September 2018 Newsletter
Highlights...

  • 6th Biennial WA HIMSS Conference
  • Advocacy Update
  • Connect with the WA HIMSS Chapter
  • National HIMSS Scholarships
  • Community Events
  • Sponsor Article: 1CALL
  • Our Sponsors
Upcoming Events
WA HIMSS 6th Biennial Fall Conference
Transforming the Experience for the Provider, Payer and Patient through Technology
When : Monday, October 15 - Tuesday, October 16 from 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Where : Bellevue Embassy Suites (3225 158th Ave SE, Bellevue, WA)

The Fall Conference is almost a month away and if you have not registered, don’t wait! We have more than 30 speakers lined up to inform, share and inspire you. Space is limited and already filling up with community members looking to learn how technology and innovation is transforming the healthcare experience.

Keynote Speakers :

Speakers & Agenda: Thank you to all of the speakers who have applied! The application period is closed. We are busy finalizing our speakers and agenda, and will be sending it out as soon as it is finalized. If you applied to be a speaker and have not heard from us yet, please reach out to us at wa.info@himsschapter.org.

Standard Registration:
Ends October 9

  • HIMSS Members & Collaborating Group Members: $160.00
  • Non-member: $215
  • Students & Veterans: $70.00

Take advantage now before prices increase on 10/10!
Become a Sponsor
If you are a technology vendor, manufacturer or consultant and have a product or service that transforms the way providers and payers delivers care to patients, then don’t miss this opportunity to share! Various packages are available. Click below to visit our website and review the different sponsorship package options. Sponsors due by Oct 1.
Thank you to our sponsors for the Conference:
Advocacy Update
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released their proposed changes to the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) which include their proposed updated to the Quality Payment Program (QPP) in the  Revisions to Payment Policies under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2019; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements    Proposed Rule. 

Connect with the Washington HIMSS Chapter
Become a Member
Not a member? Click here to join and receive discounted prices on Washington HIMSS events.

There are several different membership options available:

  • Regular membership: $199/year (includes local chapter membership)
  • Chapter/local membership: $39/year
  • Student membership: $30/year

If your workplace is an Organizational Affiliate, you have access to a complimentary HIMSS membership. Click here for more information on how to sign up.

Thanks to our Organizational Affiliate Members: Bellevue College, MultiCare Health System, Overlake Hospital Medical Center, Providence St. Joseph Health, Seattle Children's Hospital, and the Clinical Informatics MS Degree at the University of Washington.
Connect With Us On Social Media
Join our Washington Chapter Group on LinkedIn
Click here to connect with over 1,000 members on the Washington Chapter LinkedIn Group.
Follow us on Twitter @HIMSSWA
Click here to stay up to date on our events and other news.
Volunteer Opportunities
Want to help plan one of our annual programs or join a committee? Volunteering for our outstanding events or getting involved with program planning, communications and sponsorship are great ways to expand your professional network and advance your career.
Volunteer for a Committee: Nursing Informatics Committee, Fall Conference Committee, Membership Outreach Committee
National HIMSS Scholarships
Call for Applications for HIMSS Scholarships Now Open
HIMSS is now accepting applications for scholarships for student members who have achieved academic excellence and exhibit potential as future leaders in the healthcare information and technology industry. Applications will be accepted until Monday, September 10, 2018 at 11:59 pm CT. Apply for a  HIMSS Scholarship  today! For more information, contact  scholarships@himss.org

Call for Applications for HIMSS Chapter Sponsored Veterans Career Services Scholarships
Are you a Veteran, Transitioning Service Member, Eligible Spouse or Survivor interested in a career in health information and technology and would like to attend HIMSS19? HIMSS Chapters are proud to sponsor these scholarships. The scholarship will cover HIMSS19 registration, airfare, lodging and honorarium. Applications will be accepted until Monday, September 10, 2018 at 11:59 pm CT. Apply for a  HIMSS Veterans Career Services Scholarship  today!
Community Events
Seattle Health Innovators:
Artificial Intelligence: A Game Changer in Health Care
When: Thursday, September 13, 2018
Where: Cambia Grove (1800 9th Ave, Seattle)

Speakers :
  • Laura Krainski, Allen Institute and AI2 Incubator
  • Ankur Teredesai, KenSci
  • Ed Butler, CuraCloud
Although AI is thought to be in it’s infancy, it is already changing the way we think about health care. Expectations are high and at the speed that it is moving it brings hope in many if not all of the approaches to health care. Let’s explore the possibilities with those who are using this technology for patients, providers, payors, and researchers. The opportunities are plentiful depending on our passions for solving the present and future issues that involve our health care care system. This is the kickoff to our[masked] season of events.

Click here to register and for more information.
Seattle Children's Hosting 2018 HDAA Conference
When: October 8-11, 2018
Where: W Seattle Hotel

The 2018 Healthcare Data & Analytics Association’s (HDAA) Annual Conference is coming to Seattle! Seattle Children's Enterprise Analytics Department will be hosting this year’s HDAA conference. The conference will showcase healthcare organizations from across the U.S. and Canada who want to engage, collaborate and share with their peers. The conference focuses on data warehousing, analytics capabilities, and data driven decision-making processes within many different healthcare settings, such as clinical, operations and research, from many different roles and perspectives. Come join us while we set the course for the future of analytics! 

Click here  to find out more about HDAA and the conference this year.
CASE STUDY: State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University:
Integrating Epic’s Electronic Medical Records System with SUNY Upstate Medical University’s Call Centers to Save Time and Enhance Patient Caller Experience
Brought to you by our Washington HIMSS Platinum Sponsor:
State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University, located in Syracuse, New York, has a campus that is comprised of hospital, clinical, academic, research, residential, and campus facilities. The Upstate University Health System includes Upstate University Hospital, Upstate University Hospital at Community Campus, Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital, and multiple offices to serve 1.8 million people. The care they provide extends from Canada to Pennsylvania and includes a robust telemedicine program to assist rural communities.
SUNY Upstate Medical University is the region’s largest employer with 9,460 employees. With a $600+ million payroll and numerous facilities, Upstate is a powerhouse for the economy of Central New York, generating $2.3 billion for the region.

Identifying Areas for Improvement 
SUNY Upstate Medical University wanted to improve their healthcare call center performance and reduce caller wait times, shorten the time spent on each call, lower the call center’s abandonment rates, and provide a better caller and patient experience. 
When looking at the call answering process, they discovered the time it took for operators to obtain information from callers could be improved. “We realized operators had to ask a series of questions to figure out which patient they were talking to,” says Jody Williams, Call Center Systems Administrator for Upstate. “Right now, they answer the calls with, ‘Thank you for calling, this is Jody, may I have the patient’s date of birth?’ and they search for everyone by birth date.”
The call center operators needed more information about each caller sooner, to reduce the overall time of the call, and to handle calls more efficiently. 

Healthcare Communication Partners 
Upstate has used 1Call’s healthcare communication software since 2006 and works closely with 1Call staff to meet their enterprise-wide communication needs. Jody comments, “We use several products from 1Call. Perfect Answer enables us to record custom greetings and automatically plays those greeting before operators answer calls. We use Appointment Reminders and just started using MergeComm to send SMS reminders, which people seem to really appreciate.”
Upstate contacted 1Call for guidance, and 1Call confirmed it was possible for their Guided Scripting to bridge the communication gap, while making sure calls would look the same to operators.
For incoming calls, the automatic number identification (ANI) would be sent to Epic’s EMR database. Jody explains, “When the call comes in, the caller ID is pushed out to Epic, and then Epic returns the patient’s record on the operator’s screen. Operators can verify who they are speaking with using a shorter list of questions that are related to everyone who’s associated with that caller ID.”
Integration testing began between Upstate, 1Call, and Epic. 1Call worked on the scripting piece and Upstate’s in-house Epic staff worked with experts located at Epic’s Verona, Wisconsin campus.
1Call keeps track of the time spent on calls and Upstate is looking forward to seeing improved statistics. Jody explains, “We’re hoping we can cut 10-20% off the duration of each call. That will make a huge difference over the course of the whole day.” 
Epic Systems Corporation, or Epic, is a privately held healthcare software company founded in 1979 by Judith R. Faulkner, and located in Verona, Wisconsin.
Our Sponsors
New Scholarship Sponsor:
University of Washington Master of Health Informatics & Health Information Management
University of Washington’s Master of Health Informatics & Health Information Management program prepares you to step into leadership and technology roles in the development and management of enterprise-level health information systems. Our program offers a unique curriculum that combines leadership development with in-depth training in the rapidly changing field of health IT.

Thank You to Our Sponsors