Q: How can I be sure we are getting the highest payback from our investments in IT?
A: Unfortunately, a five- or seven-year Strategic IT Plan is rarely used in many healthcare organizations, and if one exists, everyone should be using at a minimum a three-year rolling Plan to ensure IT investments are being made in a fashion that [...]

Q: We need help with our IT planning and are short on funds. What should we do?
A: To get the most “bang for your buck” you should begin by conducting a comprehensive overview assessment. The results of such an assessment will define short-term priorities and provide valuable insights towards the development of a [...]

This past week I had the opportunity to speak with about 30 CFOs. Some were from community hospitals and others were from critical access hospitals. All were there for the same reason: to learn about the federal EHR Incentive Program. But before I went into the details of Stage 1 of “Meaningful Use” I took [...]

I spoke with a CFO the other day. You’ll never believe this. He can’t get the financial information he needs out of the legacy financial system that is running thanks to two paper clips, bubble gum, a matchbook and some McGyver-like geek working in the bowels of the hospital where the IT Director has his [...]