One
Giant Step Toward Interoperability: Centura Health
Completes Its First Go-LIVE With MEDITECH,
Standardizes Data
(11/30/2006)
Centura Health has
had no small task ahead of them. For the past 17
months, the large health care organization in
Colorado has been working to convert 12 separate
facilities with at least 12 disparate work processes
and hand-written paper order entries into one
electronic information system. Now, Centura Health
proudly announces that Avista Adventist Hospital is
the first of the organization's dozen hospitals to go-LIVE
with MEDITECH's clinical and administrative
applications. The other Centura Health facilities are
set to follow suit in the year ahead.
A major goal in Centura Health's implementation has
been standardization of health care delivery via
standardizing processes, terminology, evidence-based
order sets, and patient registration summary. Centura
Health shares a vision with MEDITECH, to use the
MEDITECH system to ultimately improve quality, safety,
and efficiency through integration of patient
information.
"For those of us involved, this has become more
than a software implementation, but rather a
transformation of how Centura Health will deliver
care to our patients and residents," states Dana
Moore, senior vice president and CIO at Centura
Health.
Getting
on Track
After signing with MEDITECH, Centura Health began an
intense effort by bringing together hundreds of staff
associates to complete the "database build"
in the MEDITECH system. Operating from the MEDITECH
command center located in the Avista boardroom, a
cadre of hospital I.T., First Consulting Group, super
users, and MEDITECH personnel supported the go-LIVE
operations. The command center was operational 24/7
and promised to operate for as long as necessary.
However the go-LIVE progressed so well that the
Avista command center was scaled back to day coverage,
with technical assistance being routed to the Centura
Health I.T. help desk a week later. According to
Avista's leadership, super users, command center
staff, and most importantly, the associates, "the
go-LIVE went exceedingly well."
"Clinicians are already making suggestions for
changes to screens and improvements to the processes.
This demonstrates that they have mastered a sound
working knowledge of the new system and already are
beginning to help us make improvements," says
Lesley Radocy, CNO at Centura Health's Avista. "Safe,
quality patient care is Avista's top priority and we
are pleased to announce that the MEDITECH
implementation did not change this focus."
Fostering
Physician Buy-In
As a strategic move and in an effort to increase the
quality of patient care, Centura Health's top
leadership helped to ensure that physicians were on
board for the MEDITECH implementation.
Terry O'Rourke, MD, chief medical officer at Centura
Health, explains, "The adoption of MEDITECH was
critical not only for improving the quality of
patient care, but also for remaining competitive with
other health care systems that are moving to similar
technologies."
Both Michael Shrift, MD, chief medical information
officer at Centura Health, and Dave Ehrenberger, MD,
chief medical officer at Avista, worked closely
throughout implementation, and were pleased to see
positive physician responses. "The 'wow' factor
is playing a big role as physicians discover the ease
of accessing vital signs, labs, histories and
physical assessments, and consult reports," says
Dr. Ehrenberger. "Physicians can access these
reports on any of their patients, even after
discharge, and even from home or the office."
Dr. Shrift adds, "Physicians are finding easy
access to the data, especially vital sign information
and nursing notes. Signing documents on-line, even
remotely, has been very well received. Some
physicians have even become mobile users by 'rounding'
with tablet PCs on the floors. It's a testament to
the teamwork and diligence of all involved."
Working
Together to Create Order Sets
Another important part of Centura Health's
implementation was creating evidence-based order sets
in its new MEDITECH system. Dr. O'Rourke brought
together CMOs from all of Centura Health's facilities
to accomplish this goal. The team of passionate
physicians created order sets by integrating its
physicians' and other clinicians' best clinical
expertise with preeminent external evidence, best
practices, and evidence-based research from MEDITECH's
ally Zynx Health.
"These standardized evidence-based order sets
will improve the safety and quality of health care,
thanks to the tremendous efforts by our physicians,
associates, and consultants," says Dr. O'Rourke.
As a participant in the order sets team, Dr. Shrift
agrees that, "MEDITECH will allow us to
implement order sets that include better clinical
decision support, clinical knowledge, and
augmentation alerts."
During phase one, physicians will use in-patient
order sets on paper, and the staff will input these
orders into the MEDITECH system. In phase two,
physicians will use order sets to enter orders
electronically using computerized physician order
entry (CPOE).
"The physicians have learned the new system well
and most of the doctors have been complimentary. Many
of the physicians have asked for additional advanced
features like CPOE and on-line documentation, which
will be implemented in the next stages," says
Alan Mobley, I.T. physician technology analyst.
Enjoying
Success in All Departments
Just one hour after go-LIVE, MEDITECH was fully
utilized throughout the hospital. Participants agree
that the go-LIVE process moved seamlessly throughout
the hospital departments.
"MEDITECH is operating perfectly and
connectivity is flawless," says Dr. Ehrenberger.
"The Emergency Department was especially busy
following the go-LIVE, with six patients receiving
care and being processed with the MEDITECH system."
"Following almost an entire shift using the new
system, those clinicians from ED, Med-Surg to OB were
coping well. Most spent their shift not only caring
for patients, but also working with super users to
input data regarding their patient care. Physician
Order Entry in the ED is working well," adds Dr.
Shrift.
Although Centura Health's I.T. department and Avista's
associates were excited to observe the changeover to
the new clinical information system, the staff took
great pride that patients hardly noticed the
difference. In each patient's room, a "What's
the buzz?" bi-lingual patient tent card provided
information on the hospital's changeover to the new
clinical information system.
Staying
True to a Vision of Quality Care
As the first steps are complete, Centura Health is
transitioning full speed ahead to complete 11 more go-LIVEs
by the end of 2007. The organization remains
steadfast in committing to its vision to increase the
quality, safety, and efficiency of patient care.
"This compelling vision means that information
technology offers the promise of a major breakthrough
in improving the quality of care for our patients,"
says Dr. O'Rourke. "MEDITECH will enable
multiple caregivers to interact using electronic
medical records, thereby improving communications,
facilitating best practices, providing instantaneous
patient care updates, and improving quality of care."
About
Centura Health
Centura Health (Englewood, CO) is Colorado’s
largest family of hospitals and health care services
as well as one of the state’s largest private
employers. Operating 12 hospitals, seven senior
residences, home care, and hospice services, this not-for-profit
organization is dedicated to sensitively serving the
sick, injured, and elderly on a daily basis. Centura
has replaced more than 15 applications by
implementing the MEDITECH system in the largest non-construction
project in the organization's history.
MEDITECH
Medical
Information Technology, Inc.
MEDITECH Circle
Westwood, MA 02090
781-821-3000
www.meditech.com