Tag Archives: Health

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DMC executive Herman Gray to leave health care system to lead United Way

DMC executive Herman Gray to leave health care system to lead United Way
Gray serves on the boards of national, state and local professional and community organizations, including Children's Hospital Association, Skillman Foundation, Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the U.S. Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission.
Read more on Crain’s Detroit Business (blog)

Cooperatives' merger rejected
WEST MANSFIELD — The merger between Heritage and Legacy Farmer cooperatives has been rejected by members, according to statements published on the websites of the two cooperatives. Heritage Cooperative members approved the merger, while …
Read more on The Courier

Photos Of Pluto Reveal A 'Toy Store' Of Surprises
Alan Stern of the Southwest Research Institute, the mission's chief scientist, says that icy, soaring peaks on Pluto should "send a lot of geophysicists back to the drawing boards." It's not what the smartest people expected to see. These pictures also …
Read more on NPR

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First Co-Hosted Webinar from Atlantic Information Services and Gorman Health Group to Focus on Federally Facilitated Exchanges

Washington, DC (PRWEB) March 15, 2013

Information Services Atlantic, Inc. (AIS) has partnered with (GHG) Gorman Health Group stock of an exclusive series of webinars designed to provide timely and significant time information the government health care industry must implement health reform. The analysis of experts on the latest regulatory updates to war stories and best practices, these webinars provide the tools and guidance necessary to transform the regulatory policy into operational reality. The first webinar in this series, “Federally Facilitated exchanges between the application and implementation :. The time for talk is over, “ have a deep dive into EFCE, the application of the implementation and reconciliation

With EFCE capable of functioning in half the states next year, health plans face a tight deadline to complete applications, make decisions on benefits and contributions, complete back-end infrastructure and refine marketing messages. March 1 the direction of CMS presents an accelerated schedule with plans for applications online between April 1 and 30, the examination CMS in May and plans for revisions due June 21


In the March 26 webinar GHG experienced consultants will detail the whole process Plans must undergo to participate in exchanges facilitated by the federal government. Participants will have insider perspectives on key issues such as:

What in each component of the application FFE – what teams should be made and what information must be collected in order to complete it?
Why plans should take seriously certificates?
What are the key components of the plans should be in place before the launch of the exchange?
Why planning aid reconciliation will prevent huge risks in the management of member data and financial?
How broker boarding processes differ on trade in comparison with * commercial and Medicare plans?
How does the accreditation is for qualified health plans?

Visit http://aishealth.com/marketplace/c3rg18_032613 for details and registration information.


About Atlantic Information Services

Atlantic Information Services, Inc. (AIS) is a publishing and information company that has been serving the health care industry for over 25 years. It develops highly targeted news, data and strategic information for managers in hospitals, health plans, medical group practices, pharmaceutical companies and other health care organizations. AIS products include print and electronic newsletters, websites, loose-leaf books, reports, critical databases, webinars and conferences. Learn more http://www.AISHealth.com.

About Gorman Health Group

Gorman Health Group (GHG) is a national health services company and professional software composed of subject matter experts, former health plan executives and seasoned regulators. For over 16 years, hundreds of clients millions of beneficiaries have leveraged the strategic solutions to advise and GHG technology to maintain compliant operations, improve market position, and anticipated growth objectives. Learn more http://www.gormanhealthgroup.com.

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Palomar Health Now Testing DIRECT Messaging Technology for Secure Exchange of Patient Information among Health Care Providers

San Diego, Calif. (PRWEB) April 16, 2013

Palomar Health, the largest health care district in California, is piloting a clinical messaging infrastructure that enables the secure exchange of electronic health record information across its 2,200-square mile trauma area in Southern California.

The system uses the DIRECT Project’s protocols for secure messaging and the HPDPlus specifications for online physician directories, which have been proposed as national standards to facilitate secure patient data exchange among independent health care providers.

The participating health care organizations include all three Palomar Health hospitals- the new Palomar Medical Center and Palomar Health Downtown Campus in Escondido and Pomerado Hospital in Poway, in addition to Arch Health Partners, the Arthritis Care and Research Center, Escondido Pulmonology Medical Group, Graybill Medical Group, North County Internists, and Palomar Medical Group. The outpatient facilities range from solo practitioners to large multi-specialty physician groups.

“We believe the potential of the DIRECT Project and HPDPlus standards has yet to be fully realized, and we seek to explore the utility of these standards in our community, as well as explore ways in which they may be improved,” Palomar Health Chief Innovation Officer Orlando Portale said. “In particular, we want to establish a reference model for DIRECT Messaging that could be shared with other healthcare organizations throughout California.”

The technologies being piloted enable the secure electronic delivery of inpatient and emergency department discharge summaries to primary care physicians, as well as the exchange of referral requests and consult notes between primary care physicians and specialists.

“It is exciting to see the first stages of the exchange of health information within our physician and healthcare community,” stated Alan Conrad, M.D., Managing Partner of North County Internists in Poway.

The purpose of the pilot is to assess the feasibility and soundness of the DIRECT and HPDPlus standards as the bases for a practical, cost-effective, and non-proprietary infrastructure for health information exchange (HIE) within and among medical communities, Portale said.

The pilot is primarily funded by a grant from the California Health Care Foundation under a contracting agreement with Sujansky and Associates, both based in Northern California, to provide project management and software integration services. Other organizations that have contributed technology and expertise include GSI Health in Philadelphia, Mirth Corporation in Costa Mesa and Sparseware in Carlsbad.

“This project is a great opportunity for the Palomar Health community and the broader HIE audience to road test the DIRECT Messaging model,” Sujansky and Associates President Walter Sujansky said. “We expect the project to show the value of DIRECT Messaging today, as well as the ways the model may be improved in the future.”

For more information about the project, please visit: http://www.sujansky.com/projects_DIRECT_pilot.html

About Palomar Health

Palomar Health is the largest public health-care district by area in California and the most comprehensive health care delivery system in northern San Diego County. It is governed by a publicly-elected board of directors, and its primary service area in Inland North San Diego County has more than 500,000 residents.

A Magnet® recognized health care system, Palomar Health has several facilities, including hospitals and skilled nursing facilities in Escondido and Poway as well as Palomar Health expresscare health centers in Escondido, Rancho Penasquitos and San Elijo Hills in San Marcos in North San Diego County and Temecula in Riverside County.

Palomar Health provides medical services in virtually all fields of medicine, including primary care, heart care, emergency services, trauma, cancer, orthopedics, women’s health, rehabilitation, robotic surgery and bariatric surgery.

For more information about Palomar Health, please visit http://www.PalomarHealth.org.







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Department of Mental Health in Thailand Advances e-Government Development With CAYIN Digital Signage

Taipei, Taiwan (PRWEB) June 17, 2009

Ministry of Public Health in Thailand installs CAYIN digital signage system in its convention rooms by DMaSStech (Digital Media and Signage Solution Technology). The system enhances e-government development and provides citizens with instant meeting information. It further reduces the operation and management costs, and builds a better image for the organization. This is the first phase installed in the Department of Mental Health.

The Ministry of Public Health in Thailand is the main national health agency that plays an important role in a program of health development. Many important conventions and meetings take place on a regular basis in its four convention rooms at the main building of the Department of Mental Health. To further enhance e-government development, the department consulted DMaSStech, the leading system integrator of digital signage solution in Thailand, and adopted CAYIN’s digital signage system for a better way to convey meeting information.

This digital signage project for the Department of Mental Health is targeted to achieve the following objectives:

to provide citizens with better and more convenient services;
to reduce operation and management costs;
to convey information of conferences efficiently to citizens;
to replace traditional bulletin with modern digital signage for staff and guests.

To have a flexible platform for future database integration, DMaSStech introduced CAYIN’s web-based digital signage players in this project. SMP-WEBPLUS and SMP-WEB3 are installed both in front of and inside each conference room. Benefited from remote connectivity capabilities, administrators can edit contents and change configurations in any computer connected to the network.

Screens in front of the lift and conference rooms display meeting schedule and welcome messages to visitors. For those screens inside the conference rooms, event hosts can present the topic and relevant information of each event taken place in the room.

SMP-WEB3 is featured in its AV-in function and can play real-time video by directly connecting to a TV turner and DVD player. CAYIN’s digital signage system assists in creating a multi-purpose signage, including: TV, welcome board, information bulletin, conference information, messages to guests and staff, etc.

“CAYIN digital signage system successfully saves time, increases efficiency, and reduces the printing cost of traditional posters,” said Sathian Thancharoenkit, the Managing Director of DMaSStech. “The system also builds a great image for the department. We are proud to assist the department in taking a step forward towards the e-Government implementation in Thailand.”

CAYIN Technology in Brief

CAYIN Technology offers a complete portfolio of digital signage solutions including: media players, servers, and software. For various commercial applications, such as education, CAYIN also offers: transportation, retail, hospitality, corporate use, and financial and public institutions. CAYIN is dedicated to being a reliable partner to its clients worldwide, and has successfully set up various application references globally. In order to best facilitate the deployment of CAYIN products, the company also provides tailored services to satisfy the ascending market demand for almost limitless applications.

More about CAYIN Technology at http://www.cayintech.com

DMaSStech in Brief

DMaSStech Company Limited is established with the vision that digital signage will soon be one of the most effective tools for marketing communication and public relations; spreading throughout the media world. As can be seen in leading organizations such as department stores, banks, leading fashion stores, digital signage can be used to communicate with their customers and/or employees.

With the mission to be the market leader in providing the digital signage solution in Thailand and the regional market, DmaSStech is focusing its resources, commitment and effort to move the company forward and exploring expertise in the new updated solution to ensure the right solution to customers’ needs.

The company has served more than 40 corporate customers with our digital signage solution providing both the stand-alone and the networked solution.

More about DMaSStech at http://www.dmassthailand.com

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Consumer Health Insurance Site Founder: Health Reform or No Health Reform, Americans Can Help Reduce Rolls of the Uninsured

Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB) March 4, 2010

The highly publicized health care legislation being debated in Congress is intended to reduce the ranks of America’s uninsured. It remains to be seen whether Congress will pass significant reform, but what’s not in question is that many of America’s uninsured don’t have to wait for new legislation to pass to get coverage, according to the founder of the one of the Web’s most visited consumer-focused health insurance sites.

For many uninsured Americans, finding health coverage may be a simple matter of getting information about coverage that’s already available to them. And, while state governments and health care advocacy groups are making concerted efforts to direct the uninsured to coverage, efforts by ordinary citizens can also help reduce the rolls of the uninsured, says Charles Smith-Dewey, founder of the Health Insurance Resource Center.

The growing problem

According to “State of the States,” a 2009 publication by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the number of Americans without health insurance rose to 46.3 million in 2008 – or 15.4 percent of the population. Even working adults – 26.9 million of them – are increasingly uninsured.

The growing number of uninsured Americans is driven in part by a continued rise in premiums which, according to the report, have increased by 131 percent over the past decade. In recent weeks, both the media and the Obama Administration expressed outrage over WellPoint’s decision to increase health insurance rates by double digits in 11 states – and as much as 39 percent for some policy holders in California.

As a result, the percentage of Americans with private health insurance is dropping while the number of individuals with employer-sponsored insurance rates also continues a long-term decline.

The consequences

The consequences of not having insurance are numerous for the uninsured – and for the insured. A report from the Institute of Medicine on the consequences of not having insurance noted that

    uninsured Americans “experience worse health and die sooner” than their insured counterparts;
    families suffer emotionally and financially when a family member is uninsured;
    the uninsured cause instability at the community level for health care providers and institutions and for the services and programs accessible to residents; and
    the nation suffers economically due to the “poorer health and premature death” of uninsured Americans.

Where the uninsured turn

As Americans lose their private health insurance and their employer-sponsored coverage, more and more people are turning to public programs to find whatever affordable coverage they can secure. Many states, in response to increasing demand, are making their own efforts to expand access to programs.

Eighteen states have passed or enacted legislation to expand Medicaid and CHIP programs. And last year, Congress provided funding to states so they could expand eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP.

Some individuals – including many who can actually afford insurance – have been denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions. Those individuals are increasingly looking to high-risk insurance pools, state-sponsored pools of individuals who have been denied coverage by private insurance companies.

Unfortunately, not all states offer risk pools – and when they do, the pools are often markedly more expensive, which still puts coverage out of reach for many individuals.

Communities offer help

But even with increased funding and promotion of these programs by the states, millions of families continue to go without insurance because they’re not aware that they’re eligible for publicly administered health insurance programs. And sadly, many Americans aren’t aware of how easy it is to help the uninsured.

“In response to the current debate about reform, Americans are sending loud, clear messages to Washington about their desire for legislation that will cover more of the uninsured,” says Smith-Dewey, who founded the Health Insurance Resource Center in 1994. “But their voices can accomplish as much, if not more, in their own communities.”

Smith-Dewey says that more and more, communities are witnessing grassroots efforts to raise awareness of affordable coverage options for the uninsured. “It may be as simple as using your school or community group newsletter, bulletin board or Web site to post directions to insurance resources,” he says.

For CHIP and Medicaid assistance, the most convenient resource is often a state’s department of insurance. For Web sites and phone numbers of each state’s department, visit http://www.healthinsurance.org/states/. Individuals seeking coverage through state high-risk pools can find contact information for participating states at http://www.healthinsurance.org/risk_pools.

Beyond posting the information, an increasing number of community groups are hosting insurance enrollment drives, Smith-Dewey says. Well-organized initiatives such as “Cover the Uninsured,” a project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, give individuals the information and tools they need to learn about insurance options in their states and to start their own community drives.

“Cover the Uninsured Week” – a nonpartisan campaigned organized by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation – has endeavored for seven years to help millions of uninsured Americans find coverage. The drive this year will take place March 14-20.

“Through the ongoing debate, we’ve all learned that a lack of health coverage can have catastrophic consequences,” Smith-Dewey says. “Fortunately, we’ve also learned that Americans genuinely want to help solve the health care crisis – and that they’re willing to take steps in their own communities.”

For more information about health coverage resources – both public and private – available in your state, visit http://www.healthinsurance.org/states/.

Healthinsurance.org is a free online source of consumer health resources, including information about individual health insurance, major medical insurance and affordable medical insurance. Access to free health insurance quotes – private and online – is available by visiting http://www.healthinsurance.org.

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White House Mental Health Technology Conference Highlights Mood 24/7 App

New York, NY (PRWEB) October 15, 2013

Mood 24/7 (http://www.Mood247.com) a web-based mental health tracking and care coordination technology invented by Dr. Adam Kaplin of Johns Hopkins Medicine and developed by Remedy Health Media, was featured recently at the White House’s Behavioral Health IT Innovations Conference hosted by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in partnership with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Dr. Kaplin was selected to present the importance of a coordinated care approach to dealing with mental health disorders, such as depression. In the U.S., 25% of the population suffers from a mood disorder and these conditions often make people feel that they are isolated and alone.

Mood 24/7 is an automated mood tracker using patient’s own mobile phones combined with a web portal to consolidate all care-related communications, which is a critical challenge given that mood disorder patients see an average of six specialists per year. The application uses the web and text messaging to track patients’ mood and connect them with their healthcare providers, friends, and family. An adjunct to face-to-face treatment, Mood 24/7 sends a daily text message that prompts self-assessment and reporting of mood on a scale of 1 to 10. Patients can add explanatory notes to their secure web-based personal mood chart that can be reviewed online in real time with care providers to inform treatment decisions.

Mood 24/7 has been shown to statistically increase patient adherence to daily mood tracking in comparison to when using paper or email-based. Active users respond to 80-90% of daily text messages sent to track mood, making this text message-based program more effective than subscription e-mail tracking programs that report an average open rate of 20%* and a click-through-rate of just 3%*. Relaunched this summer, Mood 24/7 boasts over 11,000 users and 500 registered physicians.

“Being invited to the White House only a few months after re-launching this product is a testimony to Mood 24/7, Dr. Kaplin, and the great need for innovation in the behavioral health market. Innovation hasn’t had an impact on the suicide rate in over 50 years. In the U.S. alone, 1 million people attempt suicide each year. Remedy’s mission is to have a real impact on these outcomes. Mood 24/7 as part of a coordinated care program, in early tests, has proven to be effective,” said Terence Finn, Chief Technology Officer of Remedy Health Media. “We are excited about the response we are receiving from users, researchers, health information technology firms, and enterprises!”


Silverpop’s 2013 Email Marketing Metrics Benchmark Study

About Dr. Adam Kaplin

Dr. Kaplin graduated from Yale University before receiving his MD and Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He currently has a joint appointment as a Clinician-Researcher in the Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology at Johns Hopkins where he focuses his research on immune-mediated mechanisms of depression and cognitive impairment in CNS autoimmune diseases. He is the principle psychiatric consultant to the Johns Hopkins Multiple Sclerosis and Transverse Myelitis Centers. Dr. Kaplin is the Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Montel Williams MS Foundation, and a Medical Advisor to the Cody Unser First Step Foundation (CUFSF), the Transverse Myelitis Association (TMA), the Johns Hopkins Project RESTORE, and the Nancy Davis MS Foundation. He is also the CEO and President of Altammune, a startup biotechnology company specializing in developing aggressive new therapies to put Autoimmune Diseases into long-term remission.

Dr. Kaplin is the inventor of an eHealth mood tracking technology licensed exclusively to and developed by Remedy Health Media as Mood247.com that also functions as an electronic patient diary and a means for individuals to coordinate care with their health care providers.

About Remedy Health Media

Remedy Health Media (Remedy) is a leading health information and technology company that helps millions of patients and caregivers live healthier and more fulfilled lives. Remedy strives to improve consumer health engagement and outcomes through the development of authentic communities of health information seekers who can interact and learn from relatable physician, pharmacist, public health and patient experts. The company currently helps over 175 million health consumers annually through various digital, mobile and point of care information products and technologies. To learn more about Remedy, please visit http://www.RemedyHealthMedia.com.







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Henry Ford, Childrens Health Fund Expand Access to Health Care with Second Mobile Medical Clinic for Detroits Medically Underserved Children

Detroit, MI (PRWEB) October 28, 2013

To keep up with the extraordinary need for health care services among Detroit’s medically underserved children, Children’s Health Fund and Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) today unveiled a second mobile medical clinic for the Children’s Health Project of Detroit that will double its capacity to provide comprehensive health care services for school children in Detroit’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) joined Children’s Health Fund Executive Director Karen Redlener and Henry Ford Health System CEO Nancy M. Schlichting at Dixon Educational Learning Academy today to celebrate the expansion of services. The Dixon Drill Team and students from Thirkell Elementary School performed at the ribbon cutting ceremony for this new “doctor’s office on wheels.”

Senator Stabenow has worked closely with Children’s Health Fund since 2009 and was instrumental in bringing the first mobile unit to the Children’s Health Project of Detroit three years ago. Senator Stabenow, who pledged her salary for the duration of the federal government shutdown, announced at today’s unveiling that she would donate $ 4,600 to Children’s Health Fund for the second mobile medical clinic.

The Children’s Health Project of Detroit began treating children in 2011 with its first mobile clinic, called “Hank” in honor of Henry Ford. This second mobile clinic, which has been named “Clara” in remembrance of Ford’s wife, has the capacity to double the current level of service to 2,000 medical visits, bringing health care to 700-800 children each year. Students at Thirkell Elementary and Cody High School will immediately benefit from this new capacity, with other schools expected to be added in 2014.

“It is essential that kids are healthy and ready to learn,” said Karen Redlener, the executive director of Children’s Health Fund. “If a child is up all night coughing with asthma, or can’t see the black board, how are they going to learn? Education is their ticket to a brighter future, and we believe every child deserves that chance. We are so pleased to work with Henry Ford Health System, and so thankful for our generous funders, as we work together towards that goal.”

“The first mobile medical clinic made a big difference in the lives of thousands of children in Detroit who couldn’t get basic health care services like wellness exams and checkups,” said U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow. “I’m thrilled that with a second mobile clinic, made possible by the partnership between the Children’s Health Fund, the Henry Ford Health System, and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, even more children will receive the health care they need to succeed both inside and outside of the classroom.”

“The children of Detroit are our greatest asset for the future,” said Nancy Schlichting, CEO of Henry Ford Health System. “It is our job to keep them healthy so they can stay in school and get a good education. We are grateful to Children’s Health Fund for our partnership, and to the national and local funders who have made this second mobile medical clinic a reality and are supporting its operation.”

Henry Ford pediatrician Elliott Attisha, D.O., is the medical director for the Children’s Health Project of Detroit, under the leadership of Charles Barone, M.D., the chair of pediatrics at HFHS.

This new clinic is the first in the Children’s Health Fund fleet of 50 mobile medical clinics to include “slide outs” on both sides of the vehicle to significantly increase the interior and provide more space for two examining rooms as well as a private office for case management, parent meetings and consultations with specialists.

The “greenest” of all Children’s Health Fund clinics to date, the new mobile clinic is made of green certified materials and complies with strict emissions standards. The smiling kids on the exterior graphics showcase recent patients who were photographed by Dr. Attisha. Designed by Children’s Health Fund experts in collaboration with the Children’s Health Project of Detroit, all of these features support an ambitious level of comprehensive care and reflect the project’s goal to be an intrinsic part of the communities it serves. The new clinic was underwritten by W. K. Kellogg Foundation, and the new clinic’s operations will be funded, in part, by the Foundation.

One of the chronic illnesses likely encountered on the mobile clinics is children who suffer from asthma. Asthma is epidemic in Detroit. An estimated 20 percent of children suffer with this chronic but very manageable disease. To help provide support in teaching and treating kids about their illness, Molina Healthcare is working with the Children’s Health Project of Detroit to create an asthma program to help keep kids healthy.

Verizon Foundation has launched a secured text messaging program helping kids in Children’s Health Project of Detroit’s asthma program to better manage their own health and receive reminders and tips to avoid ER visits. Verizon Foundation is also providing enhanced internet connectivity for both Clara and Hank, linking the mobile clinics to HFHS electronic health records to promote continuity of care for patients.

Additional support for the Children’s Health Project of Detroit is generously provided by CATCH Charity for Children, Detroit Lions Charities, The Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation, Michigan Department of Community Health, American Academy of Pediatrics, and Superior Ambulance.







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PQ Media: After 3 Years of Slowing Growth, DOOH Media Pacing Up 11% in 2014, Driven by Strong Ad Spend on World Cup, Olympics, Health & Transit Nets, Aussie Digital Surge

STAMFORD, CT (PRWEB) August 04, 2014

Defying economic and political headwinds worldwide, digital out-of-home (DOOH) media operators ground out a 9.3% revenue gain to $ 8.86 billion in 2013, a solid increase tempered by it being the third straight year of slower growth, according to PQ Media’s annual performance benchmark released today. Key first-half indicators point to DOOH growth accelerating to 11.3% in 2014, boosted by a dynamic combination of the global economy gaining momentum, two sporting mega-events, and increased healthcare, political and transit ad spend, says the new Global Digital Out-of-Home Media Forecast 2014-18.

Influential developed and emerging markets stuttered in 2013, due to myriad challenges posed by debt issues, asset bubbles, political tensions and slower economic growth in high-flying markets like China. These issues filtered down to ad-driven media, which also faced tough comparisons with 2012 as a result of the even-year boost from pivotal sporting and political events. Roadside digital billboards and cinema-based video networks – the two largest location categories – were the most affected verticals in 2013.

While global revenue growth decelerated again in 2013, consumer exposure to DOOH increased at the same rate as in 2012, rising 7.2% to an average of 14 minutes per week, estimates PQ Media. Key growth drivers included new deployments and the expansion of existing DOOH media in high-traffic areas of the world’s largest cities. Average consumer exposure is pacing for accelerated 9.5% growth in 2014, driven by higher engagement with newly launched DOOH, particularly during the Winter Olympics in Russia and the World Cup in Brazil.

PQ Media defines DOOH by two major platforms, digital place-based networks (DPN) and digital billboards & signage (DBB); and more than 10 key indoor/outdoor locations, including roadside, cinema, retail, transit, healthcare and entertainment.

DPNs generated 71% of global DOOH revenues in 2013, growing 8.4% to $ 6.26 billion, a slight deceleration from 2012. Slow-moving economies weighed on cinema – the largest DPN vertical – resulting in several Top 15 Global Markets posting revenue declines. Global cinema networks had the worst year in recent memory produced the weakest years on record, although some slack was picked up by US cinema nets, which had their best year since 2010, as well as strong gains by transit and healthcare DPNs.

Although global revenue is on pace for faster growth in 2014, several challenges continue to shadow DPN operators, including issues related to standardized measurement, planning and buying systems, mobile media integration, and operator consolidation and its impact on network scale.

“From the Americas to Asia-Pacific, financial transactions involving DPN operators continued unabated in 2013 and the first half of 2014,” said Patrick Quinn, CEO, PQ Media. “A diverse group of deals were consummated across the vertical spectrum, including cinema, healthcare, corporate and transit networks, reaffirming that consolidation is accelerating and likely to churn for several more years.”

Among the major M&A deals announced in 2013-14 were National CineMedia’s proposed acquisition of Screenvision; Captivate Network’s planned purchase of the Wall Street Journal Office Network; and Cineplex’s acquisition of EK3 Technologies. Notable equity investments included those involving Captivate, GSTV, Mood Media and Eletromidia. And while the enigmatic RMG Networks went public, the esoteric Focus Media went private.

The rapid growth of mobile media has created the proverbial “frenemy” for DPN operators, as it has become imperative to integrate mobile technology into ad campaigns, particularly those aimed at post-Boomer generations. Driving consumer engagement through mobile interactivity will only become more important with each passing year. DPNs are already being squeezed by mobile, with brands increasingly demanding mobile components to their integrated media campaigns.

“To put this juggernaut into perspective, our research indicates that mobile media revenues from the US alone will be larger than the entire global DOOH industry by year-end 2014,” Quinn said, referring to data from PQ Media’s Global Digital Media & Technology Series.

Meanwhile, DBB growth slowed for the second consecutive year in 2013, rising 11.5% to $ 2.6 billion. The sharp deceleration was mainly due to local government rulings that led to digiboards being shuttered in major metros, such as Los Angeles and Moscow. Nevertheless, OOH operators continue to transition static signs to digital for the simple reason that digisigns generate higher revenues and margins.

In addition, digital screens placed in and around transit hubs, sporting venues and busy roadside locations have become must-buys for brands during major sporting events and political campaigns because they reach on-the-go consumers with a combination of dynamic ads and real-time results. For example, the increasing amount of soft money and third-party groups involved in US elections drove double-digit increases in political ad spending on OOH media in 2010 and 2012. DBBs were a key contributor due to their ability to tailor messages and respond to breaking news. PQ Media expects these trends to spur DBB revenue growth of 15.7% this year to $ 3.01 billion.

Asia-Pacific was the largest of the four global regions in 2013, with aggregate revenues of $ 3.83 billion, fueled by surging growth in Australia and a strong rebound in Japan. The US remained the world’s largest DOOH market, with $ 2.37 billion in revenues, followed by China at $ 1.87 billion. The injection of ad spending and new deployments ahead of the World Cup helped Brazil’s DOOH industry grow at the fastest rate, rocketing 41.9%, followed by Australia at 23.6%.

US DOOH media revenues rose at an accelerated 8.7% in 2013, driven by strong growth in healthcare nets, which benefited from new ad dollars related to the Affordable Care Act. DPN revenues increased 9.5%, as the transit and entertainment categories joined healthcare to offset slower growth in retail and cinema. US DBB revenues were up 7.2% in 2013, the lowest growth rate since PQ Media began tracking DOOH.

About the Forecast

The 7th edition Global Digital Out-of-Home Media Forecast 2014-18 is the industry’s annual performance benchmark, delivering actionable intelligence covering operator revenues, consumer exposure, key drivers and growth projections by country, platform and location from 2008-18. This year’s edition features a new user-friendly PowerPoint format, Global DOOH Market Rankings by revenue, exposure and growth, and comparisons to other media. Enhanced value-add Excel Databook amplifies the core report with hundreds of drill-down datasets by country, platform and location. Click through a Forecast link above to download a free Executive Summary and Sample Databook.

About PQ Media

PQ Media is a cutting-edge market research, publishing and advisory firm, delivering actionable strategic intelligence to the world’s leading media, entertainment and technology companies. Our analysts use a proprietary and proven methodology to analyze key performance indicators of hundreds of digital and traditional media sectors, platforms and companies, with a keen focus on helping clients make smarter decisions amid a fast-changing media ecosystem.







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POLICY WATCH: RISARC CEO Richard Stephenson Asks, Did Hillary Clintons Message to the Healthcare Industry at HIMSS14 on Electronic Health Records Get it Right?

Burbank, California (PRWEB) March 11, 2014

Richard Stephenson, Founder and CEO of RISARC, a leading national high-technology and revenue recovery consulting firm to the health care industry, has endorsed the view of Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that federally-mandated electronic health records (EHR) are transforming the health care industry.

Secretary Clinton appeared at the Annual Conference on February 26. HIMSS is the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, the world’s largest global health information-technology association. HIMSS is based in Chicago and has more than 52,000 members worldwide.

Electronic efficiencies

Said Stephenson: “Secretary Clinton, herself a pioneer advocate for a broad national healthcare system, was on point in her address at this important annual conference of the health care industry’s IT leaders. The success of the Affordable Care Act depends a great deal on the efficiencies that electronic health records are bringing to the industry.”

“We are finally seeing the promise of electronic health care records leaving behind the outdated, obsolete, 20th Century – in some cases, 19th and 18th Century – ways that records are kept,” said Secretary Clinton at the conference which was held in Orlando, Florida.

Paper losses

Secretary Clinton spoke of the chaos that followed Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans when thousands lost their paper-based health care records in the storm’s destruction. Clinton expressed particular concern for the thousands of elderly patients who relied heavily on the information contained in that mountain of paper work lost in the floods and building disasters across the city for maintaining their prescriptions and treatment plans.

In the same week, Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. Secretary for Health and Human Services, spoke about far reaching challenges that the EHR revolution is bringing to the industry. Secretary Sebelius addressed the Care Innovation Summit put on by the Aspen Institute and Advisory Board Co. in Washington on February 27.

Health-first attitude

Said Stephenson: “The $ 20-billion electronic health records incentive program, part of the 2009 federal stimulus package, was intended principally to aid in the efficient management of individual health care regimens. Under the leadership of Secretary Sebelius and her team at HHS, the abundant digital information mined from individual EHRs is also capable of providing the structure and tools enabling a health-first attitude in wellness, diagnosis and treatment. ACA gives healthcare providers the structure and tools to develop a health first attitude – leading to better patient care, management and provider/patient partnerships by improving access on both sides to critical medical documentation.”

But that only happens, according to Stephenson, if the information is made widely available. An initiative inside Secretary Sebelius’ own HHS has begun to do just that.

Said Stephenson: “The new Hospital Compare website, sponsored by Secretary Sebelius, protects anonymity but aggregates and repurposes the information now flowing into the federal system. It also allows patients to match and compare their own experiences in categories such as patient experience, average wait times and whether a hospital has medical imaging capabilities.”

A July 2013 press release on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services CMS) website points out that approximately 80 percent of eligible hospitals and more than 50 percent of eligible professionals have adopted EHRs and received incentive payments from Medicare or Medicaid. The article continues, stating that the upside of EHRs is, according to CMS Administrator, Marilyn Tavenner: “Electronic health records are transforming relationships between patients and their health care providers. EHRs improve care coordination, reduce duplicative tests and procedures, help patients take more control of their health and result in better overall health outcomes.“

Obamacare 2.0

Added Stephenson: “I see this as Obamacare 2.0. The first stage of healthcare reform was to provide broad public access to care and to convince the industry to elevate its game with digitized EHRs. As virtually all providers and insurers have come on board, we are now seeing the way that this abundant digital information will quickly transform everything across the landscape – from public health, Medicare and clinical trials to spending on healthcare by the public and private individuals.”

About RISARC

RISARC is a leading national high-technology and revenue recovery consulting firm to the health care industry. RISARC, founded in 1990, has recovered over $ 1 billion for its clients. The company offers the RMSe-bubble™ for secure electronic document exchange and the signature RISARC 360° single-source solution that combines health care revenue cycle expertise with innovative cloud-based, cost-saving technology to help clients optimize existing resources, meet business objectives and reach financial goals. RISARC is a pioneer in health care technology solutions and is a certified Health Information Handler for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, esMD project. The RMSe-bubble provides the industry’s best secure, HIPAA-compliant environment for electronic record and document exchange and has been endorsed and accepted by providers, commercial insurance carriers and government agencies across the United States.

Please visit us at http://www.risarc.com for additional information.







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Farzad Mostashari, M.D., Joins Get Real Health Board of Directors

Rockville, Maryland (PRWEB) February 19, 2014

Farzad Mostashari, M.D., has been appointed to the Get Real Health board of directors, effective February 17, 2014. Dr. Mostashari brings unique experience, knowledge and insight into Health Information Technology in the US and around the world. He joined the board in part to amplify his message about the central importance of patient engagement and its transformational power in healthcare — and to stand behind the company that provides the leading-edge patient engagement solution: InstantPHR™.

“As a physician and as a health care proxy for my parents, I have a first-hand understanding of the power of connected care,” says Dr. Farzad Mostashari. “Get Real Health understands the human side of Health IT every bit as much as the technology side. They put patients and providers first, and they built their solution to meet the myriad demands of a healthcare system that is struggling to transform itself. Get Real Health is a leader in this space — and as a board member I intend to help this company ‘stay’ real as it innovates and serves patients and providers.”

“We’re deeply honored to have Farzad on our board,” said Mark Heaney, Get Real Health CEO and founding partner. “He shares Get Real Health’s vision for patient engagement and believes that connected care is a change agent in the healthcare system.”

Farzad cites several key reasons for joining the board:


Get Real Health’s strong international presence in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom;
Usability of InstantPHR-powered portals for patients who seek to collect their information using Blue Button, organize it and share it with whomever they wish;
The company’s understanding of population health and care coordination for providers

“As we look to the future, the ability of patients to get and share their own data and the ability of providers to engage patients will be true game changers,” said Farzad. “Get Real Health is well positioned to be a leader in this new ecosystem.”

The former National Coordinator for Health IT and current Brookings Institute Visiting Fellow is a well-known and highly respected figure in the healthcare industry globally. @Farzad_MD is also a Twitter star, with more than 15,000 followers, and is frequently named a social media influencer at industry conferences. (People even follow his signature bowtie on Twitter @FarzadsBowtie.

“Farzad’s energy and passion for innovation will help us appropriately steer and expand our product, InstantPHR™, to continue to keep it ahead of our competitors,” said Heaney. “Plus, as a highly sought out expert and speaker in Health IT around the world, we know he will represent us well!”

As a Forbes writer observed, Dr. Mostashari “left an indelible mark on the healthcare IT landscape” in his role as the US Health-IT czar. He’s been called the ultimate patient advocate, and his thought leadership about the power of data to improve patient care has proven to be both prescient and influential. Dr. Mostashari’s understanding of the delicate balance between public policy and industry innovation has made him a highly effective leader both on the public podium as well as behind the scenes.

About Get Real Health

Rockville, Maryland-based Get Real Health is an award-winning global health information technology pioneer specializing in patient engagement and connected care solutions. Get Real Health’s flagship product — InstantPHR™ — is an electronic toolbox for creating and customizing personal health applications. Get Real Health has a diverse global customer base and strategic partnerships with industry leaders including Microsoft, Caradigm, Telstra Health and TELUS Health Solutions. Visit: http://www.getrealhealth.com, or watch a two-minute video at http://vimeo.com/86727501 to learn more.