In the next phase of a $600 million investment, Novant Health will flip the switch this weekend on an electronic medical record system at its Triad hospitals.
The new system made by Wisconsin-based Epic, dubbed Dimensions by Novant Health, will begin being used at Novant’s Forsyth Medical Center, Kernersville Medical Center, Clemmons Medical Center, Medical Park Hospital and associated outpatient and surgery centers Saturday morning.
Emphasis shifted to Novant’s hospitals following its implementation of the new system in more than 300 physician offices last year, a process that Novant officials said was completed ahead of time and under budget.
Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center in Charlotte was the first to come online in October, followed in March by other Charlotte-area facilities such as medical centers in Matthews and Huntersville.
Dr. Stephen Wallenhaupt, chief medical officer for Novant Health, said with the physician offices and now with hospitals, Novant has been able to rely upon a “repeatable model for implementation” to help with the transition.
“Just the change is what’s frequently the most challenging part,” Wallenhaupt said. “We continue to repeat the process we’ve learned and refined at previous sites.”
Though it varies depending upon an employee’s role within the hospital, on average employees will have undergone 16 hours of online and classroom training and completed a proficiency test before Saturday’s “go-live” for the new system.
One challenge is just the complexity of the hospital environment, Wallenhaupt said.
“People in different roles, and not just clinical team members, … all across the spectrum have to learn to use and work with a new system,” Wallenhaupt said.
Novant is benefitting in part from the fact that many of those who will use the system in the hospital environment have already become familiar with it in physician offices and other outpatient settings where Dimensions is already in place.
Additionally, hundreds of so-called “superusers” will be assisting their peers with using the new system. These superusers are themselves clinical or administrative staff who have received additional training.
A central command center as well as command centers at each location will also offer support, as will staff from Leidos, a national firm that will be supporting the rollout.
Following a period of intensive support during the first several weeks, that support will be gradually withdrawn as complications are overcome and staff become more familiar with the system.
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Health systems are devoting tremendous resources to new electronic medical records systems, as well as their implementation. Such systems facilitate better sharing of patient information among providers, as well as allow patients to better interact with their own medical records and data, as well as providers.
Triad health systems have been among those that have seen complications in implementing new systems, with both Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem and Greensboro-based Cone Health experiencing cost overruns as well as business disruptions as they have shifted to the new Epic system.
Wallenhaupt said Novant will be very transparent with the transition process following the go-live to help patients understand any slowdowns or disruptions, as well as to become more educated about the capabilities of the system.
“This is about patients and making data available to caregivers, and for patients to be very involved in what we’re doing for them, so they can participate as colleagues in their care,” Wallenhaupt said.
Novant expects to rollout Dimensions at the remainder of its hospitals and facilities by the end of next year.
Date: July 30, 2014