HOUSTON, Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthlink Incorporated, a Houston-based, provider-focused, privately held, healthcare information systems consulting firm, today announced the appointment of Sam Bierstock, M.D., as Vice President and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) to lead the organization’s Thought Leadership Group.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041004/DAM042 )
In this dual role, Dr. Bierstock, who is also known as Dr. Sam to colleagues, will help track healthcare industry and vendor market directions and analyze their impact on healthcare organizations. As CMO, he will work collaboratively with physician consultants at Healthlink to ensure a consistent approach to achieving physician adoption of IT-related initiatives. He will also work with physician leaders at client organizations to help them manage more successfully the broad range of issues related to the implementation of these initiatives.
Dr. Bierstock, who has more than 20 years’ clinical and surgical experience, was formerly Vice President of Medical Affairs for the Eclipsys Corporation. While there, he was responsible for the development of the internal medical staff as well as for problem solving and consultative interaction with client hospitals, CMOs, CMIOs, and key physician champions with respect to project-specific challenges.
Dr. Bierstock is also an internationally recognized speaker and lecturer on healthcare information systems. He has written a reference book on the computerization of the medical office, has been a contributing author to the Merriam-Webster Medical Office Handbook, and is the author of many articles in major medical journals. Dr. Bierstock also has extensive consulting experience, and in 1992, he established a consulting business to help physicians select and maximize the efficiency of information systems at the point of care.
As consultant-founder of The Millennial Group, from 1995 to 1998 Dr. Bierstock and his colleagues provided services to the healthcare industry while also serving as a “think tank” for current and future issues. The Millennial Group was the first entity to recognize patient information security as a critical emerging issue in the environment of Internet-based health care.
Dr. Bierstock received the M.D. degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine. He also holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Lehigh University.
“Thought leadership is a critical factor in the industry’s current efforts to transform the delivery of healthcare,” said Ivo Nelson, CEO and president of Healthlink. “Sam’s expertise and influence in this area is highly notable. We are looking forward to his contributions, and we are very pleased to have him onboard.”
“Healthlink has always been very aware of the role the physician plays in the acceptance and adoption of IT-enabled initiatives,” said Jim Adams, Executive Vice President of Advisory Services at Healthlink. “Sam’s overall knowledge of the healthcare industry and his experience and insights about the physician community will both complement and enhance Healthlink’s efforts.”
“Healthlink’s attention to the concerns of physicians, as they make the transition to the adoption of developing technologies, is a vital contribution to the healthcare organizations that physicians serve,” said Sam Bierstock. “I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with Healthlink’s highly experienced and insightful team, to continue to ensure that physicians’ concerns are an integral part of strategic planning, system selection, and application in the delivery of care.”
Dr. Bierstock is also an avid professional musician and is widely known for his captivating group “Dr. Sam and the Managed Care Blues Band.”
About Healthlink
Since the inception of Healthlink Incorporated in 1992, the company has dedicated itself to helping healthcare organizations achieve business and clinical performance improvement through the intelligent use of information technology and process redesign. Headquartered in Houston, Healthlink employs more than 300 consultants, serving clients throughout the nation. Throughout its 12-year history, the company has completed more than 2,000 client engagements exclusively for healthcare provider organizations. Healthlink distinguishes itself as the healthcare industry’s process expertise leader. With process redesign at the core, it provides IT strategy, selection, and implementation consulting services to help healthcare organizations realize exceptional value from their IT-enabled initiatives. The company delivers these services based on the Prolink4(TM) methodology -- a proven approach that addresses key issues with governance, alignment, operations, and technology, ensuring that projects achieve desired business results. From clinical systems to financial systems, Healthlink provides the expertise to help organizations optimize their technology investments. For more information on Healthlink and its services, visit http://www.healthlinkinc.com/ .
CONTACT: Nhora Cortes-Comerer Healthlink Incorporated 212-687-1148 nhora.cortes-comerer@healthlinkinc.com
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041004/DAM042AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN8PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.comHealthlink Incorporated
CONTACT: Nhora Cortes-Comerer of Healthlink Incorporated,+1-212-687-1148, or nhora.cortes-comerer@healthlinkinc.com
Web site: http://www.healthlinkinc.com/
