With Half of Its Workforce Operating Exclusively on Mobile Devices, HealthTronics Unifies Endpoint Management With AirWatch EMM and AirWatch Secure Content Locker
Austin, TX Jan 15, 2015 — AirWatch® by VMware®, the leading enterprise mobility management (EMM) provider, announced today that HealthTronics, Inc., a top provider of integrated urological and interventional radiology products and services, has selected AirWatch for enterprise mobility and content management. The deployment of industry-leading AirWatch EMM and AirWatch Secure Content Locker® file sync and share enables HealthTronics to manage its mobile workforce from the simple, unified AirWatch platform.
As a newly-independent company following a successful spinoff, HealthTronics chose AirWatch to deliver a single vendor platform solution for more than 650 devices and 500 employees. With about half of its workforce operating exclusively on smartphones and tablets, content collaboration was also a key component in selecting AirWatch. After evaluating multiple providers, HealthTronics chose AirWatch EMM and then implemented AirWatch Secure Content Locker as it met its stringent enablement requirements. The solution from AirWatch provides IT a seamless experience across device types for EMM, content collaboration and file sync and share.
“We selected AirWatch EMM and Secure Content Locker to leverage a unified platform that lowered costs and increased ROI,” said Evan Bowers, CIO, HealthTronics. “The platform provides a deep level of granularity on user security controls and in-depth reporting capabilities. Secure Content Locker delivers true content control and document tracking for IT and mobile user collaboration and annotation tools for our end users. AirWatch gives us the information about implementation and usage detail we need in the regulated healthcare industry.”
AirWatch enables HealthTronics to benefit from sizable economies of scale, including an integrated administration platform, reduced IT overhead, reduced procurement and implementation issues and reduced total cost of ownership. Secure Content Locker helps with the company’s content management needs, including secure content viewing, document management, editing and annotating on mobile, content tracking, analytics and secure sandbox email attachments.
“Operating within a heavily regulated vertical, HealthTronics found itself in need of quickly standing up both EMM and MCM platforms,” said Tony Rizzo, entrepreneur in residence, Blue Hill Research. “Having already selected AirWatch by VMware for EMM, we were impressed with HealthTronics ability to quickly deploy AirWatch Secure Content Locker – solving two problems with one well-integrated ecosystem.”
“AirWatch by VMware enables healthcare organizations like HealthTronics to drive mobile innovation and revolutionize the industry with access to real-time medical information, customize consultations and maintain patient-clinician communication while adhering to HIPAA regulations,” said John Marshall, senior vice president and general manager, AirWatch by VMware. “We’ve dedicated significant resources to create the broadest platform and depth of expertise that empowers healthcare organizations to address challenges in the industry, from remote home health organizations to the largest healthcare systems in the world.”
To learn more about AirWatch in healthcare visit http://www.air-watch.com/industries/healthcare. For more information on AirWatch Secure Content Locker, visit http://www.air-watch.com/solutions/mobile-content-management.
Author: Julie Kaloides
Vascular Quality Initiative® now includes 300 Centers on M2S PATHWAYS platform
SVS PSO’s Vascular Quality Initiative® now includes 300 Centers on M2S PATHWAYS platform
Chicago, IL and West Lebanon, NH Oct 27, 2014 – The Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI®), governed by the Society for Vascular Surgery Patient Safety Organization (SVS PSO), and designed to improve the quality of vascular healthcare, has reached a milestone with 300 participating centers. The VQI is a collaborative between the Society for Vascular Surgery® Patient Safety Organization (SVS PSO), the American Venous Forum (AVF), and the Society for Vascular Medicine (SVM) and M2S, Inc.
Through regional and national benchmarking, the SVS PSO uses data for quality improvement, collected through the M2S PATHWAYS platform, to assist physicians and data managers to better understand clinical outcomes and follow up at a unique level of detail. Participating physicians have captured over 175,000 cases across 11 different vascular procedures. The VQI is now in 45 states, includes over 2300 physicians and represents almost 21% of all centers that provide vascular interventions in the United States.
Dr. Larry Kraiss, Chair of SVS PSO Governing Council for VQI, comments, “This is a remarkable milestone for the VQI which started in 2011. The rapid enrollment in VQI by the vascular community is gratifying because it confirms an existing broad and deep commitment to quality outcomes that we always knew to be present among our colleagues. Even more exciting are the prospects for quality initiatives that are only possible because we are organized around a common data platform that allows us to develop and monitor very concrete action plans that will provide useful information for evidence-based patient management on a daily basis. “
The regional quality groups of the VQI are fundamental for driving quality initiatives at the local level that reduce length of stay, readmissions, and complications. In addition to improving quality within hospitals, the VQI supports vascular research and works with device companies to support post-market device surveillance projects.
Greg Lange, President and CEO of M2S, adds “The VQI continues to increase its value to providers, hospitals and industry through expanded reporting and analytics, improved support for hospital quality improvement initiatives and innovative partnerships with the FDA and
Industry. Surpassing 300 centers is a major milestone which reflects the strong commitment to quality improvement and cost containment within the vascular community.”
In the latest developments, the SVS PSO and M2S are pioneering the use of VQI data for post- approval surveillance in vascular surgery in place of the traditional recruitment of sites by medical device companies. This approach allows for faster and less expensive recruitment of sites, and is strongly encouraged by the FDA.
The newest registry, focusing on the treatment of Varicose Veins, will be released in December 2014. For more information on the Vascular Quality Initiative, please go to www.vascularqualityinitiative.org
International Medical Group, Inc. launches GlobeHopper Senior to protect individuals over age 65 from international travel unforeseen illness and injury
Indianapolis, IN Jan 14, 2015 – International Medical Group®, Inc. (IMG®) launched its new GlobeHopperSM Senior product today, which provides seniors who are 65 years of age and older, with international medical insurance and emergency services while travelling outside the United States.
“GlobeHopper Senior is a unique addition to our short-term travel medical insurance portfolio,” said Amanda Winkle, Vice President of International Sales at IMG. “Applicants can select from two different plan options, Single-Trip and Multi-Trip, and can get instant quotes and apply online without medical underwriting.”
GlobeHopper Senior offers market leading, affordable travel medical insurance that bridges the gap left by other limited domestic plans that do not cover seniors when they leave the country. The product provides a range of benefits, including immediate access to emergency and non-emergency care, 24/7 customer service and support from anywhere in the world, and the option to select a hospital or doctor of the insured’s choice.
With more than 17,000 preferred physicians and medical facilities in more than 170 countries, GlobeHopper Senior ensures that seniors will not be stranded when emergencies strike. “One of our most important values,” says Brian Barwick, President and CEO of IMG, “is our dedication to protecting the health and well-being of our customers, wherever they are.”
The launch of GlobeHopper Senior kicks off the Silver Anniversary for IMG after 25 years in the international medical insurance business. “We are extremely excited to be celebrating 25 years in business, and IMG is thrilled to be kicking off the Silver Anniversary with the launch of GlobeHopper Senior” said Mr. Barwick.
New Varicose Vein Registry Launched
The Society for Vascular Surgery Patient Safety Organization® and the American Venous Forum® launch new VQI® Varicose Vein Registry™
Chicago, IL and West Lebanon, NH Jan 13, 2015 – The American Venous Forum (AVF) and the Society for Vascular Surgery Patient Safety Organization (SVS PSO) have collaborated to launch a new Varicose Vein Registry® (VVR) for the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI). Participants will have access to user-customized reports that include anonymous benchmark comparison with other regional and national centers, and participation in regional quality group meetings to develop quality improvement projects. The SVS PSO Venous Quality Committee will analyze and compare different treatment options for differing varicose vein characteristics, in order to make recommendations regarding optimal patient and treatment selection. In addition, M2S Inc, the technology partner for the VQI, is working with vendors of EMR software systems to develop integration of their system with the VQI VVR to optimize data entry efficiency. The Registry already has contracts with 13 institutions, including both hospitals and outpatient vein centers.
Participation in the VQI allows PQRS reporting and meets the needs for maintenance of board certification and IAC vein center accreditation. The VQI has also partnered with the FDA and industry to provide a registry-based method to perform post-approval surveillance of new medical devices. The VQI VVR will allow evaluation of new treatment modalities for varicose veins, which will benefit patients, physicians, the FDA, and manufacturers of devices used to treat varicose veins.
The AVF Varicose Vein Steering Committee has developed the VQI VVR, and Chairman Jose Almeida, M.D., commented: “We need an efficient, manageable, low-cost registry that can be used by every vein center in the U.S. to meet the needs of IAC accreditation. It should interface with our vein center electronic record so we can avoid double data entry, but have access to benchmark reporting that allows us to improve our practice.”
The VVR incorporates the required CEAP and VCSS measures, and allows users to easily record different treatment modalities, including specific devices used for treatment. Committee member Thomas Wakefield, M.D., summarizes the effort: “We designed an efficient, practical registry to capture key data, including patient reported outcomes and complications. It will allow us to compare the efficacy of different treatment types and provide vein centers the data they need to improve outcomes and meet regulatory requirements.”
The VQI now includes 320 centers in 46 states, organized into 18 regional quality groups. This rapid growth has been due to a user-friendly system for data entry and reporting, created by M2S, Inc., and the availability of granular comparative data, including risk adjusted outcome and efficiency measures, which provide actionable information not otherwise available to participating centers. Importantly, VQI is available to any physician specialty type who performs procedures in a center, and has become a representative, multi-specialty group. The American Venous Forum, the Society for Interventional Radiology and the Society for Vascular Medicine endorse the VQI.
New Varicose Vein Registry Launched
The Society for Vascular Surgery Patient Safety Organization® and the American Venous Forum® launch new VQI® Varicose Vein Registry™
Chicago, IL and Milwaukee, WI Jan 13, 2015 – The American Venous Forum (AVF) and the Society for Vascular Surgery Patient Safety Organization (SVS PSO) have collaborated to launch a new Varicose Vein Registry® (VVR) for the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI). Participants will have access to user-customized reports that include anonymous benchmark comparison with other regional and national centers, and participation in regional quality group meetings to develop quality improvement projects. The SVS PSO Venous Quality Committee will analyze and compare different treatment options for differing varicose vein characteristics, in order to make recommendations regarding optimal patient and treatment selection. In addition, M2S Inc, the technology partner for the VQI, is working with vendors of EMR software systems to develop integration of their system with the VQI VVR to optimize data entry efficiency. The Registry already has contracts with 13 institutions, including both hospitals and outpatient vein centers.
Participation in the VQI allows PQRS reporting and meets the needs for maintenance of board certification and IAC vein center accreditation. The VQI has also partnered with the FDA and industry to provide a registry-based method to perform post-approval surveillance of new medical devices. The VQI VVR will allow evaluation of new treatment modalities for varicose veins, which will benefit patients, physicians, the FDA, and manufacturers of devices used to treat varicose veins.
The AVF Varicose Vein Steering Committee has developed the VQI VVR, and Chairman Jose Almeida, M.D., commented: “We need an efficient, manageable, low-cost registry that can be used by every vein center in the U.S. to meet the needs of IAC accreditation. It should interface with our vein center electronic record so we can avoid double data entry, but have access to benchmark reporting that allows us to improve our practice.”
The VVR incorporates the required CEAP and VCSS measures, and allows users to easily record different treatment modalities, including specific devices used for treatment. Committee member Thomas Wakefield, M.D., summarizes the effort: “We designed an efficient, practical registry to capture key data, including patient reported outcomes and complications. It will allow us to compare the efficacy of different treatment types and provide vein centers the data they need to improve outcomes and meet regulatory requirements.”
The VQI now includes 320 centers in 46 states, organized into 18 regional quality groups. This rapid growth has been due to a user-friendly system for data entry and reporting, created by M2S, Inc., and the availability of granular comparative data, including risk adjusted outcome and efficiency measures, which provide actionable information not otherwise available to participating centers. Importantly, VQI is available to any physician specialty type who performs procedures in a center, and has become a representative, multi-specialty group. The American Venous Forum, the Society for Interventional Radiology and the Society for Vascular Medicine endorse the VQI.
CSafe Announces New Product and Market Introduction at Cool Chain 2015
Dayton, OH Jan 5, 2015 – In addition to the growing need for the CSafe RKN, CSafe Global has experienced a significant increase in the global demand for their AcuTemp® brand passive packaging and courier solutions. As a result, CSafe will make a new product and market announcement during the 2015 Cool Chain conference in Frankfurt.
CEO Brian Kohr explains: “After extensive customer consultations, we will introduce a passive shipping solution and program tailored toward the challenges of biopharmaceutical shipping in the EU. This event will be another milestone in CSafe’s strategic plan for continued global growth. ”
“We are very focused on helping drive value within our customer’s temperature-controlled supply chain, be that with the superior performance of our RKN, cost initiatives utilizing our AcuTemp passive packaging solutions or with sustainability and cost savings through REPAQ, the only qualified reuse program in the industry. This is driving new business for CSafe and we are committed to do what it takes to continue to deliver value, quality and efficient temperature-sensitive shipping solutions to our customers and partners.”
VEPC authorizes $3.8 million in job creation incentives for seven companies
Employers to create 557 new full-time jobs over five years
Montpelier, VT Jan 5, 2015 — The Vermont Economic Progress Council (VEPC) authorized incentives totaling $3.8 million under the Vermont Employment Growth Incentive (VEGI) program, which will encourage the creation of 557 new, well-paying jobs for Vermonters, with an average compensation of $50,385.
2014 VEGI INCENTIVE AUTHORIZATIONS
Vermont Packinghouse, LLC Springfield $233,252
Twincraft, Inc. Winooski $532,584
G.S. Blodgett Corporation Essex $754,104
Cabot Hosiery Mills, Inc. Northfield $1,505,192
Flex-A-Seal, Inc. Essex $188,858
National Hanger Company Bennington $227,668
Precyse Solutions, LLC Statewide $349,742
Total: $3,791,400
These projects will also create about $21.4 million in new full-time payroll for Vermonters, and the companies plan to invest $37.7 million in qualifying capital investments in Vermont between 2014 and 2019.
“The VEGI program continues to encourage the creation of good paying jobs and investment in Vermont that otherwise would not occur, generating new revenue to the state to support other programs,” said Patricia Moulton, Vermont’s Secretary of Commerce and Community Development. “It is exciting to see this much investment activity by Vermont businesses.” Three of the companies received final authorization of incentives for projects that started in 2014 and will continue through 2018. These included the establishment of a slaughterhouse in Springfield by Vermont Packinghouse, LLC to service Vermont’s diversifying agricultural market, the expansion of Twincraft into the liquid soap market, and the expansion of Blodgett Ovens to accommodate the acquisition of the Market Forge Brand.
Four of the companies received initial approval of projects that start in 2015. These included an expansion of Cabot Hosiery Mills in Northfield to accommodate growth of the Darn Tough Vermont brand, expansion of Flex-A-Seal in Essex Junction and National Hanger Company in
North Bennington, and the introduction of work-at-home medical coding jobs statewide by Precyse.
“Our team is excited to partner with the State of Vermont and Vermont HITEC on this initiative to bring living-wage jobs to Vermonters,” said Chris Powell, CEO, Precyse. “This partnership will help us to enhance our medical coding services for the healthcare industry while providing
Vermont residents exciting and rewarding careers.”
“The VEGI incentive will assist us in establishing a Retail Division for small and mid-level retailers,” stated Michele Pilcher, President of National Hanger Company. “Our goal of being “The Retail Source” can now be achieved in North Bennington, site of our current operations.
We are so happy to be able to spend all our focus on expansion here in Vermont, rather than having to relocate.”
The Council approved the applications after reviewing nine program guidelines and applying a rigorous cost-benefit analysis that calculates the level of new tax revenue a project will generate for the state. The Council also determined that these projects would not occur or would occur in
a significantly different and less desirable manner (the “but for” test) if not for the incentives being authorized. Therefore, the projects generate new state tax revenues that would not have been realized. Those revenues pay the incentives and will generate $1.943 million in net new tax
revenue, even after payment of the incentives.
To earn the incentives, authorized companies must meet payroll, employment and capital investment performance requirements each year. Only if the Tax Department determines that the performance requirements are met and maintained, the incentive earned pays out to the
company in five annual installments.
GAFFEY Healthcare – Year End Message from Derek Morkel, CEO
Plano, TX and Pleasanton, CA Dec 22, 2014 The end of the year is upon us, granting the opportunity to reflect and assess the past 12 months. 2014 was an incredible year for the GAFFEY Healthcare team and we have much to be thankful for, beginning with our amazing clients.
In Retrospect
Many years ago, we declared it our company mission to help healthcare providers optimize their financial and operational performance by providing best-in-class automation technology that increases efficiency & productivity while cutting costs in the Revenue Cycle. By every measure, we held true to that goal throughout 2014. As a company, we we continued with our unprecedented growth and expanded our presence as an industry leader in Revenue Cycle. More importantly, our hospital clients continued to reap the significant cash-flow benefits and improvements across revenue cycle metrics that automation solutions like AlphaCollector, AutoStatus and Claims Management can provide.
To the Future
As we look toward 2015 and beyond, GAFFEY Healthcare remains committed to a product roadmap that not only continues to make refinements and add functionality to all of our flagship products but also one that focuses on the future, strategic needs of our customers. It’s clear that the Big Data Revolution has taken hold within healthcare, and with our newly-released business intelligence platform, AlphaAnalytics, providers will be able to leverage and make actionable the massive volumes of data that they generate.
Without a doubt, 2015 will bring its share of changes and challenges to healthcare. To our customers, we thank you for continuing to look to us as a trusted partner. To everyone else, we hope to talk soon.
Warmest Regards,
Derek Morkel
CEO, GAFFEY Healthcare
The Future of Revenue Cycle
Plano, TX Dec 18, 2014–
Substantial change within healthcare is certainly underway as it transitions to a new model at a pace never seen before. This transition presents a number of changes and challenges that can seriously disrupt the financial health of providers. Healthcare finance professionals not only need to understand the paradigm shift but also how to adapt.
This webinar will cover the various ways the revenue cycle will be disrupted as well as the technologies that can support your organization in successfully managing the transition.
By attending this webinar, attendees will:
• Gain a deeper understanding of the future state of healthcare
• Learn what tools are mission critical for the future
• Better understand the key role of data and the Enterprise Data Warehouse
GAFFEY Healthcare Webinar – The Future of Revenue Cycle
Plano, TX and Pleasanton, CA Dec 18, 2014 – Substantial change within healthcare is certainly underway as it transitions to a new model at a pace never seen before. This transition presents a number of changes and challenges that can seriously disrupt the financial health of providers. Healthcare finance professionals not only need to understand the paradigm shift but also how to adapt.
This webinar will cover the various ways the revenue cycle will be disrupted as well as the technologies that can support your organization in successfully managing the transition.
By attending this webinar, attendees will:
• Gain a deeper understanding of the future state of healthcare
• Learn what tools are mission critical for the future
• Better understand the key role of data and the Enterprise Data Warehouse