Southeastern Med to launch advanced healthcare information system
Written By: Kelli Koch
Communications/Marketing Specialist
Southeastern Med
CAMBRIDGE, Ohio, March 14, 2012 – Physicians at Southeastern Med will soon put away paper charts and begin using an innovative on-line system to view their patients’ records.
On April 1, Southeastern Med, your community hospital, will celebrate a historic change with the launch of Meditech, a new hospital information system to to electronically streamline patient records electronically streamline patient medical records. to electronically streamline patient recordsThis milestone has been in the works for more than 12 months as clinical, technical and administrative staff members have collaborated to design a tool that will assist in improving the delivery of healthcare across the entire organization.
“The implementation of Meditech has been a great success thanks to the hard work, preparation and commitment of all the hospital staff and departments working together to ensure a smooth transition”, said Ray Chorey, President and CEO of Southeastern Med. “My sincerest thanks to everyone for rising to the challenge in order to transform the way we deliver health care locally.”
With a focus on quality and patient safety, Meditech, designed by Massachusetts-based Medical Information Technology Inc., will unify clinical, administrative and financial information throughout Southeastern Med to provide the most advanced technology available to enhance patient care.
The use of Meditech will allow caregivers to obtain and update a patient’s medical record and medications and immediately access laboratory and X-ray reports, and other test results at the patient’s bedside. Beginning in July, Meditech will also allow Superior Med physicians to schedule ordered tests to be completed at the medical center from their office.
When the system goes live, physicians will be able to share patient information electronically whether from hospital to physician office, hospital to hospital, or region to region. “That’s something we can’t do now,” Chorey said. “Meditech will allow doctors in different locations, such as a primary-care physician and a specialist, to obtain a patient’s medical record in real time to treat the patient. In many cases, this information can alter diagnosis and treatment decisions, as well as decrease the potential duplication of costly services.”
The new software will also improve safety and security of patient information through restricted access to patient files. Every person on a patient’s care team will have a different security profile that will allow them to only access the information they need to perform their duties and keep them from accessing information they do not need. For example, a radiologist can only access imaging information and a dietitian can only access dietary information.
Ultimately, the new system will allow physicians to keep better track of their patients’ health, no matter where they may be. “Before electronic medical records, if a physician was concerned about a patient, they had to call and have a nurse read the chart,” Chorey said. “Now, they will have access to patient information anywhere they have internet access – from their offices to their homes.”
With the federal government’s passing of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, hospitals must now demonstrate they are meaningful users of Electronic Health Records (EHRs). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) outlined these criteria for meaningful use:
- Improve quality, safety, efficiency and reduce health disparities;
- Engage patients and families;
- Improve care coordination;
- Improve population and public health; and
- Ensure adequate privacy and security protections for personal health information.
“Technology plays a pivotal role in today’s healthcare environment, and I am extremely proud of our organization’s commitment to using technology to meet the highest standards in healthcare,” Chorey said. “Our number one priority is to provide our patients the safest, most efficient, high-quality care possible. By investing in and launching Meditech, we are now at the forefront of using electronic medical records to better meet the needs of those we serve.”
