TALLAHASSEE  - The Tallahassee Hispanic/Latino Professionals and Entrepreneurs (THLPE) announced that they will be hosting their First Annual Business & Entrepreneurship Summit in Tallahassee, FL in May. The Summit is being created to help small business owners and entrepreneurs of North Florida gain the tools and information they need to create/improve their businesses.  Topics will include:

• Top 10 Secrets for Profitability for Small Businesses
• How to Secure Funding for My Small Business in a Recession
• The Influence of the Hispanic Market on the Overall Market
• Successful Small Business Stories & Experiences (Panel)
• The Virtual Office: How to Leverage Technology to Save Money in a Digital World

THLPE has partnered with Über Operations (www.uberops.com) and the Latinos in Information Science and Technology Association (www.a-lista.org) to host the summit.  ”6 years ago, Über Operations was a two-man company working out of a home and now it is now a national award-winning organization employing over 25 people.  We want to see many more small businesses in North Florida succeed like we have and this summit provided the perfect opportunity to collaborate with this next generation of small business owners and entrepreneurs” said Eduardo Gonzalez Loumiet, Managing Director of Über Operations.

The final date and location of the event will be announced March 1st. If you would like to participate or help sponsor the Business and Entrepreneurship Summit, please contact Alex Bello at alex.bello@thlpe.org

About THPLE:
The Tallahassee Hispanic/Latino Professionals & Entrepreneurs are working together to strengthen the network of professionals and entrepreneurs in the Hispanic/Latino community and to promote opportunities for young Hispanics/Latinos of all ages through leadership, scholarship, service, and diversity.  The organization hosts monthly “Networking Socials” and other events in the community to help provide its members with opportunities for person and professional growth.  For more information on THLPE, please visit www.thlpe.org.

About Über Operations:
Founded in 2004, Über Operations is now a leading provider of health care IT services due in part to their exclusive IT resources, their creativity, and hard work. Their goal is to provide the highest quality in software solutions and to find and work with the best IT professionals in the industry. Über Operations provides the integration services for several large private and public organizations, such as: the Florida Dept of Health, Texas Dept of State Health Services, and the University of Washington. Über Operations team members are considered experts in open source technology such as PHINMS, NHIN CONNECT, and Mirth to name a few. For more information on Über Operations please contact: sales@uberops.com.

About LISTA

LISTA’s (www.a-lista.org) mission is simple: to educate, motivate and empower the Latino community with Technology. LISTA promotes the utilization of the technology sectors for the empowerment of the Latino community. LISTA is an organization that is committed to bringing various elements of technology under one central hub to facilitate our partners, members and the community with the leverage and education they need to succeed in a highly advanced technologically driven society.

HHS will deploy CRM software to RECs for managing medical providers’ implementation of electronic record systems

• By Rutrell Yasin
• Feb 19, 2010

The Health and Human Services’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information is looking to deploy cloud-based customer relationship and project management software over the next six weeks to its Regional Extension Centers.

The software will help the RECs to more effectively track and manage medical providers implementing electronic health record (EHR) systems, said Marty Young, managing director of Acumen Solutions, the company implementing the technology. The cloud computing CRM and project management technology comes from Salesforce.com, and HHS will used it nationally.

SalesForce.com provides and hosts prebuilt applications for commercial users and government agencies in what is known as software-as-a-service offerings. Acumen has customized the software to meet HHS business and specifications.

Source: http://gcn.com/Articles/2010/02/19/Health-and-Human-Services-cloud-computing.aspx?p=1

A Message from Dr. David Blumenthal, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology

Today we announce the first cooperative agreement awards authorized by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act.  It marks a major milestone in our journey towards nationwide adoption and meaningful use of health information technology (health IT).   One set of awards provides $386 million to 40 States and qualified State-Designated Entities to rapidly build capacity for exchanging health information across the health care system both within and between states through the State Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement Program. The other awards provide $375 million to create 32 Regional Extension Centers (RECs) that will support the efforts of health professionals, starting with priority primary care providers, to become meaningful users of electronic health records (EHRs). Additional awards will be made in both programs over the coming weeks. Together, these programs will help modernize the use of health information, improving the quality and efficiency of care for all Americans.
As part of the State Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement Program, states will play a leadership role in achieving HIE to meet health reform goals. The funds awarded will be used to establish and implement plans for statewide HIE by creating the appropriate governance, policies, and technical services required to support HIE. Developing this state-level capability will help us break down the   current barriers to HIE and help providers to qualify for Medicare and Medicaid incentives under the HITECH Act. The awards will also strongly encourage states to consider participating in the Nationwide Health Information Network as an approach to HIE.  This would create a pathway toward seamless, nationwide health information exchange.
While the State HIE awards will strengthen capacity for health information exchange, the Health Information Technology Extension Program awards will establish RECs to deliver direct outreach, education, and technical assistance services to health care providers in their regions. Each REC will focus most intensively on the physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners who work as part of individual and small group primary care practices, as well as those who dedicate themselves to providing health care to the underserved. Primary care providers in small practices provide the great majority of such services in the U.S. but have limited resources to implement, meaningfully use, and maintain EHR systems. On-site technical assistance for these priority primary care providers will be a key service offered by the RECs.   RECs will assist providers who have not adopted EHRs, as well as those who have but need help progressing to meaningful use.  Regional extension centers will also help providers keep health information private and secure.
The Health Information Technology Extension Program and the State Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement Program are critical components to the end of a nation-wide interoperable, private and secure electronic health information system.  I look forward to working in collaboration with each state and REC as they establish their programs, begin work within their communities, and promote the transformation of our health care system. I applaud each awarded entity for its dedication to the mission of improving the quality of health care and for the leadership and guidance it will provide.
Sincerely,

David Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.P.
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) encourages you to share this information as we work together to enhance the quality, safety and value of care and the health of all Americans through the use of electronic health records and health information technology.

For more information and to receive regular updates from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, please subscribe to our Health IT News list.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is awarding $975 million in grants to help states and health care providers adopt health information technology.
The grant money being announced Friday comes from the economic stimulus legislation passed by Congress last year and is part of the administration’s push to get doctors, hospitals and others to move from paper to computerized record-keeping. Administration officials say the grants are designed to provide savings down the road by eliminating duplicative tests and time-consuming paper work.

The White House says the awards will help make health information technologies available to more than 100,000 hospitals and primary care physicians by 2014 while helping to train thousands of people for careers in health care and information technology.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is awarding $386 million to 40 states or entities selected by states to advance the exchange of health information at the state level. Sebelius is also granting $375 million to 32 nonprofits to help develop regional extension centers to assist health care workers on health IT issues.

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis is announcing around $225 million to support 55 training programs in 30 states to help give people job skills for the health IT field. The administration says around 15,000 people should get training.

Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-ap-us-health-it-grants,0,1047760.story

Posted by Dana Blankenhorn @ 7:41 am

Health reform, at its heart, is an effort to transform market incentives.

In the current system, there is no reason to limit costs. The doctor who diagnoses an illness directs treatment. The more treatment, the more money is made by the hospital and its supply chain.

Payment is similarly disconnected from service. Insurers have tried, for years, to fight these cost rises on behalf of their customers, and failed.

Open source starts by connecting data. As Matt Mattox of Axial observed last week (talking with Jason Hibbets of Red Hat), it drives systems toward an open architecture.

The current Administration’s support for open source and open architectures is aimed at breaking apart data silos, collecting the data that can in turn drive change.

The fear of the Administration’s opponents is that government will control the data. But another important aspect of open source health care is that it can give patients access to their own data.

That’s the aim of Indivo, a new open source project from, among others the Harvard Medical School, the same people who are driving the Administration’s health reform proposals.

As Fred Trotter explains, it’s a Personal Health Record (PHR) platform engine. It’s both a way to make a PHR, and link PHRs together. It’s a way to break the silos being created in that market, much as the NHIN “Health Internet” is designed to break silos in the larger Electronic Health Record (EHR) market.

We should already have enough data to drive reform. We know what works. Wellness services work. Doing what is cost-effective first works. Every other industrial nation has used these tools to transform incentives and provide ample care at a fraction of the cost Americans pay.

But by making political arguments against science, those who benefit from current business models have succeeded, for now, in preventing reform.

So thousands of people will die needlessly this month, and next month, and the next, because they did not get needed care. And half those with diabetes will be reluctant to get treatment, for fear of losing their jobs and thus access to care.

My point is that these arguments may hold against the rivulets of data we now have available. By automating care under open source standards we can unleash a Google-sized torrent onto the research community, proving the case once and for all. By providing data to patients, we also empower them to demand change, and to seek services before they’re sick.

That’s why open source is health reform. Unlock a high enough flood of data and mere arguments will be blown away. Show people their own data, explain what it means, and people will demand the services needed in order to live and not just get well.

Source: http://healthcare.zdnet.com/?p=3273&alertspromo=&tag=nl.rSINGLE

By Mary Mosquera
Friday, January 22, 2010

The Health & Human Services Department has updated the government’s Connect software to incorporate the ability to query for a patient and to assure the identity of sender and recipient in the exchange of health data.

Connect is the federally developed software that lets agencies and healthcare organizations share health data by using the protocols, agreements and core services that comprise the nationwide health information network (NHIN).

HHS continues to improve or add more functionality to the Connect gateway software on a quarterly basis to be a model for health information exchange, according to Les Westberg, Connect’s technical lead in the Federal Health Architecture (FHA) program and an executive with Agilex.

Authentication requirements “should be in line with some of the tightest security that’s possible right now,” he said, during an online conference Jan. 19 about the latest version of Connect software. 

Authentication works hand-in-hand with the data use and reciprocal agreement (DURSA), which is a legal agreement signed by the organizations to assure a certain level of authentication, he said. The organizations communicate that authentication information with use of Security Assertion Mark-up Language (SAML), a standard for exchanging authentication and authorization data.

NHIN authentication services will include digital certificates to document a user’s identity has been verified, lists of those whose certification has been revoked and the ability to ask if an organization’s NHIN certification is still valid, Westberg said.

Another significant upgrade is the technical ability for Connect to be able to query if a patient is known to an exchange user. Some demographic data can accompany the query. That replaced a general notification that the system was looking for the subject, he said.

Connect also introduced a set of responses when a patient is discovered. The gateway can pass through the results of the discovery to the adapter, the interface between the healthcare organization and Connect; check the demographics first against a master patient index before passing through the information; or return the result and make a record of it

The FHA team revises Connect based on technical recommendations from the NHIN Specifications Factory, which is made up of representatives of the Office of the Nationa Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) and other public and private sectors involved in health information exchange. The NHIN requirements align with the latest Health IT Standards Panel and health information exchange standards, Westberg said.

Source: http://www.govhealthit.com/newsitem.aspx?nid=73030

January 15, 2010 | Diana Manos, Senior Editor

WASHINGTON – Members of the HIT Policy Committee wrestled with the fate of the Nationwide Health Information Network during their meeting on Wednesday.

Committee members said the NHIN, a federal interoperability initiative begun in 2004, must now align itself with the newer and more urgent timeline established in the HITECH part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, passed last February.

The HIT Policy Committee adopted the NHIN workgroup’s recommendation for a "conceptual" framework for the NIHN and what the NHIN should expect from federal agencies. The members don’t know how those recommendations will be turned into actions and deadlines.

David Blumenthal, the National Coordinator for Health IT and chairman of the HIT Policy Committee, said the group will continue to expand its vision for the NHIN at upcoming meetings.

"The NHIN was developed before HITECH," he noted. "Is this sufficient, or should we be thinking more broadly?"

Blumenthal urged the committee to think of ways the government can promote meaningful use as part of the NHIN.

With providers who want to receive bonuses under ARRA expected to demonstrate meaningful use of healthcare IT by 2011, Blumenthal said of the NHIN: "If there are new investments we have to make, new aspirations we need to communicate, we have no time to lose."

The NHIN workgroup chairman, David Lansky, said the NHIN should enable the broadest range of providers to exchange information to achieve meaningful use and enable consumers to be able to access their health information. It should also provide access to states and other organizations that support providers.

The goals the committee approved for the future of the NHIN include:

• The federal government should focus on the minimum standards, policies and services needed for foundational exchange components to further meaningful use in the near-term.
• NHIN policies, standards and services should be structured so that intermediaries can provide required services for private and secure routing of health information.
• The federal government should work with stakeholders to improve and leverage directories for the NHIN.
• The federal government should define a core set of policies for the interoperation of trusted directories.
• The NHIN should build upon existing federal standards, policies and practices for authentication and identity proofing.

Uber Operations and NHIN: http://blog.uberops.com/2009/06/15/uber-operations-at-the-lista-d-c-forum/  and http://blog.uberops.com/2009/12/12/uberops-at-the-lista-2009-tech-leadership-summit/

Source: http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/hit-policy-committee-considers-nhins-new-role

A Message from Dr. David Blumenthal, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology

Today the Obama administration announced the availability of $60 million in Recovery Act funds to support the development of the Strategic Health IT Advanced Research Projects (SHARP) program. SHARP awards will fund research focused on identifying technology solutions to address well-documented problems impeding broad adoption of health information technology (health IT). By helping to overcome key challenges, the research will also accelerate progress towards achieving nationwide meaningful use of health IT.
As we continue this unprecedented effort towards meaningful use and seamless, secure information exchange, we also must acknowledge that there remains a gap between the promise of health IT and the realization of its full benefits. To achieve the goal of a transformed health care delivery system, it’s critical that we close this gap by enabling a robust research infrastructure that can focus on areas where “breakthrough” advances are needed to help clear obstacles to adoption. Under the SHARP program, four awardees will receive funding to develop multidisciplinary research projects that will identify such breakthrough solutions.
SHARP program awardees will create research programs that draw from many areas of expertise.  They will focus on issues of central interest to all health IT stakeholders, fostering considerable discussion and debate.  If for example, SHARP research helped identify new methods to create tools that will, through their incorporation into deployed technology, enhance data security, then public trust in the electronic maintenance and exchange of health information would be reinforced and strengthened – which would in turn help encourage broader adoption.
Areas requiring this innovative research approach that will be tackled by the SHARP awardees include the security of health IT, patient-centered cognitive support, application and network platform architectures, and the secondary use of EHR data as a way of measuring and improving quality of care.
Another important aspect of the SHARP program is that the research projects will bring together key stakeholders – researchers, patient groups, health care providers, and others – to work with one another to transform health IT research into applications. This collaborative approach allows us to consider the many voices of health IT stakeholders, and work together towards common goals. With our eyes on the vision of patient-centered, quality health care we can focus research on innovative, pragmatic, and realistic solutions which can then be implemented across the nation.
I truly look forward to seeing the innovative research that emerges from this program. I know that this research will provide critical insights that will bring us closer every day to a better, more efficient health care delivery system, enabled by health IT and empowered by the seamless and secure exchange of electronic health information.

Sincerely,

David Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.P.
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) encourages you to share this information as we work together to enhance the quality, safety and value of care and the health of all Americans through the use of electronic health records and health information technology.

For more information and to receive regular updates from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, please subscribe to our Health IT News list.

The Leadership Summit brought forward respected thought leaders in the field of science and technology for a daylong conference focused on:

· Social media and its affect on corporate strategy

· Health care technology and the debate over reforming medical records  (Eduardo Gonzalez Loumiet moderated this panel)

· Leadership for the Year 2010, celebrating entrepreneurs in technology and science

· Bringing broadband to all of America

Maria Suarez, Eduardo Gonzalez Loumiet, Jim Borland, Tony Jimenez

Speakers Included:

· Jim Borland, Special Advisor for Health IT, Social Security Administration

· John Villamil-Casanova EVP and CIO for ASPIRA Association, Inc.

· Dr. Robert Rodriguez, Assistant Dean, Graduate School of Management at Kaplan University

· Nilda Gumbs, Senior Director, State and Local Government Affairs, NCTA

· John Guerra, CEO, New America Alliance

· Louis Pagan, LAT3G Media,  Co-Founder, LATISM

· Anthony Jimenez, Chief Executive Officer, Microtech

· Felipe Alvarez, President, RCN

· Maria Mann, Chief Technology Officer, JP Morgan Chase 

· Scott Hartema, Assistant Vice President of Systems, State Farm

· Tómas Esterrich, Chief Financial Officer, MicroTech

· Ramon Ray, Technology Evangelist and Editor, Smallbiztechnology.com

· Jose Granado, Principal, Leader of the Advanced Security Centers, Ernst and Young

· Jeanette Hernandez Prenger, CEO, Ecco Select

· Felice Gorordo and Sean McKean, Founders, Raices de Esperanza

· Alfredo Placeres, President, New York State Federation of Hispanic Chambers of Commerce

· Claudia Goffan, CEO, Target Latino

· Liliana Gil, Managing Director, Acento Group

· Enrique Arbelaez, Interactive Director, Acento Group

· Ana Roca-Castro, CEO, Premier Social Media, Co-Founder, LATISM

· Julio Ricardo Varela, President and Founder, Publish

· Dr. Ivonne Diaz-Claisse, President, Hispanics Inspiring Students’ Performance and Achievement

· Karen Hoyos, Author and Motivational Speaker

· Plinio Ayala, President and CEO, Per Scholas

Uber Operations was one of the event sponsors

The summit also featured the “Techno Centro 2030 Career Expo,” a networking event designed to bring together Latino professionals with premier science and technology recruiters. The event closed with the National Latino Technology and Achiever Awards honoring individuals who are shaping the next frontier of science and technology.

About LISTA

LISTA’s (www.a-lista.org) mission is simple: to educate, motivate and empower the Latino community with Technology. LISTA promotes the utilization of the technology sectors for the empowerment of the Latino community. LISTA is an organization that is committed to bringing various elements of technology under one central hub to facilitate our partners, members and the community with the leverage and education they need to succeed in a highly advanced technologically driven society.

For more information on LISTA ETL Summit or National Latino Technology Achievers Awards please visit www.nltaa.org. You can follow LISTA on http://www.twitter.com/Lista1/ and http://techlatino2030.blogspot.com.

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