National Nurse’s Week is the perfect time to recognize the nurses working in our communities and among us, and we thank nurses across our nation for using your gifts and talents to care for others in so many ways. CereCore is honored to have nurses in our midst who help us continually improve healthcare technology solutions and services for the nurses and health systems we serve. In fact, they have a wealth of knowledge to share when it comes to support services and Electronic Health Record (EHR) optimization.
1. Understanding needs: both patient care and support services |
Rhonda Mech, IT Director for Client Support, took care of patients for over 25 years and became an advocate for technology when she saw the privacy gained for patients by eliminating paper. Rhonda has a heart for helping people and takes a personal approach with client support. Much like individual care plans for patients, she works with clients to understand what they need so that our support services meet their operational needs. Rhonda uses her clinical knowledge to close the gap of understanding between technology experts and clinical end users. She can relate to end users when their stress is high, and at the same time helps her colleagues understand what’s on the line for clinicians and how what we do is important to their satisfaction and outcomes. Read more about how Rhonda’s clinical background helps her run a support services team and drive quality in an ever-changing and challenging area of the industry. |
2. Streamlining EHR nursing documentation
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Jennifer Fitisemanu, RN, BSN, worked as a critical care nurse in overwhelmed units during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a Senior Architect on the Epic Services team, she draws upon her experiences working as a nurse to reiterate with clients the importance of streamlining documentation. Of course, optimization efforts are about much more than reducing the number of clicks and scrolls. Whether you are moving to an electronic record format, converting to a different platform, building new documentation processes in the EHR, or looking to improve usability, Jennifer shares several concepts and quick wins for streamlining EHR nursing documentation so that it is more effective for caregivers. |
3. Supporting flexible staffing for Epic clinical users
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Kerry Barker, RN BSN worked as an ICU nurse, nursing supervisor and clinical nurse educator spanning more than 30 years and understands staffing challenges first hand. Kerry is a consulting clinical analyst on the Epic Services team and works with clients on the many options Epic has available for supporting patient care. For example, when a floating nurse walks onto the new unit, how do you ensure a nurse can log in and be guided through the work that this area supports with the help of not only staff on the unit but by the EHR system itself – and as quickly and efficiently as possible? Epic has many options available for supporting patient care. One option is to create a foundation of robust Epic User (EMP) templates and flexible supportive documentation. Such templates can help support staff mobilized to an area outside of their primary department and they can also help make processes more efficient for newly hired staff. Read more details on how Epic system optimization has enhanced patient care and the caregiver experience. |
4. Improving EHR implementation by eliminating waste
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Michelle Scott, MSM, BSN, RN-BC, began her career as a nurse and MEDITECH coordinator. As the Manager for MEDITECH Professional Services Group at CereCore, she is continually looking for ways to improve each phase of the EHR implementation methodology from planning to go-live for our MEDITECH clients. Her team applies Lean Six Sigma principles that result in more efficient use of time and resources for MEDITECH projects delivered across the nation. Taking advantage of years of MEDITECH expertise and automation tools, Michelle shares three ways her team has helped hospital clients achieve a more efficient, accurate and cost effective EHR implementation. |
5. Developing technology for nurses
Recently, CereCore participated in an intense, three-day technology development event in which nurses were the primary focus. Colleagues from a variety of backgrounds including application development, automation, security, and project management collaborated to solve a data entry pain point for importing and recording EMS data into clinical care systems. At the end of the day, people using their expertise and skills are what make the difference in better healthcare technology and ultimately in the lives of the patients we all seek to serve.
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“I practiced as a hospitalist for many years. You go from room to room and bedside to bedside and you're able to care for one patient at a time...Through technology, I know the work we do impacts the...
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