MEDITECH

Medical Information Technology, Inc.

Type	Private company
Founded	1969
Headquarters	Westwood, Massachusetts
Key people	Neil Pappalardo, Chairman Larry Polimeno, Vice-Chairman Howard Messing, President and CEO [1]
Products	Software
Revenue	USD $459 million (2010)
Website	www.meditech.com

Medical Information Technology, Inc., commonly known as MEDITECH, is a Massachusetts-based software and service company selling information systems, which are installed in health care organizations throughout the world. The company was founded in 1969 by Chairman A. Neil Pappalardo.

Company History

In 1969, A. Neil Pappalardo began development of MIIS, one of several proprietary implementations of MUMPS, a programming language which at the time had not been standardized. MIIS users and developers later influenced efforts toward MUMPS standardization during the early 1970s; the MUMPS standard was complete by 1974 and approved by 1977. Between 1971 and 1979, Pappalardo developed various other systems, but those associated with integrated health care information remained his primary focus.

In 1982, MEDITECH adopted the then-new MAGIC programming language. MAGIC would later become integral to MEDITECH's health care information systems' implementations. In 1994, the company adopted Client/Server, a second software platform to complement MAGIC. While Client/Server utilizes the same MAGIC programming language, it runs differently. MAGIC runs all code on a central server, and clients are in effect dumb terminals. Client/Server executes the code on a user's PC, although all code remains centralized. Client server currently supports only Microsoft Windows-based operating systems. MEDITECH unveiled its 6.0 platform in 2006. This platform is MEDITECH's current offering and purports an improved user interface, streamlined workflows, features to increase patient safety, and improved financial/reporting capabilities.

Markets Served

MEDITECH supplies an integrated information system for various facilities in the health care industry. This enables health care providers to track a patient's history and/or monitor ongoing treatment of chronic health problems, regardless of the patient's whereabouts. Providers are afforded immediate access to patients' medical records, which can be used to devise treatments.

With over 2,200 customers worldwide,^[2] MEDITECH has extended its client base from the United States and Canada into the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, and several other communities across the world, including a current venture into the Spanish-speaking world, including Latin America, Mexico, and Spain.^[3]

MEDITECH recently secured ^[4] a €750,000 deal to supply their integrated health care information system to Sheehan Medical's new private hospital, the Cork Medical Centre in Ireland. This is MEDITECH's third Irish deal with Sheehan Medical after previously supplying their system to their other hospitals the Galway Clinic and Blackrock Clinic.

Products and Services

MEDITECH offers software solutions for health care organizations of various types and sizes. Some of the software modules offered by MEDITECH include the following: Health Information Management, Revenue Cycle, Scanning and Archiving, Scheduling and Referral Management, Emergency Department Management, Cost Accounting, Data Repository, General Accounting, Human Resource Planning, Supply Chain Management, Operating Room Management, Patient Discharge Instructions, Long Term Care Solutions, Behavioral Health Solutions, and Home Health Solutions.

Current Endeavors

MEDITECH's most recent endeavors have been focused toward improving patient safety and streamlining workflow. Some such developments include:

• Working with partners and other companies to provide new technology solutions in the areas of business continuance, identity management, and RFID
• Incorporating evidence-based medicine into practice through integration with Zynx Health, Inc.
• The development of a new Oncology product to better manage the complex needs of Oncology departments
• Expanding medication management capabilities to include e-prescribing and medication reconciliation from DrFirst, Inc.
• Offering standard interoperability suites to help customers transition to emerging EHR standards

Partnerships

MEDITECH has one wholly owned subsidiary, LSS Data Systems, which was acquired in Spring 2011. At that time, Joanne Wood, MEDITECH senior vice president of client services for the MAGIC and Client/Server platforms, took on the additional titles of President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of LSS Data Systems, overseeing all operations of the company. MEDITECH South Africa, MEDITECH's corporate partner, was founded in 1982, providing software and services to the health care industry in Africa and the Middle East. Other companies such as BridgeHead Software produce software designed to be used in conjunction with MEDITECH software.

Locations

MEDITECH currently owns six facilities in eastern Massachusetts located in Westwood (two offices), Norwood, Canton, Framingham, and Fall River, with a seventh planned for Freetown. MEDITECH also has a facility in Atlanta, GA that was formerly Patient Care Technologies (PtCT).

References

1. ^ MEDITECH Promotes Howard Messing to Chief Executive Officer, http://www.meditech.com/AboutMeditech/pages/newshowardceoannouncement.htm 
2. ^ National Health IT Week Media Information, http://healthitweek.org/partners_and_cosponsors.asp, retrieved 2009-10-22 
3. ^ MEDITECH Expands its International Presence, http://www.meditech.com/aboutmeditech/pages/newsinternational.htm, retrieved 2009-10-22 
4. ^ http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/kfkfgbojcwsn/rss2/