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Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2004 (No. 42)
Editor &
Publisher Milt Capps
For previous issues
or date of next issue, visit the news archive. |
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Marty Paslick
Vice
President
HCA IT&S, Inc.
In the
Spotlight
|
|
Annual NTC Member
Survey — NTC
needs Members' opinions on ten questions.
Please take the online survey right here.
Thanks!
Asurion to hire 300 tech and
logistics staff in coming months, as area
employment surges and Partnership 2010 effort continues,
Tennessean, Sept. 19. See Partnership 2010 news
in Resources.
Franklin's Passalong Networks' point
system for music-customer referrals may
one-up Apple iTunes or Sony Connect, Tennessean, 6E, Sept. 23. Release Sept. 23. Passalong launch, Nash.
Bus. Journal, Sept. 24.
In Nashville Oct.
4-5, the Mid-Market Healthcare Mergers &
Acquisitions conference (Strategic
Research Institute), Oct. 4-6, includes panels moderated
by Tom Wylly and Kevin Murphy of Brentwood Capital
Advisors. Details and registration, here.
(Oct. 7) NTC Tech Roundtable,
with Ray Capp, President/CEO, ConduIT Corporation; Rich
Smith, President, eDoc4U; Jeff McCormack, Exec. Vice
President, Chief Knowledge Officer, DigiScript Inc.
Focus on synergies in strategic partnerships. Details here and in Scheduled Events
below.
Nashville Technology Council and sister
tech councils to receive grants from TN
Economic and Community Development, Memphis Bus.
Journal, Sept. 27; NashvillePost.com, Sept. 28. back
to top
Paslick
leads HCA product-development unit and chairs NTC
Board
Effective July 1, Marty Paslick, vice
president for product development for HCA's Information
Technology & Services, Inc., a wholly owned
subsidiary of HCA Inc., succeeded Stuart Campbell of
Stites & Harbison as chairman of the board of
directors of Nashville Technology Council
(NTC).
From
that point, Paslick has been ubiquitous, attending NTC
programs, encouraging corporate sponsorships of NTC and
communicating frequently with fellow board members, NTC
members and others. He was also instrumental in the
recent launch of NTC's IT Leadership Board, the
individual members of which are responsible for many of
Nashville's largest IT budgets. As NTC chairman, Paslick
also serves ex oficio as a member of the board of
governors of the Nashvhille Area Chamber of
Commerce.
His
goal as NTC chairman: "To be able to report at the end
of my term that NTC is even more effectively connecting
people who have similar interests and similar passions
within the tech sector -- creating hubs of interest for
each type of member -- and, that the Council has
strengthened its role in increasing technology
employment, investment and innovation, right here in our
own backyard." In addition to the Leadership Council,
Paslick cites NTC's new Software Developers Roundtable
and Network Managers Roundtable, as well as
NTC-affiliated Nashville Capital Network, as indications
of progress within the past year.
Meanwhile,
Paslick's "day job" at HCA IT&S is also pretty
demanding. A few notes:
Paslick says
it may surprise many observers that when it comes to
software and IT solutions, HCA prefers to buy, rather
than build.
Nonetheless,
he explains that even when HCA buys software, HCA
IT&S must often devote considerable resources to
adapting that technology to the HCA enterprise, which
comprises approximately 200 healthcare facilities. For
example, HCA's recent Lawson HR/Payroll ERP suite
deployment required 20,000 hours of inhouse development
time to adapt and integrate the technology, prior to
beta implementation.
Paslick's
product-development unit has more than 250 full-time
technology employees, plus 75 contracted IT staff,
working at HCA headquarters in Nashville and at a
facility near Cool Springs/Brentwood. His department
focuses on business and clinical analysis, project
management, application development and database
administration. Supported domains include Clinical
Systems, ERP, Supply Chain, Revenue Systems, Data
Warehousing and Enterprise Reporting. (The entire HCA
IT&S technology unit has nearly 1,100 technology
staff, under the leadership of HCA IT&S President
Noel Williams, who is also SVP/CIO for the parent
company. See related NONT article [Link], March
2004).
HCA
IT&S Product Development employs a mix of employee
and contracted resources in the interest of producing
innovative, effective products for a healthcare sector
that is in many respects still playing catch-up with
respect to technology. When making the build or buy
decision, Paslick says his unit is heavily involved with
IT&S efforts to identify optimal solutions among
existing products. When need for additional contracted
resources is anticipated for project ramp-up or other
brief bursts of activity, those staffing requirements
are communicated to contractors currently on IT&S'
preferred contractor list. Other firms that wish to
offer resources must offer those resources to the
preferred contractors. This "brokerage" system is
employed to obviate excessive proliferation of vendors,
Paslick explains.
Paslick notes
that the economics of healthcare delivery and the
fast-track evolution of hospital and clinical
technologies, in particular, mean that, with little
distinction, HCA IT&S employees and contractor
personnel work under the same budget, deadline and
productivity pressure, often side-by-side.
In
searching for additional tech talent, Paslick places a
premium on "those folks who have the ability to
communicate with others," and particularly those with
strong project management, business-process analysis and
related backgrounds, as well, perhaps, as deep expertise
in such hot areas as security.
Paslick, 44,
earned an undergraduate degree in management and a
second degree in applied mathematics, with emphasis on
software engineering -- as well as an M.B.A., all at the
University of Louisville. He has worked more than 20
years in the healthcare industry, including a stint
consulting to physicians' practices on office automation
via the Kentucky Medical Association, then nine years
with Humana and its spin-off company, Galen Healthcare,
followed by a decade with Humana's acquirer, HCA.
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TN Valley Venture Forum expands regional
reach, Knox. News Sentinel, Sept. 23, here; and ETN firms listed here. Report on East TN companies at
TN Vencap forum, Knox. News Sentinel, Sept. 27. Signix and other
Chattanooga area firms pitch Forum, Times Free Press, Sept. 24, page C1.
(further) iPayment acquisition of
Transaction Solutions, release Sept.
15. Related, Nash. Bus. Journal, Sept. 15. NashvillePost.com, Sept. 15. The City Paper, Sept. 16. Tennessean, Sept. 16, not
on web.
(further) More on recent Southern
Appalachian Fund investments, Sept. 16, Times Free
Press.
Ingram Micro to buy Australian Tech
Pacific, Memphis Bus. Journal, Sept. 27. Nash. Bus. Journal, Sept. 28.
CSD digital-ad venture could change
direct mail industry, City Paper, Sept. 20.
Mid-Market Healthcare
M&A conference in Nashville, Oct.
4-5, see Scheduled Events,
below. back
to top
Lebanon-based Call Center School
enters agreement with Dictaphone, release Sept. 28.
Louisiana Pacfic names Brian Luoma Vice
President, Procurement, Logistics and Supply
Management, release Sept. 24.
Alive Hospice named Marvin Suggs
director-IT, Tennessean, 5E, Sept. 19.
Iasis Healthcare announced Brian Loflin
to CIO; Eddie Gadsey, to director-tech
operations; Keith Bagby to senior director-FIS.
Tennessean, 5E, Sept. 19.
Healthcare Management Systems
named Tim Kinzer, director of client technical support;
Tammy Bickimer, sr. product mgr. Tennessean, 5E, Sept. 19.
Terbrusch names sales director for
Asentinel telecom-expense management software
firm, Commercial Appeal, Sept.
19.
Cleartrack Information Network's Mary
Clements has been promoted to electronic
collaboration project manager, Nash. Bus. Journal, Sept.
17, p. 21, not on web. Tennessean, 5E, Sept. 19.
Memphis' Aerospace Products International
Inc. sub of First Aviation
Services, named David Currence CIO, release Sept. 20.
Inflow packages business-continuance
services, Sept. 16 release.
Sitemason cites Junior
Achievement of Middle Tennessee adoption as
one example of increased interest within nonprofit
sector, release Sept. 16. Sitemason/MonsterLabs also
touts VU Children's Hospital work, release here.
Lightning Source on-demand publisher in
La Vergne appoints vp with responsibilities for
tech development, as well as sales, Tennessean, Sept. 23.
Mailship Technology of Nashville named
Elite Dealer by OfficeDEALER Magazine,
Tennessean, Sept. 19. back
to top
Healthstream managed
care selects Verilet authorization
technology, release Sept.
29.
WebMD promotes Holcombe to corporate
president, retains role as CEO of local unit,
NashvillePost.com, Sept. 23. Release, Sept. 23.
Joiner leaves HMD The Smart Hospital
Company after Brentwood defeat, Nash. Bus.
Journal, Sept. 17.
TN Blue Cross Blue Cross and Cigna urge
technology adoption for health-insurance
claims, Knox. News Sentinel, Sept. 24.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of TN's network
systems engineer endorses NetIQ software, release Sept. 20. Product is a
"self-learning monitoring, alerting and reporting
software for improving IT service levels."
At Vanderbilt School of Engineering, new
Biomaterials Drug Delivery and Tissue
Engineering Laboratory will advance the work of
scientist who creating scaffolding for regrowing body
tissue, VU release, Sept. 13.
Top software
applications for healthcare clients,
HiMSS leadership survey 2003, scroll down here. back
to top
Link to key in-state government
bid-tracking resources,
here.
Also, see Sept. 15,
2004, news summary for ongoing
RFPs.
NEW: RFP 316.20-105 Sect. 8 Contract
Administration Software System, due Nov. 29.
Questions
about Metro Schools' food-service technology RFP process
delay "swipe-card" implementation; attorney
notes possibility of RFP irregularities, Tennessean, 5B,
Sept. 23.
TN
Streamlined Tax project leader Sherry Harrell was named
senior policy analyst by TN Revenue
Commissioner Loren Chumley, Tennessean, 5E, Sept. 19.
Athens,
Tenn., dispatch communications system from JPS may be
most advanced in Tennessee, Times Free Press,
Sept. 20.
City
of Chattanooga says computer programmers among those not
eligible for overtime, Times Free Press, Sept. 28.
Economic
development: Online access to government records made it
easier for firm to leave downtown Knoxville for
suburbs, Knox. News Sentinel, Sept. 25.
Tennessee
Web services rank first in nation by Brown Univ.
study, Sept. 21. Release, Sept. 21.
Federal
technology contractors forms standards group to ensure
interoperability, Washington Post, Sept. 28.
Senate
Bill proposes anti-terror database, Washington
Post, Sept.
28.
State vital
records document ordering system would be supported via
RFP 343.20-002, proposals
due Oct. 13.
State
RFP 331.01-002 for
teacher recruitment includes subordinate
requirements for database and web applications,
proposals due Oct. 11. back
to top
TN Valley Corridor named as board
members Tom Rogers, Technology 2020, Oak Ridge;
John O'Neill, National Security Directorate, ORNL; Dave
Whitfield, director SimCenter, UT-Chattanooga; and, Fred
Tompkins, interim UT vp-research and president, UT
Research Foundation. Tennessean, 5E, Sept. 19.
American Merchant Data Services
transaction volume up in Memphis, Memphis Bus.
Journ., Sept. 16.
IPIX WATCH: IPIX CEO steps down,
Knox. News Sentinel, Sept. 18. IPIX pact with RealVIZ
(France) yields new imaging software, release Sept. 28
here. Peace River yields new camera
mount for fish-eye application, release Sept. 28. IPIX Security announced
integration of Full-360 vid surveillance system with
Integral Technologies' DigitalSENTRY(R) software, Sept. 23.
Dell Inc. packaging supplier Austin Foam
Plastics in LaVergne, Nash. Bus. Journal, p. 3,
Sept. 24.
CNA opens Hurricane Jeanne disaster
response center in Nashville offices, release,
Sept. 27.
Four Memphis companies' IT departments
(Harrah's, First Horizon, FedEx, Hilton) earn
InformationWeek ranking, Commercial Appeal, Sept. 25. East TN
firms (incl. Eastman, TVA) in same rankings,
Knox. News Sentinel, Sept. 27. Related to rankings,
Memphis Bus. Journal, Sept. 21. Also noted: First Horizon
named one of best employers for women, Nash. Bus.
Journal, Sept. 22.
Memphis Gas & Light CIO and other
execs' compensation detailed, Commercial
Appeal, Sept. 26.
TN Farmers Insurance Companies'
affiliates continue CSC insurance-software
relationship, release Sept. 23.
Knoxville's Pilot Travel Centers opts for
TransTech scanning, Sept. 23 release.
In Chattanooga, VisiKey keyboard addresses
computer-induced vision problems, Sept. 17.
Limelight media announces digital-signage
contracts via VuPlex, Sept. 23.
Averitt Express, Cookeville, opts for SAS Global supply chain and
warehouse software, release Sept. 27.
Regal CineMedia (Regal Entertainment
Group) announces extension of digital content
network to Georgia presenters, release Sept. 27.
E. TN churches going high tech,
Knox. News Sentinel, Sept. 20.
Knox County at forefront of Internet
Age, editorial, Knox. News Sentinel, Sept. 20. back
to top
UT's Dongarra
comments on IBM supercomputer record, NY
Times, Sept. 29.
Metro Schools rolling-out Chancery
information system, Tennessean, 1B, Sept. 18. Schools need parents and
corporate tech execs to help with Metro Schools'
technology projects, Tennessean, Sept. 18.
Williamson County schools considering
school-to-parent messaging system from
Notification Technologies, Tennessean, Wmson. AM, Sept. 24.
Rutherford school using Classroom
Performance System, Sept. 19, Tennessean, Rutherford
AM.
Dell Inc. provides students in Nashville
and Lebanon computers and internet access,
release Sept.
27. Related, City Paper, p. 11, Sept.
29.
U of Memphis seeks UT help in
commercialization of technology, Commercial
Appeal, Sept. 27.
E. TN State University Prof. of
Management & Technology Andy Czuchry was
reappointed to the 2004 panel of judges of the TN Center
for Performance Excellence. Tennessean, 5E, Sept. 19.
Oak Ridge NL Nanoscience facility will
have huge impact, Knox. News Sentinel, Sept. 28.
Oak Ridge NL's Delmau among America's
top young innovators, attends MIT Emerging
Tech conference, The Oak Ridger, Sept. 21.
National Science Foundation awarded Univ.
of Memphis' Industry/University Center for
Biosurfaces $1.25 million. Memphis Bus. Journal, Sept. 15.
Asli Ozdas, Ph.D., was named assistant
professor at Vanderbilt University Medical
Center in departments of biomedical informatics and
surgery, Tennessean, 5E, Sept. 19.
Resources: Belmont University Technology
Learning Cooperative, updated offerings here. back
to top
2005 Nashville
Technology Directory: Preparations are
underway for publishing the 2005 Nashville Technology
Directory. For more information on rates, space options,
etc., please write info1@technologycouncil.com
Partnership 2010
celebrates industry recruitment,
outgoing Louisiana-Pacific CEO recounts economic impact
of LP's move, Tennessean, Sept. 25. Nash. Bus. Journal, Sept. 24. NashvillePost.com, Sept. 24.
BusinessTN magazine invites nominees for
fastest-growing, privately held TN firms,
deadline Sept. 30, details
here.
VoIP: Bank of America
begins rollout of Cisco VoIP to 180,000
desktops, release Sept. 28. SmartMoney.com, Sept. 28. VOIP trends
registers, Chicago Tribune via Tennessean, Sept. 17.
Satellite radio update,
Tennessean, Sept. 26. Fact sheet on
satellite radio, Tennessean, Sept. 26. Music industry execs
comment, Tennessean, Sept. 26.
Emusic to sell indy songs, NY Times and Tennessean, Sept. 20.
National Cyberforensics and Training
Alliance, USA Today, Sept. 20.
Quotable: "By
2010, no business will remain competitive in its
industry without outsourcing a significant portion of
its IT activities and the business operations those
systems support." Optimize.com, 9/04, discusses
choosing outsourcing strategy commensurate with your
enterprise value proposition.
Large outsourcing pacts, like that at
J.P. Morgan, on the decline, Dow Jones via KNS,
Sept. 20. Outsourcing not having big
impact on total job market, Dow Jones via commercial
Appeal, Sept. 19.
How U.S. declining production and
spending habits could be undermining our
economy, long-term, NY Times, Sept. 18.
Is patent system spawning more
lititgation than innovation? NY Times, Sept. 27.
Washington-area IT companies sew-up most
spots major US Commerce IT pecking order, Wash.
Post, Sept. 20.
The big push on RFID, NY Times,
Sept.
27. back
to top
CALENDAR ( *
indicates new or revised
item)
(Sept.
29) Healthcare IT: Local chapters of HiMSS and
HIMA, in conjunction with Tennessee Hospital
Association, convene program with emphasis
on emerging technologies. Keynote speaker for the
HiMSS/THIMA one-day event will be Pam Arlotto, managing
director, Maestro. She's responsible for Maestro
strategy and is a former HiMSS national chair. The day
will also feature CIOs from Lifepoint Health,
Baptist/St. Thomas (Ascension), Maury Regional Hosp.,
and Community Health Systems. Also, execs from American
HIMA, HCA ITS, UT Med Center, RHIA, Sumner Regional
MC. Details
here.
* (Sept. 30) "Challenges facing Internet
retailers, strategies at Land's End, Sears,"
host The Sloan Center for Internet Retailing at Owen
Graduate School of Management, Speaker: Bill Bass, vice
president and general manager of Sears Customer Direct
and senior vice president for E-Commerce, Land’s End. 1
p.m.-2p.m., Room 222, Owen GSM. Free and open to public,
no registration required.
(Ends
Sept. 30) 2004 Governor's Economic-Development
Conference, Nashville Convention Center. Agenda
here.
(Sept. 30) Tennessee Valley Conference on
the Science and Business of Nanotechnology, 10
a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Speakers and panelists will address
science/research overview, applications, and business
and investment issues. Details forthcoming. This program
is a cooperative effort of the Owen Graduate School of
Management at Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt School
of Engineering, Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale
Science and Engineering, and Nashville Technology
Council. Venue: Caterpillar Financial Center. Related
Nanostory, City Paper, Sept.
3.
* (Oct. 4-5) Mid-Market Healthcare
Mergers & Acquisitions conference
(Strategic Research Institute) includes Nashville
healthcare and finance execs. Details and registration,
here.
* (Oct. 5) Owen GSM Entrepreneurship
Center Annual Fall Venture Capital discussion,
with panelists Kathy Harris, senior vice president,
Noro-Moseley Partners, Atlanta; and, Jeff McCarthy,
general partner, North Bridge Venture Partners, Boston.
5:30 p.m., Averbuch Auditorium, Owen Graduate School of
Management, Vanderbilt University, 401 21st Ave. S. No
fee or advance registration, seating
limited.
(Oct.
5-7) Memphis Musculoskeletal New Ventures
Conference, Memphis Biotech. Fdn, here and here.
* (Oct. 7) NTC Tech Roundtable, with
speakers Ray Capp, President/CEO, ConduIT
Corporation; Rich Smith, President, eDoc4U;
Jeff McCormack, Exec. Vice President, Chief Knowledge
Officer, DigiScript Inc. Focus on synergies in strategic
partnerships. 4 p.m.-6 p.m., Wildhorse Saloon, 120 2nd
Ave. N. Members $15 each, non-Members $25. Advance
registration required online via technologycouncil.com
or via (615) 743-3160.
* (Oct. 8) Business Leadership Speaker
Series, speaker Jim Beard, president of
Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation,
recipient of 2003 Malcomb Baldrige National Quality
Award. Allen Arena, Lipscomb University, 3901 Granny
White Pike, 7:30 a.m.-8:30 a.m. No charge, but
reservations required. R.S.V.P. by Oct. 4 via (615)
386-7653 or blc@lipscomb.edu .
* (Oct.
14) Nashville Technology Council
Network Managers Roundtable. Speaker Tom
Hickerson, Executive Director - Network Operations and
Infrastructure, Office of Information Resources,
Department of Finance & Administration, State of
Tennessee. 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. See
NMRT site. For details write kcooksey@technologycouncil.com .
(Oct. 22) NE TN Tech Council TechStar Awards Luncheon,
11:30 a.m., MeadowView Conf. Ctr. Program with Anne
Pope, Alex Fischer, Eric Cromwell, others. Info:
vcrymble@netntech.org or calling
423.279.9000
(Oct.
28) Nashville Technology Council, Tech After
Hours, details.
* (Nov.
4) NTC Tech Roundtable, speaker to be
announced.
(Nov. 4-5) TN Valley Corridor
Fall Summit, Somerset, KY. Linking homeland
security and homeland prosperity.Related story, Knox
News Sentinel, Sept.
13.
(Nov. 9) Justice
Department holds technology-export security town
hall meeting at BellSouth Tower. Register here.
Related NashvillePost.com story, Sept.
1.
(Dec. 1-3) Tennessee
Education Technology Conference,
link
here.
* (Dec. 2) NTC Tech Roundtable, details
to be announced.
2005
* March 17– MTSU Emerging Technologies
event. Details TBA. Contact: Dr. Charles
Perry, Russell
Chair of Manufacturing Excellence, Inst. Engineering
Technology and Industrial Studies, College of Basic and
Applied Sciences.
* Aug.
24 – NTC's InfoSec Nashville 2005
information-security conference will be
Wednesday August 24, with CSI
information-security training Aug. 22, 23, 25, 26. For
further information, write info1@technologycouncil.com
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