ASOCIA Healthcare Executive Search– One of the Top Retained Healthcare Search Firms in the US

ASOCIA Healthcare’s Executive Search Division, based in Atlanta, Georgia, is a nationally recognized leader among retained Healthcare executive recruiting firms. Our firm has developed a successful national Healthcare executive recruiting practice with direct access and strong businesses relationships with corporate board members, senior executives and top performing senior managers throughout these Healthcare segments:

• Financial Services
• Hospital Vendors and Outsourced Solution Providers
• Insurance & Managed Care
• Medical Technology & Device
• Providers - Hospitals, Health Systems & IDNs
• Specialized Healthcare Services
• Turnaround & Corporate Restructuring Organizations
• Venture Capital, Private Equity & Leverage Buyout Investment Firms

Our Healthcare executive recruiting clients include Fortune 500, Fortune 100 and Fortune 25 businesses, mid-cap growth companies, Private Equity and Leverage Buyout firms and related portfolio companies, turnaround and restructuring firms and entrepreneurial Venture-Capital start-ups.

About Asocia Healthcare
Asocia Healthcare, a subsidiary of Asocia Group, LLC, is a full-service healthcare consulting, staffing and medical products provider to hospitals and medical facilities nationwide. Asocia Healthcare’s services and products include: healthcare information technology and medical consulting and staffing services; medical products and devices. www.asociahealthcare.com.

Asocia Group is a top-tier information technology consulting, staffing and executive search services provider focused in the commercial, government and healthcare sectors. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Asocia provides services to clients nationwide. Asocia was ranked as one of the nation’s top 500 diversity businesses in 2009 by Diversitybusiness.com. www.asociagroup.com.

Asocia Group is a minority- and woman-owned organization certified by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).

For additional information, please contact:

Media Contact
Asocia Healthcare- media@asociahealthcare.com
1.800.481.0352

EHR: CIO’s Worried About Meeting “Meaningful Use” Requirements

Eighty percent of chief information officers surveyed by PricewaterhouseCoopers say they’re worried their hospitals won’t be able to meet whatever meaningful use criteria the government sets for electronic medical records systems.

Chief information officers at healthcare providers and insurance firms are worried that their organizations won’t be able to win so-called “meaningful use“ designation for electronic health records systems in time to take advantage of government subsidies, according to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

In a survey of 120 CIOs, the consulting firm found that 80 percent are “concerned with the ability to meet MU requirements within the specified time frame.”

“Without a set of final rules in place, lack of clarity around certain criteria and reporting requirements has left some CIOs at an impasse,” according to the report. “Fueling the concern are availability of skilled IT resources, infrastructure requirements, vendor readiness, and effecting behavioral change across the organization.”

The federal government is promising about $40,000 out of a $20 billion kitty to each physician practice, hospital or other healthcare provider that can prove “meaningful use” of an EMR system, but has yet to establish exactly what it means by meaningful use. More than a third of the CIOs surveyed said they’re also worried about software vendors’ ability to deliver systems that will meet the criteria, with 44 percent saying their HIT vendors aren’t ready.

“I think we all wonder if we’re going to be ready,” John McInally, CIO for MetroHealth System in Cleveland, told MedCity News. “I don’t know any of my colleagues anywhere that feel they’re completely ready for meaningful use.”

In order to be eligible for the federal handout, healthcare providers must use a certified EMR product and be able to demonstrate the ability to meet reporting requirements.

“The real test, though, will be the new quality reporting requirements that come with this meaningful use,” McInally said. “So it’s not enough to just have the information systems installed from certified vendors, but you also have to be able to produce reporting that demonstrates you’re using those systems to assure high-quality patient care.”

The PWC survey showed that healthcare providers that pull doctors, patients and insurers into the loop are more likely to be ready to apply for stimulus cash next year. But less than 20 percent of the CIOs surveyed said their employers are including patient input into their meaningful use initiatives. By contrast, 63 percent said their organizations are already working with physicians or will in the next six months.

ASOCIA Healthcare is a healthcare consulting, staffing and medical products distributor. With extensive experience in EHR consulting, our expertise can help ensure your success in deploying successful EHR systems.

For more information visit: www.asociahealthcare.com

ASOCIA Healthcare is a subsidiary of ASOCIA Group, a top-tier provider of information technology consulting, staffing and executive search services.

ASOCIA Group is a woman-owned organization (WBE), certified by the Women’s Business Enteprise National Council (WBENC) since 2007. www.asociagroup.com/WBENC

Health IT Funding To Create 50,000 Jobs

Federal dollars being pumped into grant programs to spur students to enter IT careers in the health care industry should help to create between 45,000 and 50,000 jobs over the next five years.

Speaking at the Health Information Technology (HIT) Conference here, Dr. David Blumenthal, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, said a portion of $2 billion in discretionary spending under Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) is being targeted at education and training for electronic health record implementation. A large part of the training is for people to staff 60 regional extension centers, which are public, private partnerships that will assist rural hospitals and physician practices with 10 or fewer doctors in rolling out electronic medical records (EMRs) and supporting technology.

“There’s a shortage of workers who can staff these regional extension centers and provide the kind of support physicians and hospitals need to become meaningful users” [of EMRs], Blumenthal said.

Without specifying an amount, Blumenthal said the ONC has already handed out funding to 70 community colleges or other universities to create programs for workforce training for health information technology.

The HIT conference, hosted by the Massachusetts Health Data Consortium, focused not only how to create jobs in health information technology, but how that technology can reduce health costs while improving quality of care.

A final version of the government’s Notice of Proposed Rule Making helps define what type of technology should be used and spells out how $36 billion in incentives from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 should be paid out. A physician in private practice can receive up to $44,000 for rolling out EMRs and showing “meaningful use” of that technology.

Hospitals could potentially received millions of dollars in reimbursement.Physicians and hospitals that don’t roll out the EMR technology and prove that they are making “meaningful use” of it by 2015 face penalties in the form of reduced Medicare reimbursements.

“Our real challenge is to redesign health care so that it’s patient-centric, safe, effective, high quality for all individuals and affordable,” Griswold said. “That redesigned healthcare system will use health information technology to achieve those goals. She cautioned that IT is not a silver bullet, and that products need to be not only well designed but tested and carefully implemented with patient input.

The main hurdles to adoption included the ability to aggregate medical data and organize it, how to share it without mature, robust information exchange networks, and the security of data once it is online. John Moore, a managing partner with Chilmark Research, said that while 80% of people use the Internet to search for health information, a recent study showed that only 7% actually use PHRs.

Over the next two years, 58% of small physician practices plan to roll our EMRs, according to a recent survey. EMRs will share patient information between health care providers, ensuring a patient’s treatment medical history, existing conditions and prescription medication warnings are made automatically available to a treating physician.

Over the next year, Blumenthal said his office will focus on finalizing “meaningful use” regulations, which should be published later this spring, and implementing the Beacon Community Grant program, which will use $220 million to build out health IT infrastructures and regional information exchange capabilities in 15 communities.

Blumenthal said so far 130 counties throughout the U.S. have applied for the grant money. The ONC will also focus on helping hospitals and other health facilities use the National Health Information Network (NHIN), which is a set of standards, services and policies that enable secure health information exchange over the Internet.

“This is a major change to one of the most complicated systems in our society. ” Patrick said.“But, in a world where more and more average citizens are banking, shopping and communicating in an increasingly electronic world, it’s time for the health care system to catch up.”

Patrick pointed to New Zealand as the ideal for EHRs. “In New Zealand, when you are born, you get an electronic medical record. And that record is available in any hospital, clinic, doctor’s office, or pharmacy anywhere in New Zealand for the rest of your life,” he said. “That’s where I want to be. I want that kind of seamlessness, that kind of simplicity, that kind of efficiency.”

Full Article: CIO.com
Post by: Beth Frazier, Asocia Healthcare

ASOCIA Healthcare Establishes Healthcare Software and Medical Products Distribution Division

Asocia Healthcare announced today the establishment of Asocia Healthcare Distributors, a healthcare software and medical products distribution division. Asocia Healthcare’s clients include the nation’s largest hospital operators.

“Asocia Healthcare has been very successful providing information technology consulting and medical staffing services to clients throughout the US.” said CEO, Cynthia Coker. “We are very excited about the establishment of Asocia Healthcare Distributors and will utilize our extensive experience in these industries to provide top quality products to our clients. Initially our core product focus will be in the areas of Electronic Medical Record (EMR) software solutions, and cardiology and radiology medical products and devices. ”

Asocia Healthcare’s information technology services include the implementation of healthcare electronic medical records (EMR) and clinical information applications such as McKesson, Cerner, Epic, Eclipsys and Siemens. Asocia Healthcare’s founders have extensive experience in the healthcare and technology industries with its primary founders having experience working directly for McKesson, Eli Lilly, NAMIC and Shands Health System, with more than 20 years of healthcare industry expertise.

About ASOCIA Healthcare
Asocia Healthcare, a subsidiary of Asocia Group, LLC, is a full-service healthcare staffing services and medical products provider to hospitals and medical facilities nationwide. Asocia Healthcare’s services and products include: healthcare information technology and medical consulting and staffing services; medical products and devices. www.asociahealthcare.com.

For additional information, please contact:

Media Contact
Asocia Group media@asociagroup.com
1.800.481.0352

Post By: Beth Frazier, Asocia Healthcare

Healthcare IT-Where The Jobs Are

The health IT sector will spawn 50,000 to 200,000 jobs between now and 2015, per a recent survey, courtesy of Information Week.

Most new health IT jobs over the next five years will be filled by consultants and application trainers, a survey of IT professionals showed.

In addition, the survey conducted by the American Society of Health Informatics Managers found that 90% of the respondents believed that employers were looking for people with both IT and healthcare experience and knowledge.

Participants in the jobs survey released this week included beginners, intermediate workers and experts. Workers at the expert level, which comprised half of the respondents, were described as decision makers and senior management. The ASHIM interviewed 135 people.

Fully 96% of the respondents believed that the number of new health IT jobs that will be created between now and 2015 will fall between 50,000 and 200,000. Asked which jobs would fill the majority of the positions in the next five years, 63% of the respondents said consultants in electronic health and medial records and 61% said application trainers.

More than half of the respondents identified HIT job growth for sales representatives, database administrators and Unix administrators. More than half of the participants also predicted that IT professionals will seek additional skills to work in health IT.

Finally, 95% of the respondents believe health IT certification will be valuable in getting a job.
The ASHIM is a non-profit, professional organization specializing in health IT. The non-governmental group sponsors a credentialing exam for health IT called the Certified Health Informatics Systems Professional exam. Results of the latest survey can be viewed here.

Health IT is the fastest growing segment of the $1 trillion global healthcare marketplace, and is poised to continue its impressive growth through 2013, according to a study from Scienta Advisors, a management consulting firm.

HIT spending in the U.S. will focus on inpatient and outpatient electronic health records systems, at the expense of specialty and departmental information systems and other capital investments, Scientia said.

Economic Stimulus and Healthcare IT= EHR

On February 17, 2009, a $787 Billion, “The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009” was signed by President Obama. Included in this law is $19.2 Billion which is intended to be used to increase the use of Electronic Health Records(EHR) by physicians and hospitals; this portion of the bill is called, the Health Information Technology and Clinical Health Act, or HITECH Act. The government firmly believes in the benefits of using electronic medical records to improve the quality of healthcare.

Why EHR?

There has been extensive research done to show that utilizing an EHR would serve to improve patient care, increase patient safety and simplify compliance in the US healthcare system. Additionally, it would help cut costs in the long-term, as it would minimize errors, increase productivity and administrative efficiency.

The intended use of the $19 billion will be for incentive payments, grants and loans. Incentives will start in 2011 and be paid over 5 year for a physician and hospitals that participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs that can show “meaningful use” of an EHR system. Physicians who do not show “meaningful use” will be penalized in the form of declining Medicare payments. Hospital physicians won’t be affected.

Who Gets What?

Hospitals - Hospital incentives start at $2 Million annually, with an additional reimbursement amount tied to annual Medicare discharge volume, and decrease for each subsequent year during the 5-year incentive period.

Physicians - Non-hospital-based physicians and physician groups can expect to receive up to $60,000 during the 5-year incentive period, including $18,000 the first year, if they have qualifying EHR systems in place by 2011.

EHR Systems That Qualify for the Incentives - Qualifying EHR systems must meet the following criteria.

• Clinical Decision Support
• Physician Order Entry
• Ability to Capture Health Care Quality Data
• Ability to Support the Exchange of Clinical Data with Other Organizations

To become EHR compliant and avoid penalties, physicians and hospitals should already be starting the planning process. As with every software selection and implementation, it can take time and especially to be successful.

Asocia Healthcare is a premier, full-service healthcare consulting and staffing services provider. We serve healthcare and medical facilities throughout United States, providing temporary and permanent staffing services. Asocia Healthcare has an extensive background in healthcare information systems in areas of clinical systems implementations and electronic medical records (EMR). We provide staffing for application development, clinical informatics, functional and technical assistance, project management and training. www.asociahealthcare.com

Hottest Careers with Opportunities Now – Technology & Healthcare

With President Obama’s focus on technology and the stimulus allotted for healthcare and electronic medical records, it is no surprise that the hottest career opportunities for 2009 are in the technology and healthcare fields.

According to a recent article by Career Explorer – “The Ten Hottest Careers in 2009 - 2012″

The following are the fastest growing occupations:

1. Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts
2. Physician Assistants
3. Medical Assistants
4. Medical Records and Health Information Technicians
5. Computer Application Software Engineers
6. Physical Therapists Aides
7. Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors
8. Database Administrators
9. Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
10. Dental Hygienists

The technology field is the highest ranking field as far as projected growth with network systems and data communications analysts topping the list, which is projected to increase by 57 percent by 2012. The rapid spread of computers and technology has demanded an increase in highly skilled workers to develop and maintain systems for new technologies. Four of the top ten highest growth areas for jobs are in technology.

The next field with the highest estimated growth is healthcare. Physician and medical assistants are projected as the highest growth areas with estimated increases of 49 to 60 percent by 2012. Medical records and healthcare technicians follow as the fourth highest area which is expected to grow by 47 percent. This is due to the anticipated expansion of the health services industry and the focus of the economic stimulus on healthcare.

With so many unemployed workers seeking opportunities in today’s economy, hearing news of job growth of over 50% and current opportunities is great news. There is also something for almost everyone to get involved in as the areas cover a variety of occupations and skills.

How do you plan to survive the Nursing Shortage??

Healthcare is facing another significant nursing shortage and the most severe shortage is in the tertiary care settings. Nurses are seeking opportunities where they are empowered and can demonstrate the professional standards that have been imbued through education and experience.

What can hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare organizations do to attract and retain the best of the best?

The Nursing Shortage isn’t new and it has reared it’s head several times since the early 60’s. The number of inpatient, critical and labor-intensive patients has increased. The population is aging and this has increased nursing needs. The nursing workforce is also a aging. Programs to drive students interest in Healthcare such as Shands Hospitals “Students the Heartbeat of Healthcare” which is no longer in existence, have declined.

What does this mean for nurses? It means the job opportunities are greater and more diverse. There are more opportunities in hospitals but also in nursing homes, day surgery clinics, physician offices, urgi-care centers and emergency department settings.

What does the shortage mean for hospitals? Maybe lessons learned from Magnet. Many studies were conducted regarding Magnet hospitals and what makes them different. Buchan in 1999 developed a list of key characteristics that were significant in Magnet Hospitals.

This list included:

• Administration was participatory and supportive in their management style and had well –prepared qualified nurse executives on their administrative teams.
• They had adequate staffing and a ratio of Registered Nurse to bed of 1:4 rather than the usual 1:7.
• They encouraged professional development and the development of clinical specialties and provided clinical career opportunities.
• Like many hospitals they provided opportunities for flexible work schedules.
• Registered nurses were encouraged to demonstrate their abilities in decision making and assuming responsibility.
• The hospitals also ensured there was a planned orientation in place with an emphasis on service and continuing education. In many cases competencies were identified and clinical ladders put in place to encourage management development.

As a result, the rates of turnover for nurses was much lower in the Magnet hospitals. Nurses, though required to do more with less as a result of managed care, felt they were respected by physicians and able to participate in the decision making process. .

But that still leaves us with a nursing shortage that is very real and the shortage will continue to grow. It is important to have programs in the middle and high schools to encourage students to choose healthcare careers, not only in nursing as there are shortages in many of the healthcare professions. Programs like “Students the Heartbeat of Healthcare” which was developed at Shands Hospital in Florida to provide students with an opportunity to evaluate healthcare careers and hear what healthcare is all about from practitioners.

Provide your current staff with those areas that have been identified to encourage retention. After looking at the difference between a Magnet Hospital and others, it was apparent that what kept nurses at Magnet Hospitals would also apply in most any setting. Wouldn’t you like a professional position that was autonomous, where you were encouraged to develop your skills, where competencies were identified and career paths provided? Seems any organization could learn something from the Magnet Hospital organizations.

Finally, healthcare professionals know their specialties but often need help in identifying the right work environment. Finding a recruitment agent to assist in asking the right questions to determine where they “fit” and which is the best clinical setting for them, can help professionals find the right opportunities, healthcare settings and ultimately help to enhance their career.

Post by Barbara Sanborn

Barbara Sanborn was the first President of the Florida Association of HealthCare Recruiters and has been active in healthcare recruitment and information systems for the past twenty years. Please direct questions or comments to her at bsanborn@asociagroup.com.

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Economic Stimulus + Healthcare + Technology = Jobs

With President Obama’s economic stimulus plan highly focused on healthcare, there will be a great increase in jobs in this sector in 2009 and beyond, as a result of the billions of economic stimulus dollars flowing into healthcare. A key area that will see the stimulus will be healthcare information technology (HIT).

HIT can be defined as the use of computer and digital technology in medical facilities to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of clinical healthcare for patients and providers and includes electronic coding and billing systems, Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) and networks for digital imaging such as PACS and other areas as well. EMR is especially receiving a lot of focus, as it offers ways to improve the quality and cost of healthcare.

Even though the stimulus funds won’t be available until late 2010, hospitals and other companies in the healthcare field are ramping up now to be prepared to meet the EMR requirements. Tens of thousands of IT professionals will be hired in various positions. What this can mean for you –great opportunities for jobs, exciting careers and job stability.

According to a recent article in Monster: What Jobs Will Be In Demand.

The following healthcare IT positions will be in demand:

• Developers – who create or customize EMR software for hospitals

• Systems Integrators –who bring together a multitude of legacy applications

• IT Trainers

• Clinical Consultants – RNs, lab technicians, pharmacists and others who apply their knowledge of hospital operations to the implementation of EMR

• Software Engineers, Analysts & Technicians –for HIT projects

• IT & IS Managers

We also believe there will be more sales positions in this field, as HIT vendors will have a need for more sales executives and clinical specialists to support the demand. Some of the companies that offer exciting careers in HIT are: McKesson, Cerner, Eclipsys, eClinicalWorks and others.

So how do you get into the HIT field? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Transfer from an IT position or background: With all of the opportunities in HIT there will be great demand and opportunities for workers in other areas of IT to move into the field.

2. Clinical Transfer: A clinician – nurse or other practitioner could transfer into the HIT area. This has been typical for HIT vendors to hire clinicians to help to sell or demonstrate their products.

3. Sales Positions: A number of HIT vendors hire sales people from different fields. The key to this is finding the right opportunity and also in networking. Having the right contacts with the right physicians and personnel in the field can be a great asset. Also, never underestimate the value of powerful sales skills, they can be transferable to many different fields.

4. University Programs: There are a number of universities offering programs in healthcare technology. Information on various programs is available at: Healthcare Careers Organization - http://www.health-care-careers.org/information-management-schools.htm