News 12/09/04

Joseph Landsman, one-time CIO at Norfolk's Children's Health System, is named CEO of University of Tennesee Medical Center.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi steps down, the ninth of 15 cabinet secretaries to do so. CoreFLS was not mentioned.

Missouri's Eastern Ozarks Regional Health System (sounds huge, doesn't it?) lays off its entire workforce of 142 and closes its doors, blaming its unnamed Medicare billing software for reimbursement problems.

Is is just me, or is every vendor having its annoying prospectors cold-calling this week? Slow time in sales, I guess.

LanVision dumps EVP Eric Lombardo and promotes VP Bill Geers to COO, giving him control of the company despite the ongoing but diminished presence of  J. Brian Patsy.

Note a couple of improvements to HIStalk, please. First, you will note the Rumor Report form to your lower right. Use it to tip me off to stuff you've heard, e-mails that have found their way to you, insider chatter, or other juicy stuff. I need eyes and ears out there! Put in whatever ridiculous alias you like (I always use "Scatman Crothers" because I like the way it sounds) and you can proudly see your phony name in print without compromising your identity. Your anonymity is safe because the form doesn't use your e-mail account to submit. Feed this blog!

Second improvement: the Jobs Page for jobs offered or positions sought (although I get first dibs.). E-mail me your listing (keep it short) and you're good to go. The page will disappear off the front page in a few days, but the link will always be to your left, a couple of slots above the ads (and thanks to sponsors eOptimize and Cable-Safe, who continue to shame the rest of you cheapskates by funding this lavish venture known as HIStalk.) The Jobs Page has a couple of new entries today, so check  it out (use the link just for practice.)

Speaking of Rumor Reports, here's one. HIStalk reader Nick asks, "What have you heard about a Kodak acquisition to become a player to compete with Cerner, Eclipsys, etc. Possibly iSoft?" Nothing, but allow me to pontificate anyway. It makes sense! Kodak is looking to healthcare (imaging in particular) as its salvation after the company was too slow in recognizing the threat of digital photography. Their service offerings on their web site seem ambitious and Philips seems to be working its Epic Systems partnership hard. Eclipsys might catch their interest because of the PACS connection (Eclipsys is the only US remarketer of Sectra under their own name, and that company announced great numbers this week.) You could put together a nice little package with Eclipsys, iSoft, and Surgical Information Systems (a rumored Eclipsys acquisition from a year or so ago, perhaps fizzled by the ECLP response time problems) in just about any combination. These companies are doing well enough to attract attention (along with obvious candidates like Picis.) General Atlantic Partners has investments in both ECLP and iSoft and both use Microsoft .NET technology. Yes, Nick, you may be on to something there. If anyone knows anything, that Rumor Report form is crying for attention (says Scatman Crothers.)

And,. could this be related? Down Under, IBA Health's bid for Health Communication Network was threatened when a "mystery rival" bought a big stake in HCN. That rival is suspected to be Primary Health Care, but HCN was rumored to be courting a sellout to ... iSoft. I know we're US-centric here, but some pretty good companies are doing well in the UK, Netherlands, Australia, and Canada. Consolidation seems likely. 

Indiana's Union Hospital, fresh off a near-fatal medication error and numerous regulatory deficiencies, will implement Five Rights bar-coding in hopes of staying out of trouble.