12
Sites in 12 Months: Centura Health LIVE with Single, Unified
Platform to Improve Patient Care
(3/06/2008)
For the first time in Centura Health's history,
all 12 facilities are operating on the same clinical and
revenue cycle information system platform. And if that's not
impressive enough, the Colorado-based health care
organization challenged its staff to not only standardize its
disparate I.T. systems to improve patient care, but to
implement the system in only one year's time.
"It's a tremendous success. The standardized MEDITECH
health care information system (HCIS) replaces more than 15
applications with a single, unified platform," says Dana
Moore, senior vice president and chief information officer at
Centura. "As the largest non-construction project in
Centura's history, it will touch all associates and virtually
every aspect of patient care. This project aims to deliver
patient care more safely and efficiently."
As reported a year ago, a major goal in Centura's implementation was to improve its health care delivery via standardizing processes, terminology, evidence-based order sets, and patient registration summaries. Not only did this process provide a smooth go-LIVE for their pilot site, Avista Adventist Hospital (Louisville, CO), but it also proved to be a solid foundation upon which to bring the other 11 facilities LIVE in the following 11 months.
"We knew how to 'paper
build,' so we started the process as soon as we signed with
MEDITECH," says Moore. "If we had waited to start
and followed the normal implementation plan, we would have
fallen way behind. By being proactive, having a well-thought
out project plan, and a structured team process, we were more
confident in following our decisions down the road."
Maintaining
Focus on Improved Patient Care
The combination of having all staff on board and on the same
page gave Centura an edge to stay on top of its game
plan—having all 12 facilities LIVE in one year. The
ambitious goal was set with patient care in mind: the quicker
Centura shared a unified platform, the quicker the patients
saw the benefits.
"Our focus from start to finish was on improving the way
we delivered patient care across the enterprise," says
Amy Feaster, vice president of information technology at
Centura. Moore agrees, saying the staff remained engaged
during implementation by focusing on benefits the patient
will receive once complete. "We are a health system and
patient care is what we do. We focused on what is best for
the patient, which energized everybody involved in the
project," she says.
Each hospital participated and contributed its expertise to
the project, and reported to small executive committees who
were the final decision makers. "All levels of care
helped make decisions and knew why the decisions were made,"
says Moore. "In turn, training ran more smoothly and the
implementation turnaround time decreased at the final
hospitals. We kept learning from each install. We applied
what we learned from the previous installations to improve
upon the next, so as an organization we learned together.
Looking back, I'm thankful for our few mistakes, because we
needed them to learn how to do it right."
 |
Ready
to Drive Clinical Excellence Only days after going LIVE, the clinicians are seeing results. To date, one of the biggest benefits is having data available at all times and anywhere throughout the organization, so clinicians can make sound medical decisions based upon real-time data. "On the day we went LIVE, a surgeon admitted a patient into the ICU," shares Terry O'Rourke, MD, chief medical officer at Centura. "He went home for the night, but continued to worry about the patient's well-being. By logging into the MEDITECH system from home, the surgeon was able to quickly access the patient's information to verify the patient's status." |
With MEDITECH, Centura is
also able to deliver care with clinical guidance, integrating
the latest medical evidence into streamlined workflows which
incorporate patient safety directly into care processes.
Clinicians share information with other providers and
maintain a continuity of care—thereby avoiding medical
errors and duplicate procedures.
"The system organizes everything for you," says
Laurie Schmitt, RN, at Penrose-St. Francis Health Services (Colorado
Springs, CO). "As I'm entering information, certain
screens pop-up, like lab, to help you remember everything.
This makes my job a lot easier." Laura Suarez, RN, at
Penrose, agrees: "The best thing is, I can click on the
medication dictionary when I need it, and I don't have to
spend time away from my patient looking for a drug book. All
the information is right there on the computer screen."
A
Positive Attitude Leads to Success
Centura's positive attitude has been a big contributor to
its successful implementation, and instrumental in helping
the staff to meet its goals. Mike Scialdone, chief financial
officer and MEDITECH executive sponsor at Penrose, believes
the power of positive thinking effects meaningful change.
"Keeping a positive attitude has made all the difference,"
he says. "We are ready for any possible issues, but by
staying focused on the end game—to improve patient care
from a quality and safety standpoint—is what it's all
about."
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. A not-for-profit organization, Centura 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