e-Newsletter by Iatric Systems, Inc.	December 2008, Special Holiday Issue A Look back at 2008 and Ahead to 2009          Coming in January: A new look for the e-Newsletter!
1	Message from Senior Management
	Looking back at 2008 and ahead to 2009 Joel Berman, President As 2008 comes to a close, it’s time to reflect on the past year.  How did the economic crisis affect Iatric Systems?  What trends did we see in our industry?  Are there any new solutions we found or created that you might want to be aware of?  What do we see in our crystal ball for 2009?  First, let me answer for Iatric Systems.  In 2008 Iatric Systems had another year of 20% growth, increasing our staff from 147 to 180.   In August we were named one of the top 5000 fastest growing private companies by Inc Magazine and among the top 100 fastest growing in the Boston area.  We continue to grow because demand for our products and services continues to grow.  Our commitment is to give you the type of service that we would want if we were the client.  We always look for areas to improve so if you have ideas on this subject, please let us know.  We’re not always perfect and when we do mess up, we view it as an opportunity to show you that we do care and want to make things right.  While we think we have great products and services, I hope you think our staff is special also.  I’ve asked Frank Fortner (Senior VP of Applications), Ken Hoffman (VP of Interfaces and Integration), Joe Cocuzzo (VP of NPR services) and John Danahey (VP of Sales and Marketing) for their thoughts on 2008 and their predictions for 2009. Frank Fortner Senior Vice President, Application Software For starters, we saw a strong push to continue deploying clinical software in the ongoing effort to provide better, safer and more efficient patient care. Online clinical viewing and documentation tools continued their popularity with nurses, pharmacists and physicians. At the same time, mobile patient, specimen and medication verification products utilizing barcoding at the bedside led the way as the hot application trend of 2008. We expect this will ring true for 2009 and beyond as well. This is really a testament to the prime directive of healthcare. Despite whatever else is happening in the world, quality patient care is thankfully non-negotiable – it cannot and will not be compromised. Kudos to our industry! Physician office access was another strong trend that will likely continue into 2009 and the foreseeable future. As the internet continues to permeate our everyday lives, we find web browsers running on everything from PCs and Smartphones to household appliances. A growing number of hospitals and health systems are realizing the value of offering physicians web-based connectivity into critical patient data. The key benefit is that physicians and their staff have access to patient data when, where and on whatever device they need it. This is the power of technology at work! Finally, given the fact that the healthcare industry has not been immune from the effects of the current economic environment, many hospitals are carefully analyzing the various components of their revenue cycle. We've already seen a growing trend in the number of hospitals looking for innovative solutions to help process incomplete records, manage denials, document RAC audits and increase efficiency in the patient processing workflow. In 2009, we expect this trend to continue as hospitals leverage Revenue Cycle applications to make every effort to keep and capture revenue. Ken Hoffman Vice President, Interfaces/Integration Division Probably not surprising to anyone, Physician Office Integration was a big initiative in 2008 and likely even more so in 2009.  With increased calls to Electronic Medical Record (EMR) vendors and their interoperability capabilities becoming reality, continuity of care will be more than just talk by mid-2009.  Bi-directional interfacing (to and from MEDITECH) is becoming the standard rather than the exception it was during most of 2008.  Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIO's) were the buzz in early/mid 2008, dying down in late 2008 and probably resting in 2009.  Regardless of the RHIO model, federated or non-federated, after exhausting the initial funding or making pilot sites operational or both, long term financial responsibility was hard to find.  Add the state deficits in this economy and these projects are unlikely to be funded in 2009. The long term costs inherent in RHIO initiatives make their adoption unlikely.  Thus emerges the likely stopgap use of Personal Health Record (PHR) services.  PHR services, though not new, have some exciting opportunities in 2009 with Microsoft Vault and Google eHealth PHR offerings.  Did I mention YAHOO?  Will see. With the growing demand in 2008 for Interface Engines (IE), the 2009 IE CIO strategy looks strong.  All hospitals face technical and man power challenges introducing engines, but introducing an IE could help contain costs.  Outsourcing services for IE work is one of the areas we're growing fast; we have the experience necessary to help you manage these challenges. Cost considerations go beyond manpower and new interfaces as everyone watches the HL7 standards and the slow migration to Version 3.  No need to rush migrating to Version 3, it is all overhead and no return. Online documentation for cardiac monitors in critical care, telemetry, and ED are commonplace in 2008 and I hope to extend that to surgery in 2009.  We’re also moving to online documentation for pumps and vents in 2009.  Smart pumps have given us some success in 2008 and great hope for 2009.  Check out the validation tools offered by Iatric Systems and I promise you won't be disappointed.  Keep an eye on OB systems, but no promise to have fetal strip in electronic form...yet! Joe Cocuzzo Vice President, NPR Services The NPR group has seen continued rapid growth during 2008, going from a staff of 15 in early 2008 to 21 staff members as of December 1, with continued hiring planned. Our mix of work in 2008 was much the same as in the past: clinical and financial reports, vendor exports, advanced attributes, and on site NPR training.  Reporting based on the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) requirements for medication reconciliation, pain scoring, critical results notification, and core measures also continued.  None of the JCAHO regulations were new this year, but coping with the requirements is a on-going effort for our customers. Most significant in 2008 has been the increasing volume of MAGIC to C/S or MAGIC to FOCUS conversions.  Our customers have thousands of reports in their MAGIC systems, some of which they expect to be handy on their new platform.  The MAGIC to C/S conversion tool is surprisingly effective, but many reports need retrofitting, particularly those in MM and PP due to data structure changes. In addition, we are seeing an increase in data exports of all sorts, to state agencies, billing services, insurance companies, and to other vendor systems.  State reporting of lab results for infection monitoring seems to be spreading to more states.  A few insurance companies are starting similar efforts.  One large vendor with disparate systems has approached us to develop a standard export specification and programming for all three MEDITECH platforms.  This development looks promising. Another trend is more requests for tracking of ER patient flow and length of stay, both using the EDM module and using ADM/OE/NUR for non EDM sites. More sites also seem to be trying to combine data from MEDITECH and MAGIC applications from other vendors, most notably LSS, but also including PICIS and Array (and Iatric Systems).  John Danahey Vice President, Sales and Marketing Service continues to drive sales at Iatric Systems.  Our business model demands that we provide exceptional service to our customers through every step in the process.  It begins with how you are treated with your first sales inquiry and continues through to our product support teams after the sale. This is why over 90% of sales come from existing customers – it is the continuum of exceptional service, a broad range of products, interfaces and services and most importantly the value this brings to our customers that is the key to our successful growth. Statistics show educational opportunities and the ability to secure information on an as needed basis are key issues for our customers.  In keeping with this our complimentary webcasts cover a range of pertinent topics of interest to all throughout a hospital’s workflow.  New in 2009 will be the Iatric Systems blog – an opportunity to share and receive ‘just-in-time’ information.   Over the past couple of years, we have offered Iatric Systems sponsored corporate events on high interest topics; Physician Office Integration, Medication Reconciliation and “A Focus on 6.0.”  Attendance and feedback for these events have been very positive.  In 2009, we look forward to providing more live educational opportunities for our customers.  Most notably, we are in the planning stages for our first Iatric Systems User Conference for the Fall of 2009.  We are building an agenda of highly relevant educational opportunities, time for networking/sharing and the ability for product users to share in the development process of Iatric Systems products and services. It appears the economy will continue to have a significant impact on hospitals in 2009.  During recessionary periods, it is expected that consumers will be more diligent with purchase decisions.  Hospitals will be no different.  At Iatric Systems, our pricing model has always been designed for the conscientious consumer.  We will also continue to offer attractive terms that ensure our customers will be comfortable with Iatric Systems purchases.  Iatric Systems is looking forward to helping you address the business challenges of 2009.  We are confident that our commitment to always focusing on your needs will ensure a successful year for you in this coming year and for years to come.
2	Newsletter Sign-Up/ Contact Us
	Sign up for our Updates! newsletter, or do so by visiting the lower right section of our website's homepage. You may also request to discontinue receiving our newsletter by sending us a request at info@iatric.com. If you received this newsletter via email, you may give us feedback by simply replying to the email.  However, if you would like to reach someone directly, please feel free to contact one of the individuals listed below. Joel Berman, President, JoelB@iatric.com, 978-805-4101 John Danahey, VP, Sales & Marketing, JohnD@iatric.com, 978-805-4153
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