Audacious Inquiry - Innovative Management & Technology Consulting

Announcing Maryland’s Health Data Innovation Contest

Kristen Bova — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:49:45 GMT

Maryland’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH), in partnership with The Abell Foundation and Chesapeake Regional Information Systems for Our Patients (CRISP), will be launching Maryland’s Health Data Innovation Contest on March 20th. The contest seeks practical ideas for creative use of data to improve the health status of Maryland residents.

Ai Presents on Health IT at HIMSS12

Barbara Koch — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:15:08 GMT

Rob Horst, Director of Health Information Services for Ai, presented at HIMSS in Las Vegas on February 22nd. Rob presented the topic, “Facilitating Effective Transitions Between Long Term Care Facilities and Hospital Emergency Departments” alongside Dr. Bill Russell, a prominent geriatrician and health IT thought leader in the long-term care space. Rob and Dr. Russell discussed many of the challenges and barriers to technology adoption in long-term care while providing creative solutions that are being explored by CRISP and other awardees of the ONC Challenge Grants that were issued in 2011.

State and Federal Leaders Celebrate Maryland HIE Milestone

Barbara Koch — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:41:12 GMT

State and federal health leaders including Lt. Governor Anthony Brown, Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) Chief Farzad Mostashari, and Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Secretary Joshua Sharfstein gathered at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring on February 17 to announce that all of Maryland's 46 acute care hospitals and two specialty hospitals are now connected to CRISP and exchanging data. The Washington Post quotes Scott Afzal, Ai principal and CRISP program director, explaining that all Maryland hospitals will soon be sharing more detailed clinical data in addition to the basic demographic data currently being exchanged.

Physician Explains Benefits of MD State HIE

Barbara Koch — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:43:13 GMT

Dr. Barton Leonard, Director of Suburban Hospital's Emergency Department, praises his experience with CRISP, Maryland's state Health Information Exchange (HIE) in this video.

Solving the Challenge of Master Data Management

Ben Purkis — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:10:56 GMT

We’ve all chuckled about the recent commercial that the advertising geniuses have come up with for Staples, the office supply giant. You know the "Dave?", "David?", "Hi Dave", "Mr. Dave" commercial. Well there’s a kernel of truth behind this humorous exchange, and not only within large organizations. Many health information exchanges these days are facing the same challenge—they’re having a hard time finding who, exactly, this Dave person is.

CRISP Achieves Major Health IT Milestones in Maryland

Barbara Koch — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:41:28 GMT

Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients (CRISP) has announced that as of September 22nd, half of all of Maryland’s 46 hospitals are live and exchanging data electronically on the statewide Health Information Exchange (HIE). Additionally, CRISP announced that several primary care physician offices in the state, assisted by the CRISP Regional Extension Center (REC) program, have achieved "meaningful use" certification.

Ai Welcomes Two New Team Members

Barbara Koch — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 19:59:59 GMT

Audacious Inquiry is pleased to welcome two new members to our Health Information Systems practice. Together, Genevieve Morris and Dana Voss bring over 15 years of health IT and project management experience to the firm.

Baltimore Business Journal Features AI’s Role in Md. Health Benefit Exchange

Barbara Koch — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Today’s issue of the Baltimore Business Journal will feature an article about Audacious Inquiry’s role in a study of health insurance exchange options in Maryland. A health insurance exchange gives individuals and small businesses a marketplace to compare health plans from different insurance providers more easily.

AI and Partners Present Advantages of New Medication History Service

Barbara Koch — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 05:00:00 GMT

On August 3rd Audacious Inquiry’s Edmond Magny and partner organizations presented a webinar highlighting the features and benefits of the MEDS-ED Link Pilot Project, which launched at Inova Alexandria Hospital in April. The project has the goal of providing electronic access to patient medical histories in hospital Emergency Departments (EDs) and integrating with hospital ED systems. MEDS-ED brings prescription information from data sources across the US directly into the patient’s electronic health record (EHR), helping physicians provide better emergency treatment by giving them instant access to a patient’s medication history in emergency situations.

Medication-Focused HIE Service Goes Live in No. Virginia

David Finney — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:37:17 GMT

In an emergency department, where patients’ health and safety hang in the balance, every second counts. Now, thanks to an initiative managed by AI, Inova Alexandria Hospital ED clinicians can quickly access a patient’s prescriptions information, no matter where in the U.S. they were written, enhancing care quality and safety.

Maryland REC Reaches Key Milestone

Christopher Brandt — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 11:54:22 GMT

Maryland Regional Extension Center Reaches Key Milestone: Over 1,000 Providers Signed Up to Adopt Electronic Health Records.

AI Principal Pens Column on Interoperability

Scott Afzal — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 12:11:19 GMT

Scott Afzal, principal and director of health information systems, has published a column on HIEs' focus on interoperability in the April 5th issue of NHINWatch.

AI Helping to Implement Statewide Exchange in Florida

Christopher Brandt — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 14:57:38 GMT

AI is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a contract by Harris Corp. to support the implementation of a statewide health information exchange (HIE) in the state of Florida. The project, awarded by Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) under a four-year, $19 million agreement, is intended to improve the delivery and coordination of healthcare throughout the state.

AI Director Joins from U.S. Office of the National Coordinator

Christopher Brandt — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 14:42:38 GMT

Audacious Inquiry (AI) is pleased to announce the recent hiring of Melissa Hargiss as a Director of Health Information Systems. Melissa joins AI having most recently worked for the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), within the Department of Health and Human Services, as a Senior Policy Analyst.

UPDATED: AI Principal Presents at National HIE Summits

Evan Carter — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Scott Afzal, a Principal at Audacious Inquiry, traveled to San Francisco to give two presentations on his experiences and organizational successes as the Program Director for the Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients (CRISP), Maryland’s statewide health information exchange (HIE). His trip resulted in media exposure for AI.

Maryland Statewide Health Information Exchange Goes Live

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 22:17:23 GMT

The Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients (CRISP) announced yesterday that Maryland has formally "gone live" with its statewide health information exchange (HIE). HIE is the infrastructure that supports the private and secure flow of health information among physician practices, hospitals, labs, radiology centers, and other healthcare institutions. Audacious Inquiry serves as Program Director and Technical Architect for the HIE on behalf of CRISP.

AI Director Joins Johns Hopkins Professional Faculty

Evan Carter — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 21:59:02 GMT

Starting in November, AI’s Director of Health Information Systems, Robert Horst, will be teaching a graduate-level course on medical informatics at Johns Hopkins University

Northern Virginia RHIO Launches MEDS-ED Pilot

Evan Carter — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:03:15 GMT

On Monday, August 23, the Northern Virginia Regional Health Information Organization (NoVaRHIO) officially launched its MEDS-ED pilot project at the Inova Alexandria Hospital. The goal of this two year pilot is to provide the Inova Alexandria Emergency Department physicians with patients’ medication histories, after their approval, to help in diagnosis and treatment.

CMS and ONC Final Regulations Define ‘Meaningful Use’

Administrator Account — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:21:25 GMT

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) announced on July 13, 2010 the final rules to implement the electronic health record (EHR) incentive program under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. Read more for details on the final ruling.

Maryland First to Receive Federal Approval for State Health IT Plan

Kristen Bova — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 20:55:33 GMT

Maryland is one of the first three states to receive approval from the federal government on its State Health IT Plan.

Health IT Industry Energized

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 18:37:49 GMT

For the past year, the health IT industry has been energized by the prospect of more than $30 billion being poured into health IT projects from money allocated in the HITECH sections of the stimulus bill. Following more than a year of committee discussions, rulemaking, and clarifications around the bill, the industry is beginning to reap the benefits as awards are being made by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC).

Maryland Receives $9.3 Million in Health Information Exchange Funding

David Finney — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:13:32 GMT

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) made its second and final tranche of statewide health information exchange (HIE) grants today, which included a grant to Maryland.

Maryland Hospital Association Health IT Executive Forum

Megan Wright — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:44:39 GMT

In 2010, the Maryland Hospital Association (MHA) hosted its first Health IT Executive Forum focusing on Federal and State Health IT Initiatives and Principles for Progressing in a Health IT-enabled Future in Maryland at its headquarters in Elkridge, Maryland.

An EMR Trainer's Perspective

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:53:09 GMT

An EMR trainer's perspective on clinicians' acceptance of EMRs.

Media coverage of HIE in Maryland

David Finney — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:58:59 GMT

With the flurry of activity taking place both in Maryland and throughout the nation to implement electronic health records and make them interoperable via health information exchanges, the topic has received an increased amount of media attention.