Feb 15, 2016

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Feb. 15, 2016) – The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) has named Jesse Tamplen, practice administrator of mental health and child development at University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, and Stuart Reasons, executive consultant with Cumberland Consulting Group, as speakers for the 2016 HIMSS Conference & Exhibition, which will be held on Monday, Feb. 29 - Friday, March 4, in Las Vegas, Nev., at the Venetian – Palazzo – Sands Expo Center. HIMSS is a global, cause-based, not-for-profit organization focused on better health through information technology (IT). HIMSS leads efforts to optimize health engagements and care outcomes using information technology.

Tamplen and Reasons will present “Redesigning Mental Health: Technology Driving Outcomes” on Thursday, March 3, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. PT at HIMSS16. The presentation will highlight UCSF Benioff’s 2013 systemwide electronic health record (EHR) implementation to detail how a strategic approach to the challenges faced by mental health practices in EHR implementation and operational redesign can lead to increased levels of patient service and optimized practice operations.

“While preparing for our 2013 EHR implementation, we were looking to streamline care delivery and workflow processes to increase efficiencies across our nine mental health subspecialty programs,” Tamplen said. “We decided to combine the two initiatives, leveraging technology to improve patient access, service, quality of care and financial viability. It was a big risk, but the opportunity to better serve our patients while also improving overall operations was even bigger.”

UCSF was able to achieve remarkable financial, operational and clinical results due to its decision to take a blended approach to EHR implementation, practice standardization and care redesign through value stream improvement. The presentation will discuss these results and provide specific techniques clinical informaticists and healthcare operations leaders can apply when implementing a mental health EHR.

“The many successes of this project – from patient care to finance – were dependent on effective collaboration prior to and following implementation,” Reasons said. “The strategy that we assisted in developing and deploying for UCSF used workflow design sessions, clinical liaisons and other tools to bring the necessary stakeholders to the table early on in the process to gather insights and create buy-in.”

The HIMSS Annual Conference Education Committee, chaired by Eric Raffin, CPHIMS, FACHE, FHIMSS, chief information officer at San Mateo County Health System, in San Mateo, Calif., selected the more than 300 educational sessions that will be presented at the conference.

Proposals under review by the Annual Conference Education Committee have gone through a peer-review selection process for enhanced efficiency and quality in selection of the educational offerings at the conference. The HIMSS Annual Conference Education Committee evaluates and selects all candidates with those representing an organization or non-commercial interest given preference, a guideline followed to achieve Continuing Medical Education or CME requirements.

“HIMSS is recognized for its quality and relevant programming. At HIMSS16, we will have more than 300 speakers share their expertise during our pre-conference and conference educational sessions,” said JoAnn W. Klinedinst, M.Ed., CPHIMS, PMP, DES, FHIMSS, vice president, professional development, for HIMSS. “I congratulate our HIMSS16 Annual Conference Education Committee that selected our final speakers as well as all presenters who will be part of our extensive and diverse programming schedule.”

About Cumberland Consulting Group
Founded in 2004, Cumberland Consulting Group is a strategic business advisory, process improvement, information technology implementation and support services firm serving the payer, provider and life sciences healthcare verticals. Cumberland’s objectives are to help its clients advance the quality of services they deliver and to improve their overall business performance. For more information on Cumberland, visit www.cumberlandcg.com or follow Cumberland on Twitter at @CumberlandCG.

Media Contact:
Taylor Davis
taylor.davis@cumberlandcg.com
(615) 373-4470

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