211 PeaceHealth IT Outsoure Why - editorialpinups

This phenomenon goes back and forth in Data Processing and IT world. In source, outsource.  I confess, I have worked both sides of the equation. The equation defined instabilities that caused life decisions which included working in other industries.

It seems that the Data Processing and IT industries do not translate well to corporate leaders.  It is an industry that the reflects poorly in a spreadsheet.  The costs show but the benefits are intangible. Understanding of ongoing system maintenance is difficult for many in management to understand. There are many line items, location, equipment, creation, testing, implementation, support, management of all these items.

It is not unusual that corporate leaders are easily sold on a single dollar amount line item solution. Not that I have ever fully understood how it can bee economically beneficial other than survival through exchange rate savings.

According to a report in the Becker Hospital review Vancouver Washington based PeaceHealth has fallen prey to single line item solution and entered into a contractual agreement with India based Tech Mahindra and its U.S. based healthcare subsidiary The HCI Group.  I am not saying anything bad about Tech Mahindra.  I have worked with some Tech Mahindra people over the years.  Nice people, but generally here on temporary work visas.

So what we have is a shell game.  Some people currently employed by PeaceHealth will retain their jobs but have a different company sign their paycheck. But those who lose their jobs are the ones that are being replaced by contract exchange rate subsidized workers.  Do the contract workers have skills that exceed those that are being laid off?  Some. What causes the lack of skills

Direction, planning, investment, and governmental intervention to mention few.

Before the government tried to make a requirement that a person’s medical record be accessible to all medical facilitators, the medical records were considered property of the medical practitioner.  While the government did not give specific instructions, the requirement is there.  Is the requirement bad?  It can be argued both ways. Standardization rules were and are not totally well defined and there is the issue of security and privacy.  Definition of how to be accessible needs to be better defined.  Many loose ends.

Due to this government requirement planning becomes difficult.  How does an organization plan when there are moving targets?  Without all the tools necessary for planning it becomes almost impossible to define direction and investment needs. As the need for process goes up the management chain with the needs requiring fulfillment, an easy fix is searched out.  This is where third party contractors, product manufacturers, and outsourcing companies come in.

These groups will claim to have solutions.  What they do is dictate solutions that have been created for one.  But where do they get their products?  Where do they get their definition?

The answers to these questions can be handled this way.  These outsourcing and product groups just took the very basics that the government threw at them then created products based upon those bare requirements. They make a product just good enough then sell it as better than anything that can be created with the tight requirements.  Then they live with it and ask for help in bridging gaps.

I have worked both sides of this product relationship. I have seen the gaps and have also worked to fill the gaps. It starts becoming another check and finally, well it almost works and then the process starts over again.

I feel for the IT people that are getting bumped at PeaceHealth.  IT professionals are the white collar push arounds that relate more to line workers that their counterparts in accounting and law.

Since the medical industry is all screwed up as it is, stay tuned for the next iteration!