Cedar County Memorial Hospital to deploy new electronic health record system

Cedar County Memorial Hospital is gearing up for our “go live” date of Thursday, Nov. 1, for our new state-of-the-art MEDITECH Expanse electronic health record (EHR) system to be implemented in our hospital and rural health clinic. As healthcare faces continuous change, we are striving to further identify patient needs and offer the latest in unparalleled care coordination to insure that a complete history follows the patient for their every medical need.

“MEDITECH Expanse is a robust software system providing integration that will improve communication between our hospital and clinic,” said C.E.O. Jana Witt.  “We are excited about the functionality provided by MEDITECH Expanse and believe our patients will be able to be more active in their healthcare through the enhanced patient portal.”

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, all public and private healthcare providers and other eligible professionals were required to adopt and demonstrate “meaningful use” requirements by Jan. 1, 2014, in order to maintain their existing Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement.  Cedar County Memorial Hospital implemented its first EHR system in November 2011; but due to the sale of that EHR system in 2015 and subsequent changes, Cedar County Memorial was forced to seek a new EHR system. The Hospital underwent an extensive process to research, review and select a new EHR system that would best meet the needs of the Hospital and its patients.

In 2017 Cedar County Memorial Hospital sought the expertise of MEDITECH, along with Engage–a leading MEDITECH services firm, who helped guide the project “building” to fit the needs of our specific healthcare offerings. The implementation has encompassed all aspects of record keeping including patient clinical records, as well as all financial data and insurance. Not only will the new system provide a full view of each patient’s medical story, it will also provide a patient portal to keep patients active and connected with their own care.

IT Manager, David Bozarth, and his IT staff members, along with Department Managers and front line employees, have worked tirelessly to insure this very complex project is a success. The Engage team has provided training and support for our team and will be on site for our “go-live” date and beyond.

“Our employees have logged countless hours configuring, preparing and testing to insure a smooth transition to the new system,” said Bozarth. “Our patient population will see these improvements from the moment they check-in beginning November 1. Everyone will be better served.”

While Cedar County Memorial Hospital providers and staff members have undergone extensive training with the new MEDITECH Expanse system, we want our patients to know that when “go-live” begins on Nov. 1, 2018, there will be a learning curve as everyone adjusts to using the new system.

“Please be patient with our staff members as they adapt to the new system,” said C.E.O, Jana Witt.  “Change isn’t easy, but we are confident the new EHR will provide multiple advantages for Cedar County Memorial Hospital and its patients.”

About MEDITECH—MEDITECH has been a leading EHR vendor for over 45 years and currently has 2,350+ customers across 22 different countries. MEDITECH’s target market is far beyond the Acute care space; the company offers EHR solutions that meet the needs of the ambulatory space, urgent care centers, standalone emergency departments, long-term care, rehabilitation services, behavioral health and home care.  MEDITECH’s cutting edge solutions help organization see through a new lends and navigate the virtual landscape with unparalleled vision and clarity.

New system at CCMH

IN TRAINING ON NEW EQUIPMENT – Cedar County Memorial Hospital emergency room physician, Dr. Sean Smith, is pictured above receiving one-on-one MEDITECH system training from Kathie Fenton and Jason Darcy with Engage.