It seems like just yesterday when CAST announced the availability of our new workbook on strategic information technology (IT) planning. But I’m pleased to let you know that we have just updated Strategic IT Planning for Long-Term and Post-Acute Care (LTPAC) Providers: A “How To” Workbook with 3 new components.
The workbook has been used by more than 60 organizations since it was released just 2 months ago. We’re hoping that the new components will make the workbook even more useful in guiding your organization as it incorporates technology into its strategic planning process.
The updated workbook includes the following 3 new components:
- An interactive guide that will help you navigate the workbook and its resources. The guide will point you to relevant content and resources based on your responses to a series of questions.
- Process flowcharts that illustrate each phase of the strategic planning and strategic IT planning processes.
- Six case studies showcasing provider experiences with strategic planning, strategic IT planning, IT infrastructure updates, planning for specific technology applications, and outsourcing for IT support.
New CAST Partner
CAST is excited to welcome PointClickCare as a CAST Partner. The CAST Partner is a new sponsorship level equivalent to the LeadingAge Silver Partner and is tailored for and geared to technology companies interested in CAST.
If you are interested in this new sponsorship level, please feel free to drop me a note.
Member Testimonials
CAST’s strategic IT planning workbook has received many glowing testimonials from users, and we appreciate all of them.
We also appreciate the testimonial we received recently from the Jewish Association on Aging (JAA), a LeadingAge member in Pittsburgh. During a webinar hosted by Long-Term Living magazine, JAA President and Chief Executive Officer Deborah Winn-Horvitz said that CAST resources and tools helped her organization select its electronic medical record (EMR). Read more about JAA’s EMR implementation in this issue of Tech Time.
How have you used CAST tools and resources? Send me an email describing how our resources have helped your organization. If you’ve shared news about our resources with any media outlets, we’d love to have a link to the published article.
LTPAC Heath IT Summit: June 21-23
Strategic IT Planning will be one of the topics for discussion on June 21-23 when long-term and post-acute care (LTPAC) providers gather in Baltimore for the 11th Annual LTPAC Health Information Technology (IT) Summit. Other conference sessions will delve into timely topics like how to use technology to improve medication management, quality reporting, care coordination and care outcomes.
The LTPAC Health IT Summit, which is co-sponsored and co-organized by CAST, will also feature an LTPAC Interoperability and Innovation Showcase, which CAST is leading. The showcase takes place Monday, June 22 from noon-7 p.m. It will highlight innovative approaches to interoperability, health information exchange and innovative business models.
I hope to see you at the summit and the showcase. Please see our article to learn more about the summit and how to register.
CAST Commission Report
The CAST Commissioners spent their Spring meeting exploring ways to harness technology’s disruptive power by creating new and innovative ways to provide long-term and post-acute care (LTPAC). A new CAST report, entitled Accelerating Innovation: Harnessing the Power of Technology for the Success of LTPAC Organizations and the People They Serve, summarizes the meeting’s presentations and discussions.
During the meeting, the CAST Commissioners learned about innovations in payment reform from CAST Chair Mark McClellan. They listened while 5 CAST members explained how they are incorporating technology into their care delivery systems to make their business models more efficient and cost effective. Representatives of the top-4 teams from the 2014 LeadingAge HackFest were also on hand to explain the innovative technology solutions that they developed during last year’s LeadingAge Annual Meeting.
Speaking of HackFest, it’s time to start getting ready for the 2015 competition, which challenges teams of young innovators to develop a technology solution that improves the aging process. Preparations have already begun for the 2015 LeadingAge HackFest, which takes place Oct. 30-Nov. 1 during the LeadingAge Annual Meeting in Boston.
In This Issue
A CAST Partner and CAST Supporters, Patrons and Business Associates have been capturing the media’s attention in the past several weeks.
Philips, a LeadingAge Silver Partner and CAST Supporter, has released 2 studies of interest. One study found that health IT investments in 2015 will focus on driving clinical and operational improvements and enhancing the functionality of EMRs. The other study suggests that family caregivers may be unintentionally creating barriers to technology adoption among older adults.
In other news, CAST Supporter HealthMEDX emerged as the highest rated software vendor in the LTPAC market in a new performance report from KLAS Research. Congratulations to HealthMEDX CEO Pam Pure and her entire staff for this well-deserved recognition!
This issue of Tech Time also includes news about partnerships that several CAST Business Associates have developed as a way to better serve their customers. Check out the latest partnership news from Medocity, Cerner, Response Care, and Constant Care Technology.
In addition, innovative programs and new ideas have brought 3 CAST members into the media spotlight. Check out the latest news from CAST Partner PointClickCare, CAST Patron Selfhelp Community Services, and CAST Business Associate Alarm.com (formerly BeClose).
Compete for a Technology Award
In closing, I’d like to remind you that July 10 in the deadline for this year’s Excellence in Technology Awards, sponsored by McKnight’s Long-Term Care News. The McKnight’s awards recognize providers that have harnessed technology to achieve excellence in aging services.
Six LeadingAge members won awards last year. Please consider entering your organization in this year’s competition.