Impressive Level of Preparation

 

Dr. Trenor Williams

During the last 12 years I have been extremely fortunate to have participated in more than 100 electronic medical record go-lives. I am so impressed with the level of preparation at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and the investment made by the nurses, physicians, hospital executives and departmental leaders over the last several years. That's right – years.

I wish I could say that every hospital is as committed as the Hospital Center and dedicates the time and resources to these crucial efforts, but I can't. Dedicated individuals and leaders have been meeting weekly or biweekly to prepare for the go-live and focus on how to make the transition to advanced documentation and computerized physician order entry go as smoothly as possible.

The Hospital Center is special. The community of patients and all associates should be extremely proud of the work that has gone into this project.
 

This is an extremely important step in the journey. It's certainly not the end of the line. We all will continue to build upon this great foundation as the hospital moves forward and continually improve the system and our care delivery processes.
 

Trenor Williams, MD

CEO, Clinovations

Only the Beginning

Linda S. McCauley, Director
Clinical Informatics

We all become more savvy the more we use our cell phones, tablets, computers and DVRs. We fine-tune what we need, and ignore what we don’t want. We adapt to the new technology and enjoy the benefits of information at our fingertips. You probably “have an app for that!” … whatever that is.

 

Yet, you know there is something new/different/better just around the corner, don’t you? It seems you’ve only just gotten comfortable with that new phone when the next best thing comes along.

Even though I’ve spent months on the team developing the inpatient electronic medical records (EMR) system for MedStar Washington Hospital Center, and I seem to have worked 24/7 for the last week as we transitioned to the new system, the launch of MedConnect II, to me, is a bit like “waiting for the next best thing.” I know our journey has really just begun. We are at the beginning of a very exciting venture in health care.

As we continue on this journey, we will improve the health of the people who live in our communities. We will have solid data that will tell us where to focus our preventative programs. We will connect our patients to more efficient and timely care. We will develop ways to make care even safer.

Our electronic medical records system will always be changing, always be evolving, always improving. Even with the enormous planning efforts, the years of development, the tens of thousands of hours of classes, we are just beginning to put into action what we call the “living use” of MedConnect.

That doesn’t happen with a flip of a switch. It takes time.

Linda S. McCauley, RN

Director, Clinical Informatics

The “Why” of MedConnect and the “What” of Our Blog



Dr. Janis Orlowski

We are about to flip a very important switch. And we are excited to invite you to take this journey with us, as we launch our new, upgraded electronic medical record (EMR).

On Saturday, July 27, at 11:59 p.m. – a day all MedStar Washington Hospital Center associates have had circled or highlighted on their calendars for nearly a year – MedConnect goes live.

If you have ever successfully synced your mobile phone with your tablet, or networked several computers in your home, you know the benefits of being connected. Everything is at your fingertips in an instant.

At the Hospital Center, we are syncing and connecting systems on a scale that is hard for most people to imagine and that few hospitals in the world have accomplished! After more than 25,000 hours of learning and training, we are connecting 926 beds on 32 nursing units, 6,500 associates, and 1,600 medical staff and residents.

For our patients, this means: 

• Better coordination of your care among all of the people on your team.
• More timely care, with information about your medical history, medications, test results and treatment plans all in one place.
• Enhanced safety, thanks to less reliance on paper records and handwritten orders.

During the next several weeks, we will share more information about MedConnect, and the fantastic people behind it through a daily blog. We will show you what it’s like to be behind the scenes at one of the largest and busiest hospitals that cares for nearly half a million patients each year. And we will explain the benefits of an EMR, particularly as health care experiences so many critical changes.

Please visit our blog daily, share with your friends, and look for more information and photos on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/medstarwashington.

This is an important step for MedStar Washington Hospital Center and a very important addition to our ability to provide you with the highest quality, safest possible care. Thank you for joining us on our journey.

Janis M. Orlowski, MD, MACP

Chief Operating Officer/Chief Medical Officer