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Medical Center Hospital Selects McKesson for Move to Electronic Health RecordsJuly 16, 2009 |
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Computerized physician order entry to improve safety and efficiency of care Medical Center Hospital of Odessa, Texas, has selected McKesson’s computerized physician order entry (CPOE) and other clinical solutions and services to help the hospital continue its drive toward electronic health records. The investment, planned as part of the hospital’s aggressive strategy to take its quality of patient care to the next level, was accelerated in anticipation of incentives associated with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. “Patient safety has been the No. 1 initiative of our hospital for many years,” said Bill Webster, chief executive officer, Medical Center Hospital (MCH). “The government’s stimulus incentives just gave us the impetus to move even more quickly than initially planned. At MCH, we strongly believe that automating processes will result in safer and more efficient care.” McKesson shares that vision. The 362-bed hospital will complement its existing suite of McKesson Horizon Clinicals ® solutions with CPOE, physician documentation and evidence-based care planning tools. In addition, MCH has engaged McKesson for clinical consulting services to optimize use of the new technology. The hospital plans to complete its system deployment by Oct. 1, 2010. As a teaching hospital affiliated with Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, a prestigious medical school, MCH regularly sees physician and nursing students pass through its hallways. “The next generation of clinicians expects these tools to be in place when they arrive on our doorstep,” adds Webster. “They want to see that we are taking paper out of the process.” McKesson’s CPOE solution will help to drive evidence-based practice across the entire care team. Rather than simply automating the order entry process, it will enhance care team communication while supporting an efficient workflow that will encourage clinician adoption of the technology. In addition, an electronic documentation tool will use templates to automate tasks, enabling MCH physicians to avoid repetitive inpatient documentation efforts and pull in critical patient data such as vital signs, lab results, orders, medication lists, and allergies. An interdisciplinary care planning tool will create more time for direct patient care by streamlining manual activities, automating Core Measure and regulatory requirements related to care planning, and coordinating the efforts of all caregivers. MCH already deploys other McKesson technology, including bar-code medication administration, interdisciplinary documentation and a pharmacy information system. These technologies work together to support communication and workflow efficiency for nurses and pharmacists while helping to prevent errors and increase patient safety. “Medical Center Hospital has an impressive history of driving innovation through its use of healthcare information technology,” Jeremy Chandler, president, Clinical Solutions, McKesson Provider Technologies. “The hospital’s decision to offer CPOE and electronic health records is the next logical step in the evolution of its mission to achieve increasingly higher standards of clinical excellence, improve outcomes, and build a healthy future for the patients in its community.” About Medical Center Hospital Medical Center Hospital (MCH) in Odessa is the only full-service hospital in Ector County, Texas. MCH is a 362-bed facility with more than 1,500 employees and a medical staff membership nearing 250 physicians with over 30 medical specialties. MCH is recognized by the State of Texas as the lead trauma facility for the region. MCH is also the leader in cardiovascular services, inpatient and outpatient therapy, diagnostic testing, bariatric, stroke, orthopedic, and women’s services. Serving as the regional referral hospital for the 17 surrounding counties of the Permian Basin, MCH prides itself on providing quality healthcare in a compassionate manner second to none. About McKesson McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 15th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining processes, and improving the quality and safety of patient care. McKesson has been in continuous operation for more than 175 years, making it the longest-operating company in healthcare today. Over the course of its history, McKesson has grown by providing pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management across the spectrum of care; healthcare information technology for hospitals, physicians, homecare and payors; hospital and retail pharmacy automation; and services for manufacturers and payors designed to improve outcomes for patients. For more information, visit http://www.mckesson.com.
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