Another key member of the Office of the National Coordinator of Health IT (ONC) has resigned. Judy Murphy, chief nursing officer (CNO) and director of the Office of Clinical Quality and Safety (OCQS), is leaving ONC and will join IBM Healthcare Global Business Services in the role of chief nursing officer. Her last day will be Oct. 17.

MILWAUKEE, Wis., Oct. 1, 2014 — Integrated Medical Partners (IMP), a full-service provider of profit-improvement solutions for medical practices announced today the addition of Mr. Keith E. Chew, MHA, CMPE as Managing Director, Strategic Positioning and Consulting Services. Mr. Chew will also have the same title with Integrated Radiology Partners (IRP), the IMP solution for Radiology Practices.

Radiology’s new normal is an ongoing perfect storm of business pressures. Faced with the constant need to navigate swim-or-sink waters roiled by bundled payments, pay for performance and other models of financial risk-sharing—not to mention declining reimbursement, increased regulatory oversight and transparency on pricing and quality—forward-thinking practices are partnering with their competitors in new joint venture (JV) models.

Traditionally, advances in healthcare are built upon a formalized architecture of research and the application of the scientific method into healthcare decision making for the benefit of optimal care for a single patient or for populations of patients. The importance of data has continued to manifest itself in other areas of healthcare and influence behaviors with respect to information systems and technology as they relate to healthcare. Historically influential in business, data has become increasingly important to healthcare providers as a predictor and an analysis tool for their own businesses. But as radiologists struggle to maintain their independence and demonstrate their value in the healthcare process, no method proves to be stronger than listening to the experiences of peers, those experiencing success, and those experiencing difficult challenges as well, in order to build the strategies that radiologists will apply to their own businesses as a means to sustaining long-term success.

Cerner Corporation has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Siemens Health Services, the health information technology business unit of Siemens AG, for $1.3 billion in cash.

Mecklenburg Radiology Associates (MRA), is a key imaging services provider for Novant Health, a multi-state hospital system that primarily serves the mid-Atlantic region.

Erkan Akyuz was named president of McKesson Technology Solutions' Imaging & Workflow Solutions in May, 2014. Well known in imaging circles, Akyuz previously served as president and CEO of Vital Images, Inc, as well as executive vice president and chief technology officer at Agfa Healthcare. Akyuz brings extensive industry experience, strong leadership and a focus on customer success, and he is well prepared to further McKesson’s mission to break down information silos and improve the quality and cost effectiveness of care delivery. Health IT Executive Forum recently spoke with Akyuz about his perspectives on the current market, new opportunities and where he will take McKesson’s Imaging & Workflow Solutions division.

The Senate confirmed Robert McDonald to head the Department of Veterans Affairs last week, just after congressional leaders put together a $17 billion funding bill to help reform the agency.