Cerner, a healthcare IT firm, is a powerhouse in its field. With 24,000 employees and revenue of $5.7 billion, Cerner is one of the largest healthcare IT firms in the world. Its contributions have helped to increase the efficiency and practicality of thousands of healthcare operations.
Its latest endeavor is the Cerner Unite platform. Using data exchanges and increased collection to improve the interoperability of healthcare firms, Cerner Unite will interlink with existing Cerner platforms for maximum usability.
This new platform was announced by the company’s chairman and CEO, Brent Shafer at the Cerner Health Conference. During his keynote address, he made sure to reiterate his firm’s important role in healthcare operational optimization over the last four decades.
One of the key information exchanges occurring under the new platform is between the Department of Veteran Affairs and the Department of Defense, whose clinicians can now share electronic health records of veterans between each other. This sharing of data solves two problems. First, it empowers a more efficient flow of information, which creates more effective clinical operations. That benefits the veterans, who have historically been underserved in healthcare. Second, the data sharing helps prevent a growing problem in healthcare - clinician burnout.
Clinician burnout rates, and indeed burnout rates of all healthcare professionals, are astoundingly high. In the best-case scenario, mass burnout reduces the overall quality of care. In a worst-case scenario, it means a complete shortage of healthcare professionals. In a pandemic, that can mean absolute disaster.
With the pandemic spreading, Cerner also announced that they would include deidentified COVID-19 patient data into the Cerner Learning Health Network. By having access to more accurate data, healthcare professionals can breathe easier, prevent burnout, and continue their heroic fight against the disease.
On October 28, two weeks after the announcement of the Unite platform, Cerner also announced that Marc Naughton, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, would be stepping down after nearly three decades of service. He will, according to the company, stay on board just until a smooth transition is complete.
On an earnings call with investors, Naughton said it had been “an incredible honor” to work at Cerner. He noted that the company’s annual revenue climbed from $100 million to more than $5 billion during his tenure.
CEO Brent Shafer said, “I’d like to thank Marc for his distinguished service and strong leadership. Marc played a key role in supporting Cerner’s growth throughout a career that has spanned nearly 30 years.”
