With the flu season upon us and the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to surge, healthcare organizations now face an unprecedented challenge. As medical resources are stretched to capacity, the ability to quickly identify the appropriate level of care and safely, but efficiently, move patients through the system, is of critical importance. Frontline workers need the guidance to successfully evaluate patients and transition them to post-acute levels of care in order to avoid occupancy challenges many have faced throughout the pandemic. 

CMS recently announced that they’ve extended the Educational and Operations testing period for hospitals and providers to comply with the Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) program without payment consequences.

At MEDITECH’s 2020 Physician and CIO Forum, we all saw the impact of how a virtual learning environment can help us to address common challenges in an uncommon time. And with remote technologies, I’m proud to see how we’ve been able to bridge the miles between us and even many of the uncertainties that COVID-19 has brought.

In healthcare, almost everything we do is influenced and determined by digital technology. At Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, we care for over 330,000 children per year, making it essential  for us to leverage the power of innovative technologies to enhance patient care and productivity. 

As consumers continue to take charge of their own care and healthcare organizations adapt to this new market reality, the tools and processes that ensure quick, accurate sharing of patient information will come into sharper focus in 2021.

September marks National Recovery Month — a time to recognize those who have been affected by substance use or mental health issues, including those who have been impacted by the opioid crisis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 128 people die every day from opioid-related drug overdoses. This year marks an especially challenging time due to the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on opioid overdose rates, in addition to the ongoing overprescribing of opioids — resulting in an increased vulnerability for patients. 

Recently, Interlace Health had the privilege of hosting and presenting with a group of health IT executives from MEDITECH, Salesforce, and CereCore. The exclusive virtual roundtable discussion focused on their experiences leading through the pandemic, strategies for ensuring a safe return to work, and thoughts on what the future of care delivery might look like. It was a remarkable “inside look” into how several leading organizations are responding to the unprecedented challenges we’re facing in the healthcare IT industry.

It’s still all about people.

Despite the tumultuous events of this year, in particular the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare providers have remained focused on the central part of their jobs: treating and caring for people.

Many providers express growing frustration with their EHRs, and having to adjust their workflow to meet the needs of the technology. Problems with IT usability often contribute to physician burnout, which is why I decided to pursue the field of clinical informatics. Why should technology create burdens for care teams, instead of making their jobs easier? And, more importantly, what can we do about it?

Healthcare organizations without strong partnerships often find themselves in silos, lacking the right resources and guidance to be efficient with their technologies and reach their full potential.

MEDITECH’s Professional Services offers a personalized approach to help solve this problem, sharing technical knowledge and speciality services that drive predictable and positive outcomes. 

By providing experienced professionals coupled with industry-leading tools and techniques, our Professional Services team collaborates with organizations to help meet specific EHR objectives and execute on deliverables. Here are five examples of how Professional Services helped drive positive outcomes: