Fitzgibbon to Show Technology Upgrades with Event

August 22, 2017

The delivery of healthcare continues to change with the advancement of technology, and Fitzgibbon Hospital works hard to stay on the leading edge.  With the installation of new radiology equipment, endoscopy equipment and the addition of MLS Laser Therapy, Saline County area residents have access to advanced technology without having to leave the community.  One area that Fitzgibbon Hospital has been planning and working towards for the last three years is to improve the organization’s Electronic Health Record (EHR).  The community will get to see this new, powerful health record system at a free event planned on September 6 at the Martin Community Center.

The “fair-style” event, which will take place from 5-7 p.m. that evening, will include giveaways for Amazon gift cards and prizes, free food, and attendees will “virtually” follow the experience of a patient and their medical record as they receive care throughout multiple service areas of Fitzgibbon Hospital.

“As we have continued to expand over the years, we have updated or acquired different medical records systems that we use in the delivery of care; eight total systems, in fact, from the medical record to billing, radiology and Home Health and Hospice,” said Tom Jones, Chief Information Officer at Fitzgibbon Hospital.  “One of the things we wanted to accomplish was to merge all of these systems into one robust system.  We partnered with Cerner CommunityWorks, and our community will get to see how this partnership will benefit them during this event.”

The new Cerner CommunityWorks conversion will go live at Fitzgibbon Hospital, all of its clinics, and The Living Center on Nov. 6.  Once the system is live, a visit to the emergency room will be able to be viewed by the patient’s doctor – if they are a provider that is employed by the Fitzgibbon Hospital organization. This will occur without additional records requests. This continuum of care will make for a seamless medical record that will mean improved safety, communication and efficiency.

“With our eight systems currently, depending on where the patient is receiving care, their provider may need to manually request records of visits.  With the new system, an ER physician will be able to see - right on screen - the medications currently being taken by a patient if they are a patient of a Fitzgibbon physician,” said Jones.  “This will mean we are as efficient as we can be throughout the organization. This will eliminate duplication of services and improve patient safety.”

The event on Wednesday, Sept. 6, will allow attendees to follow a “virtual” patient named “Sarah” after her Emergency Department visit.  The community will get to see what the physicians see on-screen, as she navigates through her care.  They also will get to see screen shots of the full-featured MyHealth Patient Portal which also will be new with the upgraded EHR.

“The MyHealth Patient Portal will be completely new with this upgrade, which will also have a new sign-up process,” said Jones.  We will leave the old patient portal site online for a period of time to give people the time needed to view their older records. But the new MyHealth Patient Portal is something that our patients are really going to like.”

The MyHealth Patient Portal is a free, online tool for all patients to view their health record, request prescription refills from their doctor or ask questions, view their test results and become more engaged with their health.  For those with a Durable Power of Attorney (DPoA) for their loved ones, it also gives them this access to help monitor their loved one’s care.

“Our goal is to always deliver the highest quality patient care,” said Darin Haug, D.O., President and CEO of Fitzgibbon Hospital.  “With this investment in our technology going forward, we are making sure that our patients have the access to information they need to make the best decisions in managing their care.”