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Despite officials this week signaling the end of the meaningful use program, more than 200,000 eligible providers will see a 2 percent cut in their Medicaid payments in 2016 for failing to meet standards in 2014, recent Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data show.

The health system has leveraged IT to make drastic improvements in diabetic patient outcomes and more than doubled the number of HIV and HCV at-risk patient screenings.

Healthcare chief information officers breathed a sigh of relief on Tuesday when Andy Slavitt said the end of the meaningful use program was near. But many are waiting on the details before celebrating too much.

Acting CMS administrator says several programs will change as healthcare industry wades deeper into value-based reimbursement.

Penn Medicine chief information officer Mike Restuccia is already honing in on what he hopes to learn more about at the HIMSS16 Conference and Exhibition. What's on your list?

Electronic health records are making data more readily accessible to physicians and laying a foundation for the next big step: translating EHR data into actionable information for precision medicine.   "Precision medicine is a great opportunity to start using behavioral health data, like activities and eating patterns," said Nancy McMillan, research leader of advanced analytics at Battelle. McMillan will delve into the use of big data in healthcare at HIMSS16 in Las Vegas, beginning in late February. By combining this type of information with a patient's EHR and genomic data, physicians will ultimately be able to predict health outcomes, she said. See all of our HIMSS16 previews McMillan's presentation, “Enhancing Patient Outcomes with Big Data: Two Case Studies,” will provide a retrospective analysis of how hospital inpatient EHRs can identify patients. Her colleague, David A. Friedenberg , principal research statistician at Battelle, will add to the presentation by discussing his work on a neural bypass system. Friedenberg and McMillian will present the pair of case studies to demonstrate ways institutions can improve population health. Her portion of the presentation will deal specifically with EHR collection and how hospitals can finally put that information to work. "We're about to turn the corner in healthcare," McMillan said. "So much work has been done with the transition to EHRs, and there's going to be greater use with scientific analytics to make this data useful." She said collecting data has been a "big burden" because it's such a major change, which is difficult for any large institution. But she's hopeful there will soon be progress. Her presentation will also provide the processes Battelle has used to transform data into actionable datasets. It's important for health systems to understand data isn't uniform in these systems, and taking into consideration how it's viewed at the ground level will affect how these key agents translate the information, she added. The only way to use EHRs as a prediction tool for precision outcomes, McMilland said, is to validate the data using evidence-based research. Her colleague, Friedenberg, will round out the presentation by discussing his neurolife work. He's found a method to use data from a cortical implant in a paralyzed person to decode imagined movements, bypass the damaged spinal cord injury and stimulate muscles in real-time with a neuromuscular electrical stimulation. The HIMSS16 session “Enhancing Patient Outcomes with Big Data: Two Case Studies,” is scheduled for March 1, 2016, from 4:00-5:00 pm in the Sands Expo Convention Center Palazzo G. Twitter: @JessiefDavis

The HIMSS Annual Conference has developed many rhythms that are familiar to longtime attendees. But this year’s conference is changing the beat by a couple of steps with a Monday to Friday calendar that provides more time for education and networking on the exhibit hall. The HIMSS16 pre-education day will take place on Monday in Las Vegas, rather than on Sunday as happened in recent years. The opportunities for education at HIMSS16 will be as rich as ever, with 300 sessions covering all of the most essential topics for health IT. And, as you would expect, there will be presentations on a number of new topic areas. Monday’s educational programs will end at 5 pm, clearing the schedule to begin the opening keynote from Michael Dell, founder and CEO of Dell Inc. And immediately following the keynote, the exhibit hall will open with a reception for all attendees, starting at 6:30 p.m.  in Exhibit Hall G.   See all of our HIMSS16 previews Starting Tuesday, the exhibit hall will return to a schedule that will be more familiar to regular attendees, opening at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, closing at 6 p.m. each day except on Thursday when it will close at 4 p.m. (For schedule details, visit http://www.himssconference.org) Two new landmarks will brighten this year’s exhibit hall. You can read more about the Population Health Knowledge Center and the Revenue Cycle Knowledge Center. And the Connected Health Experience is new, combing exhibits and education for Mobile Health, Connected Patient and Games for Health into one area. Networking is always an important part of the HIMSS Annual Conference. One activity growing in popularity is the Women in Health IT Networking Reception, which provides an opportunity to get together in a relaxed setting. Joining the reception will be George Clooney, Bruno Mars, Madonna and other celebrities who will appear as lifelike wax replicas; the event takes place at Madame Tussauds. You may not get an autograph but at least you can take a selfie with the stars. The event requires a $45 registration; it is expected to sell out, so reserve early. For a different type of networking event, sign up for the Super Nap Data Center Tour.  The guided tour includes transportation to one of highest-ranking colocation data centers in the world. And the youngest members of HIMSS will have their own networking opportunity at the Millennials on a Mission Reception. It promises to be a great opportunity to compare notes and build relationships in a casual atmosphere. To stay up to date on everything happening in the weeks leading up to the event and through the event, visit our Destination HIMSS section. Times and Places: Opening Reception, Feb. 29, 6:30 p.m., Exhibit Hall G; Women in Health IT Networking Reception, Mar. 1, 5:30 p.m., Madame Tussauds; Super Nap Data Center Tour, March 3, 7:30 – 11:30 a.m. or 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. Millennials on a Mission Reception, Label Lounge at the Palazzo, March 2, 6:30 p.m. Twitter: @GusVenditto

New regulations aimed at value-based payment models demand a more streamlined regulatory approach, acting administrator tells audience at J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference.

The chief information officer and chief operating officer of Denver Health Medical Center, along with some of its top physicians, left their positions, since CEO Arthur Gonzalez arrived in 2012, ostensibly over disagreements with him over the medical center’s $170 million investment in a new Epic EHR system, The Denver Post reported on January 10.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has launched an online resource to support states' efforts to update outdated IT systems, Andy Slavitt, CMS' acting administrator, announced on Monday.