Longwoods Healthcare Business

If you need a published paper and can't remember the publisher or the journal

2011-11-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

If you need a published paper and can't remember the publisher or the journal, try this link.

http://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/ebm/journal/HealthcarePapers?start=0&next=true

if it turns out to be:

Healthcare Quarterly
Healthcare Papers
Healthcare Policy
Electronic Healthcare
Canadian Journal of Nursing Leadership
World Health & Population . . .

or anything else published on http://www.longwoods.com/

send me the details and we will help.

ahart@longwoods.com

Anton Hart

Publisher.

Longwoods.com is down -- but not out

2011-11-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

Estimated relaunch date: November 8, 2011.

If you need an article please send me a note with the details. So far we have been able to meet everyone's needs. Thanks for standing by.

Anton Hart
Publisher

Email: ahart@longwoods.com

Tel: 416 864 9667

Longwoods.com is down

2011-11-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

We apologize. www.longwoods.com is down. The servers are not performing. We have teams working on rebuilding the website and its more than 22,000 pages of ideas, policies and leading practices.

Stay tuned as we prepare our re-launch.

Anton Hart
Publisher

Email: ahart@longwoods.com

Tel: 416 864 9667

Molecule serves as a bridge between the two arms of the immune system

2011-07-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

Signaling Molecule Identified As Essential For Maintaining a Balanced Immune Response

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists show that the molecule serves as a bridge between the two arms of the immune system that provides a new mechanism guiding T cell differentiation
MEMPHIS, Tenn. , July 22, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators have identified a signaling molecule that functions like a factory supervisor to ensure that the right mix of specialized T cells is available to fight infections and guard against autoimmune disease.

The research also showed the molecule, phosphatase MKP-1, is an important regulator of immune balance. Working in laboratory cell lines and mice with specially engineered immune systems, scientists demonstrated that MKP-1 serves as a bridge between the innate immune response that is the body's first line of defense against infection and the more specialized adaptive immune response that follows. The results are published in the July 22 print edition of the scientific journal Immunity.
The results raise hopes that the MKP-1 pathway will lead to new tools for shaping the immune response, said Hongbo Chi, Ph.D., assistant member of the St. Jude Department of Immunology and the study's senior author. The co-first authors are Gonghua Huang, Ph.D., and Yanyan Wang, Ph.D., both postdoctoral fellows in Chi's laboratory.

The findings provide new details about how dendritic cells regulate the fate of naïve or undifferentiated T cells. Dendritic cells are the sentinels of the innate immune response, patrolling the body and ready to respond at the first sign of infection.

Investigators were surprised that a single molecule regulated production of three out of the four major subsets of T cells, which each play different roles. MKP-1 is a negative regulator of the enzyme p38, which is part of the MAP kinase family of enzymes that control pathways involved in cell proliferation, differentiation and death.

Chi and his colleagues demonstrated that MKP-1 works in dendritic cells by altering production of protein messengers known as cytokines. Those cytokines determine which subset of specialized T cells the undifferentiated T cells are fated to become. In this study, scientists showed that MKP1 controls production of the cytokines that yield T helper 1 (Th1), T helper 17 (Th17) and regulatory T (Treg) cells. Th1 cells combat intracellular bacterial and viral infections. Th17 cells fight extracellular bacterial infections and fungi. Treg cells help with immune suppression, protecting against autoimmune diseases.

The study showed that suppression of p38 by MKP-1 promotes production of interleukin 12 (IL-12), which leads to an increase in Th1 cells. Rising IL-12 coincides with a drop in interleukin 6 (IL-6) and a corresponding dip in production of Th17. MKP-1 also inhibited the generation of Treg cells by down-regulating production of a third cytokine, TGF-beta.
Knocking out MKP-1 in mice disrupted production of IL-12 and IL-6 in dendritic cells as well as the anti-bacterial and anti-fungal immune response, researchers reported. MKP-1 deficiency also promoted T-cell driven inflammation in a mouse model of colitis, an inflammatory disease.
"MKP-1 is the first signaling molecule found in dendritic cells to program differentiation of these diverse T- cell subsets," Chi said.

Previous work by other scientists focused on T cell differentiation in response to stimulation by cytokines. "This research fills a gap in our understanding of dendritic cell-mediated control of T-cell lineage choices," Chi said. "T cells do not recognize pathogens directly, but dendritic cells do. T cells need dendritic cells to tell them what to do. In this study, we show that MKP-1 signaling in dendritic cells bridges the innate and adaptive immune responses by regulating cytokine production."
Other authors are Lewis Shi and Thirumala-Devi Kanneganti, both of St. Jude.
The research was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Cancer Research Institute, The Hartwell Foundation and ALSAC.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering research and treatment of children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Ranked one of the best pediatric cancer hospitals in the country, St. Jude is the first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. St. Jude has treated children from all 50 states and from around the world, serving as a trusted resource for physicians and researchers. St. Jude has developed research protocols that helped push overall survival rates for childhood cancer from less than 20 percent when the hospital opened to almost 80 percent today. St. Jude is the national coordinating center for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium and the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. In addition to pediatric cancer research, St. Jude is also a leader in sickle cell disease research and is a globally prominent research center for influenza.www.stjude.org.

IBMs Watson's role in healthcare could be instrumental in making care affordable. Watch this space as we explore the explorers.

2011-07-22T11:12:00.000-07:00

The DeepQA Research Team

Watson is a computer system like no other ever built. It analyzes natural language questions and content well enough and fast enough to compete and win against champion players at Jeopardy!

This is no easy task for a computer, given the need to perform over an enormously broad domain, with consistently high precision and amazingly accurate confidence estimations in the correctness of its answers.
Watson’s performance on Jeopardy! is just the opening salvo for a research mission built on decades of experience in deep Content Analysis, Natural Language Processing, Information Retrieval, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence.

SIIM Launches Mentoring Network at SIIM 2010 in Support of Imaging Informatics Research and Science

2010-04-15T06:57:00.003-07:00

1April 15, 2010 - Leesburg, VA - The Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM) will announce its new Mentoring Network designed to encourage, support, and develop researchers in the field of imaging informatics at the 2010 SIIM Annual Meeting. Mentors and mentees will have new opportunities to connect via the SIIM Mentoring Network.

The program design facilitates the mentoring process by bringing together experts in imaging informatics with those entering the discipline. Finding a mentor in this specific field is often challenging, as many clinical imaging departments do not have dedicated informatics programs. A mentee may wish to undertake a research project, but may not have an expert to connect with to pursue such work. Mentors are SIIM members who volunteer for participation in this program and qualify from being a part of an environment that fosters professional growth. Anyone may join as a mentee, and gain valuable guidance from SIIM members with experience doing imaging informatics research. For details on the SIIM Mentoring Network, see www.siimweb.org/mentoring.

The SIIM 2010 Annual Meeting, June 3-6 in Minneapolis, provides excellent opportunities for learning, networking, and development. A Scientist/Physician networking reception will take place on June 5 at SIIM 2010 and provide the opportunity for mentors and mentees to meet each other face to face. The "Writing a Grant or RFP - Key Steps for Success" learning lab on Sunday, June 6 provides another great opportunity for career advancement.

The scientific program includes promising research from informaticists around the globe, and includes New Investigator Travel Awards, the Roger Bauman Best Student Paper Award and scientific poster and demo prizes for talented young researchers. Scientific abstracts for presentations at SIIM 2010 are all available online for review.

SIIM encourages and supports research in the field of imaging informatics through its Annual Meeting scientific program and awards

(www.siimweb.org/awards) and through the Research & Education giving program (www.siimweb.org/donate). The Research & Education Fund supports the annual Dwyer Lectureship at the Annual Meeting, research programs such as Transforming the Radiological Interpretation Process (TRIP(tm)), and quality research of young scholars through the SIIM informatics Grant Program. SIIM Grant recipients will be presenting their work in the scientific session of learning tracks 4 and 8 at SIIM 2010.

More information about the SIIM 2010 Annual Meeting and SIIM's new Mentoring Network can be found at www.siim2010.org. Members of the press are invited to register for the meeting online at www.siim2010.org/press.

About SIIM

The Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM) is proud to be the leading health care professional organization representing interests and goals of those who work with and whose work is affected by the rapidly changing world of information and imaging technologies. SIIM seeks to spearhead research, education, and discovery of innovative solutions, and to explore new technologies and applications to improve the delivery of medical imaging services and the quality and safety of patient care. For more information, visit www.siimweb.org.

Contact:

Caroline Wilson

Director, Publications & Media

Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM) 703-723-0432, ext. 315 cwilson@siimweb.org www.siimweb.org

BRITISH COLUMBIA HEALTH SYSTEM SAVES $34M ON COMPUTING SERVICES

2010-04-05T09:55:00.000-07:00

March 31, 2010

Ministry of Health Services

VICTORIA – British Columbia’s health-care system will save $34 million over the next six years on computer software and related services with a new contract between Microsoft and the BC Health Authority Shared Services Organization (SSO), said Health Services Minister Kevin Falcon.

“Even though we are increasing the budget for health care by approximately 15 per cent over the next three years, we still have challenges in the system,” said Falcon. “To date, through the Shared Services Organization, we have been able to save $115.5 million. By using this innovative purchasing model and leveraging our provincial buying power, we are able to put those savings directly back into the health-care system to go towards front-line patient care.”

The contract covers computer software and related services to support British Columbia’s six health authorities. The six-year term will run until 2016, and is replacing the previous contract, which was set to expire in 2012. In working with Microsoft, SSO has saved approximately $34 million over six years.

The contract includes all Microsoft products that are currently used by health authorities, or any that are expected to be used in the next six years. The new pricing is also now able to be extended to affiliated not-for-profit health-care organizations that are funded either in whole or in part by one of the Province’s health authorities.

In addition, SSO will now be able to move unused software licences between health authorities. Under the previous contract, if a health authority needed additional services, they would have had to purchase a new licence, even if one was available from a different health authority.

“SSO is just one example of the ways in which the health authorities are collaborating to reduce administration and purchasing costs, saving the health-care system valuable funds,” said Lynda Cranston, chair of the SSO board and president and CEO of the Provincial Health Services Authority.

“Microsoft is proud to partner with British Columbia, through the SSO, to create a platform to deliver innovative health-care solutions for B.C. residents,” said Eric Gales, president, Microsoft Canada. “Sustainability, accessibility and quality of care are cornerstones of good health-care delivery, and this partnership will enable and support the Province in all three areas, while delivering significant costs savings for today and the future.

The SSO Technology Services conducted appropriate due diligence, and determined that Microsoft was the only vendor able to provide the services needed in a cost-effective way. The proposed contract was reviewed and endorsed by the chief information officer for the Province of British Columbia.

Previously announced contracts negotiated by the SSO include providing home oxygen, cardiac, renal dialysis and operating room supplies to the health authorities. The total projected cumulative savings for SSO’s first five years of operation (until March 2014) will be $181 million, which surpasses the $150 million in savings initially identified by the SSO.

The SSO assumed accountability for supply-chain services for all six health authorities in February 2009. It combines the buying power of the Province’s health authorities by amalgamating several purchasing processes into contracts with larger volumes of standardized products. Key to its business approach are increased process efficiency, standardization, capital avoidance and combining the buying power of its members.

Media contact:	Bernadette Murphy Media Relations Manager Ministry of Health Services 250 952-1887 (media line)

For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca.

what does the Longwoods Jobsite look like?

2010-03-02T15:15:00.000-08:00

What does the Nursing Jobsite at Longwoods.com look like

2010-03-02T15:12:00.001-08:00

What's Longwoods Breakfast with the Chiefs all about

2010-03-02T15:08:00.001-08:00

What's WorldHealthandPopulation.com all about

2010-03-02T15:05:00.001-08:00

what's ElectronicHealthcare.net all about

2010-03-02T15:02:00.001-08:00

What's the journal of NursingLeadership.net all about

2010-03-02T14:57:00.001-08:00

What's HealthcarePapers.com all about.

2010-03-02T14:53:00.000-08:00

What's HealthcareQuarterly.com all about.

2010-03-02T14:48:00.001-08:00

What's HealthcarePolicy.net all about.

2010-03-02T14:44:00.001-08:00

What's Longwoods.com about? Here's one way to look at it.

2010-03-02T14:39:00.000-08:00

Medtronic: Advanced Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy Now Available in Canada

2010-02-16T08:53:00.001-08:00

Medtronic Launches Activa(R) DBS Devices in Canada to Treat Disabling Motor Symptoms and Allow Tailored Programming

BRAMPTON, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Feb. 16, 2010) -

Editors Note: There are 2 photos associated with this Press Release.

Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) announces the market launch of Activa(R) RC (Rechargeable Cell) and Activa(R) PC (Primary Cell) neurostimulators, the most innovative deep brain stimulation therapy (DBS) to help patients with neurodegenerative disorders to control their symptoms. The first Canadian implantation of the new device took place at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia by Dr. Ivar Mendez, Head of the Division of Neurosurgery, and his team.

Activa RC and Activa PC are the next generation devices added to Medtronic's DBS therapy portfolio. The Activa RC and Activa PC offers innovative new programming tools, smaller size neurostimulators and a rechargeable neurostimulator lasting up to nine (9) years between battery replacement surgery. The new patient programmer will enable patients the freedom to choose different programs to suit their diverse activities. As a result, patients suffering from involuntary movements caused by conditions like Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, and primary dystonia can now have more control of disabling motor symptoms. Patients are able to adjust their therapy within the parameters chosen by their physician, allowing increased movement control. Patients will also benefit from greater comfort because the new devices are up to 50 percent smaller in size than previous versions.

"The new DBS device allows patients to recharge the batteries of their device without the need of a surgical intervention. This new system is likely to have a significant beneficial impact on patients that require high levels of energy to control their symptoms," said Dr. Mendez. "These types of technological advances improve our ability to treat our patients and provide them with longer and sustained relief."

Over 233,000(1)(2) patients in Canada suffer from neurodegenerative disorders which can cause disability and impaired functioning.(3)(4) Medtronic DBS therapy brings powerful, long-term improvements to motor functions and quality of life in patients with primary dystonia(5) and essential tremor(6) and is the most efficacious therapy to enhance quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease.(7) Medtronic DBS therapy is fully reversible and has a favourable safety profile.(8)

In addition to patient benefits, the use of Medtronic DBS therapy has also been shown to provide major savings to our healthcare system. For instance, by reducing the medication required by patients with Parkinson's disease following DBS, and minimising the need for follow up visits for patients with dystonia once optimal therapeutic settings have been determined, research has shown significant savings in cost and time.(9)

About DBS

Through mild electrical stimulation, DBS therapy blocks signals within the brain that are responsible for debilitating motor symptoms, such as stiffness, slowness of movement and shaking. These electrical pulses are delivered through the extension and lead to symptom-specific brain areas called globus pallidus internus (GPi), subthalamic nucleus (STN) or ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus (Vim).

With Activa RC, patients can recharge their stimulator in the comfort of their home with a wearable charging system that connects to the neurostimulator, ensuring maximum recharging while the patient goes about their daily activities, and use a patient programmer to monitor when the battery requires charging.

For the first time these devices also store records related to the benefits or side effects associated with various programming parameters which will allow programming to be easily and carefully optimized over time based on individual patient response.

About Medtronic

Medtronic, Inc. (www.medtronic.com) (NYSE:MDT), headquartered in Minneapolis, is the global leader in medical technology - alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life for millions of people around the world.

About Medtronic of Canada Ltd.

Medtronic of Canada sells, services, and distributes Medtronic products in Canada: medical devices used in cardiovascular medicine, diabetes, spinal and neurosurgery, and ear, nose and throat surgery. Medtronic of Canada employs over 420 Canadians, it is headquartered in Brampton, Ontario, has an Operations Centre in Mississauga and regional offices in Vancouver and Montreal and an atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation catheter manufacturing facility - Medtronic CryoCath - in the Montreal metropolitan area.

About the Queen Elizabeth II Health Centre

Located in the heart of Halifax, Nova Scotia, the QEII is the largest adult academic health sciences centre in Atlantic Canada. If you need to be referred for specialized care, and you're an adult from Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or New Brunswick, you will likely come to the QEII. Working closely with health care providers in the community, other local hospitals and health care education programs, the QEII also provides general hospital services for the residents of Capital Health.

Louis ED, Ottman R, Hauser WA. How common is the most common adult movement disorder? Estimates the prevalence of essential tremor throughout the world. Mov Disord 1988;13:803-808.

1.  Parkinson Society Canada www.parkinson.ca/atf/cf/%7B9ebd08a9-7886-4b2d-

    a1c4-a131e7096bf8%7D/Research%20Highlights%202008%20-%20En.pdf. Accessed

    November 24, 2009.

2.  Bain PG, Findley LJ, Thompson PD, Gresty MA, Rothwell JC, Harding AE, et

    al. "A study of hereditary essential tremor." Brain 1994; 117:805-824.

3.  Zesiewicz, TA et al. Practice Parameter: Therapies for essential tremor.

    American Academy of Neurology. June 2005.

4.  Vidailhet M, Vercueil L, Houeto JL, Krystkowiak P, Lagrange C, et al.

    Bilateral, pallidal, deep-brain stimulation in primary generalised

    dystonia: a prospective 3 year follow-up study. Lancet Neurol. 2007; 6:

    223-229.

5.  Rehncrona S et al. Long-term efficacy of thalamic deep brain stimulation

    for tremor: double blind assessments. Mov Disord. 2003; 18: 163-170

6.  Martinez-Martin P, Deuschl G. Effect of medical and surgical

    interventions on health-related quality of life in Parkinson's disease.

    Mov Disord. 2007; 22(6): 757-765.

7.  Voges et al, Thirty days complication rate following surgery performed

    for Deep Brain Stimulation. Mov Disorders 2007; 22(10):1486-9.

8.  Fraix V et al. Clinical and economic results of bilateral subthalamic

    nucleus stimulation in Parkinson's disease. J Neurol Neurosug

    Psychiatry. 2006; 77(4):443-9.

To view the photos associated with this press release, please visit the following links:

http://www.marketwire.com/library/20100216-Activa_RC_2LG.jpg.

http://www.marketwire.com/library/20100216-ActivaManLG.jpg.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Medtronic, Inc.
Melicent Lavers Sailly
PR & Communications
(905) 460-3653
Melicent.lavers@medtronic.com
www.medtronic.com

INDUSTRY: Medical and Healthcare - Hospitals, Facilities and Providers, Medical and Healthcare - Healthcare, Medical and Healthcare - Medical Devices

Royal College calls for federal investments to support stable, specialty workforce to meet growing health demands

2009-11-02T17:25:00.000-08:00

Ottawa, November 3, 2009 - The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada is calling on the federal government to make investments in human capital, research and electronic health records to support Canada's recovery from recession.

"Canada needs a stable, seamless and responsive health care system to ensure that its workers and citizens remain healthy so our economy can keep moving toward recovery," Dr. Andrew Padmos, Royal College CEO, told members of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance on November 2 during pre-budget hearings.

A responsive health care system includes access to quality, diagnostic services in pathology and laboratory medicine; a focus on public health and pandemic preparedness; investments in chronic disease management; and the provision of services to address the needs of vulnerable populations, including Aboriginal Peoples.

Stable, high performing and sufficient specialty medical workforce is needed

"In 2008, the Health Council of Canada warned of health workforce burnout and continued public frustration with wait times, and the Standing Committee on Health said that Canada may be on the brink of a health human resources crisis. We appeal to the federal government to honour its 2008 election commitment to invest in new residency spots in teaching hospitals, which are desperately needed," said Danielle Fréchette, Director of Health Policy and Governance Support for the Royal College.

Research is fundamental to good health

"The Royal College shares concerns with citizens and Canadians that cuts to Canada's three granting councils are compromising Canada's ability to recruit and retain leading physiicans, scholars and scientists, whose discoveries help to ensure evidence-based quality care. Research investments have tangible benefits to our economy," stated Dr. Padmos.

Electronic medical records (EMR) are needed to maximize patient safety and service delivery efficiency.

"Specialty medicine is dependent on the exchange of patient data between all health practitioners. Canada lags behind other countries in the adoption of EMRs. There is need to ensure that we accelerate EMRs in order to maximize patient safety and the efficiency of our services," observed Mrs. Fréchette.

"While the economy has recently been top of mind, health care remains an urgent priority for many Canadians. Federal leadership is important to maintaining the high quality standards of patient care, to upholding equitable and timely access to health care services and ensuring patient safety," Dr. Padmos concluded.

The Royal College pre-budget brief is available at: rcpsc.medical.org/publicpolicy/brief_hoc_august09_e.pdf. For More Information Contact :
Karen McCarthy
Director, Communications and External Relations
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
Telephone: (613) 260-4178
kmccarthy@royalcollege.ca

Canadian nursing organizations are recognized for their contribution to nursing excellence at the Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI)

2009-11-02T17:21:00.000-08:00

Toronto, November 3, 2009 - Canadian nursing organizations are recognized for their contribution to nursing excellence at the Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) biennial conference in Indianapolis.The Practice Academe Innovation Collaboration award was presented to representatives of Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO), the 21 Best Practice Spotlight organizations (BPSOs) and the joint RNAO/University of Ottawa (UO) Nursing Best Practice Research Unit (NBPRU). The inaugural award recognizes the significance and value of collaborative efforts between nursing practice and academia to improve the health of people internationally.

This exciting collaboration started 10 years ago when RNAO began leading the development, dissemination and evaluation of best practice guidelines (BPGs) to improve patient care.“What was once a dream is now a full fledge program serving nurses, their patients and service organizations,” said Doris Grinspun, RNAO’s executive director adding, “the association is thrilled to be recognized with such a prestigious award by STTI”.

As part of the program the NBPR Unit was established by the RNAO and the University of Ottawa to assess the impact of these guidelines on nursing practice, clinical and organizational outcomes. “Our collaboration is solid and meaningful” said NBPRU co-chair Barbara Davies adding, “together, we are advancing nursing knowledge and research in the area of best practice guidelines.” Irmajean Bajnok, director of the International Affairs and Best Practice Program stresses the importance of the BPSO’s as they are “critical partners of this collaborative. It is nurses and hospitals that bring these guidelines to life at the patient bedside. By using the guidelines they generate real impact on patient outcomes.”

To date this partnership has resulted in the development of 40 guidelines (clinical and healthy work environment), and others which are under development. They are available at no cost on the RNAO website. Many of the guidelines have been translated to French and other languages.Other implementation strategies include a network of over three thousand nurses from over 600 health care organizations who champion the implementation of best practice guidelines. The website also contains numerous toolkits, e-learning modules and PDA versions of the guidelines which are accessible to nurses from around the world.

The 21 BPSO’s are located in Ontario and include, Hôpital Charles LeMoyne, Hôpital régional de Sudbury Regional Hospital, McGill University Health Centre, Niagara Health System, Royal Victoria Hospital, Saint Elizabeth Health Care University Health Network, VON Canada,West Park Healthcare Centre, Cambridge Memorial Hospital, Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, Community Care Access Centre HNHB, Extendicare York, Hamilton Health Sciences, The Hospitial for Sick Children, Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre , Niagara Region Public Health Department, The Ottawa Hospital , St. Joseph's Health Care, London, St. Joseph's Health Care, Hamilton. These BPSO’s continue as active members of the RNAO/BPSO/ UofOttawa collaborative.

RNAO’s ambitious Best Practice Guidelines Program, funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, was launched in 1999 to provide the best available evidence for patient care across a wide spectrum of health-care areas. The 40 guidelines developed to date are a substantive contribution towards building excellence in Ontario’s health-care system. They are available to nurses, other health care professionals and organizations across Canada and abroad. To learn more about RNAO’s Nursing Best Guidelines Program or to view these resources, please visit www.rnao.org/bestpractices.

The NBPRU is a unique collaboration between researchers and educators at the University of Ottawa and the RNAO. The Unit strives to bring the best knowledge to nursing and healthcare to enhance practice and improve health and system outcomes. The University of Ottawa is one of the largest nursing schools in Canada with 1500 students currently registered in several programs in English and French (BScN, Post-RN, Nurse-Practitioner, MScN, PhD). The School of Nursing has a PhD program in Nursing which was launched in the fall 2004. The NBPRU will contribute to the scholarship development in all programs and will help distinguish the University of Ottawa as a leading center in nursing research in Canada. For More Information Contact :
Suriya Veerappan
Media Relations Coordinator
Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario
Work phone: 416-907-7956
Cell: 647-504-4008
Toll-free: 1-800-268-7199 ext.253
sveerappan@rnao.org

CLINICARE Achieves CMS v3.0 Certification in Ontario

2009-11-02T17:03:00.001-08:00

CALGARY, October 27, 2009 – CLINICARE Corporation, Canada’s leading provider of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and Practice Management Applications (PMA), is pleased to announce that it has passed conformance testing requirements set forth by OntarioMD and is “CMS Specification 3.0 Certified” as of August 2009 for local installs to physicians in Ontario. Eligible physicians who purchase CLINICARE may receive funding under the Physician IT Program.

A Clinical Management System (CMS) is a software application that combines the clinical and administrative aspects of practice management into an integrated electronic record. The CMS encompasses and manages many aspects of practice management and patient care - from appointment scheduling and billing to clinical encounter notes, medications, test results and a cumulative patient profile. Standards for CMS solutions have been developed through the Physician IT Program to ensure that the solutions adopted by physicians meet or exceed specific functionality and performance standards.[1]

According to Karim Kanji, President of CLINICARE, “Our continued commitment to the EMR market is reflected in the investments we have made in Ontario and other Provinces. We are excited to be CMS 3.0 compliant and look forward to expanding upon our very successful client base in the Province moving forward”

CLINICARE has already established itself as a national leader in providing electronic health solutions based around its EMR software, interface development, and is at the forefront of electronic prescription deployment. CLINICARE will be working with OntarioMD on an ongoing basis to provide the functionality needed to participate in initiatives that may be considered in the future such as MOHLTC General Requirements (additional Chronic Disease Management Programs, Allied Health Professional Access and Reporting, Family Health Team Program delivery evaluations, E-Prescribing etc.), eHealth System Interfaces (OMD Hospital Report and other standardized Interfaces, Disease Registries, Drug Information Systems, Public Health Reporting Systems, Standardized Reporting Interfaces) and Client Registration for Family Practitioners as well as for Specialists.

To find out more about CLINICARE, visit us at www.clinicare.com or contact our Sales and Marketing department at 1-800-563-0579.

About CLINICARE

CLINICARE Corporation (www.clinicare.com) has specialized in software development for the ambulatory physician market since 1984. CLINICARE is Canada’s leading provider of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and Practice Management Applications (PMA). CLINICARE’s EMR has been rated as one of the Top 3 EMRs in North America for the past 6 consecutive years by the prestigious IT consulting firm - KLAS Enterprises. CLINICARE has also been recognized in recent years by the Canadian Health Informatics Association by being bestowed the “Company of the Year”, “Corporate Citizen of the Year” and “Healthcare Transformation of the Year” Awards. CLINICARE is the only vendor to have received this recognition. CLINICARE has branch offices in the United States and Canada, with its Head Office in Calgary, Alberta.

About OntarioMD

More information can be found at: https://www.ontariomd.ca

OntarioMD also has a Transition Support Program (TSP) to assist physicians in their acquisition, implementation and adoption of a CMS solution. For more information, please go to the TSP section under the CMS/EMR Services menu

Satisfaction with Staff Scheduling Software Varies Widely Among Hospital Departments

2009-10-19T17:29:00.000-07:00

New KLAS report looks at the differing needs of nursing, finance and IT when choosing a solution

OREM, Utah – Sept. 22, 2009 – When it comes to hospital staff scheduling software, customer satisfaction varies widely among finance, IT and nursing departments, sometimes producing a departmental battle over which needs are given priority.

In its latest study, Staff Scheduling: Nurses Rock the Boat, research firm KLAS found a significant gap between the vendor solutions favored by nurses and other stakeholders. With an eye toward usability and solid functionality, nurses rated RES-Q Labor Resource Management and McKesson ANSOS One-Staff as top solutions, with Kronos Workforce Scheduler earning the lowest rating from that group. Finance and human resources professionals, however, rated Kronos a full 13 points higher on KLAS’ 100-point scale based on strong reporting capabilities and anticipated cost savings.

“CNOs want a staff scheduling solution that’s easy to manage and easy to use; CIOs want strong integration and support; and CFOs want to improve the bottom line,” said Jared Peterson, KLAS vice president of operations and author of the staff scheduling report. “Those differing needs play to the strengths of different vendors, which often make the task of selecting a staff scheduling solution a very difficult one."

“Overall, however, feedback from nursing proved to be the biggest differentiator in choosing a product, because nurses’ high user demands and strong opinions helped some vendors while sorely hurting others,” Peterson said.

The KLAS report notes that in the past three years, there has been a significant increase in the number of sites live with staff scheduling, but staff scheduling technology has still only penetrated 40 percent of the market. However, the pressure to adopt is mounting. The national economy, ever-slimming profit margins, and heavy labor costs are encouraging organizations to improve their use of resources through enhanced staff-scheduling automation.

When combining the feedback across all hospital departments, RES-Q was the top-rated staff scheduling vendor, with a performance score of 86.5 out of 100. AtStaff was the next highest-rated product vendor (83.6) followed closely by McKesson (83.3). API, Kronos and Lawson are also referenced in the KLAS report.

While their performance scores remain strong, some providers did note that RES-Q and AtStaff do not yet offer enterprise solutions. API, Kronos, McKesson and Lawson now boast complete enterprise workforce management suites, including time and attendance, scheduling, HR and analytics. Only RES-Q and AtStaff do not offer time and attendance and HR.

To learn more about the staff scheduling software market, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of participating vendors, the report Staff Scheduling: Nurses Rock the Boat is available to healthcare providers online for a significant discount off the standard retail price. To purchase the full report, healthcare providers and vendors can visit www.KLASresearch.com.

Quebec the First Province to Use IBM Digital Medical Images Solution

2009-09-28T16:42:00.000-07:00

QUEBEC CITY, Quebec and MARKHAM, Ontario, Sept. 28 /CNW/ -- The Agence de la sante et des services sociaux de Montreal has signed a five-year, C$3.6 million deal with Artefact Informatique, the health division of LGS Group Inc., an IBM (NYSE: IBM) company - the first of its kind in Canada - to build a registry for digital medical images based on the Canada-wide Cross-enterprise Document Sharing (XDS) standard.

With the new tool, Quebec physicians will have quick electronic access to the millions of X-rays, MRIs and other medical images stored annually in three secure digital imaging repositories across the province.

"The registry will enable Quebec family doctors to better serve their patients," said Raymond Carrier, project manager, ministere de la Sante et des Services sociaux du Quebec. "Medical professionals can search for, access and view digital images from their offices, regardless of where or how originals are stored. This is the final step that will lead to a comprehensive medical imaging domain solution as part of the Quebec EHR plan."

To use the tool, doctors will access IBM's Cross-enterprise Document Sharing Integration (XDS-I) registry to view a list of all images on file for their patient. By clicking on an item, the IBM solution will provide a link or point to wherever the images are stored, in one of three digital imaging repositories the province maintains.

Radiologists will also be able to share the workload by gaining access to remote images. This will accelerate diagnosis in regions where radiologists are in short supply.

The new registry is expected to be available in 2010. Currently, family physicians in Quebec have no electronic access to digital images for their patients, and instead must source the physical X-ray or image itself directly from the radiologist - images that can go missing in transit or not arrive at all.

The registry conforms to the XDS-I Profile being promoted by Canada Health Infoway. Since it is based on open industry standards, it is compatible with other Electronic Health Record (EHR) components. Using open standards for EHR will allow for quicker integration and adoption of a system that will ultimately lead to better decision-making for clinicians and better healthcare for patients.

"Quebec is the first province to adopt the XDS-I standard as a province-wide solution for medical images," said Louise Beauchesne, executive regional director for Canada Health Infoway, Quebec region. "It is the goal of Canada Health Infoway to ensure that secure, remote access to electronic health records leads to better healthcare for Canadians."

Last year, IBM announced the creation of a Centre of Excellence at Artefact Informatique to facilitate the sharing of critical medical documents between physicians, clinics and hospitals.

"IBM Canada has worldwide responsibility for the development and support of this industry-leading registry that is being implemented in the Province of Quebec," said Barry Burk, vice president, Healthcare Industry, IBM Canada. "Under Diane Bouchard's leadership, the Artefact Informatique team is deploying this solution which will enable better access to information and improved patient care."

As the exclusive global provider of the solution, Artefact Informatique, a division of LGS Group Inc., an IBM company, is responsible for the evolution of the product as well as the customization, support and integration services. In collaboration with IBM researchers, Artefact Informatique developed the tool that is the core of this IT solution chosen by the Quebec government.

For more information about the ministere de la Sante et des Services sociaux, please visit www.msss.gouv.qc.ca

For more information about the Agence de la sante et des services sociaux de Montreal, please visit www.santemontreal.qc.ca.

For more information about IBM Healthcare, visit www.ibm.com/industries/healthcare.

Media Contacts:
Mike Boden Daniele Frechette
IBM Media Relations Dossier de sante du Quebec
416-478-7117 514-597-2058 #5965
mboden@ca.ibm.com Danielle.Frechette@msss.gouv.qc.ca

For further information: Mike Boden of IBM Media Relations, +1-416-478-7117, mboden@ca.ibm.com or Daniele Frechette of Dossier de sante du Quebec, +1-514-597-2058 #5965, Danielle.Frechette@msss.gouv.qc.ca Web Site: http://www.ibm.com

The ‘Big 3’ – GE, Philips and Siemens – continue to enjoy provider loyalty

2009-09-14T13:41:00.000-07:00

But other vendors and new innovations are shaking up the imaging market

OREM, Utah – Sept. 9, 2009 – While a third of healthcare providers plan to continue a freeze on all imaging equipment purchases in the midst of a tough economy, many more are once again looking to buy, with magnetic resonance (MR) equipment topping the list of planned purchases.

Modality buying decisions are the subject of a new report from KLAS, titled Diagnostic Imaging Equipment: Which Vendors are Positioned to Win? For the study, KLAS interviewed 147 healthcare provider organizations to find out which imaging vendors they’re considering in a variety of categories.

The report notes that providers most frequently mentioned MR systems as a planned purchase over the next 24 months; and Siemens and Toshiba are generating the most buzz in that market thanks to the success of their wide-bore MR equipment.

“Providers have gravitated to wide-bore MR systems for their high-quality imaging plus the increased comfort they offer claustrophobic and bariatric patients,” said Kirk Ising, KLAS research director for medical imaging and medical equipment and author of the new report. “Siemens and Toshiba have clearly set the pace in that arena, while GE and Philips have actually lost business because of their lack of wide-bore MR offerings.”

After MR, respondents most frequently mentioned purchase plans for ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), digital mammography, and then digital x-ray (DR).

In the CT market, GE maintains the lead in mindshare, with 68 percent of providers planning to include the vendor in their purchase decisions. The next most-considered vendor was Siemens, followed by Toshiba and Philips. Toshiba’s position in the CT market has been boosted by the introduction of its Aquilion ONE CT, which has gotten the attention of some research-heavy hospitals that typically disregarded Toshiba in the past.

Another intriguing market segment is digital x-ray. While GE, Siemens and Philips remain the top three vendors in provider mindshare in DR, Carestream is also turning heads with the introduction of its DRX-1 product, a cassette-sized wireless detector. “Many providers indicated they would consider Carestream in DR buying decisions because of the DRX-1,” Ising said.

Taken together, GE, Siemens and Philips garnered the most mentions from providers across the six market segments highlighted in Diagnostic Imaging Equipment: Which Vendors are Positioned to Win?, maintaining the “Big 3” of imaging equipment status that has earned all three companies significant loyalty among providers. Despite this strong position, however, the KLAS report also mentions that companies like Shimadzu and Toshiba, along with Carestream, FUJIFILM and Konica Minolta, have been attracting some clients away from the top vendors because of solid technology and outstanding service.

Vendors profiled in the new KLAS report include Agfa, Carestream, FUJIFILM, GE, Hitachi, Hologic, Konica Minolta, Philips, Siemens and Toshiba.

To learn more about the medical imaging equipment market, as well as healthcare provider perceptions about leading vendors, the report Diagnostic Imaging Equipment: Which Vendors are Positioned to Win? is available to healthcare providers online for a significant discount off the standard retail price. To purchase the full report, healthcare providers and vendors can visit www.KLASresearch.com/reports.

Hospitals Want to Avoid Getting ‘Locked In’ as They Consider Enterprise Imaging Solutions

2009-09-07T12:08:00.000-07:00

New KLAS report explores which vendors providers are considering most for enterprise imaging

OREM, Utah – July 27, 2009 – Many hospitals are considering new vendor-neutral solutions for archiving and accessing medical images in order to avoid being locked in to closed, proprietary software, according to a new report from KLAS.

In Enterprise Imaging: A Vendor Reality Check, KLAS examines the enterprise imaging (EI) market – which aims to deliver access to medical images across hospital departments – and explores the vendor solutions healthcare providers are considering most. The study found that while many providers are looking to their picture archiving and communication system (PACS) vendor as a likely EI partner, they also recognize the potential pitfalls of getting locked into a proprietary solution that may not translate well from one department to another.

“Traditional PACS vendors like Philips, GE, McKesson and FUJIFILM were frequently mentioned by providers as likely candidates for an EI solution,” said Ben Brown, general manager of imaging informatics for KLAS and author of the new EI report. “But those same providers were also adamant that they want to own their image data and not leave it hostage to the PACS vendor.

“A number of hospitals are beginning to take ownership of their medical images by building PACS-neutral archives and storage management layers,” Brown said. “This approach allows the PACS to simply become a physician-friendly viewing and interaction layer that can be upgraded or replaced without the typically painful migration.”

Outside of PACS, many providers also referenced storage and archive solution vendors, such as EMC, IBM and HP, as potential EI partners. Each of those companies has partnered with middleware vendors – EMC with Acuo and IBM and HP with Bycast – to deliver vendor-neutral archive products that federate data from DICOM application or storage layers. Similar solutions from DeJarnette and TeraMedica also enjoy some mindshare with providers. In addition, as the amount of imaging data being archived continues to grow, some providers have looked to outsource their archive and image management to companies like GE, InSite One and Philips.

In total, Philips was the most frequently mentioned EI vendor, followed by GE, McKesson, EMC, FUJIFILM, Agfa, IBM, Siemens, AMICAS (Emageon) and HP. Philips, in particular, poses interesting questions for providers. As the vendor most frequently associated with enterprise imaging, Philips owns tremendous mindshare in the imaging space, offering widely deployed solutions in PACS, cardiology PACS and other areas. At the same time, Philips had the highest number of clients report the possibility of replacing its cardiology solution, and the company’s cardiology strategy has been criticized for being somewhat confusing and fragmented.

The KLAS report notes that while radiology, nuclear medicine and cardiology enjoy significant adoption of digital imaging management, other departments such as oncology, endoscopy and pathology are still fairly immature in their use of the technology. Among those, digital pathology brings with it a number of unique challenges, including enormous data sets that can adversely affect image distribution and transfer speeds. Some industry experts estimate that pathology images represent a larger data volume than all other imaging specialties combined.

To learn more about the enterprise imaging market, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of participating vendors, the report Enterprise Imaging: A Vendor Reality Check is available to healthcare providers online for a significant discount off the standard retail price. To purchase the full report, healthcare providers and vendors can visit www.KLASresearch.com.

Health Information Technology Extension Program: Regional Centers Cooperative Agreement Program

2009-09-03T07:45:00.000-07:00

September 3, 2009

Health Information Technology Extension Program: Regional Centers Cooperative Agreement Program Update

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is pleased to announce the availability of materials that are of immediate interest and use to stakeholders and potential applicants for the Health Information Technology Extension Program: Regional Centers Cooperative Agreement Program, and that are new or updated since the August 27, 2009 technical assistance telephone and web conference.

REVISED – Preliminary Application Template (Attachment I to the Funding Opportunity Announcement): As discussed on the August 27th technical assistance public conference, the suggested template for applicants’ use in compiling and presenting the information required for the Preliminary Application has been updated to include the complete requirements established in the funding opportunity announcement and is now available from www.grants.gov and the Extension Program section of ONC’s website at http://healthit.hhs.gov/extensionprogram.

NEW – A complete transcript of the August 27th technical assistance conference is available for download from the Extension Program section of ONC’s website. Please visit http://healthit.hhs.gov/extensionprogram to access detailed information about the conference, including the transcript and the presentation slides used during the call.

NEW/REVISED – Program-specific Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are now available on the Extension Program section of ONC’s website. New FAQs are posted frequently, so potential applicants and other interested parties are encouraged to visit often. Please visit http://healthit.hhs.gov/extensionprogram then scroll down and click on “Frequently Asked Questions”.

Meaningful Use Pushes Physician Adoption to the Top of Community Hospital IT Requirements

2009-08-31T17:38:00.000-07:00

OREM, Utah – Aug. 25, 2009 – Unlike past purchase decisions where cost and resource requirements dominated, community hospital executives now consider physician adoption the number-one criterion when purchasing a hospital information system (HIS) solution, according to a report from KLAS.

In Disruption in Community HIS Purchases: It’s All About Physician Adoption, KLAS interviewed 64 community hospitals with fewer than 200 beds that were planning to purchase an HIS. The report found that, in light of new meaningful use requirements, many community hospital executives are now considering more complex – and often more costly – IT solutions, which many providers perceive as supporting greater clinician adoption.

“The ARRA is driving the emphasis on physician adoption,” said Paul Pitcher, KLAS research director and author of the community HIS report. “Meaningful use requirements are forcing buyers to focus on this issue rather than cost and infrastructure, which were the much more significant criteria in the past.”

Meditech still dominates provider mindshare for HIS solutions, with McKesson also gaining significant traction recently. Meditech continues to leverage its reputation as a low-cost, integrated solution, with 70 percent of providers including Meditech in their selection process. McKesson Paragon was the next most-considered solution, with 48 percent of providers planning to include Paragon in their due diligence. However, the focus on physician adoption is also bringing a new group of vendors into purchasing discussions.

“Cerner, Eclipsys, Epic and Siemens Soarian are at the table more frequently due to a perceived higher potential for clinician adoption,” Pitcher said. Of those vendors, Cerner was mentioned by 30 percent of respondents as a solution they would consider, followed by Eclipsys and Epic at 16 percent each, and then Siemens Soarian at 8 percent.

The consideration of these traditional large hospital solutions in community HIS purchases has also been spurred by the shrinking opportunity for new sales among large organizations. The KLAS report notes that, while 95 percent of hospitals with more than 200 beds have already chosen their clinical information system, many more new buying decisions are occurring among smaller organizations. In effect, the community hospital market is the new battleground.

Other vendors highlighted in the KLAS report include CPSI, Healthland, HMS, Keane and QuadraMed.

To learn more about the community HIS market, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of participating vendors, the report Disruption in Community HIS Purchases: It’s All About Physician Adoption is available to healthcare providers online for a significant discount off the standard retail price. To purchase the full report, healthcare providers and vendors can visit www.KLASresearch.com.

Clinical Information System (CIS) vendors that prospective buyers plan to purchase from

2009-08-24T19:30:00.000-07:00

KLAS recently published research identifying the Clinical Information System (CIS) vendors that prospective buyers plan to purchase from, which other vendors would be considered in the process...

Clinical information systems (CIS) continue to be at the forefront of healthcare information technology, especially among the more complex acute care hospital market. All the major HIT vendors are vying for the provider organizations that have yet to choose a core clinical strategy, as well as those organizations that are looking to replace either outdated or unsatisfactory systems.

KLAS recently published research identifying the vendors that prospective buyers plan to purchase from, as well as which other vendors would be considered in the process. The majority of survey respondents for this study were CIOs. Researchers asked about perceived strengths and weaknesses of vendor systems and what drivers were involved in vendor selection. The goal of this fifth perception study for clinical information systems was to see where the movement was.

Because this was a perception study, vendors did not receive performance-based rankings. Each vendor has positives and negatives, and each vendor’s approach to development may ultimately determine their success or failure. The top three reasons providers mentioned for replacing their CIS were Flexibility/Function, Vendor Commitment/Delivery, and Integration with Ambulatory.

Researchers spoke with healthcare providers to uncover which vendors would be considered, provider purchasing plans, which vendors to avoid, and provider perception scoring. Purchasing plans in this report were a combination of both first-time buyers and those looking to replace. Thirty-nine percent of respondents said that delivery was a main reason to avoid a vendor. KLAS found that twenty-nine percent of those that already have a CIS are looking to purchase.

In 2001, KLAS began monitoring the CIS market. Follow-up studies were conducted in 2003, 2004, 2006, and now in 2008. The 2001 study began with 10 most considered vendors, but not all of them have survived. Vendors qualifying for inclusion in this CIS study are Cerner, Eclipsys, Epic, GE, McKesson, Meditech, QuadraMed, and Siemens.

For more information, go to www.KLASresearch.com, email marketing@KLASresearch.com, or call 1-800-920-4109 to speak with a KLAS representative.
# # #

HITECH Priority Grants Program Rollout

2009-08-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

News on Next Steps Toward Nationwide Health Information Exchange

A Message from Dr. David Blumenthal, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology

Today’s announcement from the White House regarding the rollout of the first two in a series of HITECH priority grant programs represents a critical step forward in laying the groundwork for meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs). These programs will offer valuable help to health care providers in the selection and incorporation of EHRs into clinical practice, and for States and their designates to assure that statewide information exchange is developed with an eye toward nationwide connectivity across the health care system.

It’s no coincidence that these two grant programs are leading the way. Key to the successful adoption and meaningful use of EHRs is the assurance that providers have the help and guidance they need to select, implement and maintain a certified EHR system. In addition, we need the various and often disparate local, statewide and regional systems to work together, regardless of location and differing state and federal standards or policies, to enhance patient care.

Toward that end, the first grant program, the Health Information Technology Extension Program, will fund dozens of Health Information Technology Regional Extension Centers across the country. The regional extension centers will offer hospitals and clinicians hands-on technical assistance to support meaningful use of certified EHR systems. These modern health IT centers could be considered as somewhat akin to the agricultural extension centers Congress set up early in the 20th century, which helped to support vast improvements in the efficiency, quality and productivity of the agricultural sector.

We hope this 21st century health IT extension program will have a similarly profound effect in helping health care providers through a major transition in our nation’s health system, ultimately improving the quality, efficiency, reliability, availability and equity of care for every American.

A national Health Information Technology Research Center (HITRC) will also be created. The HITRC will help the regional centers collaborate with each other, and it will serve as a national clearinghouse to identify and share best practices and experiences so that providers can learn from what others have gone through as they’ve put such systems in place.

The second grant program will help States and Qualified State Designated Entities (SDEs) to develop or align the necessary policies, procedures and network systems to assist electronic information exchange within and across states, and ultimately throughout the health care system. A key to this program’s overall success will be technical, legal and financial support for information exchanges across health care providers.

Together, the grants will offer much-needed local and regional assistance and technical support to providers while enabling coordination and alignment within and among states, ultimately allowing information to follow patients anywhere within the health care system. They are a clear sign that the Administration is delivering on its promise to transform care.

As we push hard to make EHRs available to all Americans, and the use of electronic health information part of an expected standard of care, we also are intensely focused on ensuring the privacy and security of patient records. If we want to achieve nationwide use of EHRs, patients first and foremost must be assured and have confidence that their electronic personal health information is private, secure and safe. The technology to secure this information exists, and is constantly improving through advances in encryption and de-identification of data. The protection of all health information is absolutely central to all of our efforts in support of electronic health information exchange.

To learn more about the HITECH priority grants program and application requirements, please visit our website, http://healthit.hhs.gov/HITECHgrants. For other health it information, please visit http://healthit.hhs.gov.

I look forward to providing you with more updates on our progress, and to continued interactions with all the communities that have so much to gain from this profound transformation.

Sincerely,

David Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.P.
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) encourages you to share this information as we work together to enhance the quality, safety and value of care and the health of all Americans through the use of electronic health records and health information technology.

For more information and to receive regular updates from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, please subscribe to our Health IT News list.

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EMR Sales Hit Seven-Year Low in 2008, Prospects Brighter in 2009

2009-08-17T16:26:00.000-07:00

Despite a tough economy, Epic continues to roll capturing nearly 40 percent of new large hospital EMR sales in 2008, while McKesson and Siemens also earn unusual wins

OREM, Utah – August 12, 2009 – Healthcare technology research firm KLAS today announced its annual clinical market share report, which details the wins and losses of acute care electronic medical record (EMR) vendors at large hospitals with more than 200 beds.

The report notes that, in 2008, EMR vendors sold the fewest number of new contracts in the United States and Canada in the seven years since KLAS began tracking clinical market share information. However, despite a tough economy, Epic continued to make gains among large hospitals, capturing nearly 40 percent of the new business. McKesson and Siemens also scored some unusual wins, while Cerner saw no net growth in its clinical market share for the first time.

The KLAS report, Physicians, Nurses, and EMR Adoption: Which Solutions are CEOs Betting On?, reflects data collected from more than 1,600 hospitals over 200 beds in the United States and Canada. While acknowledging the seven-year low in EMR sales, the report also notes that the recent past does not appear to be an indication of the future.

“The advent of new meaningful use requirements, plus the ongoing debate around broader healthcare reform, has many organizations looking for a new clinical information system,” said Jason Hess, KLAS general manager of clinical research and author of the new report. “During this study, KLAS identified more than 400 large hospitals that either have no EMR or are using a legacy system; and we are already aware of purchasing activity that, if the rate continues, will far exceed 2008 sales.”

Beyond the steady progress of Epic EpicCare Inpatient, Siemens Soarian Clinicals and McKesson Paragon Clinicals found some unusual wins in 2008. Siemens was able to communicate its vision for Soarian to providers outside its client base, as five non-Siemens hospitals (four organizations) bought Soarian in 2008, despite the product’s historically low computerized physician order entry (CPOE) adoption. Further, the company won three hospitals in the over 400-bed space, bucking Epic’s trend of pushing vendors out of that market.

McKesson Paragon also made some surprising inroads with larger hospitals, given its reputation as a smaller community hospital solution. Of the 12 McKesson EMR wins in hospitals over 200 beds, four of the organizations chose Paragon as opposed to Horizon. These wins indicate that Paragon, one of the lowest-rated systems that KLAS followed in 2000, is now gaining significant momentum, not to mention leading performance scoring in the community hospital information system (HIS) market.

For Cerner and Eclipsys, the KLAS report noted that leadership in CPOE adoption did not necessarily translate into EMR wins. As validated by KLAS earlier this year, Cerner has the highest number of hospitals doing CPOE, and Eclipsys has the greatest number of physicians doing CPOE – yet neither vendor was among the top three in new large hospital EMR sales in the United States and Canada in 2008.

Other vendors highlighted in the KLAS report include GE, Meditech, Medsphere and QuadraMed.

To learn more about the acute care EMR market, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of participating vendors, the report Physicians, Nurses, and EMR Adoption: Which Solutions are CEOs Betting On? is available to healthcare providers online for a significant discount off the standard retail price. To purchase the full report, healthcare providers and vendors can visit www.KLASresearch.com

Robert Devitt appointed as new interim Chief Executive Officer of eHealth Ontario

2009-08-10T14:04:00.000-07:00

TORONTO, Aug. 4 /CNW/ - eHealth Ontario's board of directors announced today the appointment of Robert Devitt as the new interim President and Chief Executive Officer. The board recommended his appointment to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.

The appointment takes effect August 4, 2009 and will end December 31, 2009. eHealth Ontario's board of directors is currently searching for a permanent CEO.

Mr. Devitt has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Toronto East General Hospital since January 2004 and will continue in this role one day per week. Previously, Mr. Devitt has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Peterborough Regional Health Centre and the Queensway-Carleton Hospital in Nepean, Ontario.

Mr. Devitt was also appointed as supervisor of the Scarborough Hospital by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care in August 2007 for approximately one year. Over this period, the hospital saw marked improvements in quality and workplace safety and was returned to fiscal health.

"I'm honored to have this opportunity to lead eHealth Ontario, an organization that is so central to the government's transformation of Ontario's health care system," said Mr. Devitt. "I am eager to meet the staff and stakeholders and help the agency deliver on the province's vital ehealth strategy."

"We are delighted to welcome Rob," said Rita Burak, eHealth Ontario board chair. "The board looks forward to working with him on moving the organization's mandate forward while introducing new accountability measures.

"On behalf of the board and the entire organization, I want to thank Ron Sapsford, acting CEO and President, for his leadership during the transition period. During his time with eHealth Ontario, Ron brought stability and stronger accountability and reporting processes to the agency," said Ms. Burak.

Mr. Sapsford, who was appointed June 9, will return to his role as deputy minister at the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

eHealth Ontario is a new organization that plays the leading role in harnessing technology and innovation to improve patient care, safety, and access in support of the Ontario government's health strategy. eHealth Ontario published the first ehealth strategy for Ontario in March 2009, which is focused on providing a comprehensive, patient-focused, secure and private electronic system. eHealth Ontario will drive the transformation of Ontario's health care system, building toward an electronic health record for all Ontarians by 2015.

BIO - Robert Devitt -- Interim President and CEO, eHealth Ontario
Robert Devitt has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Toronto East General Hospital (TEGH) since January 2004. This large community hospital, with a total of 470 beds, provides an extensive range of ambulatory, inpatient and community programs and services with a budget of $240 million. The hospital has maintained a balanced budget during Mr. Devitt's tenure.

In 2008 the hospital was named a gold recipient of the quality and workplace wellness Canada Award for Excellence by the National Quality Institute, which presents awards annually to organizations that have displayed outstanding performance. It was the first hospital in Canada to receive such an award. More recently, TEGH received full accreditation from Accreditation Canada with the survey report identifying no recommendations for change or improvement, an achievement attained by about only 20 per cent of hospitals.

New KLAS report explores which vendors providers consider most for enterprise imaging

2009-08-10T13:51:00.000-07:00

New KLAS report explores which vendors providers are considering most for enterprise imaging.

About KLAS

KLAS is a research firm specializing in monitoring and reporting the performance of healthcare vendors. KLAS’ mission is to improve delivery, by independently measuring vendor performance for the benefit of our healthcare provider partners, consultants, investors, and vendors. Working together with executives from over 4500 hospitals and over 2500 clinics, KLAS delivers timely reports, trends, and statistics, which provide a solid overview of vendor performance in the industry. KLAS measures performance of software, professional services, and medical equipment vendors. For more information, go to www.KLASresearch.com, email marketing@KLASresearch.com, or call 1-800-920-4109 to speak with a KLAS representative.

MDS Nordion Expands Imaging and Drug Development Capabilities

2009-08-09T05:36:00.000-07:00

OTTAWA, June 4 /CNW/ - MDS Nordion, a leading global provider of medical isotopes and radiopharmaceuticals used in molecular imaging, announced today that it is collaborating with the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Canada's largest cardiovascular health centre, to establish a Molecular Imaging Centre of Excellence to advance cardiology research.

Molecular imaging is an emerging technology that differs from traditional medical imaging as it examines changes at the molecular level within the body to support early disease detection and treatment assessment. MDS Nordion will invest an estimated US $2.2 million in this new centre, which will be equipped with a research and development radiochemistry laboratory to support cardiology research.

This collaboration represents a unique opportunity to expand MDS Nordion's molecular imaging business. Set to open in late 2007 on the Institute's campus, this new centre will enable the two organizations to collaborate on joint cardiology research using the latest in molecular imaging technology. Through this collaboration, MDS Nordion will also provide its innovative molecular imaging services to large pharmaceutical companies to help them bring promising new drugs to market faster and with less cost.

For patients, molecular imaging technology can play an important role in advancing the promise of personalized medicine within the medical community. In addition to helping medical practitioners detect disease earlier, this technology can help physicians to better determine the best treatment for each patient and to monitor their progress throughout treatment.

"We are making a major commitment to innovation with this new centre that can ultimately make a profound difference in the lives of cardiac patients," said Steve West, president of MDS Nordion. "By joining forces with the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, we have a phenomenal opportunity to share world-class knowledge, equipment and advanced technology to improve cardiac care."

"This collaboration will enable the Heart Institute to remain at the forefront of cardiovascular care, education and research," said Dr. Terrence Ruddy, Chief of Cardiology, University of Ottawa Heart Institute. "The Centre is an important addition that will add a new dimension to our research infrastructure. We expect that the research capabilities and opportunities fuelled by this technology will provide a major step forward in combating and ultimately eradicating heart disease."

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the United States and Canada. In the United States, cardiovascular disease is responsible for 36.3 percent of all deaths in 2004, and over 79 million Americans have one or more forms of the disease. In 2001, heart disease accounted for 33 percent of all deaths in men and 35 percent of all deaths in women in Canada, according to the Canadian Health Network.

For more information, visit www.ottawaheart.ca.

Underserved Critical Access Hospitals Hungry for More IT Capability

2009-08-06T12:20:00.000-07:00

New KLAS report profiles the EMR vendor solutions tailored to hospitals with 50 or fewer beds

OREM, Utah – August 3, 2009 – Facing the same meaningful use deadlines as larger organizations but with only a few viable vendor options, critical access hospitals are eager for more IT power, according to a report from KLAS.

The new report, Closing the IT Gap: Critical Access to 50 Bed Hospitals, highlights the experiences of more than 300 healthcare professionals at hospitals with 50 or fewer beds. Providers at these critical access facilities generally reported an appetite for software capability that exceeds vendors’ ability to deliver, particularly in areas like computerized physician order entry (CPOE).

Only a handful of electronic medical record (EMR) vendors specifically serve the critical access market, with CPSI, Healthland and HMS enjoying the most market share. Of those companies, Healthland received the highest performance rating in the KLAS report, but none of the vendors’ solutions earned high marks for adequate functionality.

“Among the three vendors rated in the report, Healthland’s EMR solution earned the highest score for having the needed functionality,” said Paul Pitcher, KLAS research director and author of the new report. “But that score was still relatively low, with only 55 percent of customers satisfied.

“In addition, for all of the rated products, only about 50 percent of the provider comments regarding functionality and upgrades were positive, suggesting significant gaps with the current offerings,” Pitcher said.

One of the foremost pieces of missing functionality, particularly in light of impending meaningful use requirements, is CPOE. The KLAS report notes that CPSI is by far the leader in delivering CPOE to critical access hospitals, with 17 live organizations that are likely to be the most ready for meaningful use. In general, however, CPOE adoption is limited and shallow in this space, with a total of only 21 critical access hospitals known to be live on CPOE.

Beyond the three leading vendors, a few companies that have traditionally served larger community hospitals are also having some impact among facilities with 50 or fewer beds. McKesson Paragon is increasingly being considered by hospital executives in smaller spaces, and QuadraMed has a few Affinity clients, most of which are financial customers, in critical access hospitals. Although Meditech is known as a community hospital vendor, the cost of the Meditech EMR prevents the smallest hospitals from seriously considering it.

To learn more about the EMR software market at hospitals with 50 or fewer beds, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of participating vendors, the report Closing the IT Gap: Critical Access to 50 Bed Hospitals is available to healthcare providers online for a significant discount off the standard retail price. To purchase the full report, healthcare providers and vendors can visit www.KLASresearch.com

.

Lantus insulin now covered under the Ontario provincial drug plan.

2009-08-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

Good news for patients with diabetes

Ontarians taking Lantus insulin to better manage their diabetes now benefit from improved coverage under the Ontario provincial drug plan. On Dec. 3, 2008, the Ontario government announced that its Public Drug Program would provide coverage for Ontarians aged 65 and over, residents of long-term care homes and homes for special care, and those who receive professional home-care services and social assistance. For these patients, it will mean easier access to the only true once-a-day long-acting insulin on the Canadian market, and the option to go on Lantus sooner if it is deemed appropriate for their condition. This latest development follows on the heels of other listings in Manitoba, British Columbia and Quebec. As of Jan. 1, 2009, Lantus is also covered in the province of Saskatchewan.

Many patients taking Lantus have reported that their quality of life has improved tremendously since starting on this insulin. With Lantus (insulin glargine), there is no pronounced peak of activity over a 24-hour period which means that blood glucose levels remain steady. This fact eliminates an important barrier to insulin treatment, given that many patients with diabetes are afraid of having episodes of hypoglycemia (low blood glucose), a potentially dangerous condition marked by trembling, dizziness, anxiety and even heart palpitations.

Until now, the only way for patients in Ontario to have access to Lantus was to pay out of pocket if they did not meet stringent criteria or if they did not have a private drug insurance plan.

Ted Levitt on Marketing

2009-07-22T05:54:00.000-07:00

Ted Levitt (Harvard) himself has described his article Marketing myopia as a manifesto. It challenged the conventional thinking of the time by putting forward a persuasive case for the importance of the marketing approach and the shortsightedness short·sight·ed·ness.

In an era in which post-war shortages contributed to a concentration on production, most companies had developed a product orientation which Levitt believed was too narrow a philosophy to allow continued business success. A drive to increase the efficiency and volume of production took place at the expense of monitoring whether the company was actually producing what the customer wanted. Marketing myopia stressed that customer wants and desires should be a central consideration of any business.

"The organisation must learn to think of itself not as producing goods or services but as buying customers, as doing the things that will make people want to do business with it." (Marketing myopia) In order to achieve this,

"... the entire corporation must be viewed as a customer-creating and customer satisfying organism. Management must think of itself not as providing products but as providing customer-creating value satisfactions. It must push this idea (and everything it means and requires) into every nook and cranny.

Healthcare Providers and IT Vendors Far Apart on Creative Solutions for a Tough Economy

2009-07-20T17:26:00.000-07:00

June 03, 2009 -- Despite renewed discussion around healthcare IT (HIT) investments because of the federal stimulus package, most HIT budgets are still tight - and providers are looking to IT vendors for creative solutions to keep projects moving. According to a new report from KLAS, however, those creative solutions are virtually non-existent.

The new KLAS report, Executive Reaction to the Stimulus Package, reflects feedback from dozens of CIOs and other healthcare executives on a range of economic issues. Among a number of findings, the report explores the gap between what providers need and what vendors are offering to deal with a troubled economy.

"Simply put, the solutions providers are requesting the most are the options vendors are pursuing the least," said Jeremy Bikman, executive vice president of research and strategy for KLAS. "Certainly, reduced maintenance fees and other cost-cutting measures would be welcomed by providers, but not every creative solution has a dollar sign attached to it.

"More than a quarter of the providers we interviewed are looking to vendors to help them achieve a stronger ROI - and that means more training and better support," he said. "Providers are essentially saying, 'help us use your system more effectively,' and very few vendors have answered the call."

Beyond the vendor-provider relationship, Executive Reaction to the Stimulus Package also addresses the shift in IT project timelines since the ratification of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and its provisions for healthcare IT. While the dramatic 2008 economic downturn redirected most hospitals into survival mode, the future reimbursement changes outlined in the ARRA have caused a violent shock in the market. According to the report, twenty-eight percent of providers have speeded up or changed the direction of their IT plans since the announcement of the stimulus package, with 43 percent ready to move but watching cautiously.

Those providers who are accelerating their plans not only have an eye toward reimbursement dollars but are also eager to have first pick of the best resources. As one IDN's executive team summarized, "The ARRA will create a feeding frenzy for EMRs and will overburden vendors and consulting firms."

Though no healthcare technology vendors received overwhelming praise for their efforts to help provider customers deal with the challenging economy, a few companies were noted for their efforts. Microsoft, Epic and GE received the highest ratings from providers for trying to support their customers with creative solutions, while Agfa, Kronos and Meditech received the lowest scores. Other vendors referenced in the study include Cerner, CPSI, Eclipsys, Lawson, McKesson, QuadraMed and Siemens.

"Almost every organization, provider or vendor, is struggling right now in some way. What vendors must understand, however, is that the short-term sacrifices they make today will create relationships that can bear fruit for years to come," Bikman said.

To learn more about healthcare executive reaction to the current economy, the report Executive Reaction to the Stimulus Package is available to healthcare providers online for a significant discount off the standard retail price. To purchase the full report, healthcare providers and vendors can visit www.KLASresearch.com.

2009-07-16T10:19:00.000-07:00

The Government of Canada announced today a contribution to MedSenses, Inc. from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP). The funding supports an innovative research and development project that will allow MedSenses to advance the state of the art delivery of e-courseware for nurses. MedSenses will use 3D simulation and virtual reality integrated with learning management systems, social networking, and wireless communications to ultimately improve the delivery of health care.

MedSenses develops interactive e-courseware for nurses, linking scientific research to commercialization, jobs, and economic growth. MedSenses focuses on the development, production and commercialization of custom designed e-course elements, made for the health care industry, such as 3-D animations, medical illustrations, case scenarios, and clinical expertise. The $374,500 funding will allow the New Brunswick company to continue enhancing learning for nurses and the delivery of health care through new innovative communication technologies.

"NRC-IRAP is playing an important role in the success of the company," said Tim Barnett, Chief Executive Officer of MedSenses. "The financial support we are receiving from NRC-IRAP, together with our business partners, will help us develop nurses' critical thinking skills, ultimately leading to increased quality of care for our health consumers. Now that we have proven ourselves as experts in continuing education for nurses, it was time to consider leveraging technology to provide a more realistic and valuable learning experience for our users."

Healthcare Providers Finding a Strong ROI Moving to Digital Mammography

2009-07-13T18:18:00.000-07:00

OREM, Utah – July 8, 2009 – With many hospitals and imaging centers still struggling to reconcile technology budgets amid a tough economy, digital mammography has proven to be a solid investment for many healthcare providers. While a switch from traditional film mammography to digital technology can present a learning curve for clinicians, according to a new report from KLAS, many providers feel that digital mammography pays for itself when done right.

In Digital Mammography: Hot Market in a Cool Economy, KLAS interviewed more than 200 healthcare professionals about their use of full-field digital mammography (FFDM) solutions. The FDA has noted that roughly half of the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA)-certified facilities in the United States have now adopted digital mammography equipment; and according to the KLAS report, many of those who have made the switch to FFDM systems have increased their capacity for patient throughput, leading to a strong ROI for the new technology.

As one provider executive stated in the report, “Before we were digital, we had a one-year backlog of mammo exams. Now that we have digital mammo coupled with modern scheduling and a PACS, we can schedule patients the same day for diagnostic exams. For routine screenings, we can schedule patients within a week. In the past, we were losing business when we had the one-year backlog, but now things are so much more efficient.”

However, the proper environment is an important factor in gaining those benefits. “When used in conjunction with complementary technologies, in a prepared environment and with a staff committed to digital workflows, digital mammography is a definite win,” said Ben Brown, KLAS general manager of imaging informatics and author of the mammography study. “The transition does usually require both the technician and the physician to restructure their workflow, a process that reportedly can take several months; but most providers find that the efficiency gains outweigh the learning curve.”

Of the four vendors rated in the report, Hologic Selenia earned the top performance score (88.3 out of 100) by a slim margin over GE Senographe Essential (88.0). Although Hologic ultimately claimed the lead in this year’s study, the company switched places with GE several times over the last year, making a clear winner difficult to predict. The other vendor products rated in the report are FUJIFILM Aspire ClearView-CSm and Siemens MAMMOMAT NovationDR.

The report also noted that image quality is rarely a differentiator in digital mammography buying decisions or vendor performance scoring. The more critical metrics are physician preference – specifically the imaging tools, overall workflow and navigation – and service and support. Regarding the latter, the study showed that provider satisfaction is closely tied to the local coverage provided by field service engineers.

While the four vendors rated in this KLAS report currently control the digital mammography market in North America, several others wait in the wings, eagerly anticipating FDA approval and subsequent expansion into the United States. These vendors include Agfa, Carestream, Konica, Philips, Sectra and others.

To learn more about the digital mammography market, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of participating vendors, the report Digital Mammography: Hot Market in a Cool Economy is available to healthcare providers online for a significant discount off the standard retail price. To purchase the full report, healthcare providers and vendors can visit www.KLASresearch.com.

KLAS Report: Surprising Changes in the Market for ERP Consultants, July 13, 2009

2009-07-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

OREM, UT, July 13, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The typical cost hospitals pay for a consulting engagement for enterprise resource planning (ERP) software has dropped dramatically in the past three years, according to a new report from healthcare research firm KLAS.

The report, "Staying on Target with ERP Implementations: A Report on Healthcare Consulting Firms", reflects the experiences of 59 healthcare providers that have recently implemented or upgraded ERP software with the help of IT consultants. The study points out that the average cost of an ERP consulting engagement has dropped 77 percent in three years - from roughly $2 million in 2006 to just $450,000 today.

While the significant drop is indicative of a tough economy and tighter budgets, it also reflects that fact that most healthcare ERP engagements today are upgrades. "Seventy percent of today's ERP consulting work is in upgrades, so services firms are finding themselves in more of a supportive role at lower-cost engagements," said Mike Smith, KLAS general manager of financial and services research and author of the ERP report. "With fewer projects and even fewer large projects, some consulting firms have adapted well to the current, more tactical ERP environment of upgrades and add-on modules, while others have not."

The vast majority - more than 80 percent - of the recent ERP consulting work in healthcare is related to Lawson software, and more specifically, as a result of Lawson's decision to stop support for version 8 of its ERP system. However, as the KLAS report points out, external consultants are generally much better at implementing Lawson ERP software than Lawson itself.

"The six consulting firms implementing Lawson scored between 11 and 17 points higher in this study than Lawson scored for implementing its own products," Smith said. "With so much of the ERP work at hospitals focused on Lawson, you might expect Lawson to have a big advantage over third parties - but provider experiences have shown quite the opposite."

Providers reported that Lawson consultants were able to deliver their services on time and within budget only 69 percent of the time, compared with a 98 percent average from other firms. Further, more than half of the hospitals using Lawson's implementation services indicated that their project objectives were not met.

In contrast, large consulting firms with established practices in healthcare dominated the scoring in the KLAS ERP report. CSC topped the list of rated vendors with a performance score of 89.2 out of 100, followed by ACS at 83.9. Deloitte was also rated highly by a few provider clients. However, KLAS was not able to confirm and measure enough specific ERP implementation projects to rank Deloitte against other rated vendors. Other companies rated in the KLAS ERP implementation report include CIBER, Fujitsu, Hitachi, ISH and McKesson.

To learn more about the ERP implementation services market, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of participating firms, the report "Staying on Target with ERP Implementations: A Report on Healthcare Consulting Firms" is available to healthcare providers online for a significant discount off the standard retail price. To purchase the full report, healthcare providers and vendors can visit www.KLASresearch.com.

Birmingham East and North Primary Care Trust and Heart of England Foundation Trust - Birmingham, UK

2009-05-31T16:12:00.000-07:00

Citation InformationBaker, G.R., A. MacIntosh-Murray, C. Porcellato, L. Dionne, K. Stelmacovich and K. Born. 2008. "Birmingham East and North Primary Care Trust and Heart of England Foundation Trust." High Performing Healthcare Systems: Delivering Quality by Design. 27-64. Toronto: Longwoods Publishing.
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View the individual chapters for free in the Table of Contents.• Download the entire book as a PDF file -- only $9.00.• Order the printed paperback version.
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Highlights of recent achievements
In 2005 and 2006 the Birmingham East and North Primary Care Trust (BEN PCT) was short-listed for the Health Service Journal award for Primary Care Trust of the Year (Health Service Journal Awards 2005, 2006).

BEN PCT's orthopaedic triage service won the Health Service Journal's access award in 2005 for its work in managing referrals to orthopaedics in primary care settings, decreasing patient waits and increasing patient satisfaction and access (Health Service Journal Awards 2005).

BEN PCT changed from the worst-performing area in the country for over-prescription of antibiotics to winning an award from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society for its achievement in reducing prescribing levels (Birmingham East and North Primary Care Trust 2006b).

Good Hope Hospital's redesign of its vascular surgery clinic and community leg ulcer service won the National Health Service (NHS) Innovation Award for Service Delivery in 2004 and the Healthcare IT Effectiveness Award's Best Use of IT in the Health Service and Best Innovative Use of Technology awards in 2005 (Healthcare IT Effectiveness Awards 2005).

The Heart of England Foundation Trust (HEFT) won the Acute Care Trust of the Year award in 2006 (Health Service Journal Awards 2006).

For the complete chapter click here.

ONE® Network Order Agreement | Ontario Network for e-Health

2009-05-31T15:02:00.001-07:00

[ see the actual form here: http://db1.spiderline.com/exec/search?q=contracts&a=16683&x=13&y=58 ]

eHealth Ontario Mandate
eHealth Ontario is the provincial agency mandated to improve patient care and safety by harnessing innovation and technology. Its priorities are the creation of a Diabetes Registry; establishing an e-prescribing system and developing and ehealth portal. It will also oversee the development of a province-wide electronic health record system by 2015.

eHealth Ontario Obligations
eHealth Ontario agrees to provide network connectivity, including network interface equipment, to the client in fulfillment of its mandate. eHealth Ontario also agrees to provide a support structure to assist the client in resolving eHealth Ontario network-related issues. eHealth Ontario will bear the cost of providing and managing the network connectivity to the client.

Client Obligations
The client agrees to provide an appropriate and secure environment for eHealth Ontario to install the network and locate its network interface equipment, and reasonable access to the site to deliver, install, maintain, inspect, disconnect or remove its network interface equipment. The client will bear the local infrastructure cost of interfacing to and using the provided network services. Upon termination of the service, the client agrees to return all eHealth Ontario-provided equipment to eHealth Ontario.

Shared Obligations
Both eHealth Ontario and the client have an obligation to provide appropriate management, governance and oversight to protect the confidentiality and security of health-related information exchanged by health care providers.

Detailed Terms and Conditions and attached schedules, being the Acceptable Use Policy and Security Policy, have been provided.

Please Refer to: Instructions for Completing ONE® Network Order Agreement and What You Need to Know before completing this form. Please complete the entire form; incomplete forms, or incorrect information will result in processing delays.

eHealth Ontario USE ONLY Order Number:
Part A – Acknowledgement
1. The ONE Network Order Agreement or “Agreement” consists of this order form and the attached Terms and Conditions including
any schedules thereto. By signing below, the client acknowledges that it has read, understands and agrees to be bound by the Agreement as of the __________/__________/__________ (the “Effective Date”) (yyyy-mm-dd).
Signature: Business Legal Name:

Printed Name:

Title:

Date:

2. Site Address
The street address of the site where the circuit will be installed, (not the mailing address).
Refer to ONE Network - What You Need to Know for further information regarding the location of the circuit.
Number and Street Name

Suite/Unit/Floor

Building Name (for multi-building sites)

City/Town

Province
ON Postal Code

Site Telephone No. (include extension)

Site Fax No.

Is this fax secure? * 0 Yes 0 No
*The fax machine must be located in a secure area where it can be used and monitored only by authorized personnel.
Site Name/Group Name

Circuit Location:
Floor Room Number/
Description

eHealth Ontario USE ONLY e-Health Initiative:
Unique Site Identifier:

3. Site Business Hours and Preferred Installation Hours
Business hours are the hours the site is staffed. Depending upon the type of circuit provided, it may be necessary to have one or more eHealth Ontario authorized installer(s) visit your site. To indicate preferred installation hours, list only the hours the site is open and able to withstand a possible interruption from an installer. Vendor installation hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (excluding statutory holidays).
3a. Site Business Hours

3b. Preferred Installation Hours 0 Mon 0 Tue 0 Wed 0 Thurs 0 Fri
0 AM 0 PM

Same as Site Business Hours? 0 Yes 0 No

3c. Site Access Instructions Site Access Instructions are forwarded to the subcontractor. Concisely and accurately indicate whom the subcontractor should contact to arrange installation. (For example, contact John Smith prior to visit to make security arrangements.)
Site access instructions 0 No instructions required

4. Shipping Information
Would you like the hardware shipped to the site address provided for the circuit location? 0 Yes 0 No If No, specify shipping information below
Ship To: Name of organization and/or staff member:

Shipping Address

City/Town

Province
ON Postal Code

5. Client Contact Information (Provide only business-related information)
5a. Primary Contact (Name of the individual with the authority to make decisions regarding the installation. This individual can be either on or off-site.)
First Name

Last Name

On-site?
0 Yes 0 No

Business Telephone No. (Include extension)

Business Fax No.

Is this fax secure?*
0 Yes 0 No
*The fax machine must be located in a secure area where it can be used and monitored only by authorized personnel.
Business Pager/Cell Phone No.

Business E-mail

5b. Backup Contact (Name of the individual to contact in the event the Primary Contact cannot be reached. This individual can be either on or off-site.)
First Name

Last Name

On-site?
0 Yes 0 No

Business Telephone No. (Include extension)

Business Fax No.

Is this fax secure?*
0 Yes 0 No
*The fax machine must be located in a secure area where it can be used and monitored only by authorized personnel.
Business Pager/Cell Phone No.

Business E-mail

5c. Technical Contact (Name of the individual who provides local assistance at the site during the implementation of the hardware)
First Name

Last Name

On-site?
0 Yes 0 No

Company Name

Business Telephone No. (Include extension)

Business Fax No.

Is this fax secure?*
0 Yes 0 No
*The fax machine must be located in a secure area where it can be used and monitored only by authorized personnel.
Business Pager/Cell Phone No.

Business E-mail

PART B: Technical Information

It is recommended that you consult your technical support person to complete the remainder of this form.
6. LAN Information. If you have or will have a LAN at the time of circuit installation, respond to the questions below. Otherwise, proceed to section 7. Internet or Other Connection.
6a. Total number of workstations
6b. Number of workstations requiring Internet access

6c. Total number of IP addresses required
(Allow room for growth over next 3-5 years) 6d. Number of addresses to reserve for static IP addresses
(e.g. network printers, servers, wireless devices, routers, faxes)
6e. Type of LAN: 0 Ethernet 0 Token Ring
0 Other, specify
6f. Will you have Hubs or Switches at the time of circuit installation? 0 Yes 0 No

6g. Will you be sharing your LAN with any other organizations at the time of circuit installation?
0 Yes 0 No
If “Yes”, specify the organization(s) and their line(s) of business

6h. Do your users use Macintosh computers?
0 No
0 Yes, at work
0 Yes, from home or other remote locations

7. Internet or Other Connection
If you have an Internet or Other Connection, respond to the questions below and refer to Security Policy - Internet section.
If you DO NOT have an Internet or Other Connection, proceed to Uninterruptible Power Supply and Firewall.
7a. How do you currently connect to the Internet?
0 Dial-up 0 Cable
0 ADSL 0 Other (specify)
7b. If you already have an ADSL line, please specify:
The phone number used for ADSL:
The supplier’s name:

7c. Name of Internet Service Provider

7d. Name of e-mail Service Provider

7e. Bandwidth of your current connection (upstream)
7f. Bandwidth of your current connection (downstream)

7g. If you use the Internet for anything other than browsing, name the applications you are using (refer to the instructions for completing this form)

7h. Other connections? 0 Yes 0 No If Yes, specify:

8. Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) and Firewall
eHealth Ontario strongly recommends installation of a UPS of adequate size, prior to eHealth Ontario circuit installation.
Do not use an additional firewall beyond the eHealth Ontario firewall.
8a. Check (x) ONE ONLY
0 Site currently has a UPS that can accommodate an eHealth Ontario modem and an eHealth Ontario SOFA (firewall)
0 Site will install a UPS of adequate capacity prior to eHealth Ontario circuit installation

9. Telephone connection
eHealth Ontario needs to know if there is a PBX, and or other characteristics of your existing phone system, in order to avoid any service disruption.
9a. Do you have a PBX system?
0 Yes 0 No
9b. Name of carrier for your local telephone lines
9c. If you have a PBX, is the fax line that you listed
in section 2 connected through the PBX?
0 Yes 0 No

9d. Is the fax line used for anything else besides sending/receiving faxes?
0 Yes 0 No
If Yes, please specify other uses:

9e. List any other existing ADSL eligible analog line(s) on which eHealth Ontario may be able
to provision ADSL. (Please consult with your phone provider; refer to the eligibility table below)
Line No. Is this a fax no.? 0 Yes 0 No
Line No. Is this a fax no.? 0 Yes 0 No
Line No. Is this a fax no.? 0 Yes 0 No

ADSL can be installed on: ADSL cannot be installed on:
 Bell Canada Analog Business Lines
 Analog Centrex Lines
 Dial Inward Dial (DID) telephone numbers
 A standard line used for phone, fax, or credit card terminal  Bell Canada lines that terminate at a PBX or other private telephony equipment
(for example, need to dial ‘9’ or any other code to get outside line)
 Bell Canada Business Trunk (Central Office Trunk, or “CO” trunk) lines
 Bell Canada ISDN (BRI or PRI) lines
 Lines that have an AML (Add a Main Line) box installed (the phone accepts two different phone numbers or distinct ring or Ident-a-Call service)
 Lines on which security alarm systems are installed
 Telephone lines from suppliers other than Bell Canada
 Lines which have a modem installed
10. Active Directory/Domain Name System (AD/DNS) Please answer “Yes” if your network will be using the following services at the time of circuit installation.
10a. An Active Directory server? 0 Yes 0 No

10b. Your own domain name? 0 Yes 0 No If Yes, specify the domain name:

10c. A registered domain name? 0 Yes 0 No

10d. DHCP services? 0 Yes 0 No

11. Virtual Private Network (VPN)
11a. Will your network be using a VPN solution at the time of circuit installation?
0 Yes 0 No
11b. If “Yes”, what VPN client is/will be deployed on the workstation?

11c. Will your network be hosting any servers for external access at the time of circuit installation?
0 Yes 0 No

12. Comments
12a. Please enter any comments/questions/notes below. (Refer to the instructions for completing this form, for things you may wish to include.)

13. Clinical Management System (CMS) Vendor – For organizations installing a CMS
13a. Are you installing a CMS?
0 Yes 0 No
13b. Specify the CMS vendor

13c. Is this a new CMS for your Office?
0 Yes 0 No
13d. Specify the product name

13e. How many physicians work at this site?

14. Clinical Management System (CMS) Configuration – For organizations installing a CMS
14a. For eHealth Ontario to order and install the most suitable circuit, check (x) the configuration that best describes your location environment.
0 CMS Local Configuration 1
0 CMS Local Configuration 2

0 CMS Local Configuration 3

0 CMS ASP
0 Desktop Only
Stand alone local location.
Hub and Spoke location(s); connects several physician offices (remote locations) at different locations to a server within one physician’s office (hub).
Remote location(s); connects several physician offices (remote locations) at different locations to a server within a hospital.
Your site will be using the CMS ASP offering. (Note: A CMS ASP Addendum for the ONE Network Order Agreement is required).
Your site is not implementing a CMS at this time.
The installation period for a CMS Local Configuration 2 is 20 to 120 business days (approx. 1-6 months). The installation period
for all other configurations is 20 to 45 business days. The first business day begins on the date that the order is placed by eHealth Ontario.
14b. How many CMS users at this location?

Applicable to CMS Local Configurations 2 and 3 Only
14c. Is your site the hub location? 0 Yes 0 No
If “No”, specify hub location Address:

14d. Hub Location Primary Contact (First and Last Name)

ONE® Network
Order Agreement Terms and Conditions

ARTICLE 1 BACKGROUND
1.1 Purpose. This Agreement sets out the terms and conditions under which eHealth Ontario will provide the Services to Client.
1.2 Representatives. “Representatives” means, in the case of eHealth Ontario or Client, any directors, officers, employees, agents, consultants or subcontractors, as well as the directors, officers, employees or agents of any subcontractor, of each such party.
ARTICLE 2 TERM AND TERMINATION
2.1 Term. This Agreement shall be effective as of the Effective Date and shall continue until terminated in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in this Article 2.
2.2 Material Breach. In the event of a breach of this Agreement, the non-breaching party may terminate this Agreement upon written notice to the other party provided that the non-defaulting party has given the breaching party prior written notice of the breach which describes the nature of the breach and the breaching party has failed to cure the breach within thirty (30) days of the prior written notice.
2.3 For Convenience. At any time more than six (6) months after the Effective Date, Client or eHealth Ontario may terminate this Agreement upon ninety (90) days written notice to the other party.
2.4 Change to Policies. “eHealth Ontario Policies” means eHealth Ontario’s Acceptable Use Policy attached as Schedule One and eHealth Ontario’s Security Policy attached as Schedule Two. Each is a “eHealth Ontario Policy”. For a period of ten (10) Business Days following any date on which eHealth Ontario issues a notice of any change to the eHealth Ontario Policies to Client, if that change is unacceptable to Client, Client may terminate this Agreement upon thirty (30) days written notice to eHealth Ontario.
2.5 Survival. Those sections which by their nature should survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement, including but not limited to sections 2.5, 3.5(e), 3.5(f), 3.7 and 3.8 and Articles 5, 6, 7 and 8 will remain in full force and effect following the expiration or termination of this Agreement.
ARTICLE 3 SERVICES
3.1 (a) Services. Subject to the other provisions of this Agreement, eHealth Ontario agrees to provide to Client, a network circuit connected to eHealth Ontario’s technology infrastructure and any related services described in the following provisions of this Article 3 (the “Services”).
(b) Plain Language Descriptions. Client acknowledges receiving from eHealth Ontario the plain language descriptions of the Services, including a description of the safeguards pertaining to the Services, attached hereto as Schedule Three (the “Plain Language Descriptions”). eHealth Ontario may amend the Plain Language Descriptions from time to time. A current copy of the Plain Language Descriptions is available at the eHealth Ontario website (www.www.ehealthontario.on.ca).
3.2 Service Level Commitment. eHealth Ontario will use commercially reasonable efforts to provide the Services, but eHealth Ontario makes no service level commitments in this Agreement.
3.3 Authorization Letter. In order to perform certain activities related to the Services, eHealth Ontario or its subcontractors may require letter(s) of authorization from Client. If such a letter is required, eHealth Ontario shall be relieved of any obligation to provide the affected Services until Client provides that letter to eHealth Ontario or its subcontractor (as applicable).
3.4 End Users. Client shall cause any individual who is an employee, agent, consultant or other representative of Client and who is authorized by Client to use all or part of the Services that are intended for individual use (its “End Users”) to comply with this Agreement and is responsible for the acts and omissions of its End Users as if such acts and omissions were the acts and omissions of Client.
3.5 Service Equipment. The provision of Services may include the provision of Service Equipment. “Service Equipment” means any equipment or software selected by and provided by eHealth Ontario (or any Representative of eHealth Ontario) to Client in conjunction with any Services including without limitation servers, routers, modems, cables, fibre optic cable, panels or switching equipment but not including any equipment that has been purchased by Client. With respect to any Service Equipment:
(a) Provision. Client acknowledges that the provision of any item of Service Equipment is in eHealth Ontario’s sole discretion.
(b) Access. Client shall ensure that eHealth Ontario or its Representatives may access any site where the circuit provided under this Agreement terminates (“Authorized Site”) to deliver, install, maintain, inspect, disconnect or remove any Service Equipment located or to be located at such site.
(c) Service Equipment. Client will ensure that any Service Equipment is installed, used, stored and maintained in a manner and in an environment which conforms to the relevant manufacturer’s specifications, any specifications provided by eHealth Ontario and this Agreement. Client will be responsible for the loss of and risk or damage to the Service Equipment, except where caused by the negligence or wilful misconduct of eHealth Ontario.
(d) Modifications. eHealth Ontario in its sole discretion may replace or modify any item of Service Equipment, so long as doing so does not have a material adverse impact on the Services in connection with which that item of Services Equipment was originally provided.
(e) Ownership. Service Equipment remains the property of eHealth Ontario or its suppliers, and Client shall not acquire any interest in, nor file or permit any liens or other encumbrances upon the Service Equipment.
(f) Return. Upon the termination of any Service in connection with which any Service Equipment was provided, Client is responsible for ensuring the return of that Service Equipment to a location in the Province of Ontario designated by eHealth Ontario.
(g) Equipment. Except for Service Equipment, Client is responsible for providing any equipment, software or services required by Client to access and use all or part of the Services.
3.6 Support. eHealth Ontario will provide Client with technical support and assistance relating to the Services through a help desk available by telephone. eHealth Ontario may change the applicable telephone number from time to time. eHealth Ontario does not guarantee that it will be able to verify or resolve all problems presented by Client to the help desk. Client acknowledges that Client and not eHealth Ontario is responsible for resolving any problems with Client’s own technology infrastructure.
3.7 Intellectual Property. No intellectual property rights are transferred by eHealth Ontario to Client by this Agreement. Client will not remove any confidentiality, copyright or other proprietary rights notices from any materials provided by eHealth Ontario or its Representatives.
3.8 IP Addresses. Client acknowledges that Client has no right, title or interest in or to any IP addresses assigned to Client by eHealth Ontario or its Representatives in connection with any Services. If a fixed IP address is assigned to Client, eHealth Ontario or its Representatives may change any such address upon notice to Client.
3.9 Additional Services. Any additional services related to the Services that are requested by Client and that eHealth Ontario in its sole discretion provides are deemed to be Services provided pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
ARTICLE 4 SECURITY AND ACCEPTABLE USE
4.1 Compliance. Client acknowledges that it has read the eHealth Ontario Policies and agrees to comply with the eHealth Ontario Policies. Client will cause its End Users to read and to comply with the eHealth Ontario Policies. Any violation of any eHealth Ontario Policy or any laws by Client (or by any End User) is a material breach of this Agreement by Client and eHealth Ontario may, in its sole discretion, restrict, suspend or terminate the Services, upon written notice, without an opportunity to cure notwithstanding section 2.2. When exercising its rights under this section, eHealth Ontario will respond in a manner proportional to the severity of the violation.
4.2 Revisions to eHealth Ontario Policies. eHealth Ontario may revise any of the eHealth Ontario Policies, from time to time, in its sole discretion, and Client agrees to abide by the eHealth Ontario Policies as amended from time to time. eHealth Ontario will give Client notice of any such changes to the eHealth Ontario Policies. CLIENT’S CONTINUED USE OF THE SERVICES CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE OF SUCH CHANGES.
ARTICLE 5 PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY
5.1 “Confidential Information” means any and all information and materials, which: (i) are designated in writing, as confidential at the time of disclosure, or (ii) if disclosed orally or visually, are designated in writing, as confidential, within thirty (30) days of disclosure, or (iii) a reasonable person, having regard to the circumstances and the information, would regard as confidential.
5.2 “Personal Information” means any personal information including personal health information which is required to be protected pursuant to the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (“PHIPA”) or the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (“FIPPA”) (each as amended from time to time) or any other laws, regulations or judicial decisions applicable in the Province of Ontario pertaining to the protection of personal information as are in effect at this time or may be in effect during the term of this Agreement (“Privacy Laws”). Personal Information is a subset of Confidential Information.
5.3 Confidential Information. Both parties recognize that the protection of Confidential Information by the receiving party (the “Recipient”) is of vital importance to the party disclosing that information (the “Disclosing Party”). As between the Disclosing Party and the Recipient, the Disclosing Party is the owner of its Confidential Information, and except to the extent set out in this Agreement, no interest, license or other right in or to that Confidential Information is granted to the Recipient or implied simply by the disclosure of that Confidential Information.
5.4 Unless it is also Personal Information, Confidential Information does not include information which:
(a) is or at any time becomes in the public domain other than by a breach of this Agreement or breach of any agreement between the Disclosing Party and a third party;
(b) is known to the Recipient (as substantiated by cogent and reliable written evidence in the Recipient’s possession) free of any restrictions at the time of disclosure;
(c) is independently developed by the Recipient through individuals who have not had either direct or indirect access to the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information; or
(d) is disclosed to the Recipient by a third party who had a right to make such disclosure.
5.5 As Is. ALL CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION PROVIDED BY A DISCLOSING PARTY IS PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” BASIS, WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY, REPRESENTATION OR CONDITION OF ANY KIND.
5.6 Obligations. The Recipient will:
(a) use the Disclosing Party's Confidential Information only in accordance with this Agreement and only for the purpose of fulfilling its obligations and exercising its rights under this Agreement, and will not use, manipulate or exploit the Disclosing Party's Confidential Information for any other purpose;
(b) use the same degree of care to protect the Disclosing Party's Confidential Information as the Recipient would protect its own confidential information of a like nature and in any event using a standard no less than a reasonable degree of care;
(c) disclose the Disclosing Party's Confidential Information only to the Recipient's employees, subcontractors or agents who have a need to know and are bound by a written contract to keep the Confidential Information of third parties confidential at least to the same extent as set forth in this Agreement; and
(d) notify the Disclosing Party immediately upon becoming aware of any unauthorized use, access of or disclosure of the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information.
5.7 Termination. Upon the termination of this Agreement,, the Recipient will: (i) return all Confidential Information disclosed to it by the Disclosing Party and all copies thereof, regardless of form; or (ii) securely destroy any such Confidential Information that cannot be returned. Notwithstanding the foregoing in this section 5.7:
(a) eHealth Ontario may retain any back-up tapes or disks produced in conjunction with the Services until such time as they are scheduled to be destroyed in accordance with eHealth Ontario’s policies and procedures with respect to the retention of back-ups.
(b) Either party may retain any Confidential Information of the other party that it is required to keep pursuant to any law applicable in the Province of Ontario for so long as it is required to do so.
5.8 By Law. Neither party shall be liable for disclosure of Confidential Information if disclosure is required by the laws of the Province of Ontario, provided that the Recipient, to the extent permitted by law, notifies the Disclosing Party of any such requirement as soon as legally permissible, so that the Disclosing Party may seek a protective order or other relief.
5.9 Injunctions. The Recipient agrees that the unauthorized access, use or disclosure of the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information will cause irreparable injury to the Disclosing Party, and the Disclosing Party is entitled to seek injunctive and other equitable relief, as a matter of right.
5.10 Privacy. Each party agrees to comply with all Privacy Laws to which it is subject. PHIPA applies to eHealth Ontario. For clarification, eHealth Ontario provides services in the capacity of a “health information network provider” under this Agreement. As a health information network provider, eHealth Ontario will comply with section 6(3) of Ontario Regulation 329/04, made under PHIPA as amended from time to time (the “PHIPA Regulation”). The obligations of the PHIPA Regulation are satisfied by the provisions of this Agreement. .
5.11 Authorization. By Ontario Regulation 43/02 (amended to Ontario Regulation 54/05) (as amended from time to time), eHealth Ontario is authorized to collect Personal Information for purposes connected with the registration and authentication of its clients and as otherwise necessary for the administration of eHealth Ontario’s authorized activities.
5.12 Unauthorized Access or Disclosure. eHealth Ontario shall notify Client as the first reasonable opportunity if: a) eHealth Ontario accessed, used, disclosed, or disposed of personal health information other than in accordance with PHIPA; or b) an unauthorized person accessed personal health information. In the event that eHealth Ontario is obliged to notify the Client pursuant to this section, eHealth Ontario shall provide notice in accordance with the following procedures: (1) eHealth Ontario shall notify the Authorized Representative as soon as reasonably practicable; (2) The contents of the notice will include: (a) the date and time of the unauthorized access, use, disclosure or disposal; (b) a description in reasonable detail of the personal health information subject to the unauthorized access, use, disclosure or disposal; (c) the circumstances surrounding the incident, including who accessed, used, disclosed, or disposed of the personal health information; and (d) the actions taken to contain and to prevent similar unauthorized access, use, disclosure or disposal; and (3) eHealth Ontario shall, to the extent reasonably practical, and in a manner that is reasonably practical, keep and make available to the Client, on the written request of the Client, an electronic record of: a) all accesses to all or part of the personal health information associated with Client being held in equipment controlled by eHealth Ontario, which record shall identify the person who accessed the information and the date and time of the access; and b) all transfers of all or part of the personal health information associated with Client by means of equipment controlled by eHealth Ontario, which record shall identify the person who transferred the information and the person or address to whom it was sent and the time it was sent. Notwithstanding the forgoing, in general eHealth Ontario does not store any personal health iInformation on any equipment that is part of the eHealth Ontario network. With respect to accesses, eHealth Ontario firewalls and routers only maintain the following information: firewall rules, firewall routing tables, and firewall address translation tables. This information consists of source IP addresses, destination IP addresses, and the port number specific to the application being used. With respect to transfers, eHealth Ontario is only able to track the IP addresses of the source, destination and application port. eHealth Ontario is only able to identify the client organization.
5.13 Client Obligations to Notify and Co-operate. Client will immediately report to eHealth Ontario all security or privacy incidents of which they are aware involving the Services. When reporting any such incident, Client will provide all information that it is reasonably able to provide with respect to the incident. Further, Client will provide reasonable assistance and co-operation to eHealth Ontario to investigate, verify and resolve the incident.
5.14 Security and Privacy Assessments. eHealth Ontario shall provide to Client the results of any assessments of the Services done by or at the direction of eHealth Ontario with respect to: a) threats, vulnerabilities and risks to the security of Personal Information; and b) how the Services affect the privacy of individuals who are the subject of that information. eHealth Ontario shall provide a copy of the forgoing summaries within a reasonable period of time after the summary is completed by eHealth Ontario. Such reports shall set out the scope, limitations, and associated risks of the assessments. The Client is responsible for assessing and managing any privacy and security risks associated with the use of the Services.
5.15 FOI Requests. With respect to requests for access to information under FIPPA:
(a) Client acknowledges that all records that are in the custody or under the control of eHealth Ontario are subject to the access provisions of FIPPA and that eHealth Ontario cannot guarantee that the confidentiality of any such records will be preserved if a request for access to it is made under FIPPA.
(b) To the extent permitted under FIPPA, eHealth Ontario will inform Client of any request made of eHealth Ontario under FIPPA for any records related to this Agreement that may reveal a trade secret or scientific, technical, commercial, financial or labour relations information supplied in confidence by Client to eHealth Ontario so that Client may make representations to eHealth Ontario with respect to the proposed disclosure.
ARTICLE 6 PRICING, PAYMENT, AND COST ALLOCATION
6.1 eHealth Ontario. eHealth Ontario will bear the cost of delivering the Services.
6.2 Client. Client will bear the cost and responsibility of engaging and using the Services, including but not limited to acquiring, installing and maintaining any equipment (other than Service Equipment) and telecommunications facilities required by Client to obtain the Services and interconnect with eHealth Ontario’s technology infrastructure.
ARTICLE 7 WARRANTIES AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
7.1 Warranty. EHEALTH ONTARIO WILL PROVIDE THE SERVICES IN A PROFESSIONAL AND WORKMAN-LIKE MANNER.
7.2 Disclaimer. CLIENT ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE SERVICES MAY NOT ALWAYS BE AVAILABLE, AND WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ANY EXPRESS WARRANTIES CONTAINED IN THIS AGREEMENT, eHealth Ontario EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY OTHER REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES, OR CONDITIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE SERVICES OR OTHERWISE ARISING FROM THIS AGREEMENT WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, PAST OR PRESENT, STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND ANY WARRANTY THAT THE SERVICES WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, SECURE OR ERROR FREE.
7.3 Limit. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE TOTAL CUMULATIVE LIABILITY OF eHealth Ontario (INCLUDING ITS REPRESENTATIVES AND SUPPLIERS) TO CLIENT, ITS END USERS OR ITS PATIENTS, FOR ANY CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, EXCEED AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO THE SERVICE FEES PAID OR TO BE PAID BY eHealth Ontario TO ITS SUPPLIER(S) FOR THE AFFECTED CIRCUIT(S) DURING THE SIX (6) MONTH PERIOD PRECEDING THE DATE OF THE FIRST CLAIM MADE BY CLIENT.
7.4 Indirect Damages. eHealth Ontario (INCLUDING ITS REPRESENTATIVES) SHALL NOT BE LIABLE TO CLIENT, ITS END USERS OR ITS PATIENTS IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER, FOR ANY INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF DATA, REVENUE OR PROFIT RESULTING FROM OR ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR THE PROVISION OR USE OF THE SERVICES OR THE PROVISION OR USE OF ANY SERVICE EQUIPMENT. THIS LIMITATION SHALL APPLY WHETHER OR NOT SUCH DAMAGES ARE FORESEEABLE, OR WHETHER THE DEFAULTING PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
7.5 Exclusions. THE LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY SET OUT IN THIS ARTICLE 7 DO NOT APPLY TO ANY CLAIM ARISING FROM WILFUL MISCONDUCT OF eHealth Ontario OR CLIENT. OTHERWISE, THE FOREGOING PROVISIONS LIMITING THE LIABILITY SHALL APPLY REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OR CAUSE OF ACTION, WHETHER IN CONTRACT OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), OR A BREACH OF A FUNDAMENTAL TERM OR CONDITION OR A FAILURE OF ESSENTIAL PURPOSE.
ARTICLE 8 MISCELLANEOUS
8.1 Governing Law. This Agreement will be governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the laws of Canada applicable therein, without reference to the conflict of laws provisions. The parties consent to the jurisdiction of the courts of Ontario.
8.2 Force Majeure. Neither party will be liable for any failure or delay in its performance under this Agreement due to any cause beyond its reasonable control that could not have been avoided by the exercise of reasonable foresight provided that such party gives the other party prompt notice of such cause, and uses its reasonable commercial efforts to promptly correct such failure or delay in performance. If eHealth Ontario is unable to provide Services for a period of thirty (30) consecutive days as a result of a continuing force majeure event, either party may terminate this Agreement upon written notice to the other party without any further liability or obligation of either party hereunder.
8.3 Notice. Notices sent to eHealth Ontario shall be sent to eHealth Ontario’s head office and to the attention of the Vice President of Client Services. Notices sent to Client will be sent to the Authorized Site to the attention of the Primary Contact identified on the order form at the start of this Agreement.
8.4 Entire Agreement. The Agreement constitutes the complete agreement between eHealth Ontario and Client with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes and replaces all prior or contemporaneous discussions and agreements regarding such subject matter.
8.5 No waiver of any part of this Agreement will be deemed to be a waiver of any other provision. No term of this Agreement will be deemed to be waived by reason of any previous failure to enforce it. No term of this Agreement may be waived except in a writing signed by the party waiving enforcement.
8.6 Assignment. Client may not assign this Agreement, either in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of eHealth Ontario which will not be unreasonably withheld.

SCHEDULE ONE - ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY

1. SUMMARY. This policy establishes the acceptable use requirements for eHealth Ontario products, services and the technology infrastructure used by eHealth Ontario to provide them. eHealth Ontario may revise this policy from time to time in its sole discretion. Revised versions of this policy will be posted at www.www.ehealthontario.on.ca, and notice of the revision will be given to you in accordance with the agreement pursuant to which eHealth Ontario provides products or services to you.
2. Scope and Application. This policy applies to all users. Any person who accesses or uses the technology infrastructure or uses a product or service provided by eHealth Ontario is a “user”. A “person” includes any individual, person, estate, trust, firm, partnership or corporation, government or any agency or ministry of any government, and includes any successor to any of the foregoing.
3. Accountability. Each client organization is responsible for any access or use of the technology infrastructure or any product or service provided by eHealth Ontario made by any user who is an individual and who obtained his or her user ID and password to access the technology infrastructure and any product or service provided by eHealth Ontario from that client organization or at the direction of that client organization.
4. Acceptable Use. Users are permitted to use eHealth Ontario’s products, services and technology infrastructure for health care-related business activities. Unacceptable use refers to any illegal use or any inappropriate use as defined in this policy. Users must not use the products, services or technology infrastructure in any manner that constitutes an unacceptable use.
5. Inappropriate and Illegal Use.
5.1 Illegal use is the creation, collection, transmission, storage or exchange of any material in violation of any applicable law or regulation. Illegal use includes but is not limited to:
(a) defaming other persons (e.g., spreading false allegations or rumours about others);
(b) unlawfully accessing, destroying, encrypting or altering information;
(c) making, possessing or distributing computer programs that are designed to assist in obtaining unlawful access to computer systems unless authorized by eHealth Ontario;
(d) wilfully promoting hatred against any identifiable group or individual by communicating such statements outside of private conversations;
(e) harassing other persons electronically (e.g., making threats to a person’s safety or property);

(f) possessing, viewing, downloading, transmitting, or storing any child pornography or any involvement whatsoever with the traffic of such material;
(g) using another user’s password, secure token, digital certificates, or any other identifier to engage in any illegal activity; and
(h) breaching copyright, trade secret, or other intellectual property rights (e.g., breaching software licences, pirating recorded music or movies or stealing trade secrets).
5.2 Inappropriate use includes, but is not limited to, any of the following behaviours or any other behaviour that may jeopardize eHealth Ontario’s products, services, technology infrastructure or ability to operate or expose eHealth Ontario to civil liability:
(a) wilfully bypassing or subverting eHealth Ontario physical, logical or procedural safeguards such as firewalls, web-filtering software or other access controls;
(b) vandalism, which is defined as any malicious attempt to harm or destroy the information of another user, the Internet or other networks;
(c) harassment, including but not limited to persistent non-work related contact with another user when such contact is unwelcome or creating a poisoned work environment by accessing, displaying, storing, downloading or transmitting any content which is offensive;
(d) the sending of unwanted e-mail or unsolicited commercial or advertising material to any other person;
(e) deliberate unauthorized access to information, facilities or services accessible through the eHealth Ontario infrastructure;
(f) unauthorized use, destruction, encryption, alteration or disclosure of personal information, business trade secrets, or sensitive eHealth Ontario information;
(g) sending anonymous messages or impersonating any other person;
(h) selling, sharing or otherwise redistributing eHealth Ontario products or services without written authorization from eHealth Ontario; or
(i) electronic gambling over the Internet.
6. Security. Users must ensure that passwords, secure tokens, digital certificates and any other identifiers used by the user to directly or indirectly gain access to the products, services or technology infrastructure are safeguarded.
7. Breaches of This Policy.
7.1 Users and client organizations must report all breaches of this policy of which they are aware to eHealth Ontario. Users must do so through the help desk from which they receive technical support, and client organizations must contact eHealth Ontario directly.

7.2 eHealth Ontario reserves the right to investigate suspected breaches of this policy, and users and client organizations will cooperate when asked to assist in any such investigation.
7.3 eHealth Ontario may, in its sole discretion, suspend or revoke a user’s access to eHealth Ontario’s products, services, or technology infrastructure should such user breach this policy.
7.4 Client organizations will co-operate with eHealth Ontario on the management of breaches of this policy. This responsibility includes, but is not limited to, assisting with the development and distribution of communications regarding breaches or incidents.
7.5 Breaches of this policy may result in criminal prosecution or civil liability.
7.6 Although eHealth Ontario is not obligated to monitor content and assumes no responsibility for any information or material that is transmitted by users of the products, services, technology infrastructure or Internet, eHealth Ontario reserves the right, subject to all applicable laws relating to the protection of personal information, to investigate content posted to or transmitted over eHealth Ontario’s technology infrastructure and may block access to, refuse to post, or remove any information or material that it deems to be in breach of this policy.
7.7 eHealth Ontario may report breaches of this policy committed by a user to the client organization responsible for that user’s actions.
7.8 eHealth Ontario assumes no liability for enforcing or not enforcing this policy, and any failure by eHealth Ontario to enforce any part of this policy shall not constitute waiver by eHealth Ontario of any right to do so at any time.
7.9 If any provision of this policy is found to be invalid or unenforceable, then that provision will be enforced to the extent permissible, and all other provisions will remain in full force and effect.

SCHEDULE TWO – SECURITY POLICY

1. Additional Definitions. In addition to those definitions set out elsewhere in this Agreement, the following definitions apply to this Schedule:
(a) “Client Equipment” means any equipment or software in the possession or control of Client that Client uses in conjunction with the Services that is not Service Equipment.
(b) “Client Network” means any network(s) operated or controlled by Client up to the demarcation point where such network(s) interconnect with eHealth Ontario’s technology infrastructure.
(c) “ONE Network Remote” means the remote virtual private network.
(d) “ONE Network” means the managed private network operated by eHealth Ontario.
2. eHealth Ontario Safeguards. eHealth Ontario has designed and implemented the ONE Network as a secure private network to be used by health care professionals when communicating with each other. For further information on the types of safeguards that eHealth Ontario uses, please contact eHealth Ontario.
3. Client Data. Client is responsible for any materials that Client transmits over the ONE Network and determining whether such materials can appropriately be transmitted over the ONE Network without encryption or other safeguards (given the nature and sensitivity of the materials being transmitted). If Client determines that any safeguard is required when transmitting such materials, Client will implement such safeguard. As well, Client is responsible for verifying the accuracy of any data that it receives over the ONE Network.
4. Equipment. Client is responsible for the security of the Service Equipment and Client’s own tangible assets, including but not limited to Client Equipment, premises and utilities. This obligation includes maintenance of an inventory of Client’s assets forming part of the Client Network, identification of possible risks and implementation of administrative, physical and technical means to secure such assets.
5. Safeguards. Client is responsible for managing the security of Client Equipment to reasonably limit the risk that Client Equipment will be accessed and used to attack the eHealth Ontario ONE Network or systems connected to it. This obligation includes but is not limited to establishing security policies and implementing appropriate physical, procedural and technical controls to prevent, detect and respond to security violations.
6. No Changes. Client will not connect to, modify, reconfigure, or alter the Service Equipment in any manner without the prior written approval of eHealth Ontario.
7. Infrastructure and Environment. Client will provide the infrastructure and environment necessary for the safe operation of the Service Equipment such as locating the Service Equipment in a dry, clean, well ventilated, and temperature controlled location and providing an appropriate uninterrupted power supply. All Service Equipment must be placed on a rack or appropriate shelf and positioned to provide ample working space in and around it.
8. Compatibility. From time to time, eHealth Ontario may provide to Client certain guidelines with respect to Client Equipment. Client acknowledges that it may not be able to receive and use the Services (because of compatibility issues) should its Client Equipment not conform to such guidelines.

9. Client Network Security. Client is responsible for the security and operation of Client Network, and Client will use organizational, administrative, physical and technical means to limit physical and virtual access to any computer terminal or other device interconnected with the ONE Network. Client will:
(a) implement and regularly up-date reasonable anti-virus and anti-spam software on the Client Network;
(b) regularly monitor the Client Network for security breaches;
(c) implement such controls as are reasonably necessary to prevent security breaches relating to the Client Network and, in any event, use commercially reasonable efforts to minimize the impact of any security breaches on the Client Network; and
(d) regularly monitor the Client Network and applications used on the Client Network in a manner consistent with good network administration practices.
10. Access Control. Client will use organizational, administrative, physical and technical means to protect any user identifications, passwords, secure tokens or other authentication credentials assigned to Client or Client’s End Users that enable them to connect to the ONE Network or obtain services over the ONE Network.
11. Passwords. Should Client determine that a password or any other user authentication credential has been or may have been compromised, Client’s Primary Contact (as set out in the order form at the start of this Agreement) will report that incident or concern to the help desk from which Client receives technical support.
12. Program. Client will establish its own security program that includes an incident response approach and risk management process. At a minimum, Client will, and shall cause its End Users to, immediately report all actual or potential security incidents affecting the ONE Network or any network connected to the ONE Network of which they are aware to Client’s Primary Contact who will immediately report them to the help desk from which Client receives technical support. When reporting any such incident, Client will provide all information that it is reasonably able to provide with respect to that security incident and reasonable assistance to enable eHealth Ontario to verify and resolve that security incident. eHealth Ontario will use commercially reasonable efforts to resolve each such security incident.
13. Third-Party Networks. Client is responsible for: (i) putting in place safeguards (such as security gateways and firewalls) to prevent any network traffic originating in a third party network from being routed through the Client Network directly to the ONE Network; and (ii) maintaining appropriate configuration and security controls over the Client Network to reasonably ensure that no person who has accessed the Client Network from a third party network may use any computing device forming part of the Client Network to gain unauthorized access to the ONE Network. If eHealth Ontario acting reasonably (after having given Client an opportunity to improve its security safeguards) determines that Client is unable to secure the Client Network as described in this section 13, Client agrees to relinquish such connections between the Client Network and any network other than the ONE Network as are needed to secure the Client Network in such a manner.

14. Remote Access. Client will not connect remotely (other than from Authorized Site) to eHealth Ontario’s technology infrastructure other than through the ONE Network Remote or other technological means approved by eHealth Ontario. Client will not, and will ensure that its End User’s do not, modify or change any configurations or topologies of any ONE Network Remote or means of remote access approved by eHealth Ontario other than with the prior written approval of eHealth Ontario. Client’s Primary Contact is responsible for managing which End Users are allowed to access eHealth Ontario’s technology infrastructure remotely.
15. IP Forwarding. Client will not enable IP forwarding on any server or workstation deployed within the Client Network.
16. DNS or DHCP. Client will not run alternative domain name service (“DNS”) or dynamic host control protocol (“DHCP”) in connection with any circuits forming part of the ONE Network.
17. Additional Firewall. eHealth Ontario does not recommend that Client deploy any firewall between any small office firewall appliance provided by eHealth Ontario (if applicable) and Client Network. However, should Client wish to provide its own additional firewall service, Client will:
(a) be responsible for creating and administering its own remote virtual private network solution;
(b) be responsible for managing its own local area network address space including the potential use of a DHCP service and use of DNS;
(c) be responsible for ensuring that its additional firewall service performs network address translation (NAT) and stateful inspection; and
(d) not enable IP forwarding on any server or workstation deployed within the Client Network.
18. Tools. Client will not run network contouring, vulnerability assessment, hacking tools, or configuration tools against any Service Equipment or any network circuits provided pursuant to this Agreement.
19. Client Contact. Client’s Primary Contact is responsible for coordinating all matters relating to End User access (including password changes and the addition, modification or removal of End Users with eHealth Ontario) and shall be the sole representative of Client who is authorized to communicate any related requests to eHealth Ontario.
20. Compliance. Upon the request of eHealth Ontario acting reasonably, Client will provide to eHealth Ontario evidence of its compliance with all or part of this Security Policy.

SCHEDULE THREE – PLAIN LANGUAGE DESCRIPTIONS

1. Network Services. ONE Network allows health care providers to confidently share information over a high-speed network built for health care. When eHealth Ontario provides Network Services to Client, eHealth Ontario is providing one or more telecommunications circuits to Client which will result in one or more networks under the control of Client being interconnected with eHealth Ontario’s technology infrastructure. A circuit may be based on any one of a number of technologies such as a digital subscriber line, cable or satellite. Where circumstances warrant, fibre optic connectivity may also be used.
2. Security and Privacy Safeguards.
2.1 All eHealth Ontario Products and Services. eHealth Ontario’s security program is based on two standards from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), as recommended by the Government of Canada:
• ISO/IEC 17799:2005, – Code of Practice for Information Security Management, and
• ISO/IEC 27001:2005, – Information Security Management Systems – Requirements.
and is in compliance with the Personal Health Information Protection Act and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Security of information and protection of privacy within, and by use of, eHealth Ontario’s products and services is achieved by collaboration of all parties who are partners in providing or using these services. For its part, eHealth Ontario has implemented the following safeguards:
(i) Administrative Safeguards
• eHealth Ontario regularly reviews and enhances its security policies and is in the process of developing supporting governance documentation. (e.g. Information Security Operating Directives) Staff and contractors read the relevant policies and sign that they have read and understood them.
• eHealth Ontario has mandatory security staff awareness and training programs.
• eHealth Ontario Staff and contractors generally have no ability or permission to access personal health information. If access to personal health information is required in the course of providing eHealth Ontario services, individuals are prohibited from using or disclosing such information.
• All staff and contractors must sign confidentiality agreements and undergo criminal background checks prior to joining eHealth Ontario. eHealth Ontario has a security screening policy that requires staff to have an appropriate level of clearance for the sensitivity of the information they may access.
• Client obligations, for their part in maintaining security, are detailed in individual contracts and Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
• eHealth Ontario ensures, through formal contracts/SLAs, that any third party it retains to assist in providing services to health information custodians will comply with the restrictions and conditions necessary for eHealth Ontario to fulfil its legal responsibilities.
• eHealth Ontario staff, consultants, suppliers and clients must promptly report any security breaches to eHealth Ontario for investigation.
• Security risk assessments are conducted as part of both product/service development and client deployments. Mitigation activities are well established and tracked as part of each assessment.
• eHealth Ontario provides a written copy of the results of a security risk assessment to the affected health information custodians.
• eHealth Ontario has established a formal risk management program, including an enterprise risk management policy and guidelines.
• eHealth Ontario conducts regular independent vulnerability assessments of technical configurations and operational security practices.
(ii) Technology Safeguards
• For access to sensitive systems, strong passwords, secure tokens, and other authenticators are required.
• Administrative access to all IT equipment is controlled via strong, two-factor authentication, and is recorded.
• eHealth Ontario monitors and manages network traffic using security mechanisms such as routers, switches, network firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and anti-virus programs.
• eHealth Ontario encrypts all data stored on staff computers.
(iii) Physical Safeguards
• The eHealth Ontario datacentres are purpose-built facilities, physically secured against unauthorized access, and are staffed and monitored continuously by security personnel.
• Datacentre physical security controls have been validated by an independent third party in accordance with federal government standards.
• eHealth Ontario requires escorted access at all times for third party vendors and maintenance personnel who require access to the datacentre.
2.2 ONE Network Safeguards. In addition to the generic safeguards which apply to all eHealth Ontario products and services, the following security safeguards are in place for ONE Network:
(i) Core Network Safeguards
• ONE Network Enterprise is segregated from the Internet, and is protected by a defence-in-depth approach against threats originating from external networks.
• Clients are expected to take appropriate measures to segregate their own internal network(s) from untrusted networks.
• ONE Network Enterprise equipment is deployed for exclusive use by eHealth Ontario to provide the ONE Network service, and is operated in accordance with eHealth Ontario practices and policies.
• ONE Network Enterprise is implemented province-wide via dedicated optical fibre links, where possible, providing a high level of protection against interception or modification of network traffic. Where fibre is not available, eHealth Ontario makes use of carrier networks and employs IPSec tunnels.
• All Clients sign agreements that they will ensure ONE Network Enterprise equipment on their premises will be located in physically secure environments that will be controlled and monitored.
• eHealth Ontario is developing and implementing network monitoring capabilities and a full enterprise security and privacy incident management program.
• All changes to the network are controlled by eHealth Ontario and subject to formal eHealth Ontario change management practices.
• Administrative personnel have no access to the e-Health data flowing through the ONE network.
(ii) ONE Network Access Safeguards
Because ONE Network Access is provisioned via 3rd-party network service providers, eHealth Ontario does not have the same degree of control over these networks as it does for the core network. To maintain the security of e-
Health communications flowing through the access networks, eHealth Ontario implements additional security safeguards:
• All communications to and from eHealth Ontario-hosted e-Health applications are automatically encrypted when traversing the access networks.
• Every network point of access has controls for protecting the network from security threats, whether malicious or unintentional.
• eHealth Ontario optionally provides clients with a secure means of accessing their office network from a remote location (via the ONE Network Remote service).
eHealth Ontario optionally provides encrypted private communications between client sites (e.g. for geographically separated offices belonging to the same organization).

MEDBUY AND ST. JOSEPH’S HEALTH SYSTEM GROUP PURCHASING ORGANIZATION TO JOIN FORCES IN OFFERING A NATIONAL SOLUTION FOR CAPITAL EQUIPMENT AND NUTRITION

2009-05-28T14:33:00.000-07:00

Two of Canada’s most respected and highly successful group purchasing organizations are coming together to offer an unparalleled service for capital equipment and food & nutrition procurement.

Medbuy Corporation and St. Joseph’s Health System Group Purchasing Organization are pleased to announce a joint venture designed to integrate the unique strengths of both organizations and that will drive best value contracts for Canadian healthcare providers.

“St. Joseph’s and Medbuy have always enjoyed a long-standing informal relationship,” notes Brian Guest, CEO of St. Joseph’s Health System. “Today, however, the focus on healthcare supply chain integration is far more acute than it was 20 years ago when Medbuy and St. Joseph’s GPOs were formed. Borrowing from our mutually held and successfully proven philosophy that healthcare organizations are stronger when they work together, our joint venture is an important and necessary step if we are going to further advance strategic sourcing and procurement practices in healthcare and bring even greater value to the members and hospitals we serve.”

The joint venture represents a blending of the services St. Joseph’s has developed for its members and hospital customers over the past 20 years with the best practices and offerings developed by Medbuy through its subsidiary corporation, MedAlliance.

“Each organization has had considerable success in developing a broad range of services,” notes Rick Cochrane, President & CEO of Medbuy. “Taking the best of those programs and enhancing them by working together will create an unsurpassed offering in the marketplace.”

Joint venture operations will be led by Leslie McGill, Medbuy’s Chief Business Development Officer & President of MedAlliance, and Jay Ayres, Director, Group Purchasing Organization and Materiel Management at St. Joseph’s who, in turn, report to the CEOs of Medbuy and SJHS, respectively.

Day-to-day joint venture procurement activities will be managed from the St. Joseph’s, GPO offices in Brantford, Ontario under the leadership Jay Ayres. Medbuy will provide data management and reporting expertise as well as a market research program supported by Father Sean O’Sullivan Research Centre, a part of the St. Joseph’s Health System Research Network.

“Each organization brings a particular strength to the table,” notes McGill. “And we are poised to enhance those strengths by working together to offer a comprehensive service for current and future members and customers.”

Within the Capital Equipment Portfolio, the joint venture will offer a variety of programs to meet the wide ranging needs of hospitals and health authorities from coast to coast. “Services already available through SJHS-GPO, from comprehensive consulting-style RFPs for complex pieces of capital to a simple-to-use e-procurement tool for minor capital, offer flexibility and a number of program options for members and customers,” notes Ayres. Existing members of both the SJHS-GPO and Medbuy will continue to receive programs currently available along with an opportunity to receive enhanced or additional services through the Joint Venture.

The Food & Nutrition Portfolio currently offered by St. Joseph’s will be expanded to a national offering by the joint venture partners in 2009 for launch in 2010. “Food services are quite complex and highly regionalized,” notes Ayres. “We’ll be taking the best of what we have built in southern Ontario and will work with manufacturers, brokers and distributors to ensure a strong national program.”

Members and customers of both Medbuy and St. Joseph’s will be engaged in the process as the joint venture evolves. “The strength of a GPO is predicated on the involvement of its members and customers,” says McGill. “We are committed to involving our customers in this process and to seeking the feedback and input of the supplier community as well. This approach will ensure success.”

About St. Joseph’s Health System Group Purchasing Organization
St. Joseph’s Health System, Group Purchasing Organization (SJHS-GPO) works together with healthcare facilities, manufacturers, and distributors to create effective supply chain management opportunities to increase efficiencies and save dollars for its members.

Since 1992, the Capital Program membership has grown to more than 160 academic health centres, community hospitals and long term care facilities across Canada. The key to the program’s ongoing success is the proven ability to combine capital equipment requirements from many hospitals and long term care facilities in a timely, efficient and organized manner to amalgamate volumes and maximize savings for members, other healthcare organizations, and the vendor community.

The St. Joseph’s Health System, Food & Nutrition Program is currently comprised of 24 facilities throughout Southern Ontario. Relationships with manufacturers, brokers and distributors are paramount to the success of the Program which includes a combination of rebate programs and competitive industry pricing.

About Medbuy Corporation
Medbuy is Canada’s largest healthcare Group Purchasing Organization, harnessing the purchasing power of 35% of Canada's hospitals and healthcare organizations.

We deliver the best net price for healthcare supplies and pharmaceuticals at the lowest cost, and secure value-added benefits that enhance our Members' knowledge base.

Medbuy helps healthcare organizations to maximize their supply chain savings, which enables them to reinvest dollars where it counts – into patient care.

For more information, please contact:
Leslie McGill Jay Ayres
Chief Business Development Officer Director, St. Joseph’s GPO
President MedAlliance and Materiel Management
Medbuy Corporation St. Joseph’s Health System
519-652-1688 ext. 126 519-751-7096 ext. 2355
lmcgill@medbuy.ca jayres@sjhcs-gpo.com

TELUS awarded $31.5 million contract to deliver electronic health record solution improving patient care for Montreal region residents

2009-05-27T09:27:00.000-07:00

Montreal Region Health Authority expands the scope of its Electronic Health Record (EHR) project to include all healthcare institutions over the next four years

Montreal, QC, May 27, 2009 – TELUS today announced a $31.5 million expansion of its contract with the Montreal Region Health Authority to accelerate and expand the implementation of the Oacis Electronic Health Record solution to healthcare facilities across the region.

The solution is comprised of an electronic clinical information system combined with a documentation imaging solution that will convert paper records and integrate them into a unified electronic patient record.

Montreal is one of the first regions in Canada to implement standardized electronic health records across all points of service including 89 hospitals, health and social services centers, long-term care centres and other public healthcare institutions, as well as GMF (family practices), network clinics and integrated network clinics.

"The significant expansion of our work on EHR with Montreal is a true testimonial to the value of our technology to deliver on our promise to transform the way information is used in healthcare," said François Côté, president, TELUS Health Solutions. "Montreal is one of the first regions in North America to adopt a fully integrated end-to-end solution across the continuum of care from clinics to acute care facilities."

David Levine, president and CEO, Montreal Region Health Authority said, "This is our vision and our passion. Now, more than ever, we are convinced that the future of healthcare is contingent on the system-wide adoption of electronic health records. We believe this because we are completely satisfied with the performance of the solutions already in use. Now, our priority is to ensure the Oacis solution is deployed quickly and efficiently throughout the Montreal Region to provide people with uniform and consistent quality care."

The Oacis Hospital Electronic Health Record will be overlaid on top of existing infrastructure and systems, thereby preserving existing investments while creating a unique database. To achieve this, the Oacis solution will interface with more than 50 systems requiring the development of 140 application interfaces to ensure a seamless transfer of information.

Under the terms of the contract, TELUS will be responsible for project implementation and management, providing the Authority with a complete turnkey solution for accelerated deployment.

The project's initial phase includes Sacré-Cœur Hospital, Jewish General Hospital and the Verdun CSSS (Health and Social Services Centre) all of which are scheduled to go live within the next few months. In addition, the OACIS solution is being implemented at Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) and McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) where there are approximately 5,000 users monthly.

"We are thrilled to be one of the first implementations of the Oacis Electronic Health Record solution to go live in the Montreal Region because we anticipate significant enhancements to clinical efficiencies, increased patient safety and improved outcomes" said Dr. S. Rosenthal MD, CSPQ Director of Information Services, Jewish General Hospital.

About TELUS Health Solutions
TELUS Health Solutions, backed by Emergis, represents a unique set of technology, expertise and resources to help transform how information is used in the healthcare industry. TELUS Health Solutions has years of expertise in successfully implementing healthcare applications and information communication technology processes through industry leading solutions and consulting services to customers in Canada and around the world. It is backed by more than 1,500 TELUS Health Solutions team members including healthcare professionals. For more information, please visit telushealth.com.

About TELUS
TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $9.7 billion of annual revenue and 11.6 million customer connections including 6.2 million wireless subscribers, 4.2 million wireline network access lines and 1.2 million Internet subscribers. Led since 2000 by President and CEO, Darren Entwistle, TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services including data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, entertainment and video. In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed $137 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered more than 2.6 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Nine TELUS Community Boards across Canada lead our local philanthropic initiatives. For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com.

MEDSEEK Teams with 3M to Enable the Highest Level of System Interoperability for Health Information Exchanges (HIEs)

2009-05-26T13:32:00.000-07:00

Advanced technology for HIEs will help promote greater efficiencies and improved outcomes. Birmingham, Ala. – Apr. 7, 2009 – MEDSEEK, the leading provider of enterprise portal connectivity solutions, announced today a strategic alliance with 3M Health Information Systems, to fully integrate 3M’s advanced data repository and vocabulary management tools with MEDSEEK’s eHealth ecoSystem™, a community portal that connects physicians, hospitals, consumers and patients. The MEDSEEK and 3M technology will work seamlessly to enable the highest level of data interoperability between systems, making it possible for provider organizations and Health Information Exchange (HIE) initiatives to exchange data at regional, state and national levels. The result is improved healthcare quality and efficiency.

Building on successful collaborations at large health systems in Ohio and Colorado, MEDSEEK and 3M will offer a comprehensive interoperability solution that integrates MEDSEEK’s clinical portal with 3M’s highly scalable architecture. The 3M products include the 3M™ Clinical Data Repository, a central database of individual lifetime patient records; 3M™ Enterprise Master Person Index, which links acute and ambulatory data to provide a consistent method of identifying a patient across all care sites and encounters; and 3M™ Healthcare Data Dictionary, the industry’s leading healthcare data dictionary. The combined solution will deliver exceptional access to comprehensive, consolidated patient health data across healthcare facilities.

“Through our agreement with 3M, we have greatly accelerated the ability to access integrated health information across multiple, disparate platforms,” says Peter Kuhn, MEDSEEK’s CEO. “This collaboration further demonstrates our ability to support the kind of interoperability advocated by our national healthcare agenda. It also underscores the value of our eHealth ecoSystem™ in reducing costs and eliminating the healthcare information boundaries to engage all stakeholders for improved health outcomes.”

“There is growing industry consensus that the creation of state and regional health information-sharing networks is a critical step in improving care quality and efficiency,” said Marvin Johnson, Senior Vice President, 3M Health Information Systems. “We are excited to bring our HIE knowledge and experience to MEDSEEK’s eHealth ecoSystem™. By addressing interoperability challenges, we can support federal and state initiatives to improve our nation’s health care.”

About 3M Health Information Systems 3M Health Information Systems delivers comprehensive software and consulting services to help organizations worldwide improve documentation, quality, and financial performance across the healthcare continuum. 3M offers integrated solutions for transcription, speech recognition, clinical documentation improvement, documentation management, computer-assisted coding, quality, and revenue cycle management, effectively meeting the industry’s changing needs. With 25 years of healthcare experience and expertise, 3M works as a trusted and stable business partner to provide reliable implementation, training, and support services. For more information about 3M Health Information Systems products and services, visit www.3Mhis.com or call 800-367-2447.

About MEDSEEK Birmingham, Ala.-based MEDSEEK provides healthcare organizations with enterprise eHealth solutions to fully engage and strengthen relationships with key constituents – physicians, patients, employees, and consumers. By connecting information and communities to foster an enhanced experience with the organization, hospitals will improve community advocacy, revenue and patient throughput, and clinical decision making. MEDSEEK’s comprehensive technology platform and strategic consulting services create the infrastructure and provide the thought leadership for hospitals to deliver the most powerful portal solutions. With more than ten years’ experience and 600+ hospital customers, MEDSEEK has the experience and expertise to meet the diverse needs of the healthcare community. MEDSEEK also maintains offices in California and Mississippi. For more information, visit www.medseek.com or call 888-MEDSEEK.

Study results put the joy back into staying healthy, reports the Harvard Health Letter

2009-04-06T19:35:00.000-07:00

BOSTON—Can you have your health and enjoy yourself, too? A growing body of research suggests you can.

Never has high living looked quite so healthful as it has lately—even if it is high living on a leash. The permission to indulge in some pleasures almost always comes with a reminder about doing everything in moderation, reports the April 2009 issue of the Harvard Health Letter. Here are some not-so-guilty pleasures:

Alcohol: Moderate alcohol consumption protects against heart disease and stroke. Drinking increases “good” HDL cholesterol, reduces blood clotting factors, and may make blood vessels less vulnerable to atherosclerosis.

Chocolate: Chocolate improves blood flow through the arteries that supply the heart and the brain. There’s also evidence associating consumption of dark chocolate with lower levels of C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation.

Coffee: Coffee drinkers may be less likely than coffee abstainers to have heart attacks, suffer strokes, or develop diabetes. Research also suggests that a coffee habit could be good for your brain, lowering your risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and Alzheimer’s.

Sex: Research has suggested that frequent sexual intercourse (twice a week) is associated with reduced heart attack risk. Sexual activity also revs up metabolism, may help regulate menstrual cycles, and gives the immune system a boost.

Sleep: A good night's sleep is good for health. “Short sleepers” put on more pounds than people who sleep seven to eight hours a night. Subpar slumbering has been linked to diabetes, heart attacks, and even early death. When you stay awake for long stretches, it wreaks hormonal havoc; levels of the stress hormone cortisol go up, and your appetite gets out of whack.

Social life: Studies have linked social networks to good health, while social isolation and loneliness are associated with cognitive decline and high blood pressure.

Read Full-length Article: "Putting the joie de vivre back into health"

Also in this issue:

The Whipple procedure for pancreatic cancer
Are multivitamins still a good bet?
Calorie cutbacks and memory gains
Omega-3s and bleeding

The Harvard Health Letter is available from Harvard Health Publications, the publishing division of Harvard Medical School, for $29 per year. Subscribe at www.health.harvard.edu/health or by calling 877-649-9457 (toll-free).

EMIS Appoints National Sales Manager for Canada

2009-04-06T07:31:00.000-07:00

April 6, 2009 – EMIS Inc., the Canadian operation of EMIS Group (Leeds, UK) announced today that Ron Hughes, a veteran of the healthcare software industry in Canada has joined the organization as National Sales Manager. Based in Vernon, British Columbia, Ron will be responsible for continuing to build the EMIS sales team in British Columbia, Alberta, and elsewhere as the company continues its growth.

While the role Mr. Hughes will fulfill is national in scope, his initial focus will be in BC where the company is a solution provider under the Physician Information Technology Office (PITO) program.

EMIS Inc. is the Canadian subsidiary of The Egton Group based in Leeds, United Kingdom and launched its Canadian operations in 2005.

In a news release EMIS notes that its’ corporate principal of improving the health of individual patients, and the population as a whole through advanced knowledge garnered by empowering physicians to collaborate.

For more information contact Heather Linkletter, Vice President, Sales & Marketing (866) 443-3647. Heather.Linkletter@emis.ca

National Research Council invests in EHR

2009-04-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

April 3, 2009 CAMBRIDGE, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - April 3, 2009) - The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), announced today a contribution to MedShare Inc. from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) to support an innovative research and development project.

"The Government of Canada is committed to building a competitive advantage for the Canadian private sector and supports these leading edge technology solutions," said Minister Goodyear. "This investment in the development of advanced technologies, taking place right here in Cambridge, can one day make the lives of the sick and the elderly much more manageable in their homes."

MedShare is a software company that provides mobile health record solutions to meet the needs of North American home health care agencies. This initiative will receive a grant of up to $284,500 under the IRAP program and allow the company to explore a new solution for the management of electronic health records for the home care sector. The technology will ultimately be delivered to clients by one of MedShare's health care delivery partners.

The Industrial Research Assistance Program is a Government of Canada initiative that provides business advice, access to competitive business information, contacts, networks and potential financial support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for their innovation-based projects. NRC-IRAP customizes solutions to some 8,000 SMEs annually. The program brings together a diverse network of organizations, services, funding and programs to help firms develop and utilize technologies within all industrial sectors across the country.

"NRC-IRAP has been working closely with MedShare to help the company achieve global recognition and develop its projects to achieve real commercial success," said NRC President Dr. Pierre Coulombe. "Providing assistance to MedShare demonstrates NRC's commitment to investing in research priorities such as health and wellness."

"At MedShare, we are experiencing rapid growth in our electronic medical record (EMR) solutions, which required a fundamental reengineering of the EMR platform," says Barry Billings, President and CEO of MedShare Inc. "With the assistance of NRC-IRAP, the next generation of MedShare Enterprise Server will support up to the estimated 1.5 million patients currently receiving home care in Canada."

About MedShare

MedShare uses leading edge mobile technology to fundamentally transform the delivery of home health care services yielding better medical outcomes and improved operational results. Better medical information results in improved health outcomes, reduced paper burden, and more time available for client care - improving the efficiency and profitability of home health care agencies.

About NRC and NRC-IRAP

Recognized globally for research and innovation, the National Research Council (NRC) is a leader in the development of an innovative, knowledge-based economy for Canada through science and technology.

Working directly with clients, NRC-IRAP's field staff of 240 industrial technology advisors support corporate innovative research and development and assist them while they become commercialization-ready with their new products and services.

NRC-IRAP views SMEs as the strategic backbone of the Canadian economy and is committed to working with them while they realize their full potential and turn knowledge and innovation into strategic opportunities, jobs and prosperity for all Canadians.

For more information (media only), please visit NRC-IRAP's Web site www.irap-pari.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/main_e.html.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

National Research Council Canada
Media Relations
613-990-6091
media@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

or

Office of the Honourable Gary Goodyear
Minister of State (Science and Technology)
Gary Toft
Director of Communications
613-943-7599

INDUSTRY: Government - International, Government - Local, Government - National, Government - Security (law enforcement, homeland etc), Government - State

Roche and Genentech "combine"

2009-03-26T07:32:00.000-07:00

Roche and Genentech reach a friendly agreement to combine the two organizations and create a leader in healthcare innovation

• Roche intends to acquire all outstanding shares of Genentech for US$95.00 per share in cash

• Research and early development to operate as an independent center; South San Francisco site to become headquarters of combined U.S. commercial operations; Genentech's unique culture to be maintained

• Innovation will be enhanced through a diversity of research approaches and sharing of IP, technologies, partnerships and other key assets

• Transaction expected to be EPS accretive in the first year after closing

Roche (SWX: ROG.VX; RO.S) and Genentech (NYSE: DNA) announced today that they signed a merger agreement under which Roche will acquire the outstanding publicly held interest in Genentech for US$95.00 per share in cash, or a total payment of approximately US$46.8 billion to equity holders of Genentech other than Roche.

The special committee of Genentech's Board of Directors has approved the agreement and recommends that Genentech shareholders tender their shares in Roche's tender offer.

Dr. Charles Sanders, Chairman of the Special Committee of Genentech's Board of Directors, said: "We believe this is a fair offer for Genentech shareholders, and the Committee is pleased to come to a successful conclusion of this process. We look forward to working with Roche to complete the transaction as expeditiously as possible".

Franz B. Humer, Chairman of the Roche Group, said: "We are very pleased that we have reached an agreement with Genentech and secured a positive recommendation from the special committee. As stated previously, an agreed transaction offers clear and important advantages for the shareholders of both companies. I am delighted that the intensive negotiations have led to a successful conclusion. Working together, we aim to close the transaction quickly, thus removing uncertainty for employees and allowing us to focus even more intently on innovation and long-term projects. We have tremendous respect for our colleagues at Genentech and look forward to working with them to further accelerate our search for solutions to unmet medical needs".

Arthur D. Levinson, Ph.D., chairman and chief executive of Genentech, said: "We have had a highly successful partnership with Roche for more than 18 years, and we intend to pursue our shared goal of discovering medications for serious and life-threatening conditions. We look forward to working with our partners at Roche to ensure a smooth transition once the transaction is complete and to continue our mission of serving patients".

Severin Schwan, CEO of the Roche Group, said: "Roche and Genentech saw the potential of a pharma-biotechnology partnership early on and we are now in an enviable position to expand on the success of our longstanding relationship, which has been a source of immense value for patients, employees and shareholders of both companies. We are excited about working with our colleagues at Genentech and look forward to partnering with them to develop a plan for the successful combination of the two companies".

Roche will amend its existing tender offer to reflect the increased price and eliminate the financing and certain other conditions to the offer. The tender offer remains subject to the condition that a majority of the public shareholders tender their shares. If the tender offer is completed, Roche will promptly consummate a second-step merger in which all remaining public shareholders will, without the need for further action by any public shareholder, receive $95.00 per share for their shares. Roche and Genentech have also amended their affiliation agreement to permit all shareholders to receive the same increased price in the tender offer and the merger. The expiration date for the offer is March 25, 2009. As of the close of business on March 11, 2009, approximately 2.9 million shares have been tendered pursuant to the offer.

Strong benefits for both Genentech and Roche
The combined company will be the seventh largest U.S. pharmaceuticals company in terms of market share. It will generate approximately US$17 billion in annual revenues and will employ around 17,500 employees in the U.S. pharmaceuticals business alone, including a combined sales force of approximately 3,000 people.

Research and early development will operate as an independent center within Roche from its existing campus in South San Francisco, retaining its talent and approach to discovering and progressing new molecules. Roche's Pharma commercial operations in the U.S. will be moved from Nutley, New Jersey to Genentech's site in South San Francisco. The combined company's U.S. commercial operations in pharmaceuticals will operate under the Genentech name, leveraging the strong brand value of Genentech in the U.S. market. The existing U.S. sales organizations of both companies will be maintained, resulting in a very strong presence in several specialty areas.

The transaction will provide the opportunity to simplify the structure of the combined organization and maximize the benefits of enhanced scale. Roche has already begun to wind down operations at its Palo Alto facility and will relocate the site's Virology research and development activities to South San Francisco. Roche's Palo Alto Inflammation group is in the process of becoming part of Roche's Nutley research and development organization. Genentech's Late Stage Development and Manufacturing operations will be combined with the global operations of Roche, achieving substantial scale benefits, operational synergies and cost avoidance. Roche's manufacturing operations in Nutley will be closed and support functions, such as informatics and finance, will be consolidated with those of Genentech.
Financial Information

Roche expects the combination to generate annual pre-tax cost synergies of approximately US$750 to $850 million. Synergies will be largely driven by reducing complexity and eliminating duplicative functions and processes in areas like late stage development, manufacturing, corporate administration and support functions. Savings resulting from this combination will enable the new company to increase and better focus its investment in innovation.

The transaction is expected to be accretive to Roche's earnings per share in the first year after closing. The combined company will generate substantial free cash flow that will enable it to rapidly reduce acquisition-related debt, invest in further product launches and retain strategic flexibility.

Additional information about the transaction, including the offering documents, is available at www.transactioninfo.com/roche/.

Genentech's recommendation to shareholders on Schedule 14D-9 to accept Roche's offer will be made available today on Genentech's website, www.genentech.com, and via EDGAR on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov, and will be mailed to Genentech shareholders.

Greenhill & Co. is acting as financial advisor to Roche and Davis Polk & Wardwell is acting as legal counsel. The Special Committee is represented by Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Latham & Watkins LLP. Genentech is represented by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.

About Roche
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world's leading research-focused healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As the world's biggest biotech company and an innovator of products and services for the early detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people's health and quality of life. Roche is the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics and drugs for cancer and transplantation, and is a market leader in virology. It is also active in other major therapeutic areas such as autoimmune diseases, inflammatory and metabolic disorders and diseases of the central nervous system. In 2008 sales by the Pharmaceuticals Division totaled 36.0 billion Swiss francs, and the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 9.7 billion francs. Roche has R&D agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai, and invested nearly 9 billion Swiss francs in R&D in 2008. Worldwide, the Group employs about 80,000 people. Additional information is available on the Internet at www.roche.com.

About Genentech
Founded more than 30 years ago, Genentech is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes medicines to treat patients with significant unmet medical needs. The company has headquarters in South San Francisco, California and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DNA. For additional information about the company, please visit www.gene.com.

Agfa HealthCare connects Canadian Northwest Territories to enhance patient care

2009-03-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

The Government of the Northwest Territories deploys Agfa HealthCare’s IMPAX™ solution to support the region’s digital migration

Toronto, ON – March 23, 2009 - Agfa HealthCare, a leading provider of diagnostic imaging and healthcare IT solutions, announces today that the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) in Canada has selected its IMPAX™ Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) to migrate its regional radiology services to a digital environment. Agfa HealthCare's IMPAX has already been installed at the Stanton Territorial Hospital, one of four main hospitals in the Northwest Territories and the agreement foresees its expansion to the other three facilities. The new technology will provide local and remote radiologists with real-time access to patient images, cut down on costs associated with transporting images across the territory for diagnosis, and improve report turnaround time to promote a better quality of patient care to more than 40,000 residents.

Currently, healthcare professionals from over 18 community facilities in the Northwest Territories transport patient film-based images by traditional mail or by air to Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife, the only facility in the territory with a radiologist. Once in place, Agfa HealthCare’s IMPAX solution will connect the four main hospitals in the region to provide caregivers with more efficient and convenient access to patient information and images. GNWT plans to deploy computed radiography systems in the 18 community health centers currently providing diagnostic imaging (DI) services across the Territories. These systems will eventually connect to Agfa HealthCare’s IMPAX solution connecting the vast geography of the Territories to the Territorial PACS.

“The Northwest Territories is unique in that our geography of 1.17 million square kilometres presents challenges in meeting the dynamic needs of our regions,” said Honorable Sandy Lee, Minister of Health and Social Services, Northwest Territories. “Deploying the IMPAX solution supports our goal to provide community members with improved, patient-centric care, such as improving report turnaround times from days and sometimes weeks, to just a few hours.”

Agfa HealthCare's IMPAX system is a web-deployable image and information management solution with advanced image processing designed to simplify customer reporting activities, increase throughput and improve report turnaround time, while connecting caregivers to the tools and knowledge they need to deliver quality healthcare efficiently. Relevant patient and exam information – patient data, visit information, reporting history and scanned documents – is more readily available, supporting more timely assessments and improved delivery of patient care.

“Extended wait times are still plaguing our healthcare system, and moving to a digital environment is the first step to expediting overall patient turnaround times,” said Dave Wilson, vice president of Agfa HealthCare, Canada. “Advanced imaging technologies, such as IMPAX, will lay the groundwork for further IT deployments in the Northwest Territories and will enhance the delivery of patient care – ultimately getting us closer to making eHealth in Canada a reality.”

The IMPAX PACS project is set to be complete at the end of April, 2009, with the computed radiography projected for completion in June 2010.

MediSolution Ltd. to Be Acquired by Its Controlling Shareholder, Brookfield Asset Management Inc.

2009-03-16T05:34:00.000-07:00

March 16, 2009

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 16, 2009) - MediSolution Ltd. (TSX:MSH) ("MediSolution") and Brookfield Asset Management Inc. (TSX:BAM)(NYSE:BAM)(EURONEXT:BAMA)("Brookfield") today announced that MediSolution has entered into an agreement with Brookfield to effect a going private transaction whereby Brookfield will acquire all of the outstanding common shares ("Shares") of MediSolution not already owned by Brookfield or its affiliates at a price of $0.30 per Share in cash, representing a total cash consideration of approximately $19 million.

The price of $0.30 per Share offered by Brookfield represents a premium of approximately 53.8% over the closing price of the Shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange (the "TSX") on March 13, 2009, the last day on which the Shares traded prior to the announcement of the proposed transaction, and a premium of approximately 54% over the 20-day average closing price of the Shares on the TSX.

The board of directors of MediSolution established a special committee of independent directors (the "Special Committee") to select an independent valuator, supervise the preparation of a formal valuation of the Shares and to consider the proposed transaction. The Special Committee selected Meyers Norris Penny LLP ("MNP"), Chartered Business Valuators and an independent member of the Horwath International Network, as the independent valuator. Subject to the analyses, assumptions, qualifications and limitations contained in the valuation, MNP reached the opinion that the fair market value of the Shares was in the range of $0.28 to $0.32 per Share. MNP also delivered a fairness opinion that the consideration offered under the proposed transaction is fair, from a financial point of view, to the minority shareholders of MediSolution.

Based on MNP's conclusions, among other matters considered, the Special Committee unanimously determined that the proposed transaction is in the best interests of MediSolution and is fair, from a financial point of view, to the shareholders of MediSolution other than Brookfield. In light of the conclusions of the Special Committee and MNP, among other matters considered, the board of directors of MediSolution has unanimously approved (with interested directors abstaining) the proposed transaction and recommends that shareholders vote in favour of the proposed transaction.

The proposed transaction will be effected through an amalgamation of MediSolution and a newly incorporated company wholly-owned by Brookfield. Pursuant to the amalgamation, each shareholder of MediSolution, other than Brookfield and its affiliates, will receive one redeemable preferred share of the amalgamated company for each Share held immediately prior to the amalgamation. Each redeemable preferred share will then be redeemed for $0.30 in cash. As at March 13, 2009, MediSolution had outstanding 158,292,332 Shares.

"A privatized MediSolution will be better positioned to focus on customers and to deliver improved products, leveraging Brookfield's significant financial resources and global platform," commented Mr. Paul Lepage, MediSolution's president and chief executive officer. "In addition, as a private company, MediSolution will incur lower administrative costs, having eliminated the expenses associated with being a publicly traded company."

A special meeting of shareholders of MediSolution will be held in early May 2009 to consider the proposed transaction. Completion of the proposed transaction is subject to customary conditions including, but not limited to, the approval of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by shareholders of MediSolution voting at the meeting and a simple majority of the votes cast by minority shareholders of MediSolution voting at the meeting and there being no material adverse change with respect to MediSolution. Assuming the satisfaction of all conditions, the proposed transaction is expected to close as soon as practicable following the special meeting of shareholders. However, there can be no assurances that the proposed transaction, or any other transaction with Brookfield, will be completed.

The terms and conditions of the proposed transaction, including copies of the formal valuation and fairness opinion prepared by MNP, will be detailed in a management information circular to be mailed to shareholders of MediSolution as soon as practicable.
About MediSolution

MediSolution (TSX:MSH), a Brookfield Asset Management company, is a leading information technology company, providing enterprise resource planning and specialized blood bank software, solutions and services to healthcare and service sector customers across North America. More than 300 healthcare, public and service sector organizations rely on MediSolution's systems to maximize their operational efficiencies, lower their costs and improve the delivery of services. The company's product portfolio is comprised of Financial Management software such as accounts receivable, budgeting and materials management, Business Intelligence solutions as well as Human Capital Management tools and services including human resources management, staff scheduling and payroll processing. The company also provides speciality hemovigilance solutions that improve patient safety, reduce waste and increase efficiency for blood transfusion services. For more information, please visit www.medisolution.com.

About Brookfield

Brookfield Asset Management Inc., focused on property, power and infrastructure assets, has approximately $80 billion of assets under management and is co-listed on the New York and Toronto Stock Exchanges under the symbol BAM and on NYSE Euronext under the symbol BAMA. For more information, please visit www.brookfield.com.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
MediSolution Ltd.
Paul Lepage
President and Chief Executive Officer
514-850-5040
info@medisolution.com

or

Brookfield Asset Management Inc.
Denis Couture
SVP, Investor Relations and Corporate
and International Affairs
416-956-5189
dcouture@brookfield.com

INDUSTRY: Computers and Software - Software, Medical and Healthcare - Medical Devices

Up to $1 billion in annual radiology cost savings and efficiencies uncovered across Canada

2009-03-02T15:13:00.000-08:00

Health infrastructure investments offsetting shortage of radiologists

December 15, 2008 (Toronto, ON) - Canada’s investments in digital diagnostic imaging technology will generate between $850 million and $1 billion in annual radiology efficiencies and cost savings and have already increased productivity to a level equivalent to adding more than 500 radiologists to our health care system.

The findings are outlined in the Diagnostic Imaging Benefits Evaluation Report, an independent study commissioned by Canada Health Infoway (Infoway). The report highlights the various benefits Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS) are providing to Canadians. It also uncovers the potential of electronic health record investments to help stimulate Canada’s challenging economy. Get the national perspective by reading the facts of the report. Learn more in the Diagnostic Imaging Benefits Evaluation Report Executive Summary or watch the video to see diagnostic imaging at work.

“At a time when the global economy is prompting world leaders to focus on economic stimulus, electronic health record projects are emerging as viable investment opportunities,” said Richard Alvarez, president and CEO, Canada Health Infoway. “That’s because electronic health records have the unique ability to stimulate job creation, improve health outcomes and save money, as evidenced with today’s report on the benefits of Canada’s diagnostic imaging investments. It comes as no surprise that U.S. President-elect Barack Obama recently indicated such investments would be part of his planned economic stimulus package.”

PACS digitizes diagnostic exams such as x-rays, MRIs, ultrasounds and CT images. The technology provides clinicians with the ability to collect, store, manage and access images regardless of where they are located, or where the test was conducted. PACS improves productivity for doctors, technologists and radiologists and significantly improves remote reporting capabilities. Learn more about Infoway’s diagnostic imaging investment program and how it’s helping to offset Canada’s physician shortage.

Other benefits include:

* 25 to 30 per cent increase in technologists’ productivity
* Elimination of up to 17,000 patient transfers annually through remote access to images
* Increased capacity of between 9 million and 11 million exams at current radiologist resource levels
* Up to $1 billion a year in health system savings and efficiencies once PACS is fully implemented across the country

Infoway projects that by March 31, 2009, 79 per cent of Canadians will be in a position to benefit from $340 million in PACS investments.

“As physician consultants, radiologists are in great demand,” says Dr. David Vickar, president of the Canadian Association of Radiologists. “PACS is a technological tool which can significantly enhance the management of our increasing caseloads.”

“The benefits of government investment in health care infrastructure are accruing,” added Alvarez. “Equipping our radiologists with electronic tools to make their work more efficient is helping to offset the physician shortage through boosted clinical productivity, which is also addressing patient wait times. Cost savings are also being realized thanks to reduced patient transfers, fewer duplicate exams and the elimination of film. Once these systems are fully in place across Canada, the benefits to the health care system will reach up to $1 billion a year.”

Canada Health Infoway is an independent, not-for-profit organization funded by the federal government. Infoway jointly invests with every province and territory to accelerate the development and adoption of electronic health record projects in Canada. Fully respecting patient confidentiality, these secure systems will provide clinicians and patients with the information they need to better support safe care decisions and manage their own health. Accessing this vital information quickly will help foster a more modern and sustainable health care system for all Canadians.

Agfa HealthCare Facilitates Access to Patient Information and its Clinical Use Between Ontario Hospitals

2009-02-24T07:04:00.000-08:00

HDIRS project achieves imaging management milestone and helps Ontario hospitals access and utilize comprehensive patient information

TORONTO, ONTARIO-- Feb. 24, 2009-

Agfa HealthCare, a leading provider of IT-enabled clinical workflow and diagnostic imaging solutions, today announced the Hospital Diagnostic Imaging Repository Services (HDIRS) digital imaging repository project (DI-r) is fully operational - and facilitating data and image sharing and clinical use between all Agfa HealthCare sites involved in the project. Currently in its second year of a three year implementation strategy, this is an important milestone for the HDIRS project, as accessing and utilizing patient information and images is the first step to helping Ontario hospitals improve collaboration, decrease wait times and improve the delivery of patient care.

Live since October 1, 2008, the HDIRS DI-r is now able to securely send, store and retrieve patient images and reports for more than 1.3 million exams annually, utilizing Agfa HealthCare's IMPAX® solution. The HDIRS project is part of the Canada Health Infoway initiative to implement reliable and secure health information systems, with the ultimate goal of an Electronic Health Record (EHR) for every Canadian. As an integral part of this project, Agfa HealthCare has implemented the IMPAX Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) digital imaging technology and a DI-r to centrally and securely store patient images and reports while facilitating file sharing across the HDIRS network.

"Over the last few months HDIRS has made significant progress taking the data centre live and connecting to the digital imaging repository," said Pat Ryan, General Manager, HDIRS. "This unique collaboration will bring significant cost savings and operational efficiencies to participating HDIRS healthcare organizations, and will also help to reduce patient wait times."

Currently the HDIRS project is incorporating the use of patient health card numbers into the data sharing process. Health card numbers will be used to provide healthcare professionals with longitudinal access to patient records, allowing physicians to view a patient's full diagnostic imaging history - regardless of where the images were acquired and the patient reports filed.

"It has been exciting to watch this project evolve and see how it is transforming the delivery of patient care for local residents - but we have only scratched the surface of what this means for hospitals across Ontario," said Dave Wilson, Vice-President, Agfa HealthCare in Canada. "As we continue to connect provincial healthcare facilities in the HDIRS network, we will see firsthand how IMPAX and the DI-r can contribute to improved operational efficiencies and to the national eHealth initiative."

In September 2008, the HDIRS project received the Showcase Ontario 2008 Merit Award in the Working Together category at the Showcase Ontario conference. Selected from more than 90 submissions, the award recognized the successful partnership between 23 hospital corporations. When completed, hospital staff across 35 Ontario hospital sites will have real-time access to comprehensive patient information and the ability to access and utilize images and reports electronically.

Mobile wireless hand-held devices coming for hundreds of home healthcare providers

2009-02-05T07:53:00.000-08:00

February 5, 2009 -- Victorian Order of Nurses for Canada (VON) has signed a two-year deal worth more than C$10 million with IBM (NYSE:IBM) to help the organization transform the way home and community health care is delivered in Canada.

IBM will provide new business processes and clinical technologies -- including mobile wireless hand-held devices for hundreds of home healthcare providers to schedule appointments and collect, share and access patient information in real-time. Other systems such as human resources, talent management, benefits administration, finance and accounting will also be automated and interconnected as part of the project.

This transformational initiative will enable the national, not-for-profit organization’s 52 locations across Canada to be more integrated and cost-efficient, thereby improving community services and patient care.

According to VON CEO Judith Shamina, VON’s vision is to streamline practices and create a technology platform that is compatible with provincial systems, so we are in better position to integrate into the larger healthcare system. This will facilitate the adoption of electronic health records, and enable, for the first time, the integration of home and community care activities into other parts of the health care system.

Home health care is the fastest growing sector in health care and as the Canadian population ages, demand will increase. Approximately 900,000 Canadians regularly access home care. Between 1995 and 2002, the number of Canadians receiving home care increased by more than 60 per cent.

The IBM contract covers financing, business transformation, consulting, application management of back-office functions, new hardware, portal software, and integration services to support the new wireless handheld devices.

IBM | Google Health Record news

2009-02-05T07:50:00.000-08:00

February 05, 2009. IBM announced another groundbreaking initiative in the drive to improve the capabilities and value of personal health records. IBM and Google announced new advances – powered by IBM software – that allow all kinds of personal medical devices used for patient monitoring, screening and routine evaluation to automatically stream their results into an individual’s Google Health Account or other personal health record. From there, patients can direct how their “health diaries” will be shared with physicians, family, and other members of the extended care network.

Faculties of Medicine say Budget 2009 does not ensure that Canada continues to develop and retain world-class talent

2009-02-02T18:39:00.000-08:00

. . . . in research and development

Ottawa, January 28, 2009 – The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) is concerned that the budget does not do enough to ensure that Canada emerges from our current fiscal challenges in a global leadership position in science and technology, and research and development – the engine of the economy of tomorrow.

According to Dr. Nick Busing, President and CEO of the association. “Budget 2009 missed an important opportunity to signal that Canada is committed to dealing with the current economic crisis, but is equally committed to ensuring a prosperous future for science and technology, particularly in the health and biomedical sector. While important measures were put into place to deal with Canada’s immediate needs, it stopped short of making significant investments to ensure that Canada continues to develop and retain world-class talent in research and development in the health and biomedical sciences. Infrastructure investments, without similar investments in human resources will not be optimized.”

Busing says it would take a very modest investment for the federal government to take a real leadership role in collecting and analyzing data pertaining to the current and future needs of Canada in terms of health human resources.

Contact Irving Gold
Vice President, Government Relations and External Affairs
The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada
(613) 730 0687 x236
igold@afmc.ca

Budget 2009 Leaves Few Assurances for Canada’s Top Research Talent

2009-02-02T18:13:00.000-08:00

OTTAWA, January 28, 2009 - Research Canada: An Alliance for Health Discovery is pleased with a number of measures in the Federal Government’s 2009 Budget, including the more than $1.5 Billion investment in science and technology. Research Canada applauds the government’s further investment of $750 million for the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) in support of research infrastructure. Canada will continue to make important strides in building world-class research facilities which create short- and medium-term jobs for Canadians into the future. Research Canada is also pleased with the temporary expansion of the Canada Graduate Scholarship Program ($87.5 million).

The lack of new investment in the nation’s research and innovation engine, however, is concerning; notably the absence of additional base funding for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the other granting councils and Genome Canada. “It is the Federal Government’s role to ensure that the ground is fertile for the creation and commercialization of new ideas by increasing investments in discovery research through the granting councils,” commented Dr. Michael Julius, Research Canada’s Chair and Vice-President of Research, at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. “Without increased investments in funds to support getting research done, we are poised to lose the competitive edge that previous investments in infrastructure have achieved. Our global partners are making these investments. Harmonizing funding across the research spectrum of ideas, people and infrastructure is essential to our industry’s capacity to create jobs and introduce innovative goods and services into the market.”

The economic impact of Canadian health research is significant. “On an annual basis our industry generates $12 Billion in economic activity and provides employment and training for over 10,000 people across Canada,” said Ms. Deborah Gordon-El-Bihbety, President and CEO of Research Canada. “The sector also supports more than 20,000 scientists, clinical investigators and other researchers and staff.” Canada has many of the right ingredients to succeed in the knowledge based economy including a highly skilled workforce and some of the best research facilities in the world. Laying the foundation for a stronger and more sustainable economy of the future will be predicated, however, on our country’s ability to make research and development in the health and life sciences a top national priority.

Research Canada is a not-for-profit, voluntary organization whose members are dedicated to advancing health research in Canada. Its membership is drawn from all sectors including the leading health research institutes, national health charities, hospitals, regional health authorities, universities, private industry, health professional associations and others.

Media Contact: Ms. Heidi McSweeney Director, Government Relations Telephone: 613-234-5129, Cell phone: 613-286-2830 Fax:(613) 565-2278 e-mail: hmcsweeney@rc-rc.cawww.rc-rc.ca