Even with recent increases in the percentage of Medicare recipients who have Annual Wellness Visits (AWVs), less than 20 percent of eligible patients availed themselves of this new benefit provided under the Affordable Care Act, according to a JAMA study. 

At Frisbie Memorial Hospital, we saw this as an opportunity to enhance population health efforts and increase revenue through a relatively easy appointment.

At one time or another, we all know what it’s like to be a patient sitting in an ED waiting room. From the waiting room to the exam area, and maybe even an inpatient stay, healthcare organizations are always striving to do anything they can to make the experience smoother and more comfortable for their patients. At King’s Daughters Medical Center, they have embraced MEDITECH Expanse, to make things easier for their staff and increase patient satisfaction.

Reading about a hospital’s success is one thing, but hearing stories face-to-face with clinicians is something entirely different. I recently visited Halifax Health to hear how MEDITECH Expanse is helping real doctors care for real patients at this busy trauma center and health system. 

When people think of life in California, they often think of movie stars, mansions, and pristine beaches. The reality can sometimes be less glamorous. Since 2016, the homeless population in California has risen by 13 percent. There are now an estimated 130,000 homeless individuals living across California, including 50,000 in Los Angeles alone. Walking the streets in San Bernardino County, the sight of people sleeping in cars, under bridges, and in parks is all too common. 

According to a new report from Navigant, 21% of rural hospitals in the U.S. are at a high risk of closing. Lack of liquidity, outdated technology, and knowledge gaps with minimal financial resources to fill them are just a few of the challenges rural hospitals are struggling to overcome. Despite these alarming statistics and obstacles, there are steps organizations can take to be successful and address socioeconomic drivers for their communities. 

Lisa, a 45-year old single mother, visits her primary care physician complaining of fatigue and excessive thirst; blood tests reveal she has high blood glucose. She walks out of the clinic with a prescription and a pamphlet about type 2 diabetes. Now what?

In a constantly connected world, consumers are looking for ways to break down barriers between themselves and their providers. Recently, I sat down with Dr. William Dailey, CMIO at Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare (Clinton, MO), to hear about how organizations and individuals can use social media to connect with the hospital community, inside and outside of the facility’s walls.

In our latest Thought Leader podcast, I speak with Phil Campbell, CIO and VP of Information Services at CalvertHealth (Prince Frederick, MD), about how his organization has been addressing the opioid crisis through its award-winning Opioid Stewardship Program. 

I flew out of Logan Airport in Boston at 5:30 a.m. last Monday, and was eager to head to sunny Orlando as a first time HIMSS attendee. The next three days were a whirlwind of innovation, shared ideas, and excitement about the future of health IT.

MEDITECH recently introduced MEDITECH Greenfield, our new application development environment supported by RESTful APIs, including FHIR. Greenfield is an open space for customers and third-party developers to create and share applications that drive innovation, increase interoperability, and grow the value of their Expanse EHR.