From using AI to enhance the clinician experience to improving care delivery through the cloud, this past year has brought about significant changes to the way health care is delivered.
Here’s a look back at some of our top blogs from 2019.
1. 9 concepts shaping the health care landscape in 2019
John Peterzalek, executive vice president & chief client officer, Cerner
We kicked off 2019 with John’s thoughts on the continuing and emerging concepts that would define the year in health care and technology. From major advances in interoperability to the expanded use of predictive analytics and artificial intelligence, his perspective offers a look at the possibilities and opportunities in the march toward smarter, better care.
“The accomplishments leading up to 2019 – such as the digitization of health care, an increase in patient-centered care and the promotion of evidence-based medicine – are the foundation for even more innovation and improvement to come.” – John Peterzalek
2. What health care leaders need to know about the latest HL7 FHIR release
Dr. David McCallie, former senior vice president, medical informatics, Cerner
Earlier this year, Health Level Seven International’s (HL7) Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standard reached a key milestone with version 4 — the first normative release of the framework. As the organization continues to build on the momentum toward health care interoperability, HL7 is now focused on version 5, expected to be published in the third quarter of 2020.
“A normative standard is one that is guaranteed not to change, at least for a well-specified and extended period. In standards development, a trade-off is often present between the stability of the standard and the rapidly evolving needs of health IT.” – Dr. David McCallie
3. Why health care systems should adopt a clinically driven revenue cycle
Mickey Bowen, principal financial alignment executive, Cerner
Lisa LaBau, vice president, revenue cycle management, Cerner
When adopted throughout the organization, a Clinically Driven Revenue Cycle can provide tighter integration between clinical and financial information and improvements in coding and billing accuracy. In this blog, we explore how depending on clinical documentation to create and complete a compliant claim can lead to a faster, more accurate and increased reimbursement and reduction in financial loss.
“Embracing that a Clinically Driven Revenue Cycle is a transformation and not an IT implementation can be the crucial difference in an organization’s level of success. Transforming how the business operates is hard, and it doesn’t happen overnight. People, process and technology play equal roles and all are essential to success.” – Mickey Bowen and Lisa LaBau
4. A commitment to workplace diversity and inclusion
Brent Shafer, chairman and CEO, Cerner
To be successful in our mission of relentlessly seeking breakthrough innovation that will shape tomorrow’s health care, Brent explains that we need to foster a work environment where associates of all cultures, backgrounds and viewpoints are able to unleash their full potential. After his signing of the CEO Action Pledge for Diversity and Inclusion, Cerner joined the list of more than 700 companies that are committed to advancing diversity and inclusion.
“As we continue to transform both our company and our culture, we’ll benefit from a diverse and inclusive workforce of highly engaged Cerner associates and leaders whose ideas and contributions are influenced by their unique backgrounds, cultures and life experiences.” – Brent Shafer
5. How AI is improving clinical workflows and reducing physician burnout
David Cohen, former vice president of intellectual property development, Cerner
As the physician burnout crisis challenges the health care industry, providers are experiencing overwhelming frustration and a loss of professional fulfillment due to factors such as loss of autonomy and decreased efficiency. In this blog, David outlines how innovations in clinical technology empower providers to practice with confidence and maintain meaningful relationships with the patients they serve.
“Throughout history, when industries, such as music, retail and communication, have gone digital, we’ve seen a rapid acceleration of innovation and disruption. Meaningful use provided the catalyst for health care digitization. Now, a tsunami of change, which will take advantage of digitization to innovate and advance technology and data availability, is coming. Data input and output is going to change.” – David Cohen
6. Why we should be thankful for health care IT
Beth L. Martel, IT chief administrator, information services, Keck Medicine of USC
After a routine mammogram, followed by a biopsy, Beth was diagnosed with breast cancer. In her “love letter” to health care IT, she shares what her experience has taught her about the impact health care IT professionals have on the patient experience in 2019.
“I know our work can feel thankless when you’re dealing with frustrated clinicians and staff. But our work matters. Whether it’s behind the scenes or out in front, I’m grateful this Thanksgiving, and every day, that my cancer care at Keck is backed by a team of amazing health care IT professionals.” – Beth L. Martel
7. 3 ways the cloud is transforming health care: Cerner at AWS re:Invent 2019
Cerner Corporation
Earlier this month, the Amazon Web Services (AWS) annual conference brought together more than 60,000 developers and engineers, system administrators, system architects and technical decision makers for networking, education and inspiration to push boundaries and innovate in the cloud. In this blog, we outlined three key takeaways from the conference that showed how collaboration between Cerner and AWS is ushering in a new era of health care.
“By applying machine learning to historical data migrated to the AWS Cloud, Cerner created a model that helped the health care system reach the lowest re-admission rate in more than a decade and sent more patients directly from rehabilitation to the comfort of their homes.”
8. 36 years at Cerner: “I’ve always believed in Cerner’s vision”
Mike Williams, lead security architect, Cerner
On June 6, 1983, Mike became the 27th associate hired at Cerner. In the past three decades, he’s had a front-row seat to the company’s growth and evolution. To celebrate Cerner’s 40th anniversary in September, we sat down with Mike to learn what it was like to work for Cerner when the entire company could fit on one floor of a building, how his career has evolved and what he’s excited about for the company’s future.
“I’ve always believed in Cerner’s vision. If you’ve ever been in the health care system, you know there are problems. Cerner believes in making it better.” – Mike Williams
9. One step closer to achieving an interoperable EHR for Veterans
Travis Dalton, president, Cerner Government Services
For years, VA employees, Veterans and community care providers have looked forward to a seamless electronic health record (EHR) solution to improve patient care and support. That dream recently came closer to becoming reality with the successful transfer of 23.5 million Veterans’ health records to a shared data center with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). This massive accomplishment sets the stage for the “go-live” of VA’s EHR solution next year.
"The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) just announced the successful migration of health records of 23.5 million Veterans into a Cerner shared data center with the Department of Defense… Not only is migrating four decades worth of patient information a historic accomplishment for VA, but it's also the most comprehensive health data migration ever.” – Travis Dalton
10. Reshaping rural health with innovative design and technology at Patterson Health Center
Mitchell Clark, president, CommunityWorks, Cerner
On July 22, 2019, The Patterson Health Center, which was significantly funded by the late Cerner co-founder Neal Patterson, opened its doors. The facility offers a new model of rural health with an emphasis on modern infrastructure and high-quality care that’s proactive and patient-centered. In this blog, Cerner’s Mitchell Clark discusses how rural providers are using technology and innovation to tackle the complex challenges of rural health care.
“The opening of Patterson Health Center begins to address gaps in rural care by providing the community with convenient access to high-quality, patient-centered care. Health center leadership have access to innovative service delivery models and service line enhancements seldom offered in a rural setting.” – Mitchell Clark
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