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The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology, which has been the group providing a seal of approval for electronic medical record products since 2006, will continue to be the certification body for health IT systems at least until December when the U.S. government finalizes its definition of "meaningful use" of e-health products.
After the meaningful use definition is finalized, multiple organizations will be allowed to perform testing and certification of products for meeting the evolving criteria and standards of U.S. and Health and Human Services health IT certification rules. Vendors would need certification from only one certification body.



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In this ReviewCam, we get an inside look at Magnify's video publishing system, including some of its fun bells and whistles, like its ability to auto-tweet, and the very cool capability to pull in videos from many sources around the web.The continuation of CCHIT as a certification body was among the recommendations endorsed by the HIT Policy Committee certification and adoption workgroup during a meeting on August 14.
The HIT Policy Committee is an advisory board to the Office of Coordinator of National Health IT, which is guiding the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services on filling in the details of the $20 billion federal stimulus HIT legislation signed into law in February.

The non-profit CCHIT organization was founded in 2004 and began certifying products in 2006 during the Bush administration's push for most Americans to have e-health records by 2014.

To date, CCHIT has certified more than 200 e-health products. However, with the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 's health IT legislation earlier this year, the future role of CCHIT was uncertain.

According to provisions in ARRA, in order for healthcare providers to be eligible for federal stimulus rewards starting in 2011, they must use "qualified" health IT products in "meaningful" ways. The details of qualified and certified--as well as "meaningful use" are still being hammered out. However, the HIT Policy Committee meeting last week helped clarify some of those ongoing questions, including the role of CCHIT at least in the short term.

Over the last few months, critics of CCHIT have complained to the HIT Policy Committee that CCHIT is too closely aligned with large EMR vendors selling comprehensive, feature-rich products, making it difficult or impossible, as well as expensive, for smaller vendors, open source developers and in-house development teams, who provide modular products with fewer bells and whistles, to get CCHIT certification.

CCHIT announced recently it will offer additional paths of certification for open source and modular products, such as e-prescribing, as well as in-house developed or assembled e-health systems.

Suffield, Ohio — The International Association of Information Technology Asset Managers (IAITAM) is an organization devoted to the needs of Information Technology Asset professionals. The organization provides advanced training, certification, and the establishment of standards for industry best practices.

Their website, IAITAM.org, offers educational resources, events, and a library of tools and tips to help with the asset management issues that IT pros face every day.

NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. -- A PAR Technology Corp. subsidiary said Tuesday that it received a $23.2 million contract from the Army for some information technology services.

Rome Research Corp. received a six-month pact with four one-year options. The company will be responsible for providing services for the Army's global information grid facility in Landstuhl, Germany.

Yahoo! BuzzShares of PAR Technology added 23 cents, or 4.5 percent, to $5.31 in afternoon trading. Over the past year, the stock has traded in a range of $2.75 to $8.25.

Denise Robbins, a software engineering manager by day, integrates her knowledge of computers and technology into all her techno-romantic thriller novels. Her published works include It Happens in Threes and Killer Bunny Hill, with Connect the Dots and Never Tempt Danger scheduled for release in 2010.

I saw down with Denise and asked about the unique combination of technology and fiction.

Your computer background has obviously been a big factor in the plots of your books. How did you become interested in technology?

It all started when I was a kid. In elementary school we went on a field trip to an electronics shop. In there, we saw all kinds of cool gadgets like small calculators, electronic games, and then. . .a computer. Holy cow! I could play chess on the computer.

About that same time, my dad brought home a modem. I’m not talking the modems you pick up today that fit in the palm of your hand, we’re talking a behemoth of a machine that looked like a typewriter with a phone coupler attached to it.

Some readers may not understand the significance of computers in fighting crime. Explain how important an understanding of new technologies can be in staying ahead of the bad guy.

Computers are used a great deal more than people think in regards to fighting crime. One simple example is the FBI’s website that gives the public information on some of the criminals they are searching for. This website not only informs the public, but now there are large numbers of people on the lookout for the ‘bad guys’.

Local police departments have computers in every patrol car, which can be used in different scenarios. Remember the last time you were pulled over? The police officer can put your license plate into the computer and check if the car was stolen, your driving record, or even your car registration. A police officer making a routine stop may not seem like any big deal or use for computer technology, but what you may not realize is that the same computer that told the officer the car was stolen, can also provide arrest and warrant information. Information attained via the computer by the officer makes him/her more capable of making the right decision of how to approach the situation.

Computers also give law enforcement the resources and technology needed to keep up with modern day criminals in the cyber world. Some criminals steal people’s identities or purchase goods with someone else’s credit cards over the Internet. Internet felons commit all sorts of crimes such as downloading child pornography, even trying to convince minors to meet them somewhere, which could result in abduction. Without computers, it would be nearly impossible to catch felons of this nature. Through computers law enforcement agencies can watch these actions and make the web safer.

Because of computers and instant access to large amounts of information, law enforcement agents have the power to turn a possible dangerous situation into a much safer one sooner rather than later.


Explain a little about nanotechnology and its current uses.

Nanotechnology is a technology based on the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules to build structures to complex, atomic specifications. The nanoscale is about a thousand times smaller than micro that is, about 1/80,000 of the diameter of a human hair.

Items already available in the marketplace include: burn and wound dressings, water filtration, dental-bonding agent, coatings for easier cleaning glass, bumpers and catalytic converters on cars, protective and glare-reducing coatings for eyeglasses and cars, sunscreens and cosmetics, stain-free clothing and mattresses, ink, longer-lasting tennis balls, and lightweight and stronger tennis rackets.

A ski jacket produced by Franz Ziener GmbH&Co is based on nanotechnology. The windproof and waterproof properties are not obtained by a surface coating of the jacket but by the use of nanofibres.

The company InMat makes long-lasting tennis-balls by coating the inner core with clay polymer nanocomposites. These tennis-balls have twice the lifetime of conventional balls.

What do you see happening with nanotechnology in the future?

Today, we have just scratched the surface on what nanotechnology will do for us. There are many nanotechnology applications in research and development. In the field of medicine, there will be Qdots that identify the location of cancer cells in the body and Nanoparticles that deliver chemotherapy drugs directly to cancer cells to minimize damage to healthy cells. Can you imagine not having to expose the entire body to chemotherapy but only the part that requires the treatment?

Nanotechnology is huge in the science and technology area as well, in particular, manmade diamonds. In recent years, there has been research into producing manmade diamonds, no, not cubic zirconia, but “real” diamonds grown in a lab and not in nature. Manmade diamonds is a huge breakthrough that will only get bigger. The diamond has the largest thermal conductivity of any material. With every improvement in computer chip technology, the machines get faster and hotter. At some point the chips and computer insides will melt. Diamonds are the answer for faster computers without the heat factor. For the same thermal conductivity reason, manmade diamonds could help make lasers of extreme power. The material could allow a cell phone to fit into a watch and iPods to store 10,000 movies, not just 10,000 songs.

I could go on, but you get the idea. Nanotechnology is the next great wave and I’m hoping it hits soon.

What are some of the challenges in blending cutting-edge technology with fiction?

The challenge in creating techno-fiction is knowing how to keep the story moving at the same time giving enough of a visual picture of the technology so the reader understands without dumping boring information on top of their head.

It seems like the field of technology is more of a man’s world. How did you end up in the field and why do you think there aren’t more women involved?

I think since my dad was in technology, not the same as I am involved today, I was destined for computers.

Taking a job with a government contractor for the Department of Defense hooked me on technology. I was part of a team that built software for use in military medical facilities. It was when I taught computer programs and programming to adults that I found my love for all that ‘geeky’ computer stuff. There is nothing like watching the spark in somebody’s eyes as the light bulb goes on inside their head after they have learned to write code and see the result.

Why there are not more women in science and technology is a question that has been asked quite a lot in recent years. One simple answer is how parents and teachers present information technology professions and other occupations to their daughters and students. It is about encouraging and providing role models.

Another explanation for the lack of women in information technology careers is misconception and preference. Why do I say that as if they are com-mingled? Many people believe working in IT is solitary. They imagine someone sitting in front of a computer eight hours or more a day with no one to talk with. Ask any of the engineers that work for and with me and they will let you know that is not the case.

In general, women prefer to work with people while men prefer to work with things. With the solitary misconception out there, many women are choosing other careers.

Do you have a lot of male readers because of your interesting plots? How do you draw them in?

To be honest, I am not certain that I have too many male readers yet, but I have a few and I want more. I think once the guys know that my novels are based on interesting and real technology, have suspense and mystery woven in with action and adventure that they will want to read them. All it takes is a few good men. . .to spread the word.

While my novels are fiction, when my hero or heroine is shooting a weapon, all readers should know that I have done the research and had the experience several times. My first time shooting anything, but a shotgun at skeet (of which I am a very good shot), was when I wrote It Happens in Threes. I had to know what it felt like. I contacted a friend who taught me all the various right and wrongs and who enjoyed seeing me struggle filling a clip and always forgetting to take the safety off.

Right now, my attempt at “drawing them in” is to give a guy I see a copy of the book, ask him to read it, and let me know what he thinks. So far, the response has been positive. The other little tidbit that helps draw the men in as that I have other men review and edit my novels for the male perspective. It always helps me when Steve or David say, “No guy would say that.” Then they wrinkle their noses and slash away at my work. I am very grateful. I also have friends who are former military and they correct some of my ideas as well.

How do you handle the fine line between giving too much technological information and making the story flow?

This is an excellent question. Computer stuff can be very dry and boring, take it from me. What I do is take technology and introduce the readers to it in small pieces, like breadcrumbs of information, so that technology is part of the mystery or part of the solution in the puzzle. I take the technology and break it down so my characters show you just enough to make you understand, and at the same time get curious. Wait until you find out about nanotechnology in Killer Bunny Hill. I’ll give you a hint – Diamonds aren’t just a girl’s best friend.

Where do you come up with your story ideas?

My story ideas come from various places and most the time it is just a matter of sitting down with pen and paper and asking myself about the particular characters I have just identified in my mind. Sometimes, as in the case of my second novel Killer Bunny Hill, the seed for novel will just hit me while flying across the country on a plane. In the case of my fourth novel Never Tempt Danger, the idea came from a dream. Those are just the beginnings, now I have to construct a story line and that takes a little more effort.

Sometimes I take from my own experiences with technology, but that is still limited in scope. So what do I do? Well, here is my answer.

I did some research once for work when I accidentally ran across an article on ‘manmade diamonds’ and using them as computer chips. As I continued to read the story, I found out about an organization known as DARPA, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. This agency is the central research and development office for the Department of Defense. They fund all kinds of technology research in order to keep our military technologically superior and in turn keep us safe and military personnel safe. Cool stuff!

I can see how computer technology and crime fiction are a perfect fit. Thank you for stopping by today, Denise. For more information on Denise and her techno-romantic thrillers, visit her website at http://www.deniserobbins.com.

LAST THURSDAY, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced its withdrawal of requirements that Green Dam Internet censorship software come pre-installed on all computers. This victory is not unblemished. China is continuing to install the software in computers at Internet cafes and universities. And some manufacturers continue to include it with computers shipped to the country. But the outcome -- although not perfect -- is a success for the Chinese people and the cause of Internet freedom.

The prevailing argument from Western companies that have been dealing with China has often been that of inevitability -- if we don't accept Chinese demands, someone else will. But the successful pushback against Green Dam by computer manufacturers and the State Department suggests another possibility: If everyone remains firm, we can achieve results.

The principle that Green Dam embodied -- centering censorship at the level not of the network but of the individual computer -- was pernicious. But there was a lot wrong with the software itself. It was poorly constructed, with security vulnerabilities that could have enabled hackers to turn the entire Chinese computer network into a malicious botnet. Even as censorship software, it had problems: It worked only in Internet Explorer, not in Firefox or Google's Chrome. The decision to cease requiring Green Dam may have turned on pragmatic concerns as well as industry objections.

Green Dam, with all its inefficiencies, was just another brick in China's Great Firewall. In the face of its people's efforts to elude censors and use the Internet to access information freely, China has an incredibly complex system of censorship that operates on multiple levels, from programs that detect proscribed keywords and delete them to human beings whose job is to trawl the Internet for potentially seditious postings and delete them. Although there are cracks in the wall, China still effectively controls much of the flow of information. Even without Green Dam, it shut down YouTube and Twitter in preparation for the 20th anniversary of Tiananmen Square.

That's why commitment to anti-censorship technologies remains essential. The key to freedom for the Chinese people is free access to information. Even if some Western companies continue to kowtow to Chinese demands -- for instance, in the realm of search censorship -- the availability of technology to evade China's firewall will make such limitations less meaningful. But until the Great Firewall falls, the lesson of Green Dam is clear: If industries stand together to oppose unreasonable demands, China is willing to listen. Doing business with China does not have to mean accepting its terms when they are unjust.

OSKALOOSA, Aug 16, 2009 (The Oskaloosa Herald - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- They could be called cutting-edge majors.

At William Penn University this fall, three new majors are being introduced. With programs focused on software engineering, computer science and information technology, future graduates will be better prepared for the "real world" after graduation.

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Judy Williams, assistant professor of applied computer science, said the applied computer science classes encourage students to work together in groups. Williams said this is all part of acclimating students to real-life work environments. More often than not, those with computer science backgrounds are faced with the needs of their clients.

"There are very few cowboys who program in a cave all by themselves," joked Williams. "Basically, on the job, people are working in teams, so you might as well get used to it." Williams, who has taught at William Penn since 1981, said the university has had a long-standing relationship with computer technology. Penn graduated their first applied computer science students in 1983, said Williams.


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"I think we've been on the cutting edge," she said.

From the very beginning, Penn's approach to computer science has been an applied one, rather than one based on theory. This means computer science students at the university have taken a more hands-on approach from the beginning.

Williams said that, with these new majors as with past computer science programs at the university, communication is key. She said students are instructed on how to translate computer jargon to language understood by the average person, including future clients of theirs.

"We decided, at Penn, that we would provide these liaison people that could communicate both ways," said Williams. "They need to know how to make the customer happy." Over the years, Penn's applied computer science programs have adapted to the ever changing world of technology, said Williams. An advisory committee to the university, professors from other schools and Penn alumni all help their computer science programs stay current, Williams added.

By the mid-'80s, applied computer science students at Penn knew they were not at all behind the times.

In 1986, Williams took a group of students to the Special Interest Group Computer Science Education conference. Once there, Williams and her students quickly realized they were ahead of the curve. Most schools at the time taught computer science using lecture courses only.

"In 1981, we had our first micro-computer lab," Williams said.

With the three new applied computer science majors, separate computer labs will be provided for students in the Musco Technology Center on Penn's campus. This will be especially needed, once students begin taking the upper-level courses in these majors, said Williams. Many of these courses will include tweaking certain security measures within a computer network. With the new labs, students won't do any of this kind of testing on the computer network used by the entire Penn campus.

"Our idea is, over here we could have our own stand-alone network," said Williams.

------ Herald City Editor Andy Goodell can be reached at news2@oskyherald.com To see more of The Oskaloosa Herald or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.oskaloosaherald.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Oskaloosa Herald, Iowa Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

Healthcare Management Systems, Inc. ® (HMS) announced today that it was selected by Delta Memorial Hospital to supply a full suite of financial and clinical solutions for the hospital and its rural health clinic. The new HMS system will provide much needed integration for the critical access hospital in Dumas, Ark., and will also include advanced clinical technology to help them achieve an electronic health record (EHR) for their patients.

“We are looking forward to implementing a hospital-wide information system that will enable us to provide more efficient patient services while ensuring all revenue streams for the hospital are captured,” says Cris Bolin, administrator for Delta Memorial Hospital.

Delta Memorial had been working with a financials-only hospital system from APS, as well as disparate pharmacy and laboratory systems, and found that they were in need of an enterprise-wide solution that would grow with them.

“We were looking to acquire a new system that would integrate our hospital, rural health clinic and home health agency, improve the quality of patient care and meet the federally mandated government regulations which will require us to provide electronic health records,” says Paula Smith, information technology director for Delta Memorial Hospital.

“HMS’ commitment to patient care quality and customer service and their ability to provide us with the vast amount of clinical and financial tools that will ensure greater efficiency is what led our hospital board in their unanimous decision to choose HMS,” Smith concluded.

“We are honored to have been selected by Delta Memorial to provide the technology and service solutions that will enable the organization to achieve their goals of providing quality care to the patients and families they serve while more efficiently managing their operations,” says Steve Starkey, senior vice president and chief operating officer for HMS.

About HMS

Healthcare Management Systems, Inc. ® (HMS) is a Nashville-based healthcare company that develops, sells and supports integrated clinical and financial hospital information systems and services. Founded in 1984, HMS counts among its customers nearly 650 community hospitals; behavioral, rehabilitation and long-term acute care facilities; and multi-entity healthcare organizations nationwide. With the HMS system, caregivers are able to increase their efficiency in delivering quality care with an emphasis on improving patient safety. For more information, please visit www.hmstn.com or call 800.383.3317.

By Bloomberg News

Aug. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Baoshan Iron & Steel Co., Angang Steel Co. and rival Chinese mills will likely report slumps in first-half earnings from this week. Things will get better, Credit Suisse Group AG and JPMorgan Chase & Co said.

Baoshan, China’s largest mill, may record a 98 percent profit slide for the first six months, and earnings will rebound to $1 billion in the second half from a loss a year ago, Credit Suisse said. Infrastructure projects and “explosive” steel demand will end a year of earnings declines, JPMorgan said.

“We expect profitability to improve as a result of contract price increases” and lower costs, said Jing Ulrich, JPMorgan’s chairwoman for China equities and commodities in Hong Kong. “Demand is particularly strong from the automobile, infrastructure and real-estate industries.”

Steel output reached a record and prices have soared 29 percent since the government announced a 4 trillion yuan ($586 billion) stimulus package in November to revive the economy. Record passenger car sales and a surge in construction have spurred demand, while costs of raw materials have dropped.

Angang, a unit of China’s second-largest steelmaker, may post a first-half loss of as much as 2.99 billion yuan today, according to an earlier company forecast. Last November, Baoshan Steel’s parent, the world’s third-largest mill, said output, sales and profit plunged as the company faced its “most difficult” period since its founding 30 years ago.

Shanghai-based Baoshan Steel, reporting on Aug. 28, has risen 60 percent this year, compared with a 58 percent gain in the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index. Liaoning province-based Angang has surged 76 percent in Hong Kong trading. Wuhan Iron & Steel Co., the fifth-largest mill, soared 84 percent.

Further Stock Gains

Profit for mills this quarter may rise between 30 percent to 50 percent from the three months ended June, said Wu Kan, a Shanghai-based fund manager at Dazhong Insurance Co., which manages about $285 million. “If the results match or beat market expectations, steel stocks would rise further,” he said.

Baoshan Steel has raised prices for three months since July, and Wuhan Iron & Steel, Hebei Iron & Steel Group and Jiangsu Shagang Group Co. have announced increases in the past month.

China won a 35 percent cut in iron ore prices from Fortescue Metal Group Ltd., and will ask the biggest producers Vale SA, BHP Billiton Ltd. and Rio Tinto Group for a similar reduction, the China Iron and Steel Association said today.

Profit Jumps

Credit Suisse raised 2009 earnings estimates for Baoshan 53 percent to 7.2 billion yuan on Aug. 7, and predicted a second- half profit of almost 7 billion yuan. First-half income likely dropped to 186 million yuan from 9.64 billion yuan a year ago.

Angang Steel’s earnings will jump to 2.5 billion yuan for the six months ending Dec. 31, according to the brokerage. Baoshan and Angang lost a combined 6.2 billion yuan in the second half of 2008.

Baoshan Steel and Angang Steel declined to comment.

Baoshan fell 7.6 percent today to 7.44 yuan in Shanghai, and Angang fell 5.6 percent to HK$15.26 in Hong Kong. China’s stocks dropped today after metal prices slumped and investors worried this year’s rally was overdone.

Demand will improve in the second half, the China Iron & Steel Association said July 31. The nation’s 71 largest mills posted a combined profit of 3.55 billion yuan in June, the second gain after seven months of losses, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said July 29.

Rising Usage

Capacity use at Chinese mills have exceeded 90 percent for reinforcement bars, up from 70 percent earlier, said Zhao Xiange, a Shanghai-based analyst with Shenyin Wanguo Securities Co. For hot-rolled coil, the rate is 80 percent, he said.

China’s industrial output gained 10.8 percent in July from a year ago, the National Bureau of Statistics said Aug 11. Car sales soared 70.5 percent, the biggest jump since January 2006.

“Profit margins for some steel production have reached records,” said Wanguo’s Zhao. “Steel prices will rise in the second half because of demand driven by the stimulus.”

China’s steel revival will push global prices higher, UBS AG said last month. Posco, South Korea’s largest steelmaker, raised its 2009 output target by 6.4 percent last month.

Steel prices in the U.S. rose 13 percent in July, the first gain in a year, after distributors began restocking, Purchasing magazine said July 31.

Beware Correction

The rapid gains in Chinese prices have prompted users to run down inventories, said Umetal Research Institute’s analyst Hu Yanping. Hot-rolled coil prices fell 6.4 percent for the week ended Aug. 14, the first decline in six weeks.

“Traders dare not restock on concerns prices had risen too fast,” said Hu. “There may be a correction for a few more weeks. After that, prices will move up again with the positive fiscal and monetary policies still in place and also because the global environment is slowly warming up.”

Baoshan Steel and the larger mills may post bigger profit gains than their smaller rivals in the second half because flat product prices, which have lagged behind long products, may catch up, Wanguo’s Zhao said.

Flat products, such as cold-rolled coils, are used in cars, appliances, ships and pipes. Long products are used in construction.

--Helen Yuan. Editors: Tan Hwee Ann, Teo Chian Wei.

To contact the Bloomberg News staff on this story: Helen Yuan in Shanghai at hyuan@bloomberg.net