Achieving Strategic Interoperability Across The Network
By Wendy Grafius, contributing writer
Health system consolidates all financial and clinical systems into one EHR platform
By Wendy Grafius, contributing writer
Partners HealthCare, one of the nation’s leading integrated health systems, has selected InterSystems HealthShare as the enterprise platform for strategic interoperability across its network. The solution replaces several existing formats within the system and enables Partners to consolidate all financial and clinical systems into one EHR platform.
Founded in 1994 by 777-bed Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and 950-bed Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston-area Partners HealthCare’s extensive network comprises community and specialty hospitals, a managed care organization, community health centers, a physician network, and home health and long-term care services. The system is the principal teaching affiliate for Harvard Medical School, with more than 200 residency and fellowship programs in which medical students rotate between the system’s academic, community, and specialty hospitals. In addition, Partners is one of the nation’s leading biomedical research organizations, with a total research budget of more than $1.4 billion.
Partners’ facilities consistently rank highly on the U.S. News and World Report’s Honor Roll; for the 2013-2014 report, MGH ranks #2 and BWH ranks #9 as America’s Best Hospitals. Other Partners’ facilities recognized among specialty categories include McLean Hospital, #1 in the nation for psychiatry, and Spaulding Rehabilitation Network, #6 in the nation for rehabilitation. Other accolades include Computerworld’s 100 Best Places to Work in IT, WorkplaceDynamics’ National Top Workplace, and the InformationWeek 500, for innovative business technology organizations.
In 2012, Partners launched Partners eCare, a strategic initiative to integrate the system’s electronic health information across its network, by 2017. Adoption of the InterSystems technology improves coordination of care, reduces unnecessary testing, and supports quality and cost imperatives toward the Partners eCare goal of “one patient, one record, one team, one Partners statement”. “By integrating both revenue cycle and clinical applications, we are benefitting our patients and care providers,” said John Pappas, associate director of clinical systems integration at Partners. “When patients move through the Partners system, they will have a single, consolidated health record that follows them, and a single, coherent statement of all Partners services provided.”
The solution will advance Partners leadership and innovation in patient care models, population health management, patient affordability and experience, and community-based care. “Partners recognizes that strategic interoperability is central to achieving the strategic goals of the Partners eCare initiative,” said Paul Grabscheid, vice president of strategic planning, InterSystems. Added Steven Flammini, Partners chief technology officer, “Partners is redesigning care delivery to improve the health of our patients while improving the affordability of care. InterSystems technology will help Partners fulfil its pledge to deliver the highest quality care that is safe, effective, accessible, and affordable.”
SOURCE: Business Wire