CalHIPSO CEO Speranza Avram Addresses National Gathering of Healthcare Executives at MedeAnalytics Fall 2012 Client Summit

OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Addressing a group of healthcare executives from around the country, Speranza Avram, CEO of the California Health Information Partnership and Services Organization (CalHIPSO) talked about the key role electronic health records will play in the transformation of healthcare underway in our country.  "We're in a historical transition from paper-based care to electronic based care," she told the group. "So much of what we're trying to accomplish depends on data liquidity." Avram was one of three national speakers to speak at the final day of MedeAnalytics Fall 2012 Client Summit held last week in Sonoma, California.

Stage 2 Meaningful Use Rule
Among other things, Avram discussed the recently released Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule on Stage 2 Meaningful Use, noting the new emphasis on patient engagement by providers, and the rule's push to expand information exchange capabilities. She also cited a number of expanded clinical quality measures, ranging from patient safety to efficient use of healthcare resources, saying, "If we can do these well, we will be establishing a solid foundation for health reform."

Community Level Analytics
Avram also discussed a promising new data analytics pilot funded by the Blue Shield of California Foundation, that includes CalHIPSO and MedeAnalytics as project partners. The three-site pilot is examining how best to help small provider markets harness the power of analytics. "Our vision is to establish community level analytics," she said. "All providers — regardless of practice size — should have the ability to use data to build an interconnected patient care system."

Other Featured Summit Speakers
In addition to Avram, featured speakers at the MedeAnalytics Summit were David Sayen, regional administrator for CMS and Jim Landman, director of thought leadership for the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

About CalHIPSO
Launched in February 2010, CalHIPSO is a not-for-profit joint venture between the California Primary Care Association (CPCA), the California Medical Association (CMA) and the California Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems (CAPH). As the largest of 62 federally designated Regional Extension Centers (REC), serving 56 of California's 58 counties, CalHIPSO helps providers in California navigate the complicated world of electronic health record adoption and meaningful use. For more information visit www.CalHIPSO.org.

SOURCE CalHIPSO