Health IT Now blasts info blocking delays
Health IT Now offered up harsh criticism of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT's delay on the much-anticipated information blocking rule.
Currently, the rule is sitting at the Office of Management and Budget, where it's been for more than 90 days. Health IT Now Executive Director Joel White called the delay "stunning."
"Patients and providers have looked on with disappointment as the administration blows through one missed deadline after another for publicly releasing a proposed information blocking rule. It is time to say 'enough,'" he said. "By continuing to slow walk these regulations, the administration is adding to uncertainty in the marketplace and is quickly reaching a point whereby it will be in obvious defiance of the spirit of the Cures law.
"This holiday season, the best gift that OMB could give consumers would be an expedited completion of its review and the public release of a robust information blocking rule," he added. "In the meantime, we are hopeful that industry stakeholders will not delay interoperability initiatives as a result of the ambiguity created by these continued delays." (Release)
Former Cerner exec lands at Livongo
Former Cerner president Zane Burke has been appointed CEO of Livongo, a fast-rising digital health company devoted to managing chronic conditions.
Burke, who worked in various roles at Cerner for more than two decades, including five years and the company's president, left the EHR vendor in September.
“With six in 10 people living with a chronic condition, the time is right for Livongo’s experiential, fresh approach to improving the quality of life and the health status of people who live with these conditions,” Burke said in a statement. “As CEO, my focus will be working with this incredible team to grow the company so that we can create better health and care experiences for our Members, and more appropriately manage the resources consumed in managing those conditions for anyone paying for that care.” (Release)
UPMC's Rasu Shrestha joins Atrium Health
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Chief Innovation Officer Rasu Shrestha, M.D., is joining Atrium Health as the system's chief strategy officer.
In his new role, Shrestha will oversee the tactical direction of the North Carolina health system and "spearhead a renewed focus on innovation." He will begin his role in February, reporting to CEO Eugene Woods.
"I am awestruck by the ambitions of Atrium Health to fulfill their mission to improve health, elevate hope and advance healing—for all," Shrestha said in a statement. "I look forward to working with this incredibly talented team to forge ahead with meaningful strategies, partnerships and opportunities—and to support this organization's commitment and dedication to its patients and communities." (Release)
Building EHR alerts to flag child injuries
UPMC is building an alert system within its Cerner EHR to flag providers if child injuries are indicative of abuse, Politco reports.
Currently, clinicians rely on intuition to determine whether to flag patients for additional screening based on bruises or fractures. But a new alert system could strengthen that process by looking through public data sets for history of abuse. Experts say it could help reduce overscreening and underscreening, both of which can have devastating consequences. (Politico)