Quest Diagnostics To Take Over Clinical Outreach Business from UMass Medical Center & Cites Reduction in Clinical Trials As Main Reason for Drop in Company Profits

<p>Just a few days ago Quest announced they would be <img align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-7R4Fzmgjm_E/UGMMiztjckI/AAAAAAAA-F8/ZHkBXcKeddI/image%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="display: inline; float: right" />restructuring the company with a few hundred layoffs.  Today we have the news that they are buying the lab business at UMass who themselves earlier this year in February announced they were cutting 700 to 900 jobs.  At that time in February they also said they were looking to sell their lab business ant it appears Quest is the buyer.  <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2012/10/quest-diagnostics-restructuring-and.html"><font size="2">Quest Diagnostics Restructuring and Will Cut 400 to 600 Jobs by End of 2013</font></a> <br clear="all" /></h4> <p>In September UMass again wrote about selling their lab operation and the cut of 140 jobs and stated they hoped to break even this year.  UMass has had a decline in health insurance payments as well as the number of patients they treat.  <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2012/09/u-mass-medical-center-cuts-another-140.html">U-Mass Medical Center Cuts Another 140 Jobs And Puts Hospital Labs Up for Sale</a></h5> <h4> </h4> <p>So we have layoffs at both ends here with this acquisition<img align="right" height="74" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-fIyYu2mwRG8/UHihZmYai4I/AAAAAAAA-24/2yCCpgvj8X4/image%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="display: inline; float: right" width="149" /> maybe not directly related but in the end we still have the same results, people losing jobs.  Quest’s lab in Cambridge  and it’s Athena Diagnostics group will both move to a centralized location, so the lab testing for UMass will be officially outsourced to Quest via the purchase.  BD <hr /></p> <p> <br clear="all" />Quest Diagnostics said it has signed a definitive agreement to buy the clinical outreach business of UMass Memorial Medical Center for an undisclosed amount.</p> <p>Financial terms of the transaction are expected to be completed in the next 90 days. It is expected the full transition of services will take place over the next 18 to 24 months, with further details to be announced as they are finalized. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/17/us-quest-results-idUSBRE89G0MU20121017">http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/17/us-quest-results-idUSBRE89G0MU20121017</a></p>

Quest Diagnostics To Take Over Clinical Outreach Business from UMass Medical Center & Cites Reduction in Clinical Trials As Main Reason for Drop in Company Profits

Just a few days ago Quest announced they would be restructuring the company with a few hundred layoffs.  Today we have the news that they ar...

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United Healthcare 3rd Quarter 2012 Profits Increase 23%–Algorithms and Formulas Create Complex Multifaceted Business Models To Do It Again And Those Health Insurance Contracts are Still a Bitch

<p>As I keep saying there’s money in those algorithms and insurers<img align="right" height="126" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TXCfvYCDCBI/AAAAAAAAsv0/8biVjC7dBI0/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="display: inline; float: right" width="124" /> use Quants as well to help design their business models.  Scroll down for more on that topic.  You can watch the video below and maybe ask what kind of business model they have going here as the one patient in the video says she can’t go to her hospitals anymore as United owes them $11 million dollars.  These are Medicare patients that have United Part D plans.  In 2013 United patients will only have emergency access.  United didn’t even tell them but the hospital put a big ad in the newspaper.  This affects 10 hospitals in Florida, so that’s maybe how they do it.  <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,47,0" height="412" id="flashObj" width="412"><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="flashVars" value="videoId=1905377256001&playerID=35214809001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAACCtbLTE~,Euz3dgEqY7FO41McJges-UDcgJmMTpjJ&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" /><param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com" /><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashVars="videoId=1905377256001&playerID=35214809001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAACCtbLTE~,Euz3dgEqY7FO41McJges-UDcgJmMTpjJ&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="486" height="412" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" swLiveConnect="true" allowScriptAccess="always" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object> <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />I guess it also helps to have the former HHS executive credited with writing the Healthcare Reform Law on the payroll too?  I wonder how many of their shareholders are insured by United?  Just a question.  <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2012/06/us-health-insurance-regulator-leaving.html"><font size="2">US Health Insurance Regulator Leaving to Take a Job at UnitedHealth Care As Vice President of the Optum Division – Moving to the “For Profit Side” With Business Intelligence Algorithm Dollars To Review</font></a></h4> <p> <br clear="all" />Remember earlier this year they bought a couple HMOS in Florida and sued the DOD for the Tri-Care contract in the west… <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2012/02/united-healthcare-buys-two-hmos-in.html">United Healthcare Buys Two HMOs in Florida–More Cheap or Free Hearing Aids for Seniors Perhaps–Subsidiary Watch</a></h5> <p> <br clear="all" /></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/06/update-unitedhealthcare-sues-department.html"><font size="2">Update: UnitedHealthcare Sues Department of Defense Over Tri-Care Contracts–They Said They Would Do This – Is This A Case Of My Algorithms Are Better Than Yours?</font></a> <br clear="all" /></h4> <p>It even gets real touchy here with what I call an all <img align="right" height="132" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TdYNiZF0RQI/AAAAAAAAxks/UEJVJ2qMb7Y/image%5B8%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="display: inline; float: right" width="110" />out technology war with Blue Cross as that subsidiary of Blue Cross looks like it will close and United is buying  up or giving contracts to the subsidiaries/partners of TriWest that will remain.  TriWest is owned by 11 Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans and two University Hospital systems so this gets even more interesting and do they use software that was created by United’s Optum division? <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />Is this a matter of a contract with the hospitals or did they not meet their goals that United set forward on existing contracts?  United’s Optum division, the formulas and algorithm side is really kicking in a big part of their profits these days and you can usually see that noted on every quarterly report they file.  <br clear="all" /></p> <p> <p> <br clear="all" /></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2012/02/united-healthcare-preparing-to-roll-out.html"><font size="2">United Healthcare Preparing to Roll Out New Contracts To Pay Doctors& Hospitals For Meeting Goals and Keeping Costs Down– Plenty of Subsidiaries to Provide Some of the Technology And/Or Products & Generate Income–Subsidiary Watch</font></a> <br clear="all" /></h4> <p>So what are these business models that CEOs can’t explain (i.e. Jamie Dimon) and others?  <strong><u>Nobody asks and nobody is accountable for their math and formulas with business models today</u></strong> and again <img align="right" height="142" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-etqalgC9qeA/UE2LMCXAoRI/AAAAAAAA9mw/14rZ4SnSXqY/image%25255B16%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="display: inline; float: right" width="245" />insurers all have them along with their Quants.  Now here’s a great documentary that I have used many times here and it’s still be read daily about the Quants Being the Alchemists of Wall Street…nobody checks their math or formulas but that’s what makes the money…<strong>business models so complex that CEOs struggle to make sense out of them, but they don’t touch as the algorithms move money and bring profits to banks and corporations and society gets Algo Duped and sometimes fed a lot of flawed data.  </strong> <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><strong><em>So whether it’s United or Banks or other companies think about these complex business models to where nobody is held accountable for formulas that could contain fiction and come from the somewhat fantasy world of some Quants</em></strong>…the video is a Quant telling you exactly that. I  kind of assume the other person in this video was a former Lehman tech but he’s paying $60k to go to Quant school now.  These are the corporate profits gained by the  <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2012/02/attack-of-killer-algorithmsdigest-links.html"><strong><u>Attacks of the Killer Algorithms.</u></strong></a>    BD</p> <h4> <br clear="all" /><iframe style="width: 436px; height: 259px" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ed2FWNWwE3I?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" width="640" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <br clear="all" /></h4> <p><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-MdcQ51oZRKs/UDz9pcW4fBI/AAAAAAAA9PM/5H-RdgxYtf8/image%25255B11%25255D.png?imgmax=800" /> <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /> <hr />The nation's largest health insurer, UnitedHealth Group Inc., reported a 23% increase in third-quarter profit on the strength of continued growth in its <a href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/health/government-health-care/medicare-HEPRG00002.topic">Medicare</a> and <a href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/health/government-health-care/medicaid-HEPRG00001.topic">Medicaid</a> businesses.</p> <p>The Minnetonka, Minn., company raised its full-year earnings forecast and said overall medical costs among its customers remained largely in check. UnitedHealth is the first major health insurer to report third-quarter results, and it often sets the tone for the industry. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />But UnitedHealth is also looking beyond the U.S. market for new customers. Last week, it agreed to acquire 90% of Amil Participacoes SA, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/intl/brazil-PLGEO00000132.topic">Brazil's</a> largest healthcare company, for about $4.3 billion, after certain tax benefits. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-united-health-earnings-20121016,0,4753192.story">http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-united-health-earnings-20121016,0,4753192.story</a></p></p>

United Healthcare 3rd Quarter 2012 Profits Increase 23%–Algorithms and Formulas Create Complex Multifaceted Business Models To Do It Again And Those Health Insurance Contracts are Still a Bitch

As I keep saying there’s money in those algorithms and insurers use Quants as well to help design their business models.  Scroll down for m...

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The Smart Sports Bra That Can Detect Breast Cancer Using Algorithms And Sensors With Blood Vessels

<p>This fascinating as they state the product can be found <img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="83" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-AsUb7FBaDpw/UHz_H_Glc7I/AAAAAAAA-7I/8MgLW5FZtDc/image%25255B7%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="104" />earlier than mammograms can find it.  A sensor is in the bra and measures temperatures with blood vessel growth, where the tumor can be fed.  Next year Europe gets is and the US is planned in 2014 and still needs to get FDA approval.  I would hope one would not have to wear this all the time.  <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />It states the product is more accurate than a mammogram and of course there’s no radiation.  There’s the end of the sexy lacy bra it appears:)  I don’t know and could not find how often one needs to wear it but would just take a wild guess of at least once a week, and I’m only guessing until we hear more.  BD <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><iframe style="width: 441px; height: 263px" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gtDUwWf7DVg?rel=0" frameborder="0" width="560" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <br clear="all" /></p> <hr /><a href="http://www.firstwarningsystems.com/"> <br clear="all" />First Warning Systems</a>‘ smart sports bra, the Breast Tissue Screening Bra<img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="119" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-xDsaKTzqsoM/UHz_Iak_l9I/AAAAAAAA-7Q/Rraqd9K1kdI/image%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="98" />, is like a continuous monitoring system for breast cancer that could be more effective than mammograms. <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57529914-1/how-a-smart-bra-could-one-day-outdo-the-mammogram/?part=rss&subj=crave&tag=title&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+cnet%2FpRza+%28Crave%29">CNET</a> reports that a sensor in the bra measures cell temperature changes associated with blood vessel growth that feeds tumors. Pattern recognition software then processes this data and helps to identify changes that could signal a developing tumor. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />In clinical trials with 650 women, the smart bra has been able to detect the presence of tumors 6 years before traditional imaging systems can. It also showed a 92.1% level of accuracy at correctly classifying them, which is much higher than routine mammograms (70%). First Warning Systems plans to commercialize the system in Europe next year and in the U.S. in 2014, pending regulatory approval. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="323" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-CjPbiXsqRAU/UHz_IsLQU8I/AAAAAAAA-7Y/7G7e_D7GOGo/image%25255B12%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="435" /> <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><a href="http://www.psfk.com/2012/10/sports-bra-detect-breast-cancer.html">http://www.psfk.com/2012/10/sports-bra-detect-breast-cancer.html</a> <br clear="all" /> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:622ac952-468e-4a57-a86a-8735ffb0cd54" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/cancer" rel="tag">cancer</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/breast+cancer" rel="tag">breast cancer</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/bra" rel="tag">bra</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/apparel" rel="tag">apparel</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/FDA" rel="tag">FDA</a></div>

The Smart Sports Bra That Can Detect Breast Cancer Using Algorithms And Sensors With Blood Vessels

This fascinating as they state the product can be found earlier than mammograms can find it.  A sensor is in the bra and measures temperatur...

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Florida Governor Rick Scott Gives Out Phone Sex Hotline Number in Error When Giving Out Contact Information About Meningitis Outbreak

<p>What a surprise a few callers had.  Rick Scott the Florida Governor that many love to hate.  People who called were quick to inform.  BD <hr /> <br clear="all" />(Reuters) - In an embarrassing mistake, Florida Governor Rick Scott<img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="103" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-VdyqDUTI-a0/UHz2wzxuYEI/AAAAAAAA-6E/kEeKbUldHH0/image%25255B5%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="75" /> gave out a phone sex hotline number to Floridians seeking information on a deadly fungal meningitis outbreak.</p> <p>Scott was providing an update on the outbreak at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday when he announced what he said was the hotline's toll-free phone line, but gave out the wrong number.</p> <p>The governor's office was alerted by a public radio station in Tampa, WUSF, which was monitoring the cabinet meeting and posted the number on its website. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/11/us-usa-health-meningitis-phonesex-idUSBRE89A01N20121011">http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/11/us-usa-health-meningitis-phonesex-idUSBRE89A01N20121011</a></p>

Florida Governor Rick Scott Gives Out Phone Sex Hotline Number in Error When Giving Out Contact Information About Meningitis Outbreak

What a surprise a few callers had.  Rick Scott the Florida Governor that many love to hate.  People who called were quick to inform.  BD ...

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Nobel Prize for Residency Match System Not Much Different Than What You Get From a Dating Site These Days– Flow Sheets And the Dangers of An “Algo Duped” Naïve Society That Gets Sucked In Too Often

<p>First of all I do not mean any disrespect here as the matching system has it’s place in giving ideas and suggestions but gosh darn it’s not 100% in finding the absolute match that would agree with your lifestyle. <img align="right" height="126" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-etqalgC9qeA/UE2LMCXAoRI/AAAAAAAA9mw/14rZ4SnSXqY/image%25255B16%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="display: inline; float: right" width="223" /> You have to remember it still takes some human thought and input here.  Have you ever been on one of the dating sites?  They do make people very insecure and sucked in to the fact that their “queries” and results will absolutely find your perfect soul mate.  Now there’s nothing wrong with dating sites as you do meet people outside your immediate environment, but for goodness sakes keep the context in line.  </p> <p> <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />I check all types of software in what I do and mostly it’s healthcare but if I see a potential tool or something on the web given raging reviews that I think may be out of place, I check it out.  I used to write code and sometimes in a kidding way I say that gee I wished I would have figured out how to make some of those money making sites years ago, as it’s all math and queries and there still has to be a human element here, and the same applies as to where one wants to do their residency.  Sure you can get the ones that would be best matched but as David says in his article, is it a place you want to live and does it entertain the fact that you have a significant other that may not want to live there, or will your significant other change…all that add context. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <p><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-MdcQ51oZRKs/UDz9pcW4fBI/AAAAAAAA9PM/5H-RdgxYtf8/image%25255B11%25255D.png?imgmax=800" /> <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />Again, good information and guidance here but gee to rely on it 100% goes into my area which I call “Algo Duping” and lot of folks are reading up on this to get back in touch with reality.  I have been writing about this for a while.  You want to see some fictitious reality…<strong>watch this video about the Quants on Wall Street and how they use formulas to move and make money, so complex that even Jamie Dimon can’t tell you how they work:)</strong>  We have that on vide all over the web today and he’s not alone as most of the others have no clue either.   <strong>The opening statements in the video say it all when you are so wrapped up in making money you forget the rest of the world</strong> and it consumes you.  Pay attention to the tech that lost his job and is now paying $60k to learn how to be a quant and write the formulas that make money, all about control and money and naïve folks get duped in…Algo Duping for profit.    <strong>There’s some nice work done here too from a Reuters investigative reporter, Matthew Goldstein that should be mentioned here as well.  <br clear="all" /></strong> <br clear="all" /></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2012/02/attack-of-killer-algorithmsdigest-links.html"><font size="2">Attack of the Killer Algorithms–Digest & Links for All Chapters–on How Math and Crafty Formulas Today Running on Servers 24/7 Make Life Impacting Decisions About You</font></a> <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><iframe style="width: 430px; height: 254px" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ed2FWNWwE3I?rel=0" frameborder="0" width="560" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></h4> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.hk/2012/09/quants-alchemists-of-wall-street-video.html"><font size="2">Quants: The Alchemists of Wall Street Video Documentary - Why It Needs to Matter What Companies Do and Not Focus Only On the Price of Stock With So Called Value - Attack of the Killer Algorithms Chapter 44</font></a></h4> <p> <br clear="all" />When you get done with that video, watch this one from a Quack reader from NYU who gives an excellent presentation about context and Professor Siefe also wrote the great book “Proofiness, the Dark Arts of Mathematical Deception”..read it.  <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><iframe style="width: 434px; height: 256px" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qiQwZ6inbOM?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" width="640" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <br clear="all" /></p> <br clear="all" />This is also a favorite of mine, Kevin Slavin with how Algorithms Shape our World…these folks are a lot smarter than me…he writes code and talks about how the quants work… <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><iframe style="width: 434px; height: 258px" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TDaFwnOiKVE?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" width="640" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /> <p>So again there’s value to the matching written here but everything is context and is it any more valuable than the flow sheets and matches one gets on a dating site to where it is exonerated? <strong> You be the judge here and has the committee become Algo Duped</strong>?  Again as David mentioned people are not using the formulas and most on dating sites don’t use those formulas either and I laughed when one site sent me a “flow sheet”…how much information do I really need?  I don’t remember any dating sites getting any awards.  I didn’t need flow sheet but how many get sucked in to this algorithms being the ultimate answer?  <strong>Based on what I read today there’s a lot of it and there’s a lot of flawed data out here…just read the link up above about the Attack of the Killer Algorithms…have you been attacked or duped today?  </strong>It’s hard to tell some of this apart too, do don’t feel bad as we all kick this around in our heads.  Again I have no issue or disrespect all all for Alvin Roth and the information will be helpful, but the question is, is this really that outstanding to win a Nobel Prize?  <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/09/proofinessthe-dark-side-of-mathematical.html"><font size="2">“Proofiness–The Dark Side of Mathematical Deception”–Created by Those Algorithms</font></a></h4> <p> <br clear="all" />Nobel folks like so many others seem to be “Algo Duped”.  In case you missed it, one of the biggest examples I <img align="right" height="204" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TJcGnalIlcI/AAAAAAAAhe8/0Paat1zfY1E/image%5B7%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="display: inline; float: right" width="136" />feel of Algo Duping around happened last week with Congress…it’s been a popular read here…and even the folks at Harvard were nice than me and offered to explain the medical record stimulus money and how it works and the fact that users can’t move any faster…<strong>the old <u>“fast order code kitchen”</u> burned down a few years ago…again out of touch and non participants draw these conclusions mostly.</strong>  I am so concerned to see so many US and world executives and leaders falling in to Algo Duping because it hurts all of us and the rich get richer working as they do or hiring those folks to write the algos to keep all their money, it is what it is sadly. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />Even the debates are becoming a bit of a farce when the Medicare situation comes up, there’s not enough engineers and time and money to rewrite Medicare from the bottom up for a repeal, can we look at reality…please <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><em><strong>I still laugh too at the talk of “totally repealing healthcare” as there’s no budget big enough to do that nor would these folks create on when they really find out <u>the huge expense, time and number of engineers it would take</u>…maybe like Larry Ellison’s Fusion program, a good seven years maybe? </strong>It takes time to write the code and set up all the IT infrastructure and these boneheads have not figured out that software builds upon itself so there’s no total repeal, but rather possible adjustments.</em> <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><u>If you watch the video above about the Quants…they have little respect for economists</u>…as they are not scientists the one quant states and they just work with what we produce…think about that.  <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2012/10/digital-illiterate-algo-duped-gop.html"><font size="2">Digital Illiterate “Algo Duped” GOP Lawmakers Call for Suspending of Incentive Payments to Providers–Also Sent Letter to HHS Telling Them To Expect More From Meaningful Users–Walk A Mile in a Healthcare CIO’s Shoes Please <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></font></a></h4> <p>As a wake up call there’s yet one more video that should draw attention here, how crooks use technology and the some of the financial folks have been doing this for years…<strong><u>Algo Duping</u></strong>…and he says at the end of the video, those who control the code, control the world so again as David states…is this reflective of a Nobel Prize?  I am saying the same thing..only backing it up with a little bit of layman code and developer talk:)  BD  <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><iframe style="width: 443px; height: 256px" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-E97Kgi0sR4?rel=0" frameborder="0" width="560" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2012/07/vision-of-crime-in-futureted-video-by.html"><font size="2">A Vision of Crime in the Future–TED Video By Marc Goodman–”If You Control the Code You Control the World” And A Deep Look at DNA Use by Criminals</font></a> <hr /></h4> <p> <br clear="all" /></p> <em> <p> Why then, do so few physicians embrace the match? (And why do so many actively despise it?) <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <p>The answer may be that if you look at every other elite professional training paths, whether law schools, business, PhD programs in the arts and sciences, architecture, you name it–there are no other matches. No other fields except medicine have concluded that this kind of system is a rational way to match applicants and schools or job-seekers and jobs. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <p>A match is certainly an efficient way for hospitals put together a residency class. And going through the hyper-rational process fits in well with other cultural artifacts of medicine like memorizing a thousand carbon molecules to pass organic chemistry or spending six months studying for the MCATs.</p> <p>But it’s not a good system, despite what the Swedes may think. <br clear="all" /></p> </em> <h4> </h4> <p> <br clear="all" /><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidwhelan/2012/10/15/alvin-roth-receives-economics-nobel-for-flawed-residency-match-system/">http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidwhelan/2012/10/15/alvin-roth-receives-economics-nobel-for-flawed-residency-match-system/</a> <br clear="all" /></p>

Nobel Prize for Residency Match System Not Much Different Than What You Get From a Dating Site These Days– Flow Sheets And the Dangers of An “Algo Duped” Naïve Society That Gets Sucked In Too Often

First of all I do not mean any disrespect here as the matching system has it’s place in giving ideas and suggestions but gosh darn it’s not ...

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Memorial Sloan-Kettering Says No to Cancer Drug Zaltrap for Colorectal Cancer-Avastin Works Just As Well and the Cost is Half

<p>I think we may see more of these types of studies and the two doctors do state they have been paid consulting fees <img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="61" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-W97f9NNizNY/UHxBj38hjqI/AAAAAAAA-5A/mo21qokGbAU/image%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="174" />from Genentech (Roche) who makes Avastin.  Avastin has been around a long time and it is not cheap either with an estimate of $5000 a month, but take on Zaltrap at double that cost?  Cancer drugs and chemotherapy treatments are all over the map as far as cost.  For Medicare patients, the out of pocket cost would be $2200 for Zaltrap.  This will be interesting to watch to see if Zaltrap is somewhat forced to take another look at their pricing.  I’m sure they will also want to see the exact results of the study.  We could also see other cancer centers perhaps looking at the same thing to help substantiate the decisions made.  BD <hr /> <br clear="all" />AT <a href="http://www.mskcc.org/">Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center</a>, we recently made a decision that should have been a no-brainer: we are not going to give a phenomenally expensive new <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/cancer/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier">cancer</a> drug to our patients. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />The reasons are simple: The drug, Zaltrap, has proved to be no better than a similar medicine we already have for advanced <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/colon-cancer/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier">colorectal cancer</a>, while its price — at $11,063 on average for a month of treatment — is more than twice as high. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />Which brings us back to our decision on Zaltrap. In patients with advancing, metastatic colorectal cancer, the new drug, <a href="http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm314372.htm">approved</a> by the F.D.A. in August and jointly marketed by Sanofi and Regeneron, offers the same survival benefit as Genentech’s <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/avastin_drug/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier">Avastin</a>, which works through a similar molecular mechanism. When compared with the standard <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/chemotherapy/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier">chemotherapy</a> regimen alone, adding either medicine has been shown to prolong patient lives by a median of 1.4 months. Major clinical practice guidelines, like those from the <a href="http://www.nccn.org/index.asp">National Comprehensive Cancer Network</a>, agree that Zaltrap is no better than Avastin in this setting. (Full disclosure: Two of us, Dr. Bach and Dr. Saltz, have been paid consulting fees by Genentech.) <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><em>The writers are doctors at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. </em><a href="http://www.mskcc.org/research/epidemiology-biostatistics/health-outcomes/staff/peter-bach"><em>Peter B. Bach</em></a><em> is the director of the Center for Health Policy and Outcomes, </em><a href="http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/doctor/leonard-saltz"><em>Leonard B. Saltz</em></a><em> is chief of the gastrointestinal oncology service and chairman of the pharmacy and therapeutics committee, and </em><a href="http://www.mskcc.org/about/robert-e-wittes-rejoins-physician-chief"><em>Robert E. Wittes</em></a><em> is the physician in chief. <br clear="all" /></em> <br clear="all" /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/15/opinion/a-hospital-says-no-to-an-11000-a-month-cancer-drug.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/15/opinion/a-hospital-says-no-to-an-11000-a-month-cancer-drug.html</a> <br clear="all" /> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:425043d9-de22-424b-a0ff-3ab0f3241553" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/FDA" rel="tag">FDA</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/cancer" rel="tag">cancer</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/hospital" rel="tag">hospital</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/drugs" rel="tag">drugs</a></div></p>

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Says No to Cancer Drug Zaltrap for Colorectal Cancer-Avastin Works Just As Well and the Cost is Half

I think we may see more of these types of studies and the two doctors do state they have been paid consulting fees from Genentech (Roche) wh...

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CDC Scientists Working to Halt Deadly Meningitis Outbreak–Number of Deaths Now at 15–FDA Needs More Money To Carry Out Periodic Inspections

<p>This story seems to keep getting worse sadly and Tennessee is <img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="158" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Ud_fFlmuouY/UHu5rZygtUI/AAAAAAAA-38/LOYtzcxh_ls/image%25255B7%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="115" />still the hardest hit state. At the CDC they are working hard to notify everyone who could have been exposed.  Also the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/13/us/workers-cite-concerns-at-firms-tied-to-meningitis.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0">New York Times</a> had some interesting information to add with their interviews with employees on safety and working conditions at the the New England Compounding Center.  I think their business is done as last time I updated the deaths were half of what we have now and some patients have had strokes too.  Ameridose is another company owned by the same individuals who own NECC.  8 former employees of NECC were interviewed by the paper which had all left prior to the outbreak. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />Barry Cadden, the NECC chief pharmacist also lost his license this week for obvious reasons.  One former employee said the company encouraged shortcuts even when it could compromise safety and had people who were not pharmacists overseeing drug input which in one case ended up in a double potency of a strong narcotic that was caught before it left the premises.  Two employees said speed was always the big concern.  One former salesman said it was not uncommon to sell drugs without patients names too, which compounding facilities are required to have as they compound medications for specific patients, so in essence they were almost a drug company of sorts.  Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and New Hampshire are the states so far where cases have been reported. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />No doubt the compounding business in the future will be under the thumb of the FDA and why they need more money to have a large enough enforcement and inspection arm, which they don’t even come close currently and those in Congress just don’t see the importance it appears.  BD <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2012/09/one-more-good-reason-to-tax-data.html"><font size="2">One More Good Reason to Tax the Data Sellers– Create Additional Funding for the NIH and FDA From Sources That Otherwise Are Too Greedy to Share & Contribute</font></a> <hr /></h4> <p> <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />ATLANTA  Scattered across the carefully landscaped main <img align="right" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-kM-hkKNRbSo/UHJ1bocrXxI/AAAAAAAA-ps/YxRYKehiKWQ/image%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="display: inline; float: right" />campus of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are the staff on the front lines fighting a rare outbreak of fungal meningitis: A scientist in a white lab coat peers through a microscope at fungi on a glass slide. In another room, another researcher uses what looks like a long, pointed eye dropper to suck up DNA samples that will be tested for the suspect fungus.</p> <p>Not far away in another building is the emergency operations center, which is essentially the war room. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />There's a low hum of voices as employees work the phones, talking to health officials, doctors and patients who received potentially contaminated pain injections believed to be at the root of the outbreak. Workers sit at rows of computers, gathering data, advising doctors and reaching out to thousands of people who may have been exposed. Overall, dozens of people are working day and night to bring the outbreak under control. Nearly 200 people in more than a dozen states have been sickened, including 15 who have died.</p> <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><a href="http://www.lohud.com/usatoday/article/1632611?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s">http://www.lohud.com/usatoday/article/1632611?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s</a>

CDC Scientists Working to Halt Deadly Meningitis Outbreak–Number of Deaths Now at 15–FDA Needs More Money To Carry Out Periodic Inspections

This story seems to keep getting worse sadly and Tennessee is still the hardest hit state. At the CDC they are working hard to notify everyo...

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Restriction of Social Security Death Index Data Base Beginning to Play Havoc with Various Medical Research Agencies and Other Interests As the Value of Aggregated Accurate and Flawed Data ($) Grows..

<p>Last year I wrote about the index being flawed and those who are in there incorrectly I’m sure are not happy about I as they would still be living and it could cause issues for obtaining benefits, but in<img align="right" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TdalmYP75PI/AAAAAAAAxmg/DG4Qtifj89U/image_thumb%5B2%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="display: inline; float: right" /> light of all that, it is the the most accurate data base in the US to determine if someone is dead or alive.  Last year the government clamped down on who could use it and who could not.  Now we have medical research companies and universities that say it is hampering some of their research as they can’t calculate accurate information as relates to organ transplants and other issues.</p> <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/10/social-security-master-death-index-data.html"><font size="2"> <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><strong>Social Security Master Death Index Data Flawed–Over 31,000 Living Found in the Index</strong></font></a> <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /> <p>As mentioned below an annual subscription is around $1000 a year, and there’s part of the problem right there, Social Security was not charging enough.  Why do I say that?  Well when you look at what Walgreens makes on selling data, i.e. in 2010 they made under $800 million selling data…well I think the government should be charging a lot more for their efforts as now with the current day restrictions, everybody is complaining.  Again I go back to excise taxing the “data sellers and brokers” to pay for some of this, namely the FDA and the NIH, who are going to need some extra money real fast as the threats of cuts are upon us.  <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2012/09/one-more-good-reason-to-tax-data.html">One More Good Reason to Tax the Data Sellers– Create Additional Funding for the NIH and FDA From Sources That Otherwise Are Too Greedy to Share & Contribute</a></h5> <p> <p> <p> <br clear="all" />This really is good business to investigate this area of selling data to tax as it is wide open for the taking and also contributes to <img align="right" height="215" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-KuhSzq6izWo/UDEQbXLJXDI/AAAAAAAA86w/Sn6gdvvwX7k/image%25255B30%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="display: inline; float: right" width="208" />consumer problems with the growing amount of flawed data that is surmounting when credible data is combined with non credible data for behavioral prediction behavior.  Sure there’s knowledge to be gained on some of this but as a couple of university professors have agreed with me, “there are not enough trained people out there who know how to work with flawed data”.  It’s sad that so many just believe any old numbers that are thrown at them today without checking the math and code as all become additionally “Algo Duped” over time.  BD  </p> </p> </p> <p> <p> <p> <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2012/07/congress-to-investigate-data-sellers.html"><font size="2">Congress To Investigate the Data Sellers - Need To Create a Law to Tax Them As The Algorithms Used For This Business Generate Billions of Dollars, Partly Why Corporate Profits Are So High - Remove the Medical Device Tax as They Produce Needed Jobs/Tangibles</font></a> <hr /></h4> <p> <br clear="all" />A shift last year by the Social Security Administration to limit access to its death records amid concerns about identity theft is beginning to hamper a broad swath of research, including federal government assessments of hospital safety and financial industry efforts to spot consumer fraud. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <p>For example, a research group that produces reports on organ-transplant survival rates is facing delays because of the extra work it must do to determine whether patients are still alive. <img align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/Tdalmkxhu2I/AAAAAAAAxmk/c6P6STv5NgA/image%5B4%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="display: inline; float: right" />The federal agency that runs <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/medicare/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier">Medicare</a> uses the data to determine whether some transplant programs have such poor track records that they should be cut off from government financing. </p> <p>“We are not going to be on time until this problem is corrected,” said Dr. Bertram L. Kasiske, a Minneapolis nephrologist who directs the research group, the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. “It’s a big deal. A lot of people look for these reports and depend on them.” <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />The Social Security Death Master File is an index of 90 million deaths that have been reported to the agency over 75 years by survivors, hospitals, funeral homes and state offices. The listings include names, Social Security numbers and dates of death. Jesse D. Schold, a health researcher at the Cleveland Clinic, said the holes in the master file, which will only grow larger, had already compromised his investigation into mortality rates among living kidney donors. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />“The decades-old practice of publishing personal death information that anyone can buy needs to end, and now,” he said.  It is also far more affordable for researchers than the leading alternative, a death index kept by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that, while more complete, is typically 14 months to 18 months out of date. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/09/us/social-security-death-record-limits-hinder-researchers.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/09/us/social-security-death-record-limits-hinder-researchers.html</a> <br clear="all" /></p></p></p>

Restriction of Social Security Death Index Data Base Beginning to Play Havoc with Various Medical Research Agencies and Other Interests As the Value of Aggregated Accurate and Flawed Data ($) Grows..

Last year I wrote about the index being flawed and those who are in there incorrectly I’m sure are not happy about I as they would still be ...

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Quest Diagnostics Restructuring and Will Cut 400 to 600 Jobs by End of 2013

<p>Here’s some additional job losses and I swear we may be up for a short while and then more cuts come along.  This is a small cut over all when you figure they have over 40,000 employees but nobody wants <img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="73" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-fIyYu2mwRG8/UHihZmYai4I/AAAAAAAA-24/2yCCpgvj8X4/image%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="156" />to lose a job for sure and Quest has automated a lot of their work flows and the article states these are mostly in a layer of management they will be eliminating.  Where does Quest get most of their revenue, diagnostic information.  They also just hired someone from Pfizer to lead up their commercial business area.  The two individuals in charge of the health information unit will leave by the end of this year as well as the departments heads from HR and their <a href="http://www.questdiagnostics.com/home/patients/insurance.html">insurance division</a> so it kind of looks like these are the department that will largely fall under their reconstruction efforts.  BD <hr /> <br clear="all" />MADISON, N.J. (AP) — Medical laboratory operator Quest Diagnostics Inc. said Thursday it will cut 400 to 600 management positions and reorganize its business.</p> <p>Quest will eliminate three layers of management and reorganize into two business units, diagnostic information services and diagnostic solutions. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />It expects to save $65 million a year from the changes. The company has around 42,000 employees. Quest expects to take $15 million to $20 million in charges associated with the restructuring and job cuts. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><a href="http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-10-11/quest-diagnostics-cutting-400-to-600-jobs">http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-10-11/quest-diagnostics-cutting-400-to-600-jobs</a></p>

Quest Diagnostics Restructuring and Will Cut 400 to 600 Jobs by End of 2013

Here’s some additional job losses and I swear we may be up for a short while and then more cuts come along.  This is a small cut over all wh...

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Walmart Becomes the Next Employer to Negotiate Surgical Procedures Direct With Major Medical Centers, Just Need More Employees Covered

<p>A while back Lowes was one of the first to negotiate with the <img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="90" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-GsQoWK-JMZA/UHg4v3aMMiI/AAAAAAAA-10/wF-nyujntAY/image%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="118" />Cleveland Clinic followed by Pepsico and now we have Walmart. If you have read the news of late Walmart employees are striking for better healthcare benefits, even though they are not union, but making a statement. <br clear="all" /></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/12/johns-hopkins-and-pepsico-sign-contract.html"><font size="2"> <br clear="all" />Johns Hopkins and PepsiCo Sign a Contract To Allow Employees and Their Dependents To Have Certain Surgical Procedures Performed At the Medical Center in Maryland</font></a></h4> <p> <br clear="all" />Employees must be healthy enough to travel but as this reads there’s no out of pocket expenditures for them to pay.  This agreement covers some additional items that were not mentioned in the Lowes or Pepsico agreements; however it’s been over a year and perhaps their agreements have expanded.  Transplant surgeries will all be performed at the Mayo Clinic.  The full press release can be <a href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201210110904PR_NEWS_USPRX____DA91116-1&params=timestamp||10/11/2012%209:04%20AM%20ET||headline||Walmart%20Expands%20Health%20Benefits%20to%20Cover%20Heart%20and%20Spine%20Surgeries%20at%20No%20Cost%20to%20Associates||docSource||PR%20Newswire||provider||ACQUIREMEDIA||bridgesymbol||US;WMT&ticker=WMT">read here.</a>  Now all Walmart needs is more employees covered as many are part time and do not work enough hours to qualify for health insurance coverage.  Not all but some part time employees qualify for health insurance and that’s still the big problem is getting more covered.  BD </p> <hr /> <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />Walmart employees will now be able to get heart, spine and transplant surgeries at six of the nation's most prestigious hospitals at no cost, the world's largest retailer announced Thursday. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />Under what Walmart calls the <a href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201210110904PR_NEWS_USPRX____DA91116-1&params=timestamp%7C%7C10/11/2012%209:04%20AM%20ET%7C%7Cheadline%7C%7CWalmart%20Expands%20Health%20Benefits%20to%20Cover%20Heart%20and%20Spine%20Surgeries%20at%20No%20Cost%20to%20Associates%7C%7CdocSource%7C%7CPR%20Newswire%7C%7Cprovider%7C%7CACQUIREMEDIA%7C%7Cbridgesymbol%7C%7CUS;WMT&ticker=WMT">"Centers of Excellence" program</a>, employees and dependents enrolled in the company's health benefits won't pay out-of-pocket for medical care or related travel when they receive complex, expensive procedures including open-heart surgery, spinal fusion and organ transplants at select facilities. The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa., are among the health systems participating in the program. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />Walmart employees who undergo surgery at one of the six selected medical centers will save between $5,000 and $12,000 because they'll be exempt from health insurance deductibles and cost-sharing payments, Walmart spokesman Randy Hargrove said. Workers will gain access to the new benefit at the beginning of 2013. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/11/walmart-surgery-workers_n_1958673.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003&ir=Money">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/11/walmart-surgery-workers_n_1958673.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003&ir=Money</a>

Walmart Becomes the Next Employer to Negotiate Surgical Procedures Direct With Major Medical Centers, Just Need More Employees Covered

A while back Lowes was one of the first to negotiate with the Cleveland Clinic followed by Pepsico and now we have Walmart. If you have read...

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Continuum Health Partners Collaborates With Caradigm to Implement Innovative IT to Improve Care Coordination and Patient Experience

<p align="left">The group of teaching hospitals will be implementing Caradigm eHealth solution solutions to improve care coordination across the health system. The ED physicians will have access to patient data stored in systems across the four hospitals, including lab results, radiology reports, discharge summaries, and patient history.  Amalga, eHealth Information Exchange and Vergence are what Caradigm currently offers and I would believe this to be an Amalga or an eHealth installation as I believe all of their hospitals are working on a Cerner system.  BD <br clear="all" /></p> <br clear="all" /> <p style="padding-bottom: 0px; line-height: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; display: block; height: auto; padding-top: 0px" class="MsoNormal" align="left"><iframe style="width: 434px; height: 266px" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/q6x0-wIOqts?rel=0" frameborder="0" width="560" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p style="padding-bottom: 0px; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; display: block; height: auto; padding-top: 0px" class="MsoNormal" align="left"><span style="font-family: ; color: "><font face="Helvetica"><font style="font-size: 10pt"><strong><u> <hr />Press Release:</u></strong> </font></font></span></p> <p align="left"><span style="font-family: ; color: "><font face="Helvetica"><font style="font-size: 10pt">NEW YORK and BELLEVUE, Wash., Oct. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently named one of the 2012 "Most Wired" healthcare <img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="95" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-V3F36xaFH6I/UHXhHaAWs_I/AAAAAAAA-0o/kh72hXrd9XM/image%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="144" />systems in the United States according to a nationwide survey,^* Continuum Health Partners Inc. has implemented new information technology (IT) solutions from Caradigm to help improve care coordination across healthcare facilities and keep patients well and at home.</font></font></span></p> <p align="left"><span style="font-family: ; color: "><font face="Helvetica"><font style="font-size: 10pt"><strong>Continuum Health Partners comprises five distinguished voluntary teaching hospitals including Beth Israel Medical Center, Roosevelt Hospital, St. Luke's Hospital and the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. Caradigm is a joint venture formed by GE Healthcare and Microsoft Corp. in June 2012.</strong></font></font></span></p> <p style="padding-bottom: 0px; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; display: block; height: auto; padding-top: 0px" class="MsoNormal" align="left"><span style="font-family: ; color: "><font face="Helvetica"><font style="font-size: 10pt"> </font></font></span></p> <p style="padding-bottom: 0px; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; display: block; height: auto; padding-top: 0px" class="MsoNormal" align="left"><span style="font-family: ; color: "><font face="Helvetica"><font style="font-size: 10pt">"We're excited to partner with Caradigm to empower our physicians and patients with information they can use to make the best decisions," said Mark Moroses, senior vice president and chief information officer for Continuum. "Opening up access to patient data allows us to orchestrate the treatment of the people we serve across the care continuum and ultimately help them lead healthier lives."</font></font></span></p> <p style="padding-bottom: 0px; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; display: block; height: auto; padding-top: 0px" class="MsoNormal" align="left"><span style="font-family: ; color: "><font face="Helvetica"><font style="font-size: 10pt"> </font></font></span></p> <p style="padding-bottom: 0px; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; display: block; height: auto; padding-top: 0px" class="MsoNormal" align="left"><span style="font-family: ; color: "><font face="Helvetica"><font style="font-size: 10pt">To better support team-based care for patients, Continuum Health Partners has deployed Caradigm eHealth solutions designed to enable physicians to collaborate with each other and with patients more easily through the secure exchange of clinical data.</font></font></span></p> <p style="padding-bottom: 0px; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; display: block; height: auto; padding-top: 0px" class="MsoNormal" align="left"><span style="font-family: ; color: "><font face="Helvetica"><font style="font-size: 10pt"> </font></font></span></p> <p style="padding-bottom: 0px; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; display: block; height: auto; padding-top: 0px" class="MsoNormal" align="left"><span style="font-family: ; color: "><font face="Helvetica"><font style="font-size: 10pt">Using eHealth Community Desktop, a Web-based clinical portal, emergency department physicians can rapidly access and view patient history, discharge summaries, lab results, r<img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="76" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-WKfpeV9IS5Q/UHXhHzOfHMI/AAAAAAAA-0w/qGUKJ-LtDCk/image%25255B7%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="177" />adiology reports and other patient data stored in multiple disparate IT systems across the four hospitals. This data is integrated by the eHealth Information Exchange, a secure, standards-based technology infrastructure that uses a patient-matching system and document repository to enable the exchange of clinical data from any system. </font></font></span></p> <p style="padding-bottom: 0px; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; display: block; height: auto; padding-top: 0px" class="MsoNormal" align="left"><span style="font-family: ; color: "><font face="Helvetica"><font style="font-size: 10pt"> </font></font></span></p> <p style="padding-bottom: 0px; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; display: block; height: auto; padding-top: 0px" class="MsoNormal" align="left"><span style="font-family: ; color: "><font face="Helvetica"><font style="font-size: 10pt">On this eHealth foundation, Continuum Health Partners has implemented shared treatment plans to enable physicians to better coordinate the care of patients with complex or chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart disease. Continuum Health Partners also has activated a notification system that alerts providers when there is any new information about their patients added to the eHealth Information Exchange, offering opportunities to coordinate care with other physicians.</font></font></span></p> <p style="padding-bottom: 0px; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; display: block; height: auto; padding-top: 0px" class="MsoNormal" align="left"><span style="font-family: ; color: "><font face="Helvetica"><font style="font-size: 10pt"> </font></font></span></p> <p style="padding-bottom: 0px; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; display: block; height: auto; padding-top: 0px" class="MsoNormal" align="left"><span style="font-family: ; color: "><font face="Helvetica"><font style="font-size: 10pt">"Having immediate access to a patient's medical history is critical to navigating the optimal course of care, especially in emergency situations," said Dr. Gregg Husk, Continuum's chief medical information officer and chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center, one of Continuum's flagship hospitals. "Information can make an impact on the medications and tests we administer and also help us put patients on the best path forward for ongoing treatment with a primary care provider." </font></font></span></p> <p style="padding-bottom: 0px; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; display: block; height: auto; padding-top: 0px" class="MsoNormal" align="left"><span style="font-family: ; color: "><font face="Helvetica"><font style="font-size: 10pt"> </font></font></span></p> <p style="padding-bottom: 0px; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; display: block; height: auto; padding-top: 0px" class="MsoNormal" align="left"><span style="font-family: ; color: "><font face="Helvetica"><font style="font-size: 10pt">"Continuum Health Partners shares our vision of connected health communities," said Michael Simpson, CEO of Caradigm. "The ability to exchange and analyze clinical data across care settings is fundamental to improving the quality of patient care and reducing costs. We look forward to seeing the impact of Caradigm solutions on Continuum Health Partners' processes and on the lives of the people they serve."</font></font></span></p> <p style="padding-bottom: 0px; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; display: block; height: auto; padding-top: 0px" class="MsoNormal" align="left"><span style="font-family: ; color: "><font face="Helvetica"><font style="font-size: 10pt">Future capabilities currently planned by Continuum Health Partners include implementing a patient portal that allows patients to receive and store copies of their personal health histories and hospital visits.</font></font></span></p> <p style="padding-bottom: 0px; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; display: block; height: auto; padding-top: 0px" class="MsoNormal" align="left"><b><span style="font-family: ; color: "><font face="Helvetica"><font style="font-size: 10pt"> </font></font></span></b></p> <p style="padding-bottom: 0px; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; display: block; height: auto; padding-top: 0px" class="MsoNormal" align="left"><font face="Helvetica"><b><span style="font-family: ; color: "><font style="font-size: 10pt">About Continuum Health Partners <br /></font></span></b><span style="font-family: ; color: "><font style="font-size: 10pt">Continuum Health Partners, with an annual operating budget of over $3 billion, was created in January 1997 as the parent company for the partnership between five distinguished voluntary hospitals: Beth Israel Medical Center-Milton and Carroll Petrie Division, Beth Israel Brooklyn, St. Luke's Hospital, Roosevelt Hospital and New York Eye & Ear Infirmary.</font></span></font></p> <p style="padding-bottom: 0px; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; display: block; height: auto; padding-top: 0px" class="MsoNormal" align="left"><span style="font-family: ; color: "><font face="Helvetica"><font style="font-size: 10pt">The Continuum network also encompasses ambulatory health centers and group and private practice settings throughout the New York metropolitan region. Continuum operates more than 2,700 certified beds; provides for over 650,000 days of inpatient care and over 1.3 million outpatient visits; has more than 4,500 affiliated physicians; and a work force of over 15,500 individuals, making it the sixth largest private employer in the New York metropolitan region. Additional information about Continuum is available at </font></font><font style="font-size: 10pt"><a href="http://www.chpnyc.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: ; text-decoration: ; text-underline: none"><font color="#6099e9" face="Helvetica">www.chpnyc.org</font></span></a></font><font face="Helvetica"><font style="font-size: 10pt">.</font></font></span></p> <p style="padding-bottom: 0px; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; display: block; height: auto; padding-top: 0px" class="MsoNormal" align="left"><b><span style="font-family: ; color: "><font face="Helvetica"><font style="font-size: 10pt"> </font></font></span></b></p> <p style="padding-bottom: 0px; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; display: block; height: auto; padding-top: 0px" class="MsoNormal" align="left"><font face="Helvetica"><b><span style="font-family: ; color: "><font style="font-size: 10pt">About Caradigm <br /></font></span></b><span style="font-family: ; color: "><font style="font-size: 10pt">Formed by GE Healthcare and Microsoft Corp. in June 2012, Caradigm is a 50–50 joint venture focused on enabling health systems and payers to drive continuous improvements in care. Caradigm software helps healthcare professionals across care settings to use data to gain critical insights, collaborate with each other and with patients, and to develop and implement innovative care solutions. Amalga, eHealth Information Exchange and Vergence — and applications built by partners to extend these products — give clinicians, administrators and finance teams timely access to key information, helping them to take steps to solve some of healthcare's biggest challenges, including chronic disease management, preventable hospital readmissions and hospital acquired conditions, and to advance integrated, accountable care. Caradigm is headquartered in Bellevue, Wash. For more information about the company, visit <a href="http://www.caradigm.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: ; text-decoration: ; text-underline: none"><font color="#6099e9">http://www.caradigm.com</font></span></a>.</font></span></font></p> <p style="padding-bottom: 0px; line-height: 14.4pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; display: block; height: auto; padding-top: 0px" class="MsoNormal" align="left">^{<span style="font-family: ; color: "><font face="Helvetica"><font style="font-size: 10pt"> </font></font></span>}</p>

Continuum Health Partners Collaborates With Caradigm to Implement Innovative IT to Improve Care Coordination and Patient Experience

The group of teaching hospitals will be implementing Caradigm eHealth solution solutions to improve care coordination across the health sy...

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The Prescription Auto-Refills Still Out There With CVS and Others as Pay for Performance Efforts Ramp Up at US Corporate Retail Pharmacies To Meet Quotas and Make Those Profit Numbers for the Shareholders

<p>The LA Times has been doing a good job following up on this situation and I see it in Twitter all the time with pharmacists saying this happens a lot too.  We all know that pay for performance exists in the drug stores and some of what it is trying to accomplish is not bad and some of it creates data for sale as retail pharmacies make big money there, like Walgreens that made short of $800 million on selling data only so you could bet CVS is up there too.  Below is the first article on this topic from a few months ago.  Once the refill algorithm is set in place several things take place after that and items as such are making it difficult for consumers.  </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-automatic-prescription-refill.html"> <br clear="all" />The Automatic Prescription Refill Algorithm Causing Havoc at CVS When Not Personally Authorized By the Patient–Attack of the Killer Algorithms Chapter 40</a> <br clear="all" /></h5> <p>This issue has to do with pharmacists putting prescriptions in for auto refills.  The Times has internal documents that show “refill quotas”   Corporate wise they say there are no quotas but pharmacists say it does play out on their evaluations.  CVS did  not want to respond.  There are emails from managers supervising pharmacists tell them about meeting their quotas.<img align="right" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TIQtm8WDNdI/AAAAAAAAhK4/F0UFIYVUkdc/image_thumb%5B5%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="display: inline; float: right" />  This is typical whenever sales are being pushed, I had it from my manager when I was in sales but that was my job, a little different from being a pharmacist filling prescriptions.  The pharmacists don’t want to do this, and customers don’t want it but it’s the old game.  The insurance company gets billed when the prescription is filled, not when the patient picks it up.  <strong>The insurer is supposed to be refunded if this happens.  If a customer goes elsewhere to another drug store they can’t get it for around 2 weeks until it gets out of the system</strong>.  The insurer is not a victim here as they work with drug chains to set a lot of this up.  How can this be audited is one of the questions asked?  No wonder our premium are so high.  </p> <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><iframe style="width: 434px; height: 219px" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qFpEwYFXwgk?rel=0" frameborder="0" width="560" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><font style="font-weight: normal">Here’s a good example of where United pays pharmacists pay for performance money for those pharmacists that sign up consumers with the YMCA and other United plans, so maybe all these programs as they build and multiply are having a little conflict.  And again there’s the issue of making  money with data for sale too with not only prescription data but they have the capability to look at what else you purchase in the store as well, so are you getting insulin prescriptions and then buying a bunch of candy for one example?  They are all using predictive analytics these days everywhere they can.  <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></font> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/04/unitedhealthcare-to-use-data-mining.html"><font size="2">UnitedHealthCare To Use Data Mining Algorithms On Claim Data To Look For Those At “Risk” of Developing Diabetes – Walgreens and the YMCA Benefit With Pay for Performance Dollars to Promote and Supply The Tools</font></a> <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></h4> <h5><font style="font-weight: normal">Here’s another situation I wrote about a while back with the <img align="right" height="105" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TIQtn3XtcCI/AAAAAAAAhLE/bFKaVjyZI5s/image_thumb%5B6%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="display: inline; float: right" width="134" />strips for my mother’s diabetes machine and we had quite the time once the pharmacists told her she needed to check 3 times a day and had conversations both with her doctor and Health-Net, her Part D provider who agreed 2 times a day was fine as she’s been doing it that way for around 20 years.  The problem was the extra shipments of strips that were auto refilled and shipped.  </font></h5> <p> <br clear="all" /><em>My mother gets her diabetes strips from Walgreens who also called her.  Again as I mentioned above she’s been a diabetic for years and does her testing as she should, and does it twice a day,</em><strong><em> but the pharmacy said she needs to do it 3 times a day.  The pharmacy also said they had her next prescription ready for her too.  To this she said, hold off as I am getting too much and I don’t want to have too much on hand that might expire before I can use it. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></em></strong></p> <p><em>Walgreens was basing their prescription refills and her needs on 3 times a day when in fact she does it twice a day.  They finally worked with her to let Mom get her own refills “when she needs them” but the caller on the phone was adamant about doing her readings 3 times a day. </em></p> <p><em><strong>Translation: Mom is messing up the automated system her by doing it twice a day instead of 3 times a day I think <grin>.  <br clear="all" /></strong> <br clear="all" />They may or may not have a parameter that can be added for twice a day, either that or it requires someone in a supervisory position to make that change or a programmer to add it as a selected choice for the patient based on communications.   I realize working with data how automation is set into motion based on parameters <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></em></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/09/compliance-police-out-in-force-for.html"><font size="2">Compliance Police Out In Force for Seniors–Health Plans and Drug Stores Making Phone Calls-Business Models & Caller Behavior Sucks -A Result of Pay for Performance Efforts?</font></a></h4> <p> <br clear="all" /></p> <hr />Has your pharmacy ever refilled a prescription for you without your authorization? <p>Some customers of <a href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/economy-business-finance/cvs-corp.-ORCRP004225.topic">CVS</a> have been complaining that that has happened to them.</p> <p>Consumer columnist <a href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/arts-culture/journalism/david-lazarus-PECLB00000161236.topic">David Lazarus</a> and Business Editor Marla Dickerson discuss the complaints, which Lazarus has written about in a series of stories in the Los Angeles Times.</p> <p>CVS acknowledged the legitimacy of the emails but said the unauthorized refills were limited to about 50 East Coast pharmacists and that the supervisor involved wasn't following company policy <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-video-chat-customers-complain-about-cvs-20121009,0,2419922.story">http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-video-chat-customers-complain-about-cvs-20121009,0,2419922.story</a></p>

The Prescription Auto-Refills Still Out There With CVS and Others as Pay for Performance Efforts Ramp Up at US Corporate Retail Pharmacies To Meet Quotas and Make Those Profit Numbers for the Shareholders

The LA Times has been doing a good job following up on this situation and I see it in Twitter all the time with pharmacists saying this happ...

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AllScripts Files Complaint With Review Board At Health and Hospitals Corporation Protesting Award of Contract to Epic Medical Records For New York City’s Public Hospital System

<p>Last week I said “aren’t these insurance contracts a bitch” and it looks like now it’s bleeding over to sizeable medical record contracts.  T<img align="right" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Hj-xK6lcMu8/Tfr_S4MGRrI/AAAAAAAAzbw/yX1z8S0yVXk/image_thumb%25255B9%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="display: inline; float: right" />he Allscripts situation certainly is getting interesting and catching a lot of press coverage.  It all began at the end of the first quarter when the projected sales numbers were not pleasing to shareholders and for good reason.  We all read about complexities with IT infrastructure systems and Allscripts is living it.  The average person has no clue today on the amount of time and code that it takes as things have changed from a few years ago when we used to be able to run out to the “code kitchen” and whip up a recipe for what someone had envisioned, not so today as there’s more code to work with other code and you have to depend on their code to be good.  Everyone does their best but bugs live.  <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2012/05/class-action-lawsuit-filed-against.html"><font size="2">Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Allscripts For Misleading Investors With Merging Data Systems–Too Much Code and Not Enough Time – Attack of the Killer Algorithms Chapter 30</font></a> <br clear="all" /></h4> <p>Merging and integrating the Eclipsys system is a big project even though both Allscripts and Eclipsys use Microsoft technologies.   There’s a lot of neat dot net features in Eclipsys to work with and again it was not the same group of developers writing both systems, so now with a new group it’s time to take it apart and dig in to some code and you always find stuff to be rewritten, etc. which nobody’s fault, but it just needs updating sometimes to work with current day technologies.  I go back a ways with some of this and Misys was around with the “My Way” system which is now part of Allscripts and users are going to be able to upgrade to the latest system from the original system which was also grown by acquisitions, which when things were simpler was not a bad way to grow…now with complexities…better look at the code first and what other technologies it needs to work with.  <br clear="all" /></p> <p> <br clear="all" /></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/06/misys-sells-allscripts-shares-to-enable.html"><font size="2">Misys Sells Allscripts Shares to Enable Eclipsys Merger – Medical Records</font></a></h4> <p> <br clear="all" />So one difference between Epic and Allscripts is that Epic has built their system in house and is not a combination of code technologies which does have some advantages and they are constantly updating as is every system but when it’s under one roof, well that does help a bit.  Allscripts has also turned to Microsoft as what better choice than to go to the owner of the technologies that were used to build both systems.  I said too that the Caradigm company, which is the combined Microsoft and GE company could be a place to go as well for help and who knows maybe they would be interested to have a medical records system to work with Amalga, which is now over there.  If you have one in house it makes it easier to test and work with Amalga with integration processes and I understand Amalga may have a cloud functionality soon too.  <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2012/08/allscripts-turns-to-microsoft-to-expand.html"><font size="2">Allscripts Turns to Microsoft To Expand Their Application Development</font></a></h4> <p> <br clear="all" /><strong>Now we also have this <a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/allscripts-seeks-revolution-1m-challenge">Allscripts challenge in the news</a> the last couple of days to encourage folks to write apps to integrate with<a href="http://www.health2con.com/devchallenge/allscripts-open-app-challenge/"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="48" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-UU-Uk_u2oiA/UHT5gCSxZVI/AAAAAAAA-zc/_mrFZblHk58/image%25255B4%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="197" /></a> the system so you do have to say there’s no stone unturned here.</strong>  In addition with Citibank looking for private equity offerings for them, you can bet the PE firms are going to want to know the status of their code too..it just is what it is.  <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2012/02/caradigmnew-name-for-new-microsoft-ge.html">Caradigm–New Name for New Microsoft GE Healthcare Company</a></h5> <p> <br clear="all" />So coming back around we have this complaint filed and the folks at the New York hospital system don’t seem to feel comfortable with the pricing estimates Allscripts gave and executives from the hospital seem to indicate this claim is a stall in hoping they can get some PE money in the meantime.  The Hospital corporation said the Epic contract would cost $303 million and the Allscripts was $299 million and there was no or little support figured in with Allscripts and we all know you need that.  <strong><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="111" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-FQgAh3HdohU/UHT5gtAPEJI/AAAAAAAA-zk/hkjKYkcOvj8/image%25255B8%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="224" />The CEO of Allscripts also pointed a finger and said that the Epic system was more expensive to maintain since it is based in a revised version of MUMPS and not Microsoft.  They all need attention and support today so that part is not a real argument any more.  This may very well be a stall tactic</strong> but with the way the company is currently under the magnifying glass it’s kind of hard to hide out if so.  <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><strong>It sounds like the hospital system is on solid ground in knowing what they need though, and was not comfortable.</strong>  In the meantime we can wait and see what happens and<strong> if Allscripts gets all their code in place.</strong>  Again that is a big job combining two major systems and as I sad back a few months ago there was too much code and not enough time at the end of the first quarter when sales projections were added in for value.  <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><strong>So hey, next time you hear some politician talking about completely repealing Obamacare think of this situation only a whole lot worse</strong> as there's not enough money, engineers or time to re-write an entire US Medicare/healthcare system from the ground up and<strong> realize you have been “algo duped” by a politician</strong> as at best such a huge project would take at least 7 years, so get in to some math here.  It could be so big that the US would have to outsource the coding to both India and China <grin>.    BD <hr /> <br clear="all" />One of the country’s largest providers of electronic medical records has lodged a complaint against New York City’s public hospital system for awarding a $303 million contract to a rival. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />The company, <a href="http://www.allscripts.com/">Allscripts</a>, lost its bid last month to replace the public hospital system’s fragmented and antiquated medical-records system with an integrated system that would link 11 public hospitals, 70 clinics, thousands of doctors and more than one million patients and allow them to communicate with one another. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />The contract went instead to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/business/epic-systems-digitizing-health-records-before-it-was-cool.html">Epic Systems Corporation,</a> Allscripts’s chief rival for the highly competitive medical-records business. The industry is getting a huge lift from <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/16/us/politics/gingrichs-health-care-policy-history-at-odds-with-gop.html">billions of dollars in federal stimulus money</a> to help health care providers share medical records. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />But Alan Aviles, president of the corporation, said on Tuesday that Allscripts’s cost analysis was false and unrealistic. He said that the corporation’s choice, made after considering nine vendors over four years, had been validated in the last few months as Allscripts experienced management and financial problems. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />The hospitals corporation said it would cost almost as much to upgrade its existing electronic-records system, which goes back 20 years, as it would to build a new system. The net difference, according to corporation documents, was just $157 million, which would be largely paid for by federal funds, estimated at $125 million. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/10/nyregion/allscripts-protests-epics-bid-for-electronic-medical-records.html?smid=tw-nytimeshealth&seid=auto&_r=0">http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/10/nyregion/allscripts-protests-epics-bid-for-electronic-medical-records.html?smid=tw-nytimeshealth&seid=auto&_r=0</a></p>

AllScripts Files Complaint With Review Board At Health and Hospitals Corporation Protesting Award of Contract to Epic Medical Records For New York City’s Public Hospital System

Last week I said “aren’t these insurance contracts a bitch” and it looks like now it’s bleeding over to sizeable medical record contracts.  ...

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Cerner Connects EHR Technologies with CareFusion Medical Technologies Who Just Purchased Intermed Respiratory Care In Brazil This Week

<p>CareFusion recently purchased Intermed in Brazil who makes and <img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="97" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-BFhQWRECzlg/UHREi-v3OmI/AAAAAAAA-yI/KHi8W3M5QAA/image%25255B20%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="137" />supplies ventilator devices used in hospitals in Brazil and in Latin America.  CareFusion earlier this year was in the news with web site issues and malware that crept in there and this is not unique as we all have to watch anymore.  The news today is with Cerner connecting to an automated medication system with their medical records.  <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> To connect to the medical records system,Cerner Millennium, the CareAware iBus will be the key and they received the clearance from the FDA back in January of 2010.  This technology helps create the “smart room” and below are a few other descriptions of the entire CareAware system.  <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><img height="205" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S0uo3cQHkTI/AAAAAAAAcBQ/0OdyHI0dly8/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" width="430" />The Pyxis MedStation from CareFusion is an automated medication management system using bar code scanning to make sure the patient is getting the correct medications delivered.  Doctors and nurses will be able to see what medications are available and the system also checks for potential dangerous drug interactions and of course it’s loaded with analytics as is every software/hardware device we see today.  <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/01/cerner-receives-fda-clearance-for.html"><font size="2">Cerner Receives FDA Clearance for CareAware iBus to Connect Devices and EHR Systems</font></a></h4> <font size="2"> <br clear="all" /><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="288" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-xBpBpvIdMuw/UHREjStWnII/AAAAAAAA-yQ/QHfmqy57faM/image%25255B9%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="423" /> <br clear="all" />In addition CareFusion has worked with several other large medical device companies as you can read below.  With the Cerner EHR it appears this is just one of many devices that may ultimately connect to the medical records system as time moves forward as we are not only integrating medical records systems, but also the software and devices that send information as well.  This is new and is just rolling out  so I’m sure there will be more news and reviews on how it works with clinicians and their opinions as time moves forward.  BD  <br clear="all" /></font> <br clear="all" /> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/06/carefusion-cisco-and-medtronic-to.html"><font size="2">CareFusion, Cisco and Medtronic to Collaborate With West Wireless Health Institute on Technology – Additional Grants Awarded From Philanthropists Gary and Mary West</font></a> <hr /> <br clear="all" /></h4> <p>SAN DIEGO, Oct. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- <a href="http://www.carefusion.com/?ls=PR&cmp=0&WT.mc_id=7,73,PR,MM,CP,Hershey,CFN">CareFusion</a> and<img align="right" height="60" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TGMtKZ6hgHI/AAAAAAAAgao/4DUvTE962SI/image%5B4%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="display: inline; float: right" width="137" /> <a href="http://www.cerner.com/">Cerner</a> today announced the implementation of interconnected systems that share data for enhanced medication management at <a href="http://pennstatehershey.org/web/guest/home/">Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center</a>, a leading U.S. teaching and research hospital and designated Magnet institution. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <p>The new offering from CareFusion and Cerner, currently in limited commercial release, enables data sharing and centralizes clinical information between the <a href="http://www.carefusion.com/medical-products/medication-management/medication-technologies/pyxis-medstation-system.aspx/?ls=PR&cmp=0&WT.mc_id=7,73,PR,MM,CP,Hershey,MedStation">Pyxis MedStation(®) 4000 system</a> automated medication dispensing technology and the <em>Cerner Millennium® </em>electronic health record (EHR) system, via Cerner's <em>CareAware iBus(TM)</em> integrated device connectivity architecture. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <p>Interoperability between systems allows caregivers to use <em>Cerner Millennium</em> <img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="75" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-KG26cyGhROE/UHREj2ZnNsI/AAAAAAAA-yY/v3dGfOpfwuw/image%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="124" />to remotely track drug availability and select medications for removal from the Pyxis MedStation system. These features help improve efficiency in medication dispensing and administration and save nurses time previously spent looking for medications. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><a href="http://www.4-traders.com/CERNER-CORPORATION-8744/news/Cerner-Corporation-CareFusion-And-Cerner-Connect-Technology-And-Data-To-Help-Improve-Medication-Sa-15253332/">http://www.4-traders.com/CERNER-CORPORATION-8744/news/Cerner-Corporation-CareFusion-And-Cerner-Connect-Technology-And-Data-To-Help-Improve-Medication-Sa-15253332/</a></p>

Cerner Connects EHR Technologies with CareFusion Medical Technologies Who Just Purchased Intermed Respiratory Care In Brazil This Week

CareFusion recently purchased Intermed in Brazil who makes and supplies ventilator devices used in hospitals in Brazil and in Latin America....

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First Ever Crowd Funded IPO–$1 Million in Pledges For a Medical Device Delivering Non-Invasive Weight Loss Cellulite Removal Procedures, FDA and CE Marked

<p>As the article mentions it is now in the quiet period and the name cannot be divulged.  IPO Village was the portal that handled the crowd funding. <a href="http://www.ipovillage.com/current-crowdfunded-ipo"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="74" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-zxYjCtWfz34/UHOKnX0F0cI/AAAAAAAA-v0/M6yXaaHyUsY/image%25255B24%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="142" /></a> The company is not a start up and has been around for 6 years so I am guessing the IPO and crowd funding purpose was to ready the company for the IPO.  The SEC has to give their stamp of approval all who signed up will receive their notice that the offering is is open for investment.  The company’s product uses ultra sound technologies for cellulite removal and I can almost bet if I searched a bit it’s probably on this blog:)  <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />If you want to read more about the company there’s a lot to read up on  and it gives you <a href="http://www.ipovillage.com/current-crowdfunded-ipo">just about everything about the product</a> except the name at the IPO Village website.  This is a good example though of crowd funding for companies that are established and need to raise money as it’s not just limited to a start up.  BD <hr /> <br clear="all" /> <p>What is unexpected is that the crowd funding model is being used for an SEC qualified IPO for the issuance of stock.  IPO Village will establish<img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="239" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-vM9akgtiunw/UHOKng2aoUI/AAAAAAAA-v8/pMzJ-QjS1qc/image%25255B17%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="212" /> customer accounts with offering companies that will enable account holders to bid for IPO shares, with the priority order established by the order of funds deposited.</p> <p>As mentioned previously, the first IPO Village enabled account has received $1 million in deposits from investors that want to be in line to bid for shares of the first ever crowd funded IPO.  The deposits are held at the IPO issuing company and are submitted through the company's website, accessed through IPO Village acting as a portal.  The name of the company going public is not revealed to the general public at this point because of SEC restrictions.  Obviously the name of the company is revealed to individuals who apply to make a deposit. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <p><strong>The company has developed patented solutions for non-invasive <img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="114" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-SDoE9WOcWIk/UHOKn1nla3I/AAAAAAAA-wE/MG0yCc932Ts/image%25255B23%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="166" />cosmetic weight-loss procedures. The company's technology is FDA-cleared and CE Medical Marked.</strong> It has been on the market for more than 6 years and is franchised in 13 countries with 130 installations and growing.  </p> <p>(IPO Village is unable to name the company as it is currently in an SEC "Quiet Period".)</p> <p> <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />The IPO Village business model is much different than the traditional way that IPOs have operated.  And the difference starts with the fact that IPO Village is a not-for-profit operation.  It operates as a portal and information site.  There is no underwriting, there are no brokers and there are no investment bankers' fees.  The portal establishes a direct contact between the company going public and the registered members who wish to buy the IPO. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="350" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Wbr7ez99JLs/UHOKoX-6fiI/AAAAAAAA-wM/JypV_9bAVaM/image%25255B6%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="416" /></p> </p> <p> <p> <br clear="all" /><a href="http://econintersect.com/b2evolution/blog1.php/2012/10/04/first-ever-crowd-funded-ipo">http://econintersect.com/b2evolution/blog1.php/2012/10/04/first-ever-crowd-funded-ipo</a> <br clear="all" /></p></p>

First Ever Crowd Funded IPO–$1 Million in Pledges For a Medical Device Delivering Non-Invasive Weight Loss Cellulite Removal Procedures, FDA and CE Marked

As the article mentions it is now in the quiet period and the name cannot be divulged.  IPO Village was the portal that handled the crowd fu...

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Genetic Blood Test To Identify the Most Aggressive Prostate Cancers Being Tested in the UK– Research on Why Some Cancer Tumors Are Aggressive While Others Are Not And Help Identify Patient Risk

<p>Researchers were able to test and find patients with the “gad”gene signature and compared it to those without and those that did not <img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="129" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-gkqkGQcQJLo/UHOEwWmhRtI/AAAAAAAA-u0/WKr412XnvY4/image%25255B4%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="144" />have it survived 21 months versus those who did have it to where survival was around 9 months.  It’s called a six gene test and could help establish high and low risk groups of patients.  This helps with the type of treatment of course and it helps with studying the role of the immune systems to see how a cancerous tumor behaves.  This was a group of 70 men and further studies are needed to see if the same results are played out again.  <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />I just recently posted about a new blood test in the works for a “liquid biopsy” with the ClearCell System so if both of these types of tests were combined it certainly is going to be a much better experience for the patient and give more definitive results.  BD <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2012/10/cambridge-consultants-develops-liquid.html">Cambridge Consultants Develops A Liquid Biopsy Test Without the Procedure–Only Blood Test Required</a></h5> <p> <hr /> <br clear="all" />The test, which looks at the signature pattern of genes switched on and off in blood cells triggered by the tumour, can sort the "tigers" from the "pussycats"  .</p> <p>London's Institute of Cancer Research trialled the test in 94 patients.</p> <p>The findings are published in the Lancet Oncology medical journal. </p> <p>Prostate cancer is a very diverse disease - some people live with it for years without symptoms, but for others it can be aggressive and life-threatening. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <p>Experts hope that ultimately the barcode blood test could be used to make a more accurate estimation.</p> <p>In the study, the scientists were able to split the patients into four groups based on the results of the barcode test. One of these groups fared far worse, surviving for significantly less time than the other patients. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <p>Patients with this "bad" gene signature survived for an average of nine months compared with 21 months for those without it.</p> <p>US researchers at the Dana-Faber Cancer Institute and the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre have also been testing a similar prostate cancer blood test <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19873166#?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19873166#?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter</a></p>

Genetic Blood Test To Identify the Most Aggressive Prostate Cancers Being Tested in the UK– Research on Why Some Cancer Tumors Are Aggressive While Others Are Not And Help Identify Patient Risk

Researchers were able to test and find patients with the “gad”gene signature and compared it to those without and those that did not have it...

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Buy or Build, or the Best of Both Worlds–Dr. Edmund Billings from Medsphere, OpenVista EHR

<p>If you are not aware of Medsphere, they have been around for a <img align="right" height="166" src="http://lh5.google.com/DucknetServices/R7zqj2lNEkI/AAAAAAAADGk/oGkA0r0fnNw/image_thumb%5B1%5D?imgmax=800" style="display: inline; float: right" width="132" />while and created OpenVista, using the VA Vista Medical Record system and customized it for commercial use. I have talked about their software a few times here and a while back even had their demo loaded on my tablet to test and play around with. In this discussion Dr. Billings talks about the advantages of such a system versus a full commercial install or the ability to mix and match. <br clear="all" /></p> <h5> <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/12/lutheran-medical-center-goes-live-with.html">Lutheran Medical Center Goes Live with OpenVista Electronic Health Records In New York and 2 More In New Jersey Up Next</a></h5> <br clear="all" />One installation was back in 2008 and was one of the fastest installs only to have the hospital close down due to lack of money and Century City is on the outskirts of Beverly Hills pretty much.  <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/02/century-city-doctors-hospital-implement.html">Century City Doctors Hospital Implement Enterprise-wide Clinical Application in Record Time - Open Vista (VA EHR)</a></h5> <br clear="all" />Enjoy the article…as there are a lot of good points made pro and con.  BD <hr /> <br clear="all" /> <p>When it comes to IT system decisions, healthcare organizations often ask a key question: Should we buy it or should we build it ourselves? Open source offers a new option to this traditionally binary decision. <img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="51" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-j25EjAtVLDE/UHN2lQGsd1I/AAAAAAAA-ts/IqY_axiyiM8/image%25255B7%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="135" />This option becomes more compelling when the open source solution is the most broadly deployed EHR in the world—the VistA system from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Instead of Buy vs. Build, it’s the Best of Both.</p> <p>Traditionally, organizations look at their new system requirements and weigh pros and cons as described below. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /><img alt="image" border="0" height="271" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-G3EPpAyBuTA/UHN2l1noDeI/AAAAAAAA-t0/ojmLjbyii0M/image%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="443" /></p> <p> <br />In </p> <p>a Buy vs. Build decision, the key drivers are control and cost.  Do you have control over your system at a cost you can afford?  The decision calculus then shifts to ownership on two levels:  First, can we have true ownership of our solution and make it work ourselves?  Second, is the total cost of ownership economically sustainable? <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <p>Yes + Yes = “Best of Both <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" />”</p> <p><a href="http://www.redhat.com">Red Hat</a>, the company that fundamentally changed the buy-versus-build mentality when it came to UNIX systems, provides a proof point outside of healthcare. Red Hat clients were looking to move away from legacy UNIX operating systems, which were tied to costly, difficult-to-maintain proprietary hardware.  Open-source Linux offered prospective customers a choice they could download and build on, but such a transition seemed too risky for most mainstream companies. Red Hat’s Enterprise Linux subscription minimized the perceived risk and affordably provided infrastructure management capabilities, toolsets and a proven implementation process.  Many organizations could have done it themselves, but at a higher total cost of ownership and with greater risk.  With Red Hat, they can still build on Linux but without the ongoing code maintenance.  There is a single point of accountability that knows their unique environment and facilitates integration and collaboration with other systems and vendors.  They don’t have to create their own software company internally—they don’t have to choose between Buy or Build. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <p>In the electronic health record (EHR) market, even though an enterprise solution is not an operating system, the parallels are clear. Healthcare organizations use expensive and complex proprietary systems that are difficult to maintain.  The leading systems have prohibitive total costs of ownership. Ownership is undermined by vendor lock. The most important and valuable enhancements are held back for the next chargeable upgrade.  Lack of interoperability is a business model. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <p>Just as Linux was to UNIX, so open-source VistA is an alternative to proprietary EHRs. The difference is that VistA is a proven enterprise solution—the most widely deployed and fully adopted EHR in the world with an open source solution stack that includes toolsets and configuration capabilities enabling an organization to truly own the solution and solve problems themselves.</p> <p>A hospital can download VistA and build their own VistA-based system, as was recently described at <a href="http://Forbes.com">Forbes.com</a>.</p> <blockquote> <p>Oroville Hospital (153 beds in California) is completing implementation of its EHR, a process that took three years and cost an estimated $10 million (including hardware)—probably half the price of a commercial EHR.</p> </blockquote> <p>Oroville wanted total control, successful adoption and meaningful use, so they used an open source version of VistA to build their own system. They became their own software company, which means they retain absolute control over the incorporation of their own enhancements and those from the VA. But they also shoulder all the associated costs, with no opportunity to maximize economies of scale. What will their system cost over the next three years? <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <p>Because most organizations can’t or don’t want do it all themselves, but still want control, predictability and economic sustainability, OpenVista provides a “Best of Both” alternative to “Buy or Build”. For a hospital similar to Oroville, a subscription for the complete OpenVista solution and hardware would total approximately $4 million over 5 years. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <p>An OpenVista subscription keeps the hospital up to date with enhancements from the VA, the Indian Health Service and other OpenVista facilities. It provides all the code management to keep the system in sync, with testing and certified quality of the client’s production environment. Based on knowledge transfer and true ownership, the OpenVista subscription model facilitates autonomy through “Superusers” capable of driving system change themselves. Designated 24×7 customer care provides backstop support, but hospitals are in control and remain independent.</p> <p>The “Best of Both” means a hospital can truly own and control its system, and predict and manage costs. <br clear="all" /> <br clear="all" /></p> <p><a href="http://blog.medsphere.com/buy-vs-build-or-the-best-of-both/#more-24">http://blog.medsphere.com/buy-vs-build-or-the-best-of-both/#more-24</a></p>

Buy or Build, or the Best of Both Worlds–Dr. Edmund Billings from Medsphere, OpenVista EHR

If you are not aware of Medsphere, they have been around for a while and created OpenVista, using the VA Vista Medical Record system and cus...

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