinators Prosper On Meaningful Use Deadlines

3/14/2011
Organizations that rush to attest to Stage 1 in 2011 may find themselves in trouble when they find themselves with a shortened timeframe to prepare for Stage 2 criteria.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Fast EMR Decisions, Poor Choices

3/8/2011
The Meaningful Use program has forgotten how much must go into system selection and implementation; selecting the right system is the foundation upon which everything else is built.
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Established Vendors Lead Tumultuous EMR Market

3/3/2011
More than a third of providers plan to replace their current EMRs within the next two years, according to a KLAS report.
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Guerra On Healthcare: HIMSS Buzz Doesn't Square With Reality

2/28/2011
The top trends seen at the leading health IT conference -- accountable care organizations, payment reform, medical homes -- are far removed from the real issues confronting CIOs in the trenches.
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CHIME Recommends Waiting On Meaningful Use Stage 2

2/22/2011
While the government wants to implement Stage 2 Electronic Health Records and MU quickly, it shouldn't move forward until a third of eligible hospitals and providers have demonstrated progress under Stage 1, said the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives.
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Guerra On Healthcare: CHIME Says What It Thinks

2/21/2011
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives' letter to the Health IT Policy Committee shows it won't be relegated to ineffectual political correctness.
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Speech Recognition Aids Physicians, Cuts Costs

2/17/2011
Healthcare providers say speech recognition technology can produce staff reductions, improve report turnaround times, and increase physician satisfaction, according to a new report from KLAS.
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Guerra On Healthcare: When Clinician, IT Priorities Collide

2/15/2011
In selecting doctor-friendly electronic medical record systems vs. more IT-friendly options, corporate philosophy should guide your decision.
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Guerra On Healthcare: ONC Needs A Healthcare CIO

2/10/2011
David Blumenthal's resignation from the Office of the National Coordinator opens an opportunity to hire someone with real health IT experience and salvage an out-of-control system.
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Meditech Consulting Market Tightly Bunched

2/9/2011
Clients hire Dell Services and Navin, Haffty & Associates twice as often as firms that advise on multiple vendor brands, according to a KLAS report.
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HIT Workgroup Reports Meaningful Use Challenges

2/3/2011
Continually evolving rules around Health Information Technology compliance and certification pose challenges for software vendors, developers, and healthcare organizations.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Will Congress Cut HITECH?

1/31/2011
As legislators look to reduce federal spending, funding for electronic health records looks to be right in their crosshairs -- and maybe that's not so bad.
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KLAS Report Identifies Keys To Clinical Decision Support

1/26/2011
Almost 40% selected orders sets as the element of electronic clinical decision support with the greatest positive impact; evidence-based alerts and reference content also ranked high.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Is HITECH A Bait And Switch?

1/24/2011
Most hospitals say they expect to qualify for meaningful use incentive funds, but most shouldn't plan to see a return on their health IT systems investment.
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Blumenthal Cuts Ribbon On EHR Incentives Program

1/20/2011
More than 100 healthcare organizations had already applied for federal electronic health records incentives before the program launched at an event with National Coordinator David Blumenthal.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Is The Sky Falling On Meaningful Use?

1/18/2011
IT executives' testimony on the difficulty of qualifying for federal electronic health record incentives stands in stark contrast to the government's blue-sky perspective.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Beginning Of The End For Meditech?

1/11/2011
The health IT stalwart's focus on the standalone community hospital market may be blinding it to the changing needs of its customers.
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Meaningful Use Stage 2 Being Readied For Comment

1/6/2011
Seeking to balance empowering patients and increasing safety with not overburdening healthcare providers, the HIT Policy Committee is preparing specific questions for public comment about its Stage 2 matrix.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Preventing EMR Planning Paralysis

1/3/2011
If you wait for answers before implementing an electronic medical record, you'll likely fall behind on getting meaningful use incentive funds.
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Institute Of Medicine Sets Health IT Vision

12/29/2010
Report explores opportunities for accelerating digital healthcare infrastructure to improve patient and public health outcomes.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Is HITECH Worth It?

12/27/2010
Before you jump into the Meaningful Use qualification game, remember that it's voluntary and it means you now have a new boss: the federal government.
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Epic Keeps Top Spot In Healthcare Software

12/22/2010
KLAS' year-end report also cites Siemens, Cerner, and McKesson for making strong improvements in the health IT industry in 2010.
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Guerra On Healthcare: EHR Certification Boosts Competition

12/20/2010
Electronic health record vendors are applying for -- and receiving -- a government-backed stamp of approval, expanding options for vendors and buyers.
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Meaningful Use Stage 2 Requirements Debate Begins

12/17/2010
How much to increase Meaningful Use thresholds from Stage 1 is among the issues the Health IT Policy Committee will address in reviewing draft recommendations.
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Guerra On Healthcare: What To Know Before Negotiating With Vendors

12/14/2010
Whether you're buying an electronic health record system or making repairs to your home, you usually get what you pay for.
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Health CIOs Shrink Meaningful Use Expectations

12/10/2010
The percentage who expect to qualify for early stimulus funding has dropped by half since August, finds College of Health Information Management Executives survey.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Frustration With Meaningful Use Widespread

12/6/2010
Healthcare IT executives would be wise to keep key players in the loop about industry-wide roadblocks to achieving Meaningful Use.
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CCHIT Program To Help Hospitals Pass EHR Certification

12/2/2010
The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology certification program targets hospitals with legacy, customized or self-developed Electronic Health Record systems.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Fixing Difficult Vendor Relationships

11/29/2010
Collaboration, communication, and clarity are key to getting companies and sales reps to meet your hospital's IT needs.
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Emergency Department Integration Trumps Functionality

11/23/2010
KLAS report shows only 69% of best-of-breed clients indicated their current system is part of their long-term plans.
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Advisers Balk At National Health Information Network Proposal

11/22/2010
Government's health IT policy committee sent the recommended NHIN governance framework back to subcommittee to iron out thorny details.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Don't Underestimate CPOE Challenge

11/15/2010
Government program rushes implementation and may compromise patient safety, but are CIOs empowered to buck the system?
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Large Hospital CIS Vendors Gaining In Smaller Markets

11/10/2010
With Meaningful Use requirements in mind, smaller hospitals are shying away from traditional community clinical information systems vendors, according to a KLAS report.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Best Of Breed Vs. Enterprise Health IT

11/8/2010
For healthcare CIOs, combining a vision for IT with action is as crucial as choosing between single enterprise solutions and standards-based plug-and-play applications.
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Health IT Group Tackles Data Exchange

11/4/2010
Federal policy committee examines different scenarios for sharing patient information across hospitals, clinics, insurers, and states.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Achieving Job Security

11/3/2010
Health IT is hungry for expert guidance; by sharing your experience you can not only influence the field, but also guarantee you'll be putting food on the table for years to come.
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Texas Health Taps Social Media To Promote EHR

10/29/2010
FaceBook, Twitter and YouTube direct users to a site Texas Health Resources created to promote its use of electronic health records.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Mentoring Key To IT Continuity

10/25/2010
CIOs who fail to mentor leave their organizations overly dependent on their presence, leaving IT operations without a succession plan and them unable to step away.
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Guerra On Healthcare: How To Handle Rejection Constructively

10/20/2010
Barrier to IT entry is high, but resist urge to complain and find a way to gain requisite experience.
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Allscripts CEO Asserts Vision For Healthcare Applications

10/14/2010
Glen Tullman has predicted a future in which inter-connectable healthcare applications from different vendors will dominate.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Evaluating Industry Health IT Trends

10/12/2010
When you're planning to spend millions of dollars and several years modernizing your IT infrastructure, you have to balance collective industry knowledge with your organization's needs.
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IT Staffing Shortages Stymie Healthcare CIOs

10/8/2010
Implementation of electronic health records and eligibility for stimulus funding are likely to be compromised by IT staffing deficiencies in more than half of healthcare organizations, according to CHIME survey results.
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Guerra On Healthcare: What Gordon Ramsay Can Teach CIOs

10/4/2010
Wisdom that applies in the restaurant business is also crucial in navigating the road to meaningful use.
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Epic, Cerner Dominated CIS In 2009

10/1/2010
A KLAS report finds that almost 70 percent of Clinical Information System purchases by 200-bed and larger hospitals were from one of the two vendors.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Stand Firm As 'Meaningful Use' Changes

9/27/2010
Ignore the advice to "think outside the box" and stick to your plan, even as federal agencies continue to alter the criteria they'll use to award health IT incentives.
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Evolving Privacy, Security Regulations Complicate Health IT

9/24/2010
As authorities go back and forth on health IT regulations, organizations developing health information exchanges need to keep a close eye on the process.
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Guerra On Healthcare: For Health IT Success, Look Inside

9/21/2010
Don't leave your career to luck -- leverage your strengths to get into the position that will increase your own chances to thrive.
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Health IT Group Debates Meaningful Use Reporting

9/15/2010
Policy committee's quality workgroup urged to tread lightly in mandating stages 2 and 3 electronic health record requirements.
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Guerra On Healthcare: CIOs Need To Gain Clinical Knowledge

9/14/2010
Many CIOs are finding HITECH constitutes an overwhelming test of their clinical knowledge, but they should also recognize it as a golden opportunity to learn.
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Oracle, McKesson, Lawson Ranked Below Average For HIT

9/9/2010
Overall client satisfaction with ERP solutions in the healthcare industry is not high, but no alternatives stand out enough to warrant changing vendors, according to KLAS.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Implementing EMRs Despite Reluctant Leadership

9/8/2010
Hospitals must become meaningful users of electronic medical records, but not every hospital CEO is willing to step up and lead the charge. Here's how healthcare CIOs can get leadership on board and get the job done.
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CIOs Must Match RIS Decisions With Facility Priorities

9/2/2010
With Meaningful Use regulations yet to address images and provide clear direction, CIOs face competing priorities in making choices about institutions' Radiology Information Systems.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Meaningful Use Certification Confounds CIOs

8/30/2010
Uncertainty over the data certification requirements for Electronic Health Records has normally unflappable healthcare CIOs exasperated.
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CHIME's Meaningful Use Guide Emphasizes C Suite Involvement

8/25/2010
Though IT will handle implementation, the College of Healthcare Information Management Executive's Meaningful Use Guide for CIOs webinar stressed the need for leadership by top administrative and clinical executives.
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Guerra On Healthcare: HITECH Demands Leadership, Then Checklists

8/23/2010
Guide instructs healthcare CIOs to move away from their task orientation and adopt a more strategic mindset to thrive in the era of meaningful use, but a blend of both is the better choice.
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HHS Committee Sanctions Health IT Security Proposal

8/20/2010
Contentious debate over how patients can opt out of data sharing nearly derailed the Department of Health and Human Services group's recommendations.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Report EMR Meaningful Use Honestly

8/16/2010
For Stage 1 meaningful use, CIOs may be tempted to fudge compliance achievements, but the wise will refrain.
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Medicare Seminar Reveals Uncertainly On Meaningful Use

8/12/2010
Questions posed to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services prove that the agency still has many details to iron out about how hospitals will be reimbursed.
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Guerra On Healthcare: The Importance Of Clarity

8/9/2010
No matter the issue, honesty and transparency are winning ingredients, especially when it comes to your career.
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Healthcare CIOs And The Value Of Integrity

8/5/2010
I hear it over and over again in interviews with the top CIOs in the industry--integrity, honesty, respect. I hear it so often it seems I'm talking to the Boy (or Girl) Scouts of America.
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Guerra On Healthcare: CIO's Guide To Avoiding Burnout

8/2/2010
How to maintain your health, your sanity, and your career under the pressure of meeting "Meaningful Use" regulations.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Application Rip And Replace Realities

7/27/2010
Most healthcare organizations must leverage past investments and don't have the luxury to rip and replace in pursuit of "perfect world" IT scenarios.
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Meaningful Use Training Targets Next Steps

7/23/2010
Now that Meaningful Use and Certification rules have been developed, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology are focusing on ensuring healthcare providers know how to enroll in the program.
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CMS Offers Insight On Meaningful Use Stage 2

7/21/2010
Comments from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services indicate that Meaningful Use stage two will expand on stage on by making the current "menu" set part of future core requirements.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Meaningful Use Regs Potentially Dangerous

7/19/2010
Despite modifications, the prescriptive directives of the final Meaningful Use regulations won't improve patient care.
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HHS Embraces Flexibility In Final MU Regs

7/13/2010
The final Meaningful Use regulations issued today by the Department of Health and Human Services jettison a proposed all-or-nothing program in favor of a more flexible approach.
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Guerra On Healthcare: A Tale Of Two CIOs

7/12/2010
The choices Healthcare CIOs make between single vendor enterprise solutions and best-of-breed offerings are driven by budget constraints that often reveal the healthcare haves and have-nots.
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Five Vendors Dominate HIE Market

7/7/2010
Of almost 40 Health Information Exchange providers included in a KLAS study, only five were considered in more than 10% of buying decisions.
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Guerra On Healthcare: The Art Of Being A Medical CIO

7/7/2010
Today's tech leaders aren't judged on what they know about the technology but rather on who's happily using it.
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CPOE Systems Fail Leapfrog Test

7/1/2010
A web-based simulation found that computerized physician order entry systems missed one-half of routine medication order errors and a third of potentially fatal order errors.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Siemens Summer CEO Coup

6/28/2010
John Glaser taking the helm of Siemens Health Services Business Unit is a game changer proves there's more than just one kind of M&A.
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The Great EMR Certification Bottleneck

6/24/2010
While the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) has been moving at a pretty good clip since December when it released the "meaningful use" notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) and certification interim final rule (IFR), right up until the announcement this week of its final temporary certification program, it's apparent just how jammed up its timeline is becoming.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Father's Day Lessons On CPOE

6/22/2010
Understand physicians and you understand the abysmal computerized physician order entry adoption rates.
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Balancing PHI Message Transaction Requirements

6/17/2010
The privacy and security tiger team of the HIT Policy committee must balance a host of issues in determining the requirements for personal health information transactions.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Healthcare CIO Career Fears

6/14/2010
Savvy Healthcare CIOs are in high demand, but the recruiting and hiring process can be extremely stressful for the sought-after job candidates.
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Allscripts Eclipsys Merger Saps Resources

6/9/2010
The costs of integrating the ambulatory and acute expertise of Allscripts and Eclipsys may outweigh the synergies of combining the two companies.
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Guerra On Healthcare: Why CIOs Need To Sell

6/8/2010
It's not enough for health system IT pros to do great work -- you have to tell people about it, too.
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Manatt Says HITECH Needs Changes

6/3/2010
A Manatt Health Solutions report said the HITECH Act has potential to dramatically improve healthcare, but only if the Meaningful Use criteria are revised.
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