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Paul Feneck, Dispensing Solutions, Inc.
Paul Feneck is President and COO of
Dispensing Solutions, Inc. (DSI), an FDA and DEA-licensed phamaceutical
repackager. Via its DispenseQuick in-office dispensing program, DSI
packages 1,600+ SKU’s of branded and generic drugs, controlled
substances, injectables, creams, ointments, liquids and suspensions, and
provides web-based software dispensing applications to thousands of
physician dispensing programs. DSI also supplies government agencies
with ready-to-deploy prophylactic antibiotics, and works with companies
as a scalable, dependable, quality-centric packaging partner.
Previously, Paul was CEO of Nephrology Associates Medical Group;
Regional VP of Operations for Pediatrix Medical Group; CEO of PPO
Alliance, a subsidiary of Columbia/HCA; and was responsible for Western
Group Operations of Columbia's Provider Networks/Managed Care Division.
At PacifiCare Health Systems, he assisted in the development of Secure
Horizons, and also worked for Safeguard Health Enterprises, a National
Dental HMO. A returning ABL Member, Paul has joined the Orange
County Round Table. |
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Rob Webber, Resolution Biomedical, Inc.
Rob Webber is President and CEO of
Resolution Biomedical (RBI), a privately-held specialty diagnostics
company. RBI’s core technology, ClearPrep™, is based on a proprietary
formula that dramatically enhances the quality and throughput of
diagnostic procedures that require visualization through microscopy,
including the 55 million Pap tests, and tens of millions of urine and
other cytology tests performed annually in the U.S. In addition, RBI
packages, sells and distributes high-quality diagnostic chemistry
reagents, and owns exclusive U.S. distribution rights for a line of
rapid test kits used to diagnose various animal diseases. Previously,
Rob was President & CEO of Maui Land & Pineapple Company; President &
CFO of DynTek, Inc.; President & CEO of MindArrow Systems; President &
CEO of Silicon Film Technologies; COO of Intelogis, Inc.; and worked for
McKinsey & Company and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. Another
returning ABL Member, Rob has joined the Healthcare
Device/Dx Round Table. |
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Aetna: Study Finds High-Quality Care Can
Reduce Costs
A study recently conducted by Aetna Health, where Pam Kehaly is
President of National Accounts, and US Oncology finds that
evidence-based care for patients with non-small cell lung cancer results in an average cost savings of 35%
over 12 months while demonstrating equivalent health outcomes. Aetna provided data on the average
payer costs for treating such patients, providing a key point of
comparison to determine cost savings.
Aperio Teams with ADCIS on Advanced
Stereology Module
Aperio Technologies, where
Dirk Soenksen is CEO, and Advanced Concepts in
Imaging Software, of France, have introduced a stereology
software module for the quantitative evaluation of complex 3D biological
structures that originate from 2D sections, built on Aperio’s digital
pathology platform.
Stereology is an effective alternative to complex image processing
algorithms when structures of interest are too intricate, staining is
problematic, or there is too much variability between slides or within
the same slide. Stereology is used in a wide variety of applications,
including neuropathology, pulmonary and kidney diseases, diabetes, and
cancer.
The stereology module is distributed by Aperio and is fully compatible
with its ImageScope digital slide viewing software.
Axolotl's Elysium Chosen by Memorial
Axolotl Corporation, where
Ray Scott is CEO, announced that Memorial Healthcare System,
the fifth-largest public healthcare system in the nation, has selected
Axolotl's Elysium Exchange solutions to securely access and share
clinical information between physician practices and medical staff,
including networking their hospitals' health information with disparate
electronic medical record systems in physician practices to achieve
clinical interoperability. Meanwhile,
Ray is scheduled to speak at the eHealth Initiative
Annual Conference 2010 in Washington, DC on January 26, where he will
moderate a panel discussion on "Laboratories for Change: State eHealth
Leadership."
CIGNA Recognized for Outstanding Customer
Service
CIGNA HealthCare, where Chris De Rosa is Southern
California/Nevada President, has been recognized for call center
operation customer satisfaction excellence for a fourth consecutive year
by J.D. Power and Associates. To become certified, CIGNA’s
call center operations successfully passed a detailed audit of its
recruiting, training, employee incentives, quality assurance
capabilities, and management roles and responsibilities.
HeartMath: New Case Study Shows Lower
Healthcare Costs through Reduced Stress
HeartMath, LLC, where Bruce Cryer is CEO,
has announced the
results of an independent actuarial analysis that assessed the value of
its Revitalize You! stress reduction program. In 2006, the Reformed
Church in America (RCA) introduced this program to its 2,000+ active and
retired pastors in an effort to improve clergy wellbeing while reducing
the higher-than-average healthcare claims costs. Subsequently, RCA
commissioned an independent analysis whose findings included: *Medical
claim costs for the HeartMath-trained participants declined by 3.8%
from 2007 to 2008. Claim costs for non-HeartMath participants
increased by 9% in that same period, roughly equivalent to the
national trend. *HeartMath participants had a 22.5% decrease in
costs for essential hypertension diagnoses, compared to nonparticipants,
who had a 46.9% increase in same costs. *Pharmacy cost trends
were lower for HeartMath participants (7.9%) than for nonparticipants
(13.3%). *HeartMath training saved the church $585 per participant
in its first year. *The one-year ROI in the HeartMath program was
1.95:1, or $1.95 for every $1 invested in the program. The projected ROI
for the second year is 3.90:1, or $3.90 for every $1 invested.
Hythiam Writes about Predictive Modeling for
Substance Dependent Populations
Hythiam, Inc., where Rick Anderson is President,
has published a paper, "Application of Multivariate Probabilistic
(Bayesian) Networks to Substance Use Disorder Risk Stratification and
Cost Estimation," in Perspectives in Health Information Management,
Volume 6, Fall 2009. The paper features the creation of predictive
models that draw on historic healthcare claims and diagnostic data
to estimate the expected future costs of a population with a
substance dependence diagnosis, and that can stratify the population
based on the expected benefit of intervention. Thus, the predictive
models can be utilized as the basis for Hythiam to develop new and
innovative approaches for substance dependence solutions that result
in improved member care and reduced costs for payers.
Kaiser Research Finds Improved Medication Adherence with
Mail-Order Pharmacies
In a first-of-its-kind
study, researchers from UCLA and
Kaiser Permanente,
where Dan
Edmonds-Waters and Terry Austen are senior executives, found that patients with diabetes, high
blood pressure or high cholesterol who ordered their medications by mail
were more likely to take them as prescribed than did
patients who obtained them from a local pharmacy. They found that 84.7% of patients
who received their medications by mail at least two-thirds of the time
stuck to their physician-prescribed regimen, versus 76.9% who
picked them up at Kaiser pharmacies.
Keenan Offers Rx Discount Program -- No
Eligibility Requirements, No Cost to User
Keenan, where Steve Richter is Senior VP, has introduced
a new pharmacy discount card program -- Keenan Saver Rx -- designed to
help individuals take advantage of significant discounts offered by
pharmacy benefit companies. The program is a free service available to
part-time employees; friends and family members who are uninsured or
under insured; retirees who have reached the Medicare doughnut hole; and
to
individuals with pharmacy benefits when purchasing any non-covered
pharmaceuticals.
Kindred
Announces Development Plans and Project Openings
Kindred Healthcare, where Adam Darvish is Southern California Executive
Director of Hospitals, and Traci Shelton is Senior VP of Kindred
Hospitals West, has announced plans for a replacement hospital, the opening of a
new hospital, development of six new hospital-based subacute units
and a new transitional care center in Texas, Florida, California, Ohio, Indiana and Washington.
Specifically in California, Kindred has opened a 38-bed co-located
hospital-based subacute unit within Kindred Hospital Brea. These projects will expand Kindred's capacity to provide
a continuum of post-acute care by approximately 130 long-term acute care hospital beds, 150 subacute beds and 150 skilled nursing beds.
Molina to Acquire Unisys' Medicaid HIM Business
Molina Healthcare, Inc., where Ed Kim is a
Corporate VP, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the
Health Information Management (HIM) business of Unisys Corporation, for
approximately $135 million. The HIM business provides design,
development, implementation, and business process outsourcing solutions
to state governments for their Medicaid Management Information Systems.
Paul Hastings
Named "Labor & Employment Litigation Firm of
the Year"
Paul,
Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP, where Michael McKinnon is a Partner, announced that The American Lawyer
has selected the firm as the Labor & Employment Litigation Firm of the
Year -- for its accomplishments in trial wins, arbitrations and
appellate work, with the firm maintaining a 12-1 record in court trials,
and a 14-0 record in arbitrations during the time period of competition,
January 1, 2008 – July 31, 2009. The firm also stood out among its peers
for its successful defense of clients in complex, multi-front class
action suits.
Sutter Launches EHR
System in Solano County
Sutter Health, where
Peter Anderson is Senior VP of Strategy and Business Development,
announced that Sutter Regional Medical
Foundation has begun rolling out of an electronic health record system in
Solano County, and will continue going live with it until its final care
center implementation in mid-March. The EHR connects physicians across Sutter Health’s Northern
California network; no matter where a patient seeks care, their Sutter
physicians will have instant access to their entire medical record.
Vocera
Delivers
Strongest Quarter and Year Ever
Vocera, Inc., where
Brent Lang is President, ended 2009 with a record quarter for both revenue and customer
bookings, achieving 31% growth compared to fourth quarter 2008. Vocera also delivered record profits in fourth quarter 2009.
Contributing to the company's solid net new growth in the fourth quarter
were 13 new hospitals and three five-star hotels. Vocera added new customers
in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Saudi Arabia and
United Arab Emirates.
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New Massachusetts Senator Likely to
Have Major Impact on Healthcare Reform Efforts
In an apparent blow to national health reform efforts,
Republican Scott Brown defeated Democrat Martha Coakley in the
U.S. Senate race to fill the late Sen. Edward Kennedy's
Massachusetts seat. The loss of a Senate seat for Democrats
knocks them down to a caucus of 59 -- one shy of the 60 needed
to break a filibuster. It also puts in jeopardy the Senate's
ability to pass a sweeping healthcare overhaul bill. The
Senate passed its bill last month, needing all 60 of its
members to do so. Without the seat once occupied by Kennedy
and held by Sen. Paul Kirk in the interim, it's unlikely the
bill could pass again. Brown has said that he would vote
against the measure.
As an elected official, Brown has
influenced healthcare policy in Massachusetts. He was part of
a State Senate vote that launched a type of mandatory health
insurance program that has extended coverage to close to 97%
of the population. Currently, he made the issue of national
healthcare reform part of his campaign, tying it to tax hikes
and saying he is against the national effort now in Congress.
(ModernHealthcare.com, 1/19/10)
California Announces New Limits on HMO
Wait Times
The California Department of Managed Health Care this week
rolled out new rules giving HMO patients the right to obtain:
*A physician appointment within 10 business days of a request;
*A specialist appointment within 15 business days of a
request; *An urgent care visit within 48 hours of a request;
and *Telephone access to a healthcare professional at all
times. Health plans will have one year to comply with the new
rules. After January 2011, the state will have the authority
to fine non-compliant HMOs. DMHC Director Cindy Ehnes
acknowledged that HMOs could face difficulty complying with
the new rules, particularly in regions that already suffer
from a shortage of primary care physicians. In addition,
California physicians might struggle to keep up with demand if
national healthcare reform efforts succeed in extending
coverage to millions of uninsured U.S. residents. Ehnes said
DMHC might grant exemptions to the wait time rules in areas
with a particularly acute shortage of general practitioners.
(Sacramento Bee & New York Times, 1/20/10)
CCHIT Updates EHR Criteria Based on Interim Rule
Applications
for vendors seeking to test and certify their electronic
health record systems against the upgraded criteria of the
Certification Commission for Health Information Technology can
begin submitting applications Feb. 12, the organization
announced. CCHIT intends to base its testing and certification
program on an interim final rule on EHR certification criteria
issued by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health
Information Technology on Dec. 30, 2009, and a notice of
public rulemaking issued by the CMS that same day on
“meaningful use” criteria. Generally, EHR systems must conform
to those rules to qualify for the federal EHR subsidy program
under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
CCHIT will host a free, public Web and teleconference to go
over the changes and answer questions at 3 p.m. Central time
on Jan. 26. More information is available at the
CCHIT Web site.
(HITS - Modern Healthcare's daily IT e-newsletter, 1/20/10)
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