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NMC Reaches Half Way Milestone in EMR Implementation
Northwestern Medical Center (NMC) has reached an important milestone with its Electronic Medical Record (EMR) implementation. Last week, the Meditech training environment was officially transferred in seamless fashion from a hosted location at Dell/Perot to the NMC data center following the arrival and installation of NMC’s new hardware and software. This transition marks the mid-way point in the implementation process.
According to Kelly Barland, NMC’s Chief Information Officer, the EMR implementation is on a nine month implementation schedule. The project earned final approval by the State of Vermont in December of 2009. In order to meet NMC’s desired October 1, 2010 go-live date for the system, Dell/Perot agreed to host the environment while the equipment needed for the system was on order.
 Barland says that the build of the system itself is about 75% complete. “Over the next few months, we’ll complete the build, and then there will be testing, modification, and training before the October 1 go-live,” said Barland. “After we go-live, we’re going to have one integrated system. The value for that will be the seemless interaction between departments.”
Barland says that NMC has temporarily shifted approximately 60 staff members from their everyday job assignments to work on the build of the system. “Here at NMC, staff who are directly providing care are the ones who are building the system,” said Barland. “This will provide for the best end result.”
Leanne Medor, RN, a Medical Surgical staff nurse, couldn’t agree more. Medor is one of the staff who is temporarily working on the Meditech build. “I’m very excited about this. We’re going to build the system to work for us,” she said.
Sandy Robinson, NMC’s Chief Nursing Officer/Director of Clinical Services, has been impressed with the level teamwork that has occurred during the build process. “It’s really called for a high level of collaboration,” she said. “Every department’s work impacts others. Information Technology is enabling the hospital to run a more streamlined business. It’s all about getting information to the right person at the right time to take the best care of our patients.”
Medor agrees that the system will help clinical staff take care of patients. “This is going to keep us at the bedside with the patients more,” she said. “We’ll be able to document everything at the bedside. We’ll be able to spend more time with the patients because of this system.”
Following the successful go-live of the Meditech system on October 1st, 2010, NMC will begin Phase II of implementation, which will implement Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) in 2011. CPOE will allow physicians to enter orders and document care directly into the EMR. Phase III will include the build and implementation of the Emergency Department system into the Meditech product in 2012.
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