Lumetra Healthcare Solutions

The federal Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 will provide $19 billion in loans and grants over the next four years for infrastructure and incentive payments under Medicare and Medicaid to providers that adopt and use Health Information Technology. Here in our state, the California Health Information Partnership and Services Organization (formerly Cal-REC) will distribute the monies to clinics, hospitals, physicians, and other providers throughout California (excluding Los Angeles and Orange counties, which will be served by other organizations).

CalHIPSO is currently one of 32 Regional Extension Centers funded by the federal Office of the National Coordinator to support widespread adoption of electronic health records along with achievement of “meaningful use” of health IT to promote healthcare quality, safety, and efficiency within specific geographic areas across the nation. Although the definition of ‘meaningful use’ is still subject to debate, it is generally accepted to include the use of certified EHR technology in a manner that… Read More

Last month, the Lumetra Patient Safety Organization (LPSO), a federally listed component PSO, announced a strategic partnership with Australia’s iSOFT Group Limited (iSOFT), a world leader in health information technology, including incident management software. Under the agreement, Lumetra PSO will use, distribute, and support iSOFT’s AIMS incident management software to provide comprehensive solutions for healthcare providers and Patient Safety Organizations who want to reduce the complexity and cost of their patient safety and risk management programs.

In making the announcement, the CEO of Lumetra Healthcare Solutions, Linda M. Sawyer, PhD, RN, stated, “With our software and services approach to improving patient safety, Lumetra PSO offers reporting of data, analysis of issues, and the formulation of corrective action plans that meet the needs of healthcare organizations and their providers in reducing costs incurred by adverse events. The combination of our world-class service with iSOFT’s AIMS software will provide unparalleled solutions for organizations committed to improving their patient safety efforts.”

Michael Dahlweid,… Read More

One of the visions of the California Health Care Safety Net Institute, the research and educational affiliate of the California Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems, is the promotion of e-prescribing (eRx) as part of electronic health records as a standard of care. Lumetra Healthcare Solutions, under a subcontract with Manatt Health Solutions, has been assessing the impact and lessons learned of pilot programs at Kern and San Mateo Medical Centers, both of which implemented an eRx program last year.

Results of the study will determine how and when eRx is rolled out to other safety net institutions here in California.

Lumetra Healthcare Solutions was charged with several tasks:

• Conducting workflow assessments prior to implementation.
• Offering technical assistance during implementation and system go live.
• Developing and capturing operational efficiency measures for the project.
• Measuring the return on investment of eRx for clinics and internal and independent pharmacies.

Nationally, the focus on eRx continues to increase and this… Read More