The document discusses a roundtable on health, technology and society held on September 19, 2007 at Stevens Institute of Technology. It features quotes from several physicians, nurses, healthcare administrators and technology experts on the importance of integrated, multimodal messaging within electronic health records and healthcare delivery more broadly. It provides background on the participants and their views on using communication technologies to improve care coordination, outcomes and efficiency.
Multimodal Messaging within The EMR, September 2007
1. Joseph R. Gaudio, M.D.
JRG Anesthesia, PLLC
“As a practicing physician, I realize the great value to my patients of being able to communicate to and
retrieve information from a centralized, accessible, and secure location that hosts my patient’s electronic
medical records. Enabling the patient’s primary care provider and specialists access would be an essential
element. An integrated multimodal messaging system would facilitate that, and more.”
Dr. Gaudio is a board certified Anesthesiologist and Pain Management Specialist. He
is the CEO of JRG Anesthesia PLLC, a New York and New Jersey based consulting firm
specializing in the delivery of anesthesia and pain management to the non hospital
based medical community. Dr. Gaudio completed his fellowship at the Memorial Sloan
– Kettering Cancer Center and his anesthesia residency at the Columbia University St.
Lukes / Roosevelt Hospital Program. Prior to his residency, he completed 3 years of
general surgery at the New York Medical College Cabrini Medical Center Program. Dr.
Gaudio is a successful New York restaurateur and he and his wife Tiffany are
expecting their first baby.
Victor L. Marchione, M.D., F.C.C.P.
Internal & Pulmonary Medicine
“Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in the United States and it is estimated that 90 percent of cases
Stevens Roundtable:
are caused by smoking. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in America and smoking is the
primary risk factor. The management of these chronic and deadly diseases requires a coordinated effort
Health, Technology & Society
among all members of the healthcare delivery team. An integrated messaging system would enhance our September 19, 2007
efforts to possibly prevent, diagnose early, and deliver coordinated and timely treatment protocols.”
Enhancing the efficiency and
Victor Louis Marchione, M.D., F.C.C.P. is a native of Hoboken, NJ, with 25 years of
service to the New York – Metropolitan area as a Board Certified Pulmonologist. He is
a former medical director of a large multi-specialty medical group with research
effectiveness of multimodal messaging
interests in tobacco cessation and early detection of lung carcinoma. As the founder
and Medical Director of the “I Quit Smoking Program” at Palisades Medical Center in
North Bergen, NJ, Dr. Marchione invites all smokers to join smoking cessation efforts.
within the delivery of healthcare.
Ellen McAndris, R.N., M.S., CNA
Director: Professional / Clinical Services
Valley Home Care “Optimized healthcare delivery requires efficient and effective use of centralized, asynchronous, multimodal messaging.
“Timely communication among all care providers is essential to providing quality patient care and efficient Our R&D efforts involve the integration of messaging within the electronic medical record.”
use of scarce health care resources.” — Dr. S. Vincent Grasso
Ellen has extensive clinical and managerial experience in the acute care and homecare
environment. For the past 16 years Ellen has been the Director of Professional "A clear message at this panel discussion was the importance in understanding the unique needs and requirements
/Clinical Services for Valley Home Care in Paramus, New Jersey. As part of her role of the health care industry for networking and then designing effective multi-vendor solutions that work."
Ellen Co-chaired the Implementation Team for Point of Care Electronic Documentation.
Within the past two years Valley Home Care increased its services to include Well @
— Dr. Kevin Ryan
Home, a patient directed telemanagement system. Ellen has also presented the
telemanagement outcome data at the National Association Home Care Convention in
Washington, DC.
“We are certainly in a digital age, but the healthcare industry in general has been a laggard in adopting information
technology. One of the reasons for this is the highly intensive nature of healthcare delivery and the highly
professionalized staff (physicians and nurses), so a lot of attention also needs to be given to the Adoption of the
technology - such as, what is the relative advantage from the healthcare provider's perspective?”
Ellaine Davis, R.N. — Dr. Carol Brown
Manager: Telemanagement Program
Valley Home Care “Clearly there is now a vital debate about innovative healthcare delivery at the grass-roots, in local municipalities,
“Telemanagement, properly applied, is more than just data collection; it links patients, agencies and
caregivers in a continuous healing relationship.”
where policy-makers are in close proximity to hands-on healthcare providers. This phenomenon is encouraging creative
Elaine Davis has been at Valley Home Care for the past 9 years and manager of thinking on a wider scale, a necessary first step in locating workable solutions to our national healthcare crises."
The Telemanagement Program since it’s inception in April 2005. She presented the — Patrick A. Berzinski
implementation process involved in the start up of a telemanagement program at the
National Association Home Care Convention in Washington, DC. Elaine’s background
includes extensive critical care nursing and a 5 year stint as nurse manager for
employee health services in a Fortune 500 company.
Roundtable Coordinator: Dr. S. Vincent Grasso
Roundtable Moderator: Patrick A. Berzinski
2. S. Vincent Grasso, D.O. Christopher F. Irizarry
Surgeon & Family Physician, North Bergen, NJ President/CEO North Hudson Community Action Corp.
Medical Informaticist & Business Analyst, TIMA Commissioner of Parks, Public Property, and
Adjunct Professor, Stevens Institute of Technology Recreation, Union City, NJ
“Optimized healthcare delivery requires efficient and effective use of centralized, asynchronous, multimodal "In order to really make an impact on the high cost of healthcare, and the inaccuracies resulting from
messaging. Our R&D efforts involve the integration of messaging within the electronic medical record.” manual documentation, there needs to be a serious investment in medical technology. This will result in the
Grasso is a Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Yale University trained surgeon. While at doctors focusing on the patient, and not the paperwork.“
Yale, he joined the NASA Yale Commercial Space Center for Medical Informatics and Mr. Irizarry received a Bachelor’s Degree from Rutgers University in the Administration
Technology Applications, CSCMITA, as a NASA Program Manager to perform research of Justice in 1993 and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from John Jay College
within the discipline of Medical Informatics. At CSCMITA, created the concept of Extreme of Criminal Justice in 1998. In 2002, Mr. Irizarry was elected in Union City as a
Telemedicine and led a medical research expedition to Mount Everest. His R&D at Commissioner and is currently the Commissioner of Parks, Public Property, and
Stevens involves the intersection between the clinical, technical, and financial aspects of Recreation. In March of 2006, Mr. Irizarry was appointed as President/CEO of North
healthcare delivery. He has performed and taught surgery internationally via his not for Hudson Community Action Corporation, where he oversees both the Community Action
profit company AYUDAMOS since 1991. Grasso is a physician in private practice in Hudson Program as well as the Federally Qualified Health Center. Mr. Irizarry was married in
County, NJ, and is the CEO of Technology Integrations for Medical Applications Inc., TIMA. 2003 to his wife Keila.
Patrick A. Berzinski Carmelo G. Garcia
Director of University Communications Deputy Executive Director: Hoboken Housing Authority
Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken, NJ
“Clearly there is now a vital debate about innovative healthcare delivery at the grass-roots, in local "The symposium exposed us to a possible silver bullet solution in aligning IT with healthcare business goals.
municipalities, where policy-makers are in close proximity to hands-on healthcare providers. This phenomenon The myriad of knowledge, experience and talent produced a powerful dialogue that will address healthcare
is encouraging creative thinking on a wider scale, a necessary first step in locating workable solutions to our & IT's fusion as we operate in the 21st Century!“
national healthcare crises." Carmelo G. Garcia was born in Hoboken, NJ and in 2001 became Hoboken's first
Patrick A. Berzinski has worked in a variety of media during a career spanning more minority director. He graduated from Seton Hall University (IT focus) and holds a
than 20 years. His principal medium is the written word, and his literary and expository masters of science in information systems and information management from Stevens
writing have been the vehicles that have led him to work in radio, video, web, public and Institute of Technology. He has been Hoboken’s Director of Health & Human services
media relations, and networking for business development. Since 2000, his work has for the last 7 years and has been recognized by U.S. Senator Menendez and Governor
been primarily in institutional communications for Stevens Institute of Technology where Corzine for his public policy and service to seniors. Carmelo is the Deputy Executive
he currently serves as director of university communications. Director of the Hoboken Housing Authority and is committed to enhancing the
alignment of IT and healthcare.
Kevin Ryan, Ph.D. Alejandro Mendez
Distinguished Associate Professor Director of Information Systems
Telecommunications Management Department North Hudson Community Action Corp.
Stevens Institute of Technology Union City, NJ
"A clear message at this roundtable was the importance in understanding the unique needs and requirements “The integration of the telecom platform within the framework of other services would enhance one’s ability
of the health care industry for networking and then designing effective multi-vendor solutions that work.“ to control and manage data flow, thereby improving overall security and audits.”
Dr. Ryan was a Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff at Lucent Technologies Bell Alejandro is also the Chief Engineer of Micromen Electronics LLC. He is a Certified
Labs for 23 years. At Stevens (since 2001), his graduate courses within Internet Webmaster (CIW), I-Net+ Professional, Certified Web Professional, Computer
telecommunications focus upon the management of wireless networks. In 2005, he Electronics Engineer, Member of the American Association of Webmasters, Member of
received the Alexander Crombie Humphrey's Distinguished Associate Professor Teaching the International Association of Webmasters, and has been working in the technology
Award. His current NSF funded project, (co-Principal Investigator), involves the field since 1996.
application of dynamic spectrum access to mobile and fixed wireless networks. His Ph.D.
is from Stevens, master's from MIT, and bachelor's from Manhattan College (all in EE).
Carol Brown, Ph.D. James Tuchi
Distinguished Professor and Program Director Managing Director: Pharmacy Industry Consulting Services
IT Healthcare and IT Pharma Cohn Consulting Group, J.H. Cohn, LLP
Stevens Institute of Technology “The effectiveness in applying multimodal messaging using advanced technologies now available can be
“We are certainly in a digital age, but the healthcare industry in general has been a laggard in adopting readily seen by the decreasing costs of deployment and the rapid growth in utilization across the continuum
information technology. One of the reasons for this is the highly intensive nature of healthcare delivery and of health care providers allowing a more widespread and effective adoption of the technology platform.”
the highly professionalized staff (physicians and nurses), so a lot of attention also needs to be given to the Mr. Tuchi’s experience exceeds 20 years within the Pharmaceutical, Life Science
Industries, and AT&T Health Management Services as a consultant and Managing
Adoption of the technology - such as, what is the relative advantage from the healthcare provider's Partner. Jim has done leading work in the development of business models for
perspective?” applying telecommunications and medical technologies in sustainable business
Brown holds masters and doctorate degrees in Management Information Systems enterprises. He is a member of the Federal Working Committee on Privacy and
from Indiana University-Bloomington. She has published research on IS Security of Medical data. As the founder of Global Health Sciences, LLC he has been
management, developed curricula, and fostered academic-practitioner linkages for deploying advanced medical monitoring systems in many countries and in the U.S.
more than 15 years. In addition to publishing in leading scholarly journals and co- for clients in both the public and private sectors. Most recently he completed the
authoring a 6th edition of an IS management textbook, she is a senior editor for MIS implementation of a wireless telemonitoring system under a grant from the State of
Quarterly Executive and past national Board member for the Society for Information Florida to demonstrate the application of new technologies in senior communities.
Management (SIM).