Message for Members                                              

Dear Members,

One of the ways we recognize your achievements is through Project of the Year Award. From the feedback we have received, it is possible that the process for submissions may have been too complicated or convoluted. We therefore would like to simplify the application process and extend the date to August 31, 2008.

So, to all project managers out there, please submit your success story with a simple form (see below). We are looking for projects that are innovative and that have made a broad, positive impact within a healthcare organization. The Project of the Year winner will receive a paid registration fee (winners travel to Denver, CO is not included) to attend PMI Global Congress North America October 2008 in Denver, Colorado. The winner will be recognized during the Healthcare SIG's Member Meeting to be held during PMI Global Congress North America October 2008 in Denver. Current submissions do not need to resubmit.

Meanwhile, we are receiving constructive and valuable feedback through our annual survey. Thank you to all 350 members who responded so far. If you have not yet, be sure to take the survey before
August 15. We will announce the results and raffle winners here in the next issue.

We are still asking for templates so if you have any that you would love to share with other SIG Members we would love to receive them from you.

We are also looking for volunteers for the following positions: Director of Membership and Secretary. If you are passionate about Project Management and Healthcare and would love to devote your time adding to and growing the Healthcare SIG we would love to hear from you! Please submit your résumés to

Mary Armijo, M.S. CIS, PMP
Healthcare SIG President

Healthcare SIG Project of the Year 2008 - You Deserve to be Recognized!

If you are a finalist, the deadline for the additional documentation is September 15, 2008

From the feedback we have received, it is possible that the process for submissions may have been too complicated or convoluted. We therefore would like to simplify the application process and extend the dates to August 31.

The Healthcare SIG would like to recognize your project! We're looking for projects that are innovative and that have made a broad, positive impact within the healthcare industry. We know we have a lot of Project Managers who are passionate about what they do!

The Healthcare SIG's Project of the Year wants to recognize your quality work and success. Fill out the Project of the Year Submission Form and explain why it is deserving of the HC SIG's Project of the Year award.

The award will be presented during the Healthcare SIG's Member Meeting to be held during PMI Global Congress North America October 2008 in Denver Colorado.

If you have questions contact membership@pmihealthcare.org.

Complete Healthcare SIG Survey by August 15, Win an iPod

Thank you to the members who completed the survey. You can take part too. The survey is only 14 questions. And your opinion will have a direct impact on the Board’s strategy, plans, and activities of the following:

• Training sessions
• National and local networking events
• Job posting
• Communication
• Leadership
• And others
  

Moreover, tell us how we are doing and we will gladly enter your name in a random drawing to win one of three iPods: one iPod Touch and two iPod Shuffles.

We want to hear from you all by August 15.

Access the survey now!

IT Governance: How to Prioritize Projects When Each One is Critical

Presenter: - Kiron D. Bondale, PMP, MBA - Solution Q Inc.
Date: August 15, 2008 @ 11am PDT / 1pm CDT / 2pm EDT
Cost: Free to PMI Healthcare SIG Members
PDU: 1

During the project intake process all projects are considered critical, all others never get approved. So how do you decide which "critical" projects are most critical? These decisions are typically made politically, emotionally or without consistency. The impact being poor resource utilization, frustrated resources, projects not aligned with strategic objectives and higher risk with lower ROI.

This webinar demonstrates a Balanced Approach to prioritizing initiatives. Projects affect many aspects of your business; all factors should be considered when taking on a new project. Learn the prioritization secrets of successful companies using a Project Portfolio Management mentality. These secrets can decrease risk, return higher ROI, optimize resource utilization and allow you to reach the maximum aggregate value of your projects.

Register Here

BAYSTATE HEALTH: Starting a WPM (Work & Project Management) Initiative
Part Two - Lessons Learned

Presenter: - David Rice, Project Planning Coordinator, IS PMO - Baystate Health
Date: September 10 @ 11am PDT / 1pm CDT / 2pm EDT
Cost: Free to PMI Healthcare SIG Members
PDU: 1

David Rice, Project Planning Coordinator, Information Services PMO, is back to present Baystate Health's (IS division) lessons learned from the development and implementation of Project Portfolio Management (PPM) methodology.

David was the project manager for Baystate Health's PPM implementation. The system and processes were designed to support not only the projects but also the work and maintenance efforts managed within Baystate Health Information Services.

Baystate Health is the largest integrated health care delivery network system providing comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care in Western Massachusetts.

This session will include lessons learned from these categories:
- Time Entry / Tracking
- Resource Allocation
- Project Management Standardization
- Portfolio Management
- Support Model

Register Here

View a playback of Part One: Starting a WPM Initiative.
(Not required to attend this webinar)

• Created in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, or Publisher 2007.
• Less than 2 MB in size.
• Does not contain personal information or objectionable content.
• Contains only materials that you own or have permission to use
• Identifies which project phase this template applies to.
• It has instructions, tips or hints within the document about how to use each section.
• Is easy to read and understand.
• Identifies the kind of projects the template is suited for

After the library of templates has been created, the library will be posted in the Members Area of the web sie.

We welcome your submissions to education@pmihealthcare.org.
Upon receipt, templates will be reviewed by a committee prior to posting.

Students who have successfully completed the Six Sigma Course taught by Tom McNellis can obtain PDUs by going into Category 4 and putting in 40 credits and listing the Harrington Institute as the Educational Provider.

Upcoming Local Events

August 16, 2008, Atlanta, GA
PMI Atlanta Chapter Professional Development Day 2008
Network with other project managers

September 15-18, 2008, La Crosse, WI
PMI La Crosse Chapter Professional Development Day 2008
Celebrating Five Years of Project Management Professionalism

September 19, 2008, Nashville, TN
Tennessee HIMSS Summit

September 25, 2008, College Park, GA
3rd Annual Georgia Healthcare Trade Faire & Regional Conference

• Sponsored by HIMSS Georgia Chapter
• Over 25 Exhibitors in Healthcare IT and Provider sectors
• Panelist Discussion Tracks & Presentations

Thank you, Kiron, for providing your knowledge and content to this.

October 18-21, Denver, CO


Early registration is now open for the 2008 PMI Global Congress, North America. Click on the link to view registration fees.

November 18-21, Orlando, FL

• Featured Speaker: Sunil Chandra, HR Technology & Operations Director, Google
• Keynote Speaker: Pat Williams, Senior Vice President, NBA's Orlando Magic
• Keynote Speaker: Lt. General Russel Honore, (Ret.), Commander of Joint Task Force Katrina
• Keynote Speaker: Honorable Karen S. Evans, Administrator of E-Government and Information Technology, Office of Management and Budget

November 6, 2008, Coventry, UK
International Project Management Day

Industry News

Nationwide EHR price tag estimated at $150 billion
Robert Miller, a professor of health economics at the University of California, San Francisco, acknowledged that his $150 billion ballpark estimate sounded like a large sum but called it “manageable” because it amounts to less than a 1 percent increase per year in the nation’s total health care spending. View the complete article>

Job 1 for AHIC's successor?
Several organizations asked the American Health Information Community today to expand its scope and mesh data standards for medical research with its work on standards for e-health records. But AHIC is going out of business at the end of the year, and it was a leader of the as-yet-unnamed AHIC successor organization who volunteered to consider whether the new set of tasks would be a worthy assignment for the new organization in the private sector. View the complete article>

Senate effort to grease the skids for health IT bill fails
The Senate failed to pass the Wired for Health Care Quality Act by unanimous consent yesterday, although leaders of both parties pushed hard for passage. View the complete article>

Healthcare Project Management Jobs

Interested in posting a position?
If you would like to post a position description in HealthcareSpeaks, please email information to projects@pmihealthcare.org.