Health IT Business News Wrap-up – October 21, 2012

This Week’s Health IT Business News

We lead this week’s business column with the news of Allscripts naming Richard Poulton as its new CFO, marking the latest C-level change for the EHR giant. The news follows rumors of Allscripts shopping for a buyer. Poulton will replace interim financial chief David Morgan, effective Oct. 29. He joins the company from AAR Corp. where he served as financial chief and treasurer.

Omnicell and Cerner announced the formation of an agreement focused on interoperability. According to the press release the relationship was formed to decrease implementation costs, time, and maintenance for shared clients, while providing new clinical workflows to enhance efficiency and patient safety. The planned plug-and-play solution is intended to bring a new model of interoperability to the industry. Under the agreement Omnicell will be able to offer their Cerner customers a complete, turnkey solution.

In other partnership news InterSystems, a provider of connected care software, announced a partnership with eHealth Technologies, a provider of imaging tools for EHR systems and health information exchange technology, to provide access to a diagnostic imaging platform.

MedTech Media, a division of HIMSS Media, announced this week the launch of HIMSSwire, a custom content news service accessible  accessible through feeds on a network of healthcare websites. HIMSSwire offers custom news articles covering meaningful use, mobile health and ICD-10.

In mergers and acquisitions news this week announcement came of Wolters Kluwer Health, a health care information and business intelligence services provider, acquisition of  Health Language, a provider of medical terminology management systems, for an undisclosed sum. Read the press release.

SA Ignite, a provider of meaningful use compliance software, has closed a Series A round of funding led by venture capital firm Aligned Partners.

In personnel news this week Kathy Ebbert,  former president and CEO of Achieve CCA, was named Executive VP and COO of Clearwater Compliance, a leading provider of software and services for managing compliance with federal patient privacy and data security rules.

Ralph Riccardi, former Senior VP of channel partner programs at WebMD, has been named President and CEO of SourceMedical Solutions, a provider of clinical, financial and administrative information systems for health care providers.