Medical banking gets HIMSS treatment

The healthcare industry can save up to $35 billion by bringing banks into the dialogue about the healthcare financial network of the future.

So says John Casillas, senior vice president of the HIMSS Medical Banking Project and vice president of business and financial information systems at HIMSS.

The Medical Banking Project, or MBProject, is showcasing its research during the 8th annual Medical Banking Institute, part of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society’s 2010 Conference & Exhibition March 1-4 in Atlanta.

Casillas says the program will encourage dialogue between the banking industry and healthcare and allow participants to share critical knowledge on emerging best practices, highlight model programs and ROI formulas, showcase innovative ideas and provide consensus-based input into critical policy issues.

“The latest cross-industry technology ideas that are supporting medical banking models are going to be presented at the Institute,” he said. “We’ll also share information on how banks are building health information exchanges”
The MBProject sponsored a Medical Banking Boot Camp during the weekend prior to HIMSS10. Casillas called it a “beginners’ course” for executives who want to learn more about the medical banking arena.

“It can be a complex and daunting task to understand how banks fit into the healthcare financial network,” he said.
After the MBI, Casillas said, various stakeholders who will be responsible for creating the healthcare financial network of the future will convene in a “neutral” roundtable setting.

Casillas formed the MBProject in 2001 to “facilitate banking and financial service innovations in healthcare by helping government, commerce and academia to isolate and document new areas of convergence between banking and healthcare.”

HIMSS acquired the Medical Banking Project last year to boost “cross-industry dialogue” between the banking and healthcare IT communities, said H. Stephen Lieber, HIMSS’ chief executive officer.

Lieber said HIMSS is expanding current Medical Banking Project programs, including industry forums and work groups.

Banking industry figures speaking at the Institute, said Lieber, include Al Briand, managing director in the Strategic Development Division at the Bank of New York Mellon, and Ralph Bernstein, senior vice president of healthcare strategy at US Bank.