California recognizes HIT leaders; UMass Memorial to pay $66K to state;

News From Around the Web

> Many "Best of California" awards, co-sponsored by Government Technology and the Center for Digital Government in the state and awarded to more than a dozen state and local government projects, went to health IT leaders this year, according to an announcement. Namely, Chris Cruz, deputy director and CIO of the California Department of Health Care Services, was recognized for Demonstrated Leadership in Management of Information Technology. Article

Provider News

> UMass Memorial Medical Center will pay $66,000 to Massachusetts to settle allegations it improperly sent bills for uninsured patients to a homeless shelter so it could then submit the charges to a state program for payment, the Worcester Business Journal Online reports. Article

Health Finance News

> A new survey shows that as the demand for compliance professionals soars, healthcare organizations are paying higher salaries to compliance professionals certified in healthcare compliance than those without the certification. Article

> Healthcare prices grew by just 1.1 percent last month when compared to July 2012, according to data released by the Altarum Institute--inflation even slower than the economy as a whole. The overall moving average for price inflation for the past year has been 1.6 percent--the lowest Altarum officials have reported since they began tracking nearly a quarter of a century ago. Article

And Finally... I'm unconvinced calculators were ever cool. Article