December 2016

Thoughts From Our President

As the year comes to an end, this month we look back both at the progress MEDITECH has achieved in 2016, along with a look forward into 2017. We hope our observations and perspectives provide some useful insights as our industry continues to go through an ever-increasing rate of change.
 
There is one small change with our newsletter as we go into 2017. While we value the information from KLAS, we find that the changes in our scores from month to month have been minor. We plan to devote less time and space to our KLAS ratings and comments going forward but encourage you to go to their website to see what is being said about us. We will provide periodic updates but will not carry a posting each month.
 
Finally, I want to thank our clients, our staff and our friends for another wonderful year. We have the privilege of working with many outstanding organizations and appreciate the opportunity to partner with you.
 
Wishing you all a healthy and happy new year.
  

John Haffty, President

Reflections on MEDITECH’s Progress in 2016; Forecast for 2017

As the year comes to an end, we looked at some of the significant progress we have seen from MEDITECH this past year. Here are some of the highlights from our perspective:

• MEDITECH received the Best in KLAS award for Community HIS for 2015/2016
• 5.6.7 for MAGIC and C/S sites met MU Stage 3 requirements
• Business and Clinical Analytics (BCA) released for general availability for both C/S and 6.1 sites
• Patient Registries (as part of 6.1 Ambulatory) delivered to first sites
• Oncology product received significant improvements in both C/S and 6.1 versions
• C/S to 6.1 enhancement analysis completed with most functionality delivered
• 6.1.6 Web Acute delivered in Test to first sites, with Go-LIVEs scheduled for spring 2017

While some additional sites went live with 6.1 Ambulatory, there continues to be significant development activity with a few sites delaying their Go LIVEs until 2017. We were impressed with the rapid delivery of new features to address some identified gaps.
 
Forecast for 2017
Overall, we think MEDITECH continues to make great progress and is well positioned to continue to maintain its strong market share. As 2016 closes, they have either signed or been named vendor of choice at a number of organizations, including several significant wins with new clients. Here are some expectations for 2017:

• 6.1 Ambulatory will come of age, and multiple sites will Go-LIVE virtually every month. By mid-2017 physicians will be sharing stories of their improved efficiencies.
• 6.1.6 Web Acute and Web ED will be available for general release, and by fall 2017 the early adopters will be sharing their success stories.
• Patient Registries and BCA will provide MEDITECH hospitals with the tools to meet many of the Population Health needs that the changing market economics will require. MEDITECH will be recognized for having designed its software to embed functionality for population health needs within each application (as opposed to the design of competitors where Population Health is a separate application).

The development of the Patient Portal will be significant, with a strong patient-centric focus. This will drive increased patient participation. 

MEDITECH and CyberSecurity

MEDITECH is working to provide newsletters, advisories, and updates through their customer portal:

• MEDITECH Information Security Pages
• MEDITECH has worked with Forward Advantage to provide multi-factor authentication. For more information, click here.
• The National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) has released best practices for strong authentication.

If you want more information, contact Justin Armstrong, Security Analyst, System Technology at MEDITECH.

MEDITECH 6.x Hospitals Outperform Cerner and Epic Hospitals on Quality and Value Measures

Several months ago we published a study showing how MEDITECH 6.x hospitals outperform Cerner and Epic hospitals on CMS Quality and Value measures. Since then, we have had a number of requests for copies. We have posted this study on our website. If you are interested, click here.

Reporting and Analytics

Navin, Haffty & Associates (NHA) is proud to be seen as the leader with MEDITECH 6.1 implementations and MEDITECH support and optimization services, but some of you may not be aware of the depth and breadth of our resources for reporting and analytics. We have grown to over 30 programmers. Our staff includes many with exceptional skills and experience with:

• NPR
• Data Repository and SQL
• 6.x Report Designer

Note that NHA is actively assisting five of our clients with implementing MEDITECH’s BCA product and gaining experience with the MicroStrategy Visual Insight tool.
 
Among our staff we also have deep experience with a number of advanced data analytics and data visualization tools, including:

• QlikView and QlikSense
• SSRS
• Power BI
• SAS 

You might note that NHA has been highly rated for Technical Services by KLAS for the past three years. We ranked second among all consulting companies for technical services in 2015 and remain highly rated this year.

If you are seeking help determining your analytics strategy, NHA has helped a number of clients evaluate options as well as develop and implement data analytics tools and solutions.
 
If you are interested in our assistance with these services, contact us at info@navinhaffty.com.

KLAS Rankings and Client Comments

Our KLAS rankings as of December 7:

HIT Enterprise Implementation Leadership – 5^th
Technical Services – 2^nd
HIT Implementation Support and Staffing – 9^th
IT Advisory Services – 12^th

Below is a comment from a client that went LIVE on MEDITECH 6.1 on August 1:
 
“I would like to personally thank NHA for the excellent support and customer service we have received for the entirety of the MEDITECH 6.1 implementation. Your staff has been outstanding throughout the project. There is absolutely no chance we would have been successful without these key members from your staff. You truly have incredible people working for your company. Thank you again for your service in this endeavor.”

– Bill Bishop, Vice President Information Systems, CIO
  Colquitt Regional Medical Center

 
Here are a few recent comments from KLAS from November:
 
“When we initially signed with our software vendor, they recommended a newer firm we hadn’t heard of to help us with implementation. I went through the KLAS reports and didn’t see this firm’s name, but I saw Navin Haffty all over the place. When I suggested Navin Haffty, the salesperson said that they were pricier, but when we brought the quotes together, we saw that they were equivalent. I think it is worth risking a few extra bucks to go with someone experienced and renowned like Navin Haffty.” – Executive
 
“Navin Haffty brought a wealth of spreadsheets, agendas, timetables, and testing schemes. These are things that our software vendors would just leave us to figure out ourselves. Navin Haffty figured all of that out for us. The information and experience they deliver is really good.” – Executive
 
Please note selected commentaries may not represent the whole of provider sentiment related to this product or service. For a complete view, visit KLASresearch.com

Quick Notes

• Tom Stafford, vice president and CIO of Halifax Health, has been recognized as one of Computerworld’s 2017 Premier 100 Technology Leaders. Click here for more information.
• MEDITECH has introduced a new 6.x Fall Risk Management Toolkit to improve safety and outcomes in outpatient and inpatient settings.
• MEDITECH has recently posted a new white paper: The Benefits of an Integrated Approach to Critical Care.
• Peter Bak, CIO, of Humber River Hospital, receives Canadian CIO of the Year Award. For the full story, click here.
• Island Hospital signs for MEDITECH Web EHR. Click here to read more.
• “How MEDITECH’s Web EHR Improves Physician Productivity” – Watch this two-minute video to learn more.
• MEDITECH recently announced three more 6.1 signings:
• St. Claire Regional Medical Center (Morehead, Kentucky)
• Mary Rutan Hospital (Bellefontaine, Ohio)
• Bella Vista Hospital (Mayaguez, Puerto Rico)

MEDITECH Webinars for December

• December 13: MEDITECH’s Web Ambulatory Demonstration
• December 15: MEDITECH’s Web EHR Walkthrough
• December 21: MEDITECH’s Web EHR Walkthrough

HIMSS 2017

If you are planning to attend HIMSS and would like to meet with one of our executives, we would welcome the opportunity. NHA will have a conference room at the convention center for private meetings. If you are interested in meeting with us, please contact info@navinhaffty.com.

Upcoming Doctors’ Hours Webinar

Ambulatory PAC Framework
 
This session introduces MEDITECH’s Ambulatory Physician Advisory Committee (PAC) Framework and provides a forum for discussion around its methodology, purpose, and reference value.
 
Join Joy Chesnut, MD, on December 16 at 12 p.m. ET to review key components of each phase of the Ambulatory EHR implementation, including expectations and goals for the PAC as they progress through the implementation and beyond.
 
Click here to register.

NHA is Hiring

To keep up with demand from our clients, NHA continues to need excellent MEDITECH specialists. For the third year in a row, we have been named to the Top 100 “Best Places to Work” by Modern Healthcare magazine.
 
We believe there are significant advantages to being part of NHA. As part of the largest consulting company focused exclusively on serving the MEDITECH community, we enjoy an exceptional working relationship with MEDITECH, offer a collaborative work environment and treat each of our staff with respect. Our competitive compensation package includes exceptional medical insurance coverage as part of our extensive benefits as well as on-going education to maintain and develop your skills and talent. Our employment approach and focus on long-term business relationships has led to an unparalleled record for consultant and client retention.
 
If you have interest in consulting and have solid MEDITECH experience with implementing one of their applications, please contact us. We have an outstanding mentoring program for new consultants and have the best reputation in the MEDITECH community for training and development of our staff. We are the first company certified in the new MEDITECH READY implementation methodology.
 
We are also interested in experienced consultants from other companies. As the largest company that works exclusively with MEDITECH, you would be supported as you continue to build your skills. In addition, our management approach has demonstrated a respect for our consultants and created a collegial atmosphere that encourages information sharing and support.
 
While we have a number of openings, at this time, we are particularly interested in candidates with MEDITECH 6.1 experience, particularly Revenue Cycle, Patient Access and Ambulatory. 
 
If you are interested please contact us at recruiting@navinhaffty.com or call us at 855-309-9334. See what positions are currently available by visiting the NHA Current Openings page.
 
Please note that at this time, we are only able to consider those able to travel up to 80% of the time. (Current employees of MEDITECH or of our clients cannot be considered.)

Client Job Board

If you are interested in exploring new positions at other organizations visit the client job board section of our website. This is a free service of NHA to the MEDITECH community. Currently, there are many postings from MEDITECH organizations. If you or a colleague are interested, check out what’s open.

If you would like to include your organization’s listing on the NHA website, please email Katie Kelly at kkelly@navinhaffty.com. (Please note that as this is a courtesy to the MEDITECH community, we will not accept postings from recruiting companies.)