I just came across this interesting news item/press release. The health care industry didn't finish its remediation by December 31, 1998? :-)

http://nt.excite.com/news/bw/990309/tn-odin-group-llc

[for educational use only]

First Comprehensive Year 2000 Contingency Planning User Guides For Health Care Industry Now Available

(Last updated 12:05 PM ET March 9)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BUSINESS WIRE) - As part of an ongoing effort to ensure consistent quality care in the event of Year 2000 disruptions, Odin Group LLC announced today the completion of the first comprehensive contingency planning user guides for health care organizations.

The purpose of the VitalSigns2000 guides is to enable organizations to appropriately identify and manage the risks associated with Year 2000, consider the threats and costs associated with these risks, and meet regulatory and other compliance requirements. The manuals have been successfully piloted at numerous leading health care companies and include a methodology and templates for contingency planning. The guides are the result of 12 months of collaborative research, analysis and preparation for Y2K by CIOs and other healthcare industry experts participating in the VitalSigns2000 initiative, a consortium of 40 of the nation's largest payor, provider and pharmaceutical organizations.

"We have reached a major milestone in our continued commitment to patient safety," said Daniel Nutkis, President and Director of Research, Odin Group. "With comprehensive guides that provide detailed strategy and planning instructions for mission-critical operations, health care organizations now have a consistent industry-wide approach and methodology in preparing for Y2K."

"Most health care organizations have developed their plans of action for Y2K, but only 25 percent have contingency plans in place for mission-critical systems failures," remarked John Brighton, Chief Information Officer, Aetna Inc. "It is therefore important to equip the industry with the tools that will enable them to effectively jumpstart this process within a short time frame."

The VitalSigns2000 manuals also outline a detailed, four-part process in its approach to contingency and business continuity planning, including:

Risk analysis, to determine the business impact and probability associated with each risk.

Risk mitigation, to identify those risks that are the most serious and/or most likely to occur and require project management to avoid the potential for process failure.

Risk monitoring, to provide a systematic process for managing risks with a focus on key indicators of progress and pertinent updates on attributes of the risks.

Contingency plan development, to identify the steps the organization will take with regard to plan approach, costs, date horizons, trigger events, commands and control activities, and communications efforts.

"The industry expertise and level of detail contained in the VitalSigns2000 user guides are unprecedented," remarked John Parker, Senior Vice President and Director, Information Resources SmithKline Beecham. "We developed and issued these best practices and procedures for the industry as a whole, to maintain consistency across the continuum of care."

The user guides are based on a precluding VitalSigns2000 report that examined the complexities and potential impact of business disruptions due to the Y2K bug on health care organizations, and contained extensive research and industry viewpoints that may assist health care organizations in mitigation strategies and contingency planning. The guides and report are part of the larger VitalSigns2000 initiative, which is comprised of more than 40 leading health care organizations that have united to develop and implement contingency plans and alternate operating procedures should mission-critical operations be disrupted by the Year 2000 problem. The initiative is facilitated by Odin Group, the premier healthcare information technology research and advisory group.

"The health care industry is heavily dependent on how well their business partners and other organizations have prepared for Y2K," added Noel Williams, Senior Vice President, Information Systems, Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corporation. "Remediating one's own system will not go far enough to ensure patient safety after Y2K."

"The only way to truly ensure patient safety in the face of Y2K is through the collaborative efforts of the entire industry," added KPMG Consulting partner Woody Taylor, an advisor to the initiative. "Y2K has the potential to directly impede the delivery of critical health care services, which means we can't afford not to have contingency plans in place. We urge all health care organizations to join with us today, by adopting the VitalSigns2000 user guides as part of their business continuity planning efforts."

[snip]

VitalSigns2000 Oversight Committee

John Brighton, Chief Information Officer

Aetna, Inc.

Kathy Brittain White, Senior Vice President and Chief Information

Officer

Allegiance Healthcare Corporation

Phillip Greth, Executive Vice President and Chief Information

Officer

Cardinal Health Inc.

Noel Williams, Senior Vice President, Information Systems

Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corporation

Donald Morchower, Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice

President

Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield

Charles Popper, Vice President, Corporate Computer Resources

Merck & Co., Inc.

Daniel Nutkis, President and Research Director

Odin Group, LLC

John Parker, Senior Vice President and Director, Information

Resources

SmithKline Beecham

Daniel Drawbaugh, Chief Information Officer

UPMC Health System

Odin Group is the premier research and advisory service dedicated to health care information technology. Odin's advisory, education, evaluation and consultative services are distinguished by an emphasis on collaborative learning and problem-solving opportunities for its clients and members. This includes a by-invitation-only leadership council for the nation's most senior health care information technology executives. For more information on Nashville-based Odin Group, please visit the company's website at www.odin-group.com

[snip]

-- Kevin (mixezmusic@worldnet.att.net), March 14, 1999

Answers

I have not read the manuals but here they are.

OdinGroup User Manuals

http://www.odin-group.com/user_manuals.htm

Check out RX2000 for more health details

Rx2000 Solutions Institute

http://www.rx2000.org

Brian

-- Brian (imager@ampsc.com), March 14, 1999.

Kevin just ran across that reference too.

Just started receiving a Y2K e-mail alert from a group called New Heaven New Earth. They take time to summarize the general news and also sprinkle the e with positive community action info sources, which is different.

Its good.

Diane

Its billed as ...

"News, Inspiration, & Consumer Protection for Spiritual Seekers"

To subscribe, send a blank email message to:

nhnelist-on@mail-list.com

The NHNE Y2K Report:

http://www.nhne.com/ y2kreport/

wild2k ("The Best of the Best of Y2K"):

http://www.wild2k.com/

NHNE Home Page:

http://www.nhne.com/

In todays report, among many things, there was this note ...

NHNE Y2K Report 18
Sunday, March 14, 1999

HEALTH INDUSTRY POSTS Y2K GUIDE
(Source: Barb Cole-Gomolski, COMPUTERWORLD, 03/08/1999)

A group of health care giants, including AETNA INC., SMITHKLINE BEECHAM and HIGHMARK BLUE CROSS/BLUE SHIELD, have unveiled a plan that could keep hospitals functioning if the millennium bug disrupts their systems. The recommendations are available for free on the Web and via industry groups, and are expected to be adopted by much of the health care industry. The plan, developed under the auspices of ODIN GROUP, a Nashville research firm, includes guidelines such as how hospitals can order medications if their computerized supply systems aren't working, how they can be paid if insurers can't cut computerized checks, tips for establishing alternate operating procedures with trading partners, an assessment of the top 150 functions related to Year 2000 compliance and patient safety, and case studies detailing recommended approaches if systems fail. "We are assuming that a certain amount of failure will occur, and [we] are trying to get the health care industry to think about contingency plans," says Brad Armstrong, a partner with initiative member DELOITTE CONSULTING. The health care industry has come under fire recently as being late starting and ill prepared for the Year 2000. Says Dick Hutsell, information officer at CATHOLIC HEALTHCARE WEST, which manages a network of 48 hospitals, "A lot of hospitals are just starting to think about contingency plans, so anything that might help them is good." (JG)

Odin alternate operating procedures (in PDF Format, requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) http://www.odin-group.com: Another Link:

http://www.computerworld.com/home/print.nsf/all/99030895B2

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), March 14, 1999.