Defying a trend

If you happen to be in the Salt Lake City area and visit any of the 18 locations run by Granger Medical Clinic, you’ll see a lot that looks familiar, including a busy front office and the range of primary and specialty services you’d expect from any growing medical facility.

Look more closely, and you’ll see an organization that’s just a bit different in key ways.

While more and more U.S. doctors are giving up owning their own practices, and joining larger, hospital-owned networks, Granger continues to proudly assert its independence.

That classic line from “Office Space” — “I’m going to need you to come in on Saturday…” — works great on the screen, but it’s usually not something folks like to hear in real life. Except this weekend in Dallas at the eClinicalWorks National Conference!

From all 50 states and overseas, our customers and employees are arriving in sunny Orlando! From sunrise until long after sunset, crews have been hard at work choreographing tomorrow’s kickoff of the 2016 eClinicalWorks National Conference here at the Orlando World Center Marriott! Our social media wall is already abuzz with photos and posts, of plane departures, bus arrivals, smiling faces, and shout outs. And our social media and selfie contests are already under way. Check pages 12 and 13 of your Conference program book for complete details and post, post, post — to #eCW16 and #eCWSelfie.

Our product experts are onsite and at the top of their games, ready to unveil the new features and functionalities that are now being rolled out across our U.S. and international markets. And eCW team members and technicians are putting the finishing touches on tomorrow’s much-anticipated Keynote from CEO Girish Navani, which promises to deliver a high-energy introduction to four unforgettable days of learning, networking, and sheer fun.

A desire for more coordinated care has led to the advancement of accountable care organizations (ACO) and similar models. These organizations have set out to improve the delivery of healthcare, while reducing costs and leveraging evidence-based care to collaborate with care teams and patients. At the forefront this movement is Minnesota’s Children’s Health Network (CHN), where we visited for our final Season One episode. We joined Chad Johnson, CEO, Dave Overman, President and COO of Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minn., and Dr. Kelly Lemieux, Pediatrician with Wayzata Children’s Clinic and chair of clinical operations for CHN to discuss the benefits of population health technologies, like CCMR, and their ability to enhance care.

In an age where connectivity is constantly accessible, the term “Big Data” has quickly become a buzzword favored by any business seeking information about its customers, products and even its performance. But this seemingly ambiguous term has a place in the healthcare industry as well. “Big Data” is more than a buzzword for doctors, researchers and patients – it means easier access to health information, predictive medicine, quicker diagnoses and better treatment.