IT budget cuts have become a way of life for health systems still dealing with the lingering financial and operational uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic. See four attributes hospital executives should evaluate to ensure that their IT staff alignment strategies are both operationally and financially effective over the short and long-term approach.

As a third-party advisory firm, at Stoltenberg Consulting, we are often asked by clients and industry connections, "Are user group meetings really worth it?" This question especially looms as health IT events reemerge, both in-person and virtually, yet hospital IT departments still struggle with COVID-19 era budget cuts.

Whether in person or virtual, with a return to conference season for the healthcare and health IT industries, it's time to brush up on networking best practices to make lasting positive impressions amidst a sea of competitive professionals. To help, check out four health tech networking mistakes to avoid.

Can you believe that HIMSS Annual Conference in Vegas is almost here? Get ready for the biggest healthcare information management event of the year, filled with extensive engaging content, leadership insight and plenty of walking. To prep for this whirlwind conference, let's focus on HIMSS survival tips during the hectic conference.

In the compiling list of IT responsibilities, EHR system new version upgrades may seem like a major nuisance for many healthcare facilities, especially in mapping out and testing the updates' impact on coordinating systems and applications, scheduling the actual go-live time, and designating responsibilities. In these vital decisions that enable continued system support and cross-organizational flow and functionality, any wrong move could trickle to unanticipated downtime, priority-one tickets, and limited clinician or business office access to patient records and claims processing. Enabling competitive health system growth and operational efficiency, utilize the following four best practice recommendations to make the most of EHR vendor relationships and successfully lead upgrade planning and implementation.

While still navigating the next phase of the pandemic, healthcare organizations need to push digital health innovation beyond initial operational survival tactics to more digitally frictionless patient-clinician exchange experiences. To realistically attain this strategic vision, see three healthcare leadership considerations for next-level digital health advancement while driving IT support savings, starting with team flexibility and coordination.

According to a Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) report, on average, physician practices and groups surveyed reported a 55% decrease in revenue and a 60% decrease in patient volume since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Hospital Association (AHA) found that U.S. hospitals collectively lost $36.6 billion just from March to June 2020 alone. During this continued significant financial hit, cash flow is key for facility survival. Cash flow is generated from several key sources. Time of service copay collection, outstanding A/R collection and reduced A/P balances are all examples. The productivity and efficiency of financial performance starts with strong cash flow.

Healthcare regulations have relaxed with astonishing speed over the past few weeks as government entities and commercial payers try to assist in the fight against COVID-19. As the virus continues to strain healthcare operations, temporary changes aimed at expanding clinical care capabilities have emerged. To leverage those clinical care gains, however, hospitals and health systems need an agile and supportive IT infrastructure. The fast-moving adjustments are creating an influx of remote IT needs. Here are a few ways IT help desks can help hospitals and health systems take advantage of the current regulatory shifts.

With in-person conferences cancelled this year, most healthcare leaders have missed the opportunity to network with peers to exchange ideas and pain points impacting their health systems during the pandemic. In coordination with the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), Stoltenberg Consulting recently gathered 13 healthcare executives to pinpoint best practices for agile IT support to maximize current EHR investments. We�ve highlighted four major takeaways from the c-suite focus group, starting with IT support team flexibility.

This year, the CHIME Fall Forum transitioned into #CHIME20 Digital Recharge in a virtual conference format to accommodate COVID-19 restrictions and concerns. Considering the many current competing pandemic priorities and projects vying for health IT leadership's attention, we are recapping three standout sessions for those who could not join, starting with advancing technology adoption.

Stoltenberg Consulting announced today that Erin Osbourn is the 2020 recipient of the Stoltenberg Future Fund Scholarship for secondary education through the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME).

Stoltenberg Consulting released the latest Health IT Industry Outlook Report to shed light on new leadership insights as healthcare facilities navigate their next steps against COVID-19 era operational pressures. Today, we'll break down a few key data trends that have culminated into a cycle of IT program imbalances amid the turbulence.

Information governance (IG) is not a new concept to the financial world, but IG initiatives are still experiencing slow adoption across the healthcare industry. In an American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) survey of more than 1,200 participants, 32 percent of healthcare organizations had not yet made progress with IG, while 24 percent deemed IG as not a priority.

Sheri Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg CEO - Life provides challenges and ongoing opportunities for growth. When faced with obstacles, we have the opportunity to form our own unique path, which leads us to who we are today. Looking back on my journey of starting my own company, my success was propelled through key leadership experiences and the individual path I chose.

Balancing the constant pandemic anxiety with economic concerns, remote work transitions, workforce turbulence, and family responsibilities including child care and schooling needs has been a major undertaking. To help gain a sense of self back in your hectic life, see the following five self-care tips to manage your strained work-life balance.

When physicians call Stoltenberg's 2020 Best in KLAS Tier 1+ Service Desk, they connect with clinically consultative health systems analysts. To provide a deeper lens into an analyst on the other side of the call line, we sat down with one of our Senior Epic Clinical Nurse Analysts for a one-on-one interview.

See five tactics to help optimize technology investments to meet the evolving expectations of both end-users and patients.

In today's era of healthcare reform, organizations face many unique competitive and strategic challenges. Healthcare reform requires leaders to improve access to care and increase the quality and safety of care, while decreasing the cost associated with care delivery — all while thoroughly documenting the improvement.

As the country adjusts to life with more lenient social gathering restrictions, healthcare facilities grapple with balancing preparations for a potential COVID-19 second wave and getting operations back on track. What can healthcare leaders do to boost finances? Today, let's address five realistic steps for revenue cycle management (RCM) improvement during this next stage of the pandemic.

In order to continue effectively operating, healthcare organizations need a flexible, financially viable way to alleviate physicians of administrative and technological burdens, so they may continue to offer quality clinical care. Learn how this strategic approach to a health system's IT support model offers opportunities to alleviate cost and workflow burdens.

Amidst the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic, cyber criminals are trying to take advantage of individuals and organizations' fear and fragile state. Even frontline agencies are major cybercrime targets at this time. As we're glued to our devices for constant COVID-19 updates, read now for tips for handling current cybersecurity threats lurking.

Stoltenberg is focused on doing what's best, not only for our healthcare provider clients, but also for communities in need and educational endeavors.

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, many staff across the country are now working remotely for the first time. As a company that has been fortunate to operate mostly remotely over the years, we wanted to share our best practices to individuals making this work format transition for the first time.

Delve into three ways IT teams can leverage their service desk data to pinpoint IT end-user challenges and create greater ROI for hospital operational support.

HIMSS20 Annual Healthcare IT Conference is quickly approaching as the biggest industry event of the year. Gear up for this fast-paced health IT experience in the sunshine state, and start your conference preparation with this session list.

Millennials have surpassed baby boomers as the largest labor force generation group in the United States, with an estimated peak population of more than 75 million, according to the Pew Research Center. Having spent most of their lives using communications technology like the Internet, many millennials today still struggle against the negative connotation of being the lazy or entitled generation.

Part I of this two-part series addressed flex work hours, remote work and staff retention as considerations for workplace flexibility in the healthcare industry. As the industry becomes increasingly limited for qualified resources amidst baby boomer retirement and more competitive hiring, look to these final considerations for mutually-beneficial employment best practices.

In the annual Health IT Industry Outlook Survey, healthcare professionals cited overcoming IT staffing shortages as an ongoing significant challenge. Given these shortages and daunting competing projects, healthcare leaders need to modernize their workplace policies to retain and attract qualified professionals.

Since hiring firms and health systems look at piles of resumés each day, the first impression is vital. To stand out, check out six tips for healthcare IT analyst resumés.

As a hospital or health system's technology evolves in the transition to value-based care, legacy EHR systems or applications are often overlooked, leaving organizations vulnerable to security, workflow and interoperability challenges. Today, let's address how to handle three areas of risk.

Regardless of your specific HIT software or application specialty, the questions interviewers ask and the topics they touch on are often similar across the industry.

In the first post of this two-part series, we discussed legacy system cleanup, new system data entry and pre-load best practices as your healthcare organization prepares for its new Epic EHR system. Let's discuss three additional tips for data abstraction and conversion work for your strategic EHR transition.

The EHR market is set to grow to $39.7 billion by 2022. As patients and providers alike push for better access to data for informed care management and decision-making, healthcare organizations are making significant investments in their EHR systems for cohesive care coordination in the transition to value-based care.

Over 300 HIT professionals shared their insights in the sixth annual Health IT Industry Outlook survey. The results focus on health IT leaders working collaboratively to stay on top of evolving staffing, EHR system and technological advancement trends for operational efficiency and proactive patient care. Hospital IT departments continue to struggle with strained resources and competing projects. As the industry pushes forward with value-based care, the ability to optimize technology and workflow within an organization is vital for success.

We have all heard the saying, "the customer is always right." Consumers should drive how a business functions, next steps and where the industry is headed. In healthcare, it is no different. Patients expectations are raising higher standards in technology, experience and outcomes. The providers who fail to recognize the patient-centric culture forming will struggle to stay competitive.

As a follow up to our last post, we want to give an update on the state of MACRA's Merit-based Incentive Payment System and reporting tips. First, let's address continued year 1 reporting.

After gathering feedback during the lengthy comment period, Acting Administrator of CMS, Seema Verma said, "During my visits with clinicians across the country, I've heard many concerns about the impact burdensome regulations have on their ability to care for patients. These rules move the agency in a new direction and begin to ease that burden by strengthening the patient-doctor relationship, empowering patients to realize the value of their care over volume of tests, and encouraging innovation and competition within the American healthcare system."

Across the country, over 80 percent of healthcare organizations now have an EHR system in place. While initial implementation no longer serves as a major issue, with the new technology comes added CIO pressures, including reimbursement program requirements, technology disparities and security challenges.

The first reporting year of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) is officially underway, but many physicians and healthcare organizations across the country still struggle with comprehending where they stand. Providers no longer have time for guessing. Instead, healthcare organizations must create and maintain strategic plans for reimbursement, covering everything from who will head MACRA initiatives to what reporting measures best match organizational strengths. Let's begin by answering some key questions about the final rule.

Today's small and rural healthcare providers still find themselves hindered by financial and staffing limitations amidst growing industry standards and regulations. As patient expectations evolve in the transition to value-based care, these organizations' IT capabilities fall behind the curve. Lack of budget prevents the ability to transition EHR vendors or bring in outside resources to aid with optimization initiatives. With limited staff, practices cannot pull individuals away from regular duties to focus on IT training. In turn, practices struggle with moving beyond inefficient workflows and processes or being able to effectively gather and analyze data for quality measures.

After a slew of feedback from healthcare and HIT professional organizations, like CHIME, AMA and MGMA, CMS announced new flexibilities in the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) final rule. Though CMS released the final ruling several weeks ago, physicians still struggle to grasp the impact or even understand what the new reimbursement structure is.

The combined use of financial analytics and business intelligence (BI) within a healthcare organization can considerably improve operational effectiveness if applied properly. Direct benefits include reduced costs, increased efficiency, optimized catchment areas and network management, improved pay for performance/accountability and better operating speed.

Congratulations to all the Most Powerful Women in Healthcare IT honorees! Its incredible to have been a part of this first-ever event for female leaders in the industry and celebrate all their dedication and achievements.

Before signing the contract with a new EHR vendor, think about the immediate and future implications on your healthcare organization, end users, workflow, business operations and the patient community.

When you think about individuals in a hospital c-suite, what characteristics come to mind? Perhaps passion and drive with combined analytical and relational skills? These characteristics unite to meet the needs of today's patients and industry demands while aiding cross-organizational collaboration. Collaboration is a critical component in leading a complex and integrated healthcare system of care. No longer can separate facets of a healthcare organization operate in individual information silos, and CIOs hold an increasingly important role in connecting a hospital through technology.

Can you believe we're in the final stretch before the looming ICD-10 October 1 deadline? Well, for some healthcare providers, the thought is still surprising. According to a recently conducted RelayHealth survey of 130 HFMA ANI attendees, 17 percent of participants said they think ICD-10 will be delayed again, while only 13 percent felt they are fully ready for ICD-10.

As Stoltenberg Consulting continues its 20th anniversary celebration, we thought we'd have a little fun looking back to 1995- the year that Sheri Stoltenberg, founder and CEO of Stoltenberg Consulting, Inc., started it all.

With HIMSS right around the corner, it seems fitting to focus on one of the conference's upcoming hot topics: The Future of... Big Data. In a survey published by InformationWeek, participants were asked about the effectiveness of their organizations in identifying critical data and using it to make decisions.

Last Thursday, we were thrilled to announce that Stoltenberg Consulting strengthened its legacy of renowned healthcare IT consulting services by earning not one, but two 2014 Best in KLAS awards!

It's hard to believe that just one week ago the Stoltenberg team travelled from all over the country to celebrate the company's success at the Stoltenberg Consulting Company Retreat at Disney!

After our team's recent participation at the Ohio Northern University Fall Career Fair, we felt we'd share some tips for college students and young professionals preparing for the often-overwhelming career fair.

Year after year, Siemens Innovations continues to be a great experience for the Stoltenberg Consulting team! This year's event proved to be yet another productive and insightful opportunity for Stoltenberg and Siemens, as we further reinforced our partnership – an effective pairing of HIT solutions and expertise – in the journey towards an improved healthcare industry, for both patients and providers.

At Stoltenberg Consulting, we're excited to celebrate the growth of our unique health IT education initiative the Consultant Development Program. To date, 13 consultants have graduated from the program designed to provide hospitals with first-time certified consultants to alleviate the HIT staffing shortage plaguing the industry.

Recently, the CMS and ONC announced a proposed rule that would provide additional flexibility to healthcare organizations and facilitate their continued participation in the Meaningful Use program. Before sharing our thoughts, let's focus on what led to these proposed revisions.

Responses noted that big data is too intimidating (7%), the tools and strategies to address big data aren't available yet (22%) and other HIT initiatives such as ICD-10 or Stage 3 MU are taking precedence over big data (31%), while the majority of respondents said most organizations don't know what to do with all their data (40%). Because these responses are all interconnected in various ways, let's address each one.

What are the barriers holding organizations back from achieving Meaningful Use? The majority of responses to our survey conducted at HIMSS Annual Conference indicated the biggest barrier as a lack of resources (50%) while other responses noted restricted timeframes (23%), lack of buy-in from the organization (15%) and competing IT projects (12%).

In our second post in our HIMSS Industry Outlook Survey series, we discuss the highly buzzed about topic- ICD-10. Conducted back at the HIMSS Annual Conference, our survey found that a majority (47%) of respondents felt that ICD-10 is the biggest topic of the year. Knowing this, we fast-forward to today with the recent U.S. Senate vote to delay the ICD-10 compliance date by one year.

During this year's annual HIMSS conference, we conducted our second annual industry survey to identify and address the leading challenges and topics in healthcare technology today. We set out to receive insights, opinions and perspectives from health IT leaders by asking five questions that incorporated the most often-cited subjects and issues from our customers, as well as our own observations on the current industry environment.

The HIMSS convention from a first-time perspective is both a humbling and empowering experience. HIMSS was hosted in Orlando, Florida and closed out with over 38,000 attendees. Even more impressive, the list of exhibitors encompassed 1,233 booths throughout the exhibit hall.

Thanks so much to all who have been participating in the What If...? campaign. It excites us to see all the visions of the future of healthcare IT.

We are extremely proud to announce that Stoltenberg Consulting has been named Category Leader in Staff Augmentation two years in a row for the Best in KLAS Software and Services Report. Stoltenberg was also ranked among the top ten firms in the Clinical Implementation Supportive category for the company's expertise in Cerner, Epic and Siemens consulting services.

Throughout the past few months, Stoltenberg leadership has had the opportunity to attend several health IT conferences, including CHIME Fall Forum, Midwest HIMSS Conference, New York eHealth Digital Health Conference, and several smaller regional HIMSS events.

If you didn't attend the South Florida HIMSS event last week, you missed an amazing CIO roundtable discussion with the opportunity to learn the latest trends from powerhouse CIOs like Miami Children's SVP & CIO Ed Martinez. Martinez discussed how he's helping to transform healthcare delivery to children all over the world through Telemedicine.

Congratulations to CEO Sheri Stoltenberg on being selected as a honoree in the Diversity Journal's Women Worth Watching award supplement.

Stoltenberg participated by sponsoring the CIO Boot Camp Closing Reception, hosting the first ever Women of CHIME Networking Event, and holding a Fall Forum Focus Group, while making time to attend sessions, meet with media, and attend networking events.

As we revisit the release of the HIMSS Workforce Survey, part II of this series discusses qualified health IT staffing outsourcing considerations, as well as tips for making a new IT hire.

The recently released HIMSS Workforce Study highlighted some important issues that many in the industry have been encountering firsthand for a while now. While the factors contributing to the current situation continue to change almost as fast as technology changes around us, we must look at how our organizations can adapt and thrive in this environment. Enacting programs that both attract employees and help increase staff retention are critical.

Have you survived a HIT go-live? Just like "this one time, at band camp," several of us have "this one time, at a go-live" stories to share.