EHRs

Wetzel County Hospital will officially join West Virginia University Health System later this year, a move that will transition the Morgantown, W.Va-based hospital to an Epic EHR system, according to a Jan. 15 WTOV report.

Cerner is considered the top EHR vendor across all levels of comprehensive hospital technology services, according to a recent Black Book Research report.

West Virginia University Health System built its radiology department a new reading room, which offers the ability to load studies performed by outside organizations directly into WVU Medicine's Epic EHR system, according to a Jan. 13 news release.

Former HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson, who also previously served as Wisconsin's governor, recently published an op-ed in the Wisconsin State Journal arguing that ONC's new interoperability rules will force EHR giant Epic to hand over its trade secrets to competitors…

Four of the top vendors hospitals use to participate in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program are Allscripts, Cerner, Epic and Meditech, according to 2018 ONC data.

Cerner retracted its bid to sell a portion of its Kansas City, Mo.-based Innovations Campus to developers for "retail and mixed-use," according to a Jan. 14 Kansas City Business Journal report.

HHS on Jan. 15 published the draft of its 2020-2025 Federal Health IT Strategic Plan, which outlines objectives to ensure individuals can access their electronic health information to effectively manage their health and shop for care.

University of Chicago Medicine will begin using a digital tool developed by Life Image that helps patients manage their breast health records, according to a Jan. 13 news release.

PIH Health announced on Jan. 15 that it extended through 2025 its agreement with Allscripts, which provides the Whittier, Calif.-based health system with solutions, services and outsourcing engagement.

Cerner CEO Brent Shafer said the EHR vendor will continue to transform its business strategy in 2020 by redefining its client experience and cementing its position as part of the new cognitive era in healthcare.