“We are able to bridge the gap between large, enterprise hospital information systems vendors and smaller niche companies,” says Todd Cozzens, CEO and vice chairman of Picis.

Premier Business Partners:

ExitCare, LLC

When Picis CEO and Vice Chairman Todd Cozzens co-founded the company in 1994, he had a specific vision in mind to improve the  healthcare environment.    

Prior to Picis, when working for Marquette Electronics, a vendor of cardiology systems and medical devices, he seized the opportunity to take advantage of an advancing field, and founded Picis with cofounder and Executive Vice President of International Operations Liz Popovich.    

In just months, the company developed a partnership with Germany-based Siemens Medical, obtained a number of anesthesia and critical care contracts, and organized an exclusive marketing and sales agreement with the Veteran’s Health Administration, propelling the company’s growth significantly, Cozzens says.   

Today, the Wakefield, Mass.-based company “helps hospitals maintain quality care and financial health by leveraging and protecting investments made in high-acuity areas, including the emergency department, operating room and intensive care units (ICU),” Cozzens explains.   

Its systems have the ability to streamline workflow; drive process improvements; optimize patient care, reduce costs and increase revenues.

Product Portfolio
Picis became the first company to offer total perioperative automation to the healthcare market in 2002, it says. Two years later, the company expanded its suite of applications to include its ED PulseCheck emergency department information solution. Picis’ CareSuite family of high-acuity solutions, now help customers automate the care process across the OR, ICU and ED care areas.   

Picis acquired LYNX Medical Systems in 2007, combining its market-leading clinical information system for emergency care with revenue management solutions to create the most comprehensive end-to-end system for managing both the clinical information and financial functions of hospital emergency departments.    

In 2008, the firm launched the Total Perioperative Automation system in Europe, along with its real-time dashboard geared toward perioperative departments.    

“We are able to bridge the gap between large, enterprise hospital information systems vendors and smaller niche companies,” Cozzens explains. “Picis promotes quality across the most risk- and cost-intensive care areas, supporting informed decisions that lead to better patient care and helping them remain financially viable in today’s increasingly competitive healthcare environment.”   

With more than 50 percent of a hospital’s revenues tied up in its high-risk areas, maintaining quality and interoperability with medical devices and other systems is integral to its success.    

“Drawing from our expertise in clinical informatics, we are able to automate the documentation of information generated before, during and after surgery, including intensive care,” Cozzens explains.

Overcoming the Challenges
Providing information systems that meet the needs of physicians around the country provides a welcome challenge for Picis. “When we look at the workflow for these physicians, it’s important to keep the systems simple,” Cozzens explains. “Many of these areas are so dynamic, especially in areas like surgery and the emergency department. We need to make our systems fast and flexible in order to meet the changing regulatory requirements of healthcare and continue to meet the needs of our customers.”   

In fact, more than 20 percent of customer-facing employees at Picis have clinical backgrounds, or have previously worked in a similar field.    

Still, the firm stresses the importance of ongoing training and professional development to ensure its products meet the needs of the changing medical environment.  “Developing and commercializing healthcare information solutions and techniques for a wide range of customers means [our employees] never stop learning,” the company explains. “So, a thorough and ongoing training program is part of working at Picis. It’s not only a benefit, but it’s necessary for us to keep our competitive advantage.”   

By implementing its ongoing training program, the company says it hopes to:

• “Ensure a systematic approach to employee development;
  
• “Provide an opportunity for professional development and distinct career paths for all our employees;
• “Deliver a structured education system for our sales force; and
• “Provide a mechanism for employees to take responsibility for their learning.”
  

Current Trends
Physicians worldwide are searching for advanced support tools to assist in efficient decision support. 

Picis’ information systems are meeting the demand for physicians to automate not only paper records, but also provide advanced analytical tools, the company explains. As hospitals strive to improve operational efficiencies and clinical quality, analyzing clinical data from these systems can provide valuable information around procedures, resources and outcomes.   

As a result of the firm’s ability to meet these market needs, it has earned industry accolades, such as the ranking as market leader in the Emergency Department Information Systems segment by Millenni­um Research Group.    

In addition, Cozzens won Entrepreneur of the Year award from Ernst & Young in 2005, and the firm was also ranked in the Inc. 500 list.   

Picis recently released several new solutions to help boost clinician efficiency and promote continuity of care.  Its new solution, the trademarked View for Critical Care Manager, consolidates clinically relevant information for the entire ICU patient census and presents it in a concise, web-based view to help clinicians identify patients requiring attention on site or remotely. Picis also released a new dynamic decision support system that notifies clinicians when changes to patient information meet key conditions – determined by the clinician – helping clinicians to promote patient safety initiatives.