Customer Spotlight: Centura Health Completes Its First Go-LIVE

One Giant Step Toward Interoperability: Centura Health Completes Its First Go-LIVE With MEDITECH, Standardizes Data
Reprinted from: www.meditech.com - November 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."