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Numbers in healthcare sector rising at steady pace.

The highest ranking winners of the annual #HIT100 list on Twittter are in, and this year’s list brings new faces as well as some that many health IT professionals will recognize as familiar. 

Throughout the 2016 Best Hospital IT Departments survey process, Healthcare IT News and its data collection/research partner, HIMSS Analytics, will remain committed to the privacy and anonymity of all respondents. Although the study will collect, analyze and evaluate hospital IT employee data and related information, Healthcare IT News and HIMSS Analytics will uphold the highest levels of confidentiality. Except for the single person who registers a hospital for the study, email addresses of specific employees are not collected. At no time will individual or hospital-specific information gathered through the Best Hospital IT Departments be released to any third party. Data collected will only be analyzed by Healthcare IT News and HIMSS Analytics in the aggregate and will be used for group-level benchmarking and comparative purposes only. For the sole purpose of publishing a Best Hospital IT Departments report and other related media features, Healthcare IT News will provide authorized editorial staff with contact information for IT contacts at select hospitals. The information released internally at Healthcare IT News will be limited to the data gathered by the study. Any such information used in a public forum will be positive in nature and will only reflect favorably on a given hospital. Read our FAQ here. Any additional questions about the study should be directed to Healthcare IT News Editor Mike Miliard at mike.miliard@himssmedia.com or 207-791-8737.  

Why should I participate? By submitting your nomination, you'll enjoy the distinction of being considered for ranking as one of the top hospital IT departments nationwide. This is an exciting opportunity to set your department apart from others in your field and boost your recruitment efforts! How will the survey results be used? Results from the Best Hospital IT Departments study will be used, anonymously, to present information to our readership about all facets of the top hospital IT workplaces nationally. The research for this project is being performed by HIMSS Analytics. Read our privacy policy here. How are the top departments are selected? Employees in nominated hospital IT departments will complete a 10-minute survey. The departments with the highest survey rankings will be profiled in a November 2016 special report, distributed with Healthcare IT News in print and also published online. What is the deadline for 2016 survey completion? Friday, August 26. Any additional questions about the study should be directed to Healthcare IT News Editor Mike Miliard at mike.miliard@himssmedia.com or 207-791-8737. Valuable feedback All participating hospital IT departments will receive valuable feedback – for free. This information will help your team maintain a great workplace or highlight areas where you may need to improve. For example, you'll learn: How employees view your department's mission and purpose How they feel about your department's leadership and management Whether employees enjoy their workplace environment How your department's workplace compares to IT departments at similar-sized hospitals Healthcare IT News Healthcare IT News, published by HIMSS Media, is the news source for healthcare information technology for more than 54,000 readers, which include IT professionals, C-suite and general management, and clinical executives at hospitals and IDNs, group practices, ambulatory care facilities, home healthcare organizations, as well as healthcare payers, consultants and vendors.  

Healthcare providers typically spend less than 6 percent of their IT budget on security, according to HIMSS Analytics data. Financial institutions, by way of comparison, invest between 12 and 15 percent on average.

Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, revealed her Tech & Innovation Agenda on June 28 while on – where else? – the campaign trail.

My fourth grandbaby was born this week. I helped out by taking care of his 19 month old big sister while his parents were at the hospital. Being able to be present to give this support to my daughters is one of the reasons I started my next chapter back in January. Why is it so important for me to spend time with my family as my four grandchildren grow up?  My father died when I was just 4 years old. His death left my mother to raise my 3 older siblings and me alone. Her parents lived 3 hours away.  We only saw them a few times a year – a 3 hour drive for a mom and four kids was a big deal back then. My father’s parents had died before my parents were married. And my own daughters grew up without grandparents. By the time my husband and I were in our 30’s, all of our parents were deceased. None of them lived to age 70. As a professional woman, I have worked far more than 40 hours a week since my late 20’s and been in management since 1984. When I had babies, a 6-week maternity leave was the norm. Both my daughters went to infant programs in daycare centers when I went back to work. I learned that babies start to smile at their parents (and it’s not just gas) at around 6 weeks old. I realized that I would miss her first smile being back at work. I treasure the times I have now with my grandkids. My daughters are appreciative of the help I can give but don’t want it to be a burden. I have heard people my age say being a grandparent is great but it’s really nice to be able to hand the kids back to their parents. Yes, kids are demanding and tiring when you are no longer young. And as the grandparent there is so much we don’t know about their specific routines even though we successfully raised our own kids many years ago. My 19 month old charge this week has had a fever and an ear infection. I had to figure out how to get her to take her medicine on top of the normal routines. I’ve quoted various articles and leaders in previous posts, but never a children’s book. As we read the popular and prize winning book “Olivia” by Ian Falconer at bedtime last night, the closing struck home: When they’ve finished reading, Olivia’s mother gives her a kiss and says, “You know, you really wear me out. But I love you anyway”. And Olivia gives her a kiss back and says, “I love you anyway too”. I hope to be a positive role model for my grandkids as they grow up. I look forward to all the fun times we’ll have together. As I watch the debate about gun control in Congress, I hope that our leaders will do the right thing and help move us toward the safe and loving country we want for our children and grandchildren. One of the most powerful health care organizations, the American Medical Association, took a big step last week in calling gun violence a public health crisis. I applaud them for that. Blog originally posted on www.sueschade.com.

New York's largest private employer embraces a 'mobile intranet' to keep thousands of far-flung, previously 'digitally disconnected' staffers in the loop.

Harvard Business Review article explores findings and what they mean.

"For every single problem you must have a multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary team," says Jeanne M. Huddleston, MD, associate professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic. "The low-hanging fruit in healthcare is gone. Now every problem is going to be hard."