6.0 Reasons to Celebrate
MEDITECH congratulates Ontario Shores on becoming the first hospital in Canada to implement a fully integrated electronic health record system using the 6.0 platform.
(05/2011)


Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences (Ontario Shores) (Whitby, ON) has reached yet another milestone on its 6.0 journey, as it recently completed Phase II of its organization-wide I.T. implementation. This means that, not only has Ontario Shores made its Advanced Clinical System operational for all patient care units, but it has also become the first Canadian facility to implement a fully integrated electronic health record using the 6.0 platform.

To recognize this achievement, executive leaders, staff, vendor partners, and more than 90 peers from organizations across the province recently attended a day-long celebration and conference at Ontario Shores. The hospital's President and CEO Glenna Raymond congratulated all of the players involved with Phase II, for a job expertly done.

"We knew that embarking on a health information system implementation project would be a multi-year plan, and that it may be a challenge keeping the momentum going," says Raymond. "We were very fortunate that our leadership and staff shared the same vision for standardizing clinical processes across the spectrum, and for improving patient safety. Their dedication to a common goal clearly served them well."

Looking Back on a Successful Implementation
To help keep their vision at the forefront, Ontario Shores aptly named their implementation project E.A.S.I.E.R (Easily Accessible Solution to Integrated Electronic Records). With that, the organization decided the 'big bang' implementation approach would work best for the units involved in Phase II.

"Our front lines saw benefits immediately," says John Chen, CFO at Ontario Shores. "All of our modules speak to each other and feed the clinical system. As a result, our users experience a seamless workflow, whether they are involved with back office processing or documenting at the bedside."

Additionally, the hospital created a specific group of Super Users, who played a pivotal role in training and support throughout the implementation process. "To distinguish Super Users throughout the organization, the group donned bright green shirts to make themselves more visible," Raymond says. "Their enthusiasm and collaborative efforts with our staff was essential to the project's success."

MEDITECH Regional Sales Director Greg Hoeft agrees that Ontario Shores' spirited team approach is now paying off. "This organization should be very proud of their accomplishments," he says. "They've shown so much patience and persistence in pushing for the functionality they need. They are truly dedicated to providing the specialized, safe care that is so important for a mental health care system."

Sharing the Integration Vision
In conjunction with the Phase II celebration, Ontario Shores also hosted a showcase conference entitled Healthcare E-Vitalized, for external guests to share their unique experiences in implementing MEDITECH 6.0. The conference included breakout sessions highlighting MEDITECH's Advanced Clinical Suite--including the Physician Care Manager, Order Management, Electronic Medication Administration, and Bedside Medication Verification solutions.

Discussion topics included project management and training, process mapping strategies, and revising paper-based clinical documentation. Raymond encouraged guests to ask questions and participate in discussions to learn from Ontario Shores' experience.

"We went forward with 6.0 because the time had come for us to undertake an integrated HIS, so we could improve our processes and work more efficiently," says Chen. "If other organizations approach I.T. as we did, they could also build from the bottom up and still stay within their budgets."

The Journey Continues
Ontario Shores is now looking forward to Phase III of their I.T. project, which will bring the advanced clinicals to all outpatient areas, the release of MEDITECH 6.06, and the integration of Resident Assessment Instruments (RAI) within the existing documentation system to further enhance functionality.

"Thanks to the teamwork among our staff, our vendor partners, and the Ontario community, we have built something very, very special," concludes Raymond. "We are excited to continue our 6.0 journey, and keep improving the way we deliver care at Ontario Shores."