E-Health Checkup Could Benefit VARs

From the windows of his corner suite, Fedele, who is also chairman and CEO of The Pinnacle Group, a $110 million enterprise solution provider based in Stamford, Conn., can very clearly see what's happening around him. It's the very skill that landed him the office in the first place and one he hopes can soon benefit other solution providers in the Nutmeg State.

Fedele was hand-picked by Gov. M. Jodi Rell (R.) for his experience in business as well as politics to spur growth in Connecticut's economy. His first week on the job, Fedele was already talking up an IT health information exchange for Connecticut, a system that would allow hospitals, doctor's offices and other health-care agencies to electronically and securely share medical records. It is an initiative in which solution providers could play a big role, he said.

"E-health throws a register up there so that when I arrive at an emergency room, the registry points me to the hospital where my records reside. It's important to get the right diagnoses quickly," Fedele said.

For example, Fedele said if he is treated at a hospital in Hartford, the facility would not have access to his medical records from his local hospital in Stamford. The time and resources it takes to get the information now is costly, he said.

"The state of Connecticut spends $5 billion a year in health care. There are estimates that an e-health initiative could generate 8 to 10 percent in savings. If we can save 8 to 10 percent of $5 billion, that's money we can use in other areas. It benefits everyone," he said. "And this is not unique to Connecticut. There are at least 18 other states looking at the e-health initiative."

In fact, at least 28 states are planning health IT exchanges and another seven are now implementing them, according to eHealth Initiative, a Washington-based nonprofit group. The U.S. health-care system could save $162 billion annually with widespread use of health-care IT initiatives, according to a two-year study by Rand.

Common thinking is that implementation costs for such a system would run about $20,000 per physician, according to a spokeswoman at eHealth Initiative.

Fedele acknowledges that sole practitioners may need financial help from the state to get on board, and certainly could look to solution providers for implementation.

Speaking as a solution provider, Fedele says: "Our approach to our clients is to do whatever we can for them, help in whatever arena we can for them. If they're not happy, we have to figure out why. No one who works for me says 'I can't do it, that's not my job.' That's how I built my business."