Monday Morning Update 07/09/07

Rumor: Misys continues to reorganize. They'll soon name a new SVP to take over all of sales, an outsider who's coming from the same big company that provided other Misys execs.

Speaking of Misys, they're being sued by their former landlord Any Travel Inc., owner of the vacated El Dorado Office Buildings in Tucson that Sunquest/Misys occupied from 1994 through 2006 for annual rent of $788,655. The landlord claims that Misys let the place go to pot knowing they were moving out, including ruining the fancy "water feature" system by shutting it down instead of repairing it, peforming shoddy roof repairs that caused leaks and interior damage, and allowing sidewalks and parking areas to deteriorate. Repair estimate: $1 million. The landlord claims they had a potential buyer for $8 million who bailed when they saw the condition of the property. Also claimed: Misys didn't pay real estate taxes as the lease requires, sticking the landlord with the bill. That's only one side of the story, of course.

Healthia Consulting is named one of the "101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For", which recognizes employers that treat employees well (communication, compensation, diversity, employee development, work-life balance, and community initiatives.) Worth a look if your employer doesn't exactly shine in those areas.

BrainLAB's software may not have been at fault in Belgium, where several patients received radiation overdoses. The company provided hardware only, not software, for University Hospital Ghent, despite earlier reports. The company thinks the system may have been implemented incorrectly by the hospital.

A just-published article in The American Journal of Managed Care says outpatient visits and telephone calls are reduced when patients can contact their doctor by e-mail instead. Kaiser Permanente did the study. That's the conclusion you'd expect, but it's good to have it documented. Unfortunately, those on the other end of the communication (doctors) don't want to swap e-mails with patients for a variety of reasons (reimbursement, liability, and time pressure), but perhaps that will eventually change.

Rumor: MEDITECH will acquire the rest of its practice management system partner LSS.

Rumor: Eclipsys has restructured its sales function yet again.

New UK prime minister Gordon Brown may be distancing himself from NPfIT, as several ministers who supported it have moved on.

Intel's Digital Health Group is working on projects related to eldercare, such as wearable monitoring systems and sensor-enabled "magic carpet" that analyze walking patterns to prevent falls.

Clearly the heat and summer distractions have kept relevant news to a minimum. Good stuff: e-mail me.