HIStalk Quotes
News 01/01/04
Happy 2004, everyone.
It's not IT related, but McKesson's drug distribution business scores big: the VA chooses them as their primary drug distributor in a $3 billion a year deal (although the margin on that business is razor thin.) Shares of the competition tanked on the news.
OK, it's amazing how many people stray onto HIStalk.com looking for Anna Gitlin news. You may recall that she's the Russian immigrant and Meditech software engineer who screamed at a Boston cop and then tried to run him down as he directed her around a traffic roadblock, shouting "I don't care who (expletive) died. I'm more important,'' in broken English. According to the officer she hit, "She became very disruptive and swore and insisted that she should go through. She just thought she was really special. She was nasty right from the get go.'' Well, for all you AG fans, here's a picture of her, and it turns out she's quite the hottie. She's got a Shannen Doherty look happening, don't you think? (Anna's on the left, Shannen on the right.) If you're in negotiation with Meditech, maybe you could hold out for the bad girl's autograph.
Maybe this will be the last example of trying to cash in on HIPAA privacy paranoia. A law firm offers a $395 CD that "will provide a database of rules, definitions and guidance on key questions." On the other hand, I suppose getting anything out of a lawyer for just $400 is a big deal.
Maybe Pennsylvania's Easton Hospital should get a copy of the HIPAA tools since it's in trouble after an employee tossed medical records into a 7-Eleven trash can. Previously another Easton worker scattered medical records into downtown streets.
A Hawaii hospital's OR closes for an unusual reason: wasp infestation. A surgical patient was stung after an anesthesiologist tried to remove a wasp that had landed on the patient's forehead. No one knows how to get rid of the bees.
I reported earlier on the lawsuit brought against HealthSouth by fired VP Jason Hervey, better known as big brother Wayne on "The Wonder Years." So, here's a shot of the $300K marketing executive for old time's sake.
Winners as subcontractors in the UK's healthcare modernization program are iSoft and Sun.
It's a slow news day, so let's mosey over some of the stock boards and see what insightful opinions are there.
Cerner: "I was until recently a Cerner "associate". I feel sorry for all those that are left with this news. Neal stood up out the last health conference (and also at the associate meeting when he was not coaching his senior associates in front of everybody) and said "I can't understand why our other domestic competitors aren't in the field in NHS" well based on a email he sent to associates when the announcment was made on NHS he said "that NHS wanted to many discounts which is why Cerner did not get into it as Cerner does not discount". Well hello!!!! maybe that is why the others did not bid. It probably has a lot to do with the ego or maybe was to busy managing the golf courses he has invested in - maybe a future career. Of course with the wonderful top executive that they had in the UK, how could they go wrong. Unless they looked at his wonderful track record he had with consulting org and everything else he touched. Layoff's oh yeah they will come - To much money pumped into NHS for it not to. I can't see how they will make the numbers - they may make 4th quarter but it will hit early next year."
Superior Consultant: "Why would anybody want to partner with a consulting firm that has such poor financial results for 5 years in a row- clearly it shows incompetence somewhere. It just amazes me that anybody would even consider any relationship with SUPC, but hey, some hospitals are still signing up with them-go figure- there is a sucker born every minute."
Medtronic's pacemakers will have an HIS export feature that will send XML and PDF documents to clinical systems.
Pittsburgh's financials are down the tubes. Its only major remaining industries are healthcare and higher education, neither of which pay taxes.
