Editors Picks: Healthcare Technology Managements Top Stories of 2011
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| David Pearson, Editor, Healthcare Technology Management |
What a year for healthcare. 2011 saw the constitutionality of President Obama’s 2010 reform law aggressively challenged in federal courts by a majority of states and more than a few organizations and individuals. The actions culminated in the Supreme Court’s November announcement that it will review the suits and hear the arguments in March 2012.
The anticipation is electric because the timing could hardly be more dramatic. The justices are essentially aligned along partisan lines and, when their divided decision comes, the nation will be waist-deep in a presidential election that many are expecting to prove as polarizing as the run of 1968.
In fact, those predictions were in play before the Supreme Court’s November announcement.
These are uncharted waters. Healthcare has never stood front and center on the national agenda in such a politically and economically explosive year. (Did you see where Time named “The Protester” as its Person of the Year?)
And that’s not all from the big-picture point of view. This past year also saw the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) release final regulations implementing Medicare’s accountable care organization program and value-based purchasing system, two sets of reform-related regulations that carry enormous ramifications for Medicare-participating providers.
Stated another way: Healthcare entered 2011 as a potentially flammable work in progress, and it exits the year in the same condition. Only more so.
Technology-wise, 2011 saw developments on too many fronts to neatly package into a cohesive narrative. That’s one of the reasons we’re presenting our Editor’s Picks for our most intriguing stories—drawn from our monthly print magazine as well as our daily online news—in no particular order and with important story lines sure to be conspicuous for their absence.
In making our selections, we looked at page views on our website and weighted the results against certain subjective considerations, such as:
- In light of later developments, which stories warrant a re-read by healthcare technology managers?
- Which stories point forward into 2012?
- Which stories remind us why TriMed Media launched Healthcare Technology Management this year in the first place?
Given the depth and breadth of newsworthy developments, 2011 will be tough to top for sheer fascination.
Then again, given what’s in store—and at stake—2012 is sure to only up the ante.
See you there.
Dave Pearson
Editor
Healthcare Technology Management
dpearson@trimedmedia.com
P.S. 'Tis the season: The next edition of this newsletter will go out Wednesday, Jan. 4, after which we will resume normal biweekly production. Till then, we send you every good wish for happy and healthy holidays.
Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.