Oasis MD checks into The Learning Clinic

Kal Vaikla, the former managing director of Oasis Medical Systems, has become the chief executive of The Learning Clinic.

Vaikla, who has also worked for McKesson, Phillips and GE Healthcare, takes over from Roger Killen, who stepped down at the end of April after ten years at the helm of the company.

The Learning Clinic developed one of the first electronic recording systems, VitalPAC, in 2005, and has since gone on to develop further hand-held systems to support handover, infection control, and ward management.

The original system, now known as VitalPAC Nurse, is in use in 50 hospitals across England, and the company was recently able to announce that it had captured 100 million patient observations over its ten years in use.

When Killen stepped down, The Learning Clinic’s chairman, Stephen Murphy, said: “The company has grown successfully over the past decade and is well placed to expand further in both the UK and in international markets.

“It is a very different organisation from the one Roger founded a decade ago, and we are gearing up to meet these new challenges and take it to the next stage of growth.”

In a statement announcing his appointment, Vaikla said he was “delighted to be joining The Learning Clinic at this exciting time.”

The Learning Clinic  employs 65 clinicians, software developers and other staff at its offices in London and Exeter.

Oasis Medical Solutions was best known as a supplier of patient administration systems. It was recently purchased by US software supplier Allscripts, which is now offering the PAS under its own name, alongside its suite of clinical systems.

Digital Health News recently interviewed Roger Killen about the development of VitalPAC, the challenges faced by small companies in dealing with the NHS, and his own plans. Read the interview in the ‘features’ section.