Interlace Health Customers Named to CHIME’s 2021 Most Wired List
50 Interlace Health customers have been named to the 2021 Digital Health Most Wired list by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME).
Interlace Health Geared Up to Support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
This October, Interlace Health teamed up with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation – Tennessee Chapter, to sponsor and participate in their annual CF Cycle for Life Tennessee event.
Cystic Fibrosis is a rare, life-altering, genetic disease that causes a thick mucus buildup in many vital organs, including the lungs, and makes breathing very difficult for those impacted. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s (CFF) mission is to cure cystic fibrosis (CF) and to provide all people with CF the opportunity to lead long, fulfilling lives by funding research and drug development, partnering with the CF community, and advancing high-quality, specialized care.
Each year the CFF hosts an exhilarating cycling and fundraising event, the Cycle for Life Challenge, that supports the Foundation’s efforts. Participants fundraise and cycle to help add tomorrows for people living with cystic fibrosis. The CFF Tennessee event featured a virtual option, as well as an in-person race on Saturday, October 30th, 2021 in Franklin, Tennessee.
“The CF Foundation is making unprecedented progress in the fight against CF and events like Cycle for Life help to contribute toward that in such a meaningful way. This event has provided such an exciting opportunity for our employees here at Interlace Health to come together to raise awareness and support for a worthy cause, while also having fun and cheering (and racing) each other on in the process.” – Allison Reichenbach, President of Interlace Health and Board Chair of Cystic Fibrosis Foundation – Tennessee
As part of sponsoring the event, Interlace Health employees got their wheels turning for some friendly competition. Employees divided into inter-departmental teams and logged their mileage during the week of October 25. The winning team logged nearly 400 miles (that is further than the distance from St Louis, MO to Nashville, TN, which is 300 miles!).
Together, The Interlace Health Teams contributed 1,425 miles to the 3,849 total miles logged (that is 37%) and helped contribute to the over $80,000 raised during the event for the CFF!
Rain Fisher, the CFF’s Tennessee Chapter Development Director kicked off the event for the Interlace Teams sharing educational information about CF and the CFF and rallying excitement for those participating. After the event, Fisher shared some additional words of encouragement and gratitude:
“We can’t thank the Interlace Health team enough for all of their support and time. We are so grateful for our partnership and their dedication to helping us in our mission to make CF stand for Cure Found.” – Rain Fisher, Development Director at Cystic Fibrosis Foundation – Tennessee
We look forward to amping up our employee competition for next year’s Cycle for Life event and continuing to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. I am grateful to work for Interlace Health, an organization that does so much to give back to wonderful causes, like the CFF, that make a difference in the lives of so many.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ellie Silver is a Solution Architect at Interlace Health. In this role, Ellie provides expertise to healthcare organizations, incorporating Interlace Health solutions, services, and integration technologies to help optimize workflows for patients, providers, and staff. Her degree in Health Science combined with her experience as a Project Manager and End User Trainer enhances her abilities as an innovator in the healthcare IT industry. Ellie is enthusiastic about healthcare and is passionate about helping healthcare organizations create continuous success.
New webinar: Leveraging digital intake for superior patient engagement
A friend of mine recently had some tests done at a major medical center near us. (Everything came back negative, thank goodness!) When she told me about it, though, she didn’t say anything about the testing process itself. Instead, she raved about the hospital’s digital engagement.
“Before I even got home, I had a text about the results,” she said. “I can log into the app, make my payment, see my test results, and get a message to my doctor, who responds within three or four hours. Everything about it is just smooth and easy.”
She says this hospital will now be her first choice for her future medical needs, instead of one she’d previously used for years.
It’s no wonder that so many health system CIOs make patient engagement their top priority. If you share that priority, please join me for A Positive First Impression: 3 Proven Patient Engagement Strategies—a free, 30-minute webinar on November 18.
Patients want better digital engagement
More than half of CIOs surveyed in Stoltenberg Consulting’s most recent Health IT Industry Outlook Survey named “patient engagement” the industry’s top priority for the year.
“Whereas healthcare organizations may have previously gone through the motions of patient engagement enablement for value-based care incentives,” said CEO Sheri Stoltenberg, “the pandemic’s dramatic shift to remote care and true digital health advancement has forever transformed consumer-driven patient expectations toward taking a more active, yet convenient role in their own care journeys.”
Other research bears this idea out. A study from PYMNTS and Rectangle Health revealed that “More than 65 percent of younger consumers…said they’d be willing to switch to providers that offer digital healthcare management options.”
Many patients got their first experience with digital health care during the pandemic—and they liked it. Now, they want the same digital experience with healthcare that they get from retail, hospitality, banking, and nearly every other industry.
But you know this. The real question is: What’s your main barrier to delivering it?
What does better digital engagement look like?
“Digital patient engagement” is, of course, a topic we could write volumes about, and it will look different for every health system. But it’s fair to say every successful digital healthcare experience shares most of the same characteristics:
- It keeps patient information confidential and secure.
- It integrates with the health system’s EHR.
- It’s built on eSignature capabilities to eliminate the need for paper forms.
- It incorporates text messages—patients’ preferred communication method.
- It gives patients an intuitive, user-friendly experience.
That last point is hard to quantify but easy to recognize. When patients are comfortable in your digital ecosystem, you’ll see strong, steadily growing usage metrics. And when patients aren’t comfortable, you’ll hear about it!
Our upcoming webinar examines three ways your health system or hospital can help patients get comfortable with your digital ecosystem—starting with an improved patient intake experience.
Your digital front door sets the stage
One of the best ways to improve patient engagement is to start from the first moment of contact, with seamless, stress-free, digital patient intake.
A robust, user-friendly digital front door that meets all your patient’s needs and expectations—and which, by the way, also frees up your staff for enhanced patient care—would include:
- Digital intake forms that come straight to their phones via text
- Forms with all their information pre-populated from your EHR
- Remote check-in before they even enter the building
- Seamless payment processing options
- A complete, personalized user experience
A positive intake experience sets the stage for patients to come back to their portals in the future. If their experience continues to be positive, they’ll come to rely on your system as their first and main point of contact with your entire organization.
That’s the kind of engagement they crave—and that CIOs everywhere name their top priority.
Start making it happen. Join me for A Positive First Impression: 3 Proven Patient Engagement Strategies on November 18.
About the Author:
Dessiree Paoli is a senior solution manager at Interlace Health, a company that transforms workflows by providing clinicians and patients with digital healthcare solutions. She has more than 18 years of experience in driving strategic marketing initiatives, leading teams, and developing integrated campaigns, and she has worked in healthcare for more than 12 years.
Increasing Accessibility and Emphasizing Interoperability
Technology brought so many of us together during the past year, but it’s not as accessible to some as it is to others. In certain underserved and remote communities, the digital divide is quite real — as are its implications. Many rural areas and locations heavily populated by disadvantaged groups have inconsistent internet access, and plenty of households lack the devices necessary to connect to the internet.
Households in rural areas were 11% less likely to have broadband access than those in more urban areas; those with incomes under $25,000 were also 45% less likely to have broadband access. Black and Hispanic patients with certain chronic conditions were respectively 51% and 42% less likely to have quality internet capabilities. A number of factors (e.g., age, sex, socioeconomic status, disability, and geographic location) play a role in decreasing the likelihood that some have better access to an increasingly digital world than others.
Without access to consistent, quality internet, patients can’t use video functionality to access telehealth. In some cases, they might even struggle to get an audio connection. There is a clear need to bridge the gap between hospitals and healthcare organizations looking to expand their digital front doors and enhance their telehealth options to the patients who would like to engage virtually but cannot.
Increasing access to healthcare is critically important — particularly digitally. Although the healthcare industry alone can’t address the problem, health systems can do their part now to ensure that their technology foundation is strong and capable of supporting a more accessible future.
Interoperability and the Digital Front Door in Healthcare
A major part of being ready to open the digital front door in healthcare is considering whether all of your integrations are digital. If a health system offers a fantastic digital registration process but still relies on paper documents once patients arrive for appointments, the lack of consistency hurts everyone involved.
However, implementing new digital healthcare solutions means nothing without a focus on interoperability. Any new technologies added should integrate with existing software for optimal data exchange and efficiency. For digital solutions to power health systems and expand their digital front doors, everyone involved must ensure seamless integration between existing and new technologies — also known as interoperability.
Here are three of the main benefits of interoperability:
1. Improved operational efficiency in healthcare.
Having digital healthcare solutions that communicate with one another in real time cuts down on repetitive tasks. The technology also improves data accessibility in healthcare, decreasing the administrative burden and streamlining clinical functions.
2. Increased efficiency — and quality of care.
With integrated, interoperable solutions, staff in healthcare organizations see improved and more efficient workflows. The automated nature of Interlace Health’s solutions frees up staff time, allowing them to focus on providing quality care.
3. Reduced burnout.
When digital healthcare solutions work together as intended, physicians and healthcare staff can minimize repetitive tasks and streamline manual processes. As a result, they can benefit from reduced burnout and improved workflows.
Interlace Health offers digital solutions that integrate seamlessly with other technologies health systems have in place. Contact us today to learn more about how your organization could benefit. We can help you prepare to open your own digital front door.
The Digital Front Door and Risk Mitigation in Healthcare
Every healthcare organization has spent the past year trying to mitigate the risk of coronavirus exposure for both patients and staff. A large part of these efforts depended on a digital transformation in healthcare and the virtual care and telehealth solutions that resulted. Ideally, telehealth reduces the risk of exposure and increases access to care for people everywhere.
But “everywhere” doesn’t give the full picture. There are still significant barriers to virtual healthcare access in certain places and for certain groups of people. Low-income households, rural households, and households that include someone enrolled in Medicaid were all less likely to have the broadband access necessary for virtual care — as were Black and Hispanic patients with certain chronic illnesses.
This is all indicative of a real and persistent “digital divide” in the U.S. Knowing that characteristics like age, sex, ability, and socioeconomic status hold people back in many areas of life, it’s just as important to note that these traits also hold them back from receiving the virtual care that has taken the world by storm.
How do we move forward with an increasing reliance on telehealth as a way to keep patients and healthcare providers safe? With an end to the pandemic in sight, health systems will undoubtedly continue to use the technology to reduce the risk of exposure to myriad illnesses — not just to prevent the spread of coronavirus. That means increasing access to telehealth solutions by finding ways to open the digital front door in healthcare to more people.
How Digital Healthcare Can Help
Access to healthcare in rural areas and underserved communities is limited, making in-person care more of a necessity. For many services and specialties, fewer healthcare professionals are expected to serve more patients per capita — and fewer opportunities for virtual care exist because of the barriers to healthcare mentioned earlier. These communities also have less access to PPE and other supplies than some larger communities. This means physicians and patients alike are at a higher risk of infection because they’re inherently in a position that requires in-person care.
Opening the digital front door to these communities by implementing digital healthcare solutions helps mitigate this risk. At Interlace Health, we are proud to offer digital solutions that do just this:
· Electronic Informed Consent – Our Informed Consent solution helps health systems offer more contactless care, mitigating the risk of contact exposure. Several illnesses have been shown to spread by touching contaminated surfaces, especially in hospitals and physician’s offices. A survey we conducted in April of last year found that 41% of health systems use shared clipboards and pens in their registration areas; this means Informed Consent can push open the digital front door, positively impacting safety and reducing the risk for everyone involved.
· Remote Patient Intake – Our Patient Intake solution allows patients to register and fill out forms before appointments from the safety of their cars, homes, or workplaces. This helps them avoid unnecessary time spent in waiting rooms, limiting exposure for themselves and staff members. Instead of arriving 15 to 30 minutes before an appointment to complete the necessary paperwork, they fill it out from the comfort of home.
· eSignature Capabilities – Interlace Health digital solutions are equipped with eSignature capabilities. This not only helps clinicians provide and encourage contactless care but also expedites form completion and ensures that only the most updated versions of signed forms are stored. This saves staff time and eliminates the need to re-enter basic information more than once. The solution also strengthens compliance by accurately and securely storing patient information.
At Interlace Health, it’s our mission to help healthcare organizations everywhere open their digital front doors. To learn more about our solutions, click here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Over the past five years, Lauren Ziegler has been a member of Interlace Health’s Marketing team, coordinating and executing marketing communication initiatives, such as copywriting and content management, public and media relations, social media, and corporate communications. She has over a decade of experience in working with technology companies. Lauren is passionate about helping the healthcare community understand Interlace’s Health’s value, vision, and commitment to improving experiences for providers, patients, and staff.
It’s Time to Adopt an eSignature Solution
It has been roughly a decade since it became necessary for healthcare providers to have electronic medical records for their patients. Since then, the industry has continued to use technology to optimize processes.
Relative to other industries, this progress has been somewhat slow — especially when it comes to paperwork. Even today, 41% of care providers still use pens and paper for the registration process — and patients sometimes have to deal with 20 sheets of paper per visit even though digital solutions are available.
This might not sound like a significant problem, but the burden of paper processes adds up in a hurry. Up to a quarter of a nurse’s time is spent dealing with paperwork, and of the nearly 50% of clinicians who reported feeling regularly burned out, the burden of paperwork was cited as the leading cause. The financial cost is also high in terms of materials and fines: In 2019, 12% of HIPAA violations stemmed from issues with paper records.
The Shift to Digital
Healthcare organizations can benefit significantly by making the shift to digital forms. A key part of making this change is adopting eSignature solutions.
Our eSignature platform provides a more secure and efficient way to obtain patient signatures and complements existing technological tools. eSignature solutions make electronic forms management easier by making that final piece of the process — the patient signature — digital.
Ultimately, it moves processes that still use paper, such as patient intake and informed consent, into the modern age.
Electronic Forms and eSignature in Healthcare and Digital Transformation
Digital transformation isn’t about embracing technology for the sake of following the latest trends. It’s about practical, on-the-ground improvements. With that in mind, let’s look at three ways Interlace Health’s digital solutions, featuring eSignature capabilities, improve healthcare operations:
1. Saved time
When Singing River Health System moved away from paper processes and instead used Interlace Health’s Informed Consent solution for electronic forms management, they did so primarily because they were tired of spending so much time fixing mistakes that a digital system could have prevented. This coincided with an overall lack of consistency in a paper approach that made it difficult to standardize processes.
By implementing our solutions, Singing River Health System saved about 500 hours a year because staff members no longer had to prep and scan forms into the electronic system. They no longer had to worry about issues like incomplete forms, illegible handwriting, and misplaced forms, which meant healthcare workers were given back weeks of time that they could now focus on care.
2. Increased savings
Time isn’t the only thing saved. When King’s Daughters Medical Center (KDMC) in Brookhaven, Mississippi, transitioned from paper forms to digital, the organization reduced the number of forms it relied on from 2,500 to 1,000 — a decrease of 60%.
By getting rid of paper, KDMC was also able to drastically reduce money spent on paper, toner, and file storage. This allowed them to avoid the risk of costly fines and delays caused by lost or incomplete paperwork.
Perhaps best of all, clinicians and patients benefitted from a more streamlined and efficient process. This move away from paper helped reduce burnout in healthcare professionals and resulted in more time for meaningful interactions with patients.
3. Better support
When something goes wrong with a process related to a paper form, there isn’t an easy button to fix the problem. With electronic forms management — and the right partner providing it — support is only a click or phone call away.
At Interlace Health, we stick with our customers every step of the way, staying proactive and acting as an extension of your organization’s team. We check in regularly and offer to help with software updates and optimizations. We also provide ongoing educational opportunities for clients, including our annual customer summit and an online portal where healthcare providers can access helpful tutorials and answers to common questions.
Healthcare and digital transformation haven’t always gone hand in hand. It can be difficult and overwhelming to change established processes, but technology has the power to truly make a positive difference in any healthcare organization that is ready for change.
Interlace Health offers a comprehensive platform of digital solutions designed to help you transform your organization for the modern age. We’re already at work helping more than 1,100 organizations improve their operations. Contact us today to learn how we can help you!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Over the past five years, Lauren Ziegler has been a member of Interlace Health’s Marketing team, coordinating and executing marketing communication initiatives, such as copywriting and content management, public and media relations, social media, and corporate communications. She has over a decade of experience in working with technology companies. Lauren is passionate about helping the healthcare community understand Interlace’s Health’s value, vision, and commitment to improving experiences for providers, patients, and staff.
Press Release: ClearDATA Partners with Interlace Health to Safeguard Data
Media Contact:
Lauren Ziegler
314-677-3765
lziegler@Interlacehealth.com
Industry-leading privacy and security platform and services protect Interlace Health cloud-based solutions containing sensitive patient data.
ClearDATA®, the leader in operationalizing healthcare privacy and security, today announced its partnership with Interlace Health to provide the framework for its patient intake solutions’ deployment in the cloud. This partnership enables easy assessment, enforcement and remediation of the privacy and security framework of Interlace Health. The ClearDATA platform’s HITRUST CSF 9.3 Certification underscores their mutual commitment to ensuring that PHI data is managed in a secure, compliant cloud environment.
With the ClearDATA Healthcare Privacy and Security Platform, the company provides the automation and infrastructure upon which Interlace Health has built the security and compliance for their innovative process transformation technology.
ClearDATA Cloud Operations and Managed Defense Services supplement the cloud native platform, providing threat intelligence and vulnerability lifecycle management for continuous security and compliance. To keep on pace with the accelerating momentum of the healthcare industry’s adoption of cloud-based solutions, Interlace Health’s strategic partnership with ClearDATA will enable expanded cloud deployment for patient intake and future solutions.
“The demand for digital healthcare and new zero-touch patient engagement strategies has skyrocketed, building steady momentum around the cloud. This critical period during COVID provided hospitals and health systems an opportunity to modernize their patient intake process so they can pivot quickly, optimize costs and prepare for the future,” said Allison Reichenbach, President at Interlace Health. “Privacy, security and compliance are paramount priorities for Interlace Health and our customers. By partnering with ClearDATA, we have employed the most rigorous tools and managed defense available to ensure our providers and their patients that sensitive healthcare data is protected in the cloud.”
Interlace Health’s data in the cloud is now protected by ClearDATA, providing a robust set of technical controls mapped to compliance standards and frameworks such as HIPAA, GDPR and NIST to detect, enforce and remediate compliance – an extra, critical layer of protection for valuable patient data increasingly sought after by bad actors.
“We’re at an unprecedented juncture of technical innovation in cybersecurity automation and rapid adoption of digital healthcare solutions to improve patient experience and streamline provider and insurer processes. The latter is often rushed at the expense of data security and adequate compliance measures,” said Darin Brannan, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder at ClearDATA. “Interlace Health’s partnership with ClearDATA enables them to accelerate and scale their innovations, modernizing healthcare to aid patients, providers and insurers with operationalized privacy and security baked into the solution.”
For more information, and to learn more about how the companies are making healthcare better every single day, visit them at https://www.interlacehealth.com and https://www.cleardata.com.
About ClearDATA
Cloud Catalyst. Healthcare Protector.
Healthcare leaders across the globe trust ClearDATA to protect their sensitive data and securely accelerate their digital transformation in the cloud. With proprietary, healthcare-specific IP and expertise, ClearDATA operationalizes cloud, privacy and security – demonstrating compliance, remediating risk and securing health data in the cloud. To learn more about ClearDATA and its Healthcare Cloud Privacy and Security Management Platform, visit www.cleardata.com.
About Interlace Health
Interlace Health lives at the intersection of the relationships, environments and experiences at the heart of modern healthcare. By enabling seamless data capture and information exchange among providers, staff, and patients, Interlace Health solves many of healthcare’s central challenges through process transformation. The result for its clients is reduced costs, increased collections, uplifted patient experiences, improved operational efficiency, and enhanced support of an organization’s integration strategy. Interlace Health’s platform enables several solutions that are accessible by clinicians and patients inside and outside the walls of the healthcare system. These include patient intake, revenue cycle management, electronic consent, forms-on-demand, and downtime contingency.
For more information, visit interlacehealth.com.
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HIMSS21: Top Trends and Insights from Las Vegas
Heading to Las Vegas, Nevada the week of August 9th, I wasn’t entirely sure what 2021’s edition of HIMSS was going to look like. After all, we are still dealing with a global pandemic and emerging COVID-19 variants meant a return to “normal” conference, was still a bit beyond grasp.
To no one’s surprise, masks, social distancing, and safety took center stage at the event. This was vastly different from the packed learning sessions and often the shoulder-to-shoulder exhibit hall experience we have grown accustomed to. With all of this in mind, HIMSS adjusted put on a show and delivered an unforgettable face-to-face (albeit masked) conference experience.
Attending for the first time as a member of Interlace Health, I entered HIMSS21 looking to understand the trends and buzz around patient engagement, the healthcare consumer experience, and the evolution of telehealth and care delivery. Below are a few key takeaways from my experience at HIMSS21.
Digital Strategy is on Its Way Out
In 2021, more and more healthcare organizations are understanding that ‘digital strategy’ is an empty phrase. Rather, digital tools are now understood to be essential parts of modern healthcare delivery and patient engagement strategies. HIMSS21 exhibitors often played into this emerging understanding by dropping ‘digital strategy’ and focusing on where their products and solutions fit into provider space and the care continuum.
I’m pressed to remember if I saw any exhibitor or presenting vendor even utter the phrase ‘digital strategy’ during my time in Las Vegas. The absence of that overused phrase represents growth and movement away from trying to paste digital solutions over every crack or blemish, and shift focus to using the right tools to solve specific problems and challenges
Patient Intake is Still Finding Its Place
Patient intake has a bit of an identity crisis. At HIMSS21, patient intake vendors were spread far and wide across the exhibit halls. Their solutions were marketed both on the main show floors and in the consumerism, innovation/start-up, and interoperability showcase exhibit halls. Some lived as standalone solutions, while others were heavily tied into revenue cycle solutions. While not a surprise, the spread of vendors across many environments continues to press the question of: “where does patient intake live within the hospital and as part of the patient’s care journey?” Each vendor certainly had their own take on the topic, while also sharing in many of the same themes and buzzwords.
HIMSS21 continued to ask the question if digital patient intake is about access, engagement, consumerism, or something altogether different. The answer is likely to be a blend of a little bit of each of those as we try and steer the digital front door away from being a buzzword and into something that defines new ways for patients to engage with providers. Exhibitors quickly dialed in on the importance of creating digital experiences synchronized with the in-person experience of visiting a care provider. They also emphasized the importance of new intake workflows that have the ability to capture and maximize revenue from patients and health plans, a balancing act that even modern retailers can struggle with as they connect the online and brick-and-mortar shopping experience.
One of the biggest challenges in the patient intake space is the number of noise providers must decipher in order to find the right partner and solution. While every vendor had their own voice, the overlapping buzz words can make navigating a packed market space difficult. The most important question to help providers sort through the stack is around a vendor’s experience, especially when it comes to managing a hospital or health system’s unique intake workflows.
Telehealth is Still Everywhere – but Recognizes the Need to Evolve
We all know how telehealth use exploded during the pandemic, and how use has already started to retract as we move through 2021. Telehealth exhibitors at HIMSS21 clearly recognized this shift and have begun to set their eyes on the future of telehealth integration into healthcare and the prospects of more advanced home health solutions. The result will pave the way for new care pathways that fuse together virtual consultations and triaging, tighter integration between virtual and in-person care, and a push to keep patients in the comforts of their homes, rather than hospital beds.
The exhibitors I spoke with were excited about telehealth becoming part of care delivery rather than a separate care option. But, this shift also raised new challenges to be solved in moving patients seamlessly between third-party telehealth services and brick-and-mortar care providers without confusing or losing patients, or putting the security of their personal and health data at risk. I am encouraged by how the vendors were eager to tackle these issues, as well as their frank recognition of what sort of partners and knowledge they need to create these connections. It was exciting to visualize the role Interlace Health will play in the future of patient intake, as our solutions help sync workflows and capture and protect patient information during the registration process and throughout the entire patient journey.
The combination of COVID-19 disruption and longer-term industry trends has left the healthcare technology industry in a prime spot for unprecedented growth. At our first conference back since the pandemic started, we noticed many of the themes from HIMSS21 supported this notion.
As we close the HIMSS21 chapter, one filled with safely conducted face-to-face meetings, constructive discussions, and these takeaways in mind, the Interlace Health team has a motivated outlook on the rest of 2021 and we are excited to see the evolving (and vital) role technology will continue to play in the future of healthcare.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Christopher Link, Research and Insights Manager at Interlace Health, brings ten years of market research and analysis work within the healthcare market to his role. For the last five years, Christopher has focused on addressing market and strategic challenges for payer, provider, and healthcare IT vendor leaders. He believes that sound insights and intelligence are essential for effective decision-making and long-term success; and, asking “stupid questions” often leads to brilliant solutions. Christopher currently resides in Nashville, TN with his fiancée and their puppy.
Interlace Health Counts Down to HIMSS21
HIMSS21 is right around the corner. Are you as excited as we are? After all this time, it’s going to be great to see so many friends and colleagues face-to-face!
The Interlace Health team is heading to Las Vegas August 9-13 for the health IT industry’s most-anticipated event of the year! The “Be the Change” theme this year is fitting as we re-emerge into a world that has forever changed the delivery of healthcare.
We asked a few members of our Interlace Health team going to HIMSS21 to expand on what this year’s conference, under these anything but ordinary circumstances, means to them. Here is what they had to say …
HIMSS has selected the theme “Be the Change” for this year’s event. What does this mean to you?
Maggie Peña, Vice President of Client Services
“If we learned anything from the pandemic was that everything can change in an instant. In healthcare, this brought a sense of urgency and hospitals had to rapidly change how they provided care to patients. Some were forced to quickly execute on changes they had been planning for many years. What this means for Interlace Health, is that we will continue to be part of that change by helping our customers implement electronic solutions as they enhance processes and workflows.”
Ann Hill, Solution Architect
“To me, this means making a commitment to act in a way that will bring about change instead of waiting for others to. It means thinking about ways in which you can empower yourself and those around you to advocate for the change you believe in. In the context of HIMSS, I think it means highlighting change makers that are forging new paths in the wake of the pandemic.”
Chris Link, Research & Insights Manager
“This year’s theme covers a lot of ground. I have been watching and analyzing healthcare trends for over half a decade and within the last several years many of the trends I’ve observed, and experienced, have begun accelerating. But the core idea of “change” in healthcare has come to mean a lot of things. One massive change is how much health equity and treating social determinants of health (SDOH) as part of health care continues to be embraced my healthcare providers, payers, and vendors. There is a real sense in my mind that we have decided to tackle this problem and make healthcare better for people, rather than just pointing ourselves in the direction of the Triple Aim. Another big change is that digital healthcare is being seen as a tactic to support patient-centered healthcare strategies. The industry spent years considering digital strategies, but we’re finally understanding that digital and virtual technologies enable us to improve and enhance workflows in the administrative and clinical settings to lead to a better patient experience. There are more to discuss, but those are the two big changes we should be excited to be a part of.”
Anything specific you will be looking out for in Las Vegas?
Ashley Sonn, Vice President of Marketing
“HIMSS is always an exciting show to be a part of and attend. I am most looking forward to connecting with colleagues – new and old – and talking with our fellow Interlace Health customers in attendance. I also am interested to see how HIMSS21 exhibitors have adapted their strategic presence this year at the conference.”
“How did the pandemic change (or not) patient/customer engagement? New ways to engage with patients/customers. Any new trends or upcoming changes in the healthcare industry as a result of the pandemic.”
Dessiree Paoli, Sr. Manager, Solution Marketing
“We have all been so isolated these past 18 months. It will be nice to interact with colleagues who have been living through, and navigating through the same experiences. I am looking forward to networking and hearing from others, learning about the challenges they faced and how they navigated through them. I would love to come back with 2-3 new ideas or strategies for how to support healthcare organizations and do my job better.”
What topics/ themes do you think will take center stage?
“I imagine we’ll hear a lot about disruption, digital healthcare innovation and investment, consumer-center care, healthcare equity, and SDOH. I also think there will be a strong focus on automation and process improvement, but it’ll be dressed up with popular terms like RPI, AI, and machine learning.”
Dessiree Paoli, Sr. Manager, Solution Marketing
“I think ‘life after the pandemic’ and the massive changes that occurred as a result of the last 18 months will be a leading topic. Digital front doors, interoperability, and optimizing EHRs – will also be popular topics – tied into being more efficient with time and resources.”
Ellie Silver, Solution Architect
“Based on today’s healthcare trends, I think cybersecurity, population health, care from the patients’ perspective, using data and AI to improve patient outcomes, and of course interoperability and innovation will be highly discussed topics this year.”
Are there any speaking sessions, educational sessions that are a “can’t-miss” event for you this year?
“The Interoperability Showcase is the can’t miss area of every HIMSS every year! There all content and presentations must tie to Interoperability which is an on-going challenge for healthcare organizations of all sizes. Real case studies and hands-on applications of how interoperability is achieved is where it’s at.”
Ann Hill, Solution Architect
“A few sessions I have on my list, include: Opening Keynote: Early lessons from a Global Pandemic Keynote: A Bias Toward Action – A Young Innovator’s Message; Interop Showcase: Rethink Forms, Think Connected Data: 3 CIO Strategies for EHR Optimization; and Interop Showcase: Building the Foundation for Interoperability with APIs.”
Ellie Silver, Solution Architect
“I am looking forward to Health via Extended Reality: Use Case in Sports Medicine on Tuesday at 4 pm. I am curious to learn more about Extended Reality.”
We are looking forward to sharing our latest ideas and case studies about simplifying patient intake, informed consent, downtime, and more at HIMSS21. Here’s a preview of everything we have in store.
We want to make sure there are plenty of opportunities for us to connect while we’re in Vegas so please plan to attend one of our presentations or activities.
- Rethink Forms, Think Connected Data: 3 CIO Strategies for EHR Optimization— our session at the Interoperability Showcase on Wednesday, featuring King’s Daughters Medical Center CIO Carl Smith.
- The CIO Summit: a private gathering of senior IT executives for building relationships, addressing key challenges in care delivery, and accelerating digital transformation. We are a proud supporter!
- The opportunity to connect 1:1! Of course, if you would like to set aside some time to go more in-depth about your needs and how we can help, we would be happy to schedule a one-on-one meeting during the conference. Fill out our form to schedule a meeting with us in Las Vegas!
We hope to see you in Las Vegas! Reach out and let us know what you are most looking forward to at HIMSS21!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Over the past five years, Lauren Ziegler has been a member of Interlace Health’s Marketing team, coordinating and executing marketing communication initiatives, such as copywriting and content management, public and media relations, social media, and corporate communications. She has over a decade of experience in working with technology companies. Lauren is passionate about helping the healthcare community understand Interlace’s Health’s value, vision, and commitment to improving experiences for providers, patients, and staff.
13421 Manchester Road
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St. Louis, MO 63131
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Interlace Health is a solutions company. We transform workflows by enabling seamless data capture and information exchange among providers, staff, and patients. Our clients increase operational efficiencies, reduce overhead, and improve staff and patient satisfaction.
We are proud to be a member of the healthcare technology industry’s leading organizations.
