In early June, Greenwood County Hospital launched its new Electronic Health Record (EHR) software from Cerner. As the hospital phases out its old system, Athena Records Management, staff are working through some challenges caused by the changeover. At the July 24 Board of Trustees meeting, CFO Melody York explained that due to the transition toward Cerner, financial data, including accounts receivable, is running through two accounting systems, creating the need for reconciliation to ensure accuracy. Therefore, she did not feel comfortable presenting this month’s expected financial report to the board. York told the board that she had already reached out for assistance from Great Plains Health Alliance (GPHA) with the issue and expects to have both June and July financial reports available at the next Board of Trustees meeting, Aug. 22.
In her CEO report, Sandra Dickerson also noted some difficulties the hospital is experiencing with processing claims. “We are discovering that many of the issues have to do with new workflows and processes,” said Dickerson. The new Cerner system, explained Dickerson, is more data-heavy than Athena was and requires more interaction from staff. Dickerson expressed confidence in the new system and in the ability of GWCH hospital staff to work through these “growing pains.” Ultimately, the new Cerner system is expected to be much better than the system it replaced. “It is fully integrated,” said Dickerson. Previously, Dickerson explained, interfaces were needed to connect specific hospital areas such as the lab and ER, which ran on different systems.
However, with Cerner, all areas are unified, eliminating the need for special workarounds.
Sonjia Lemons, RN, presented her Director of Nursing report to the board. Lemons explained that the changeover to the new EHR system has affected the numbers the board will see in her report, making them appear lower than normal. As an example, the difference between how certain lab tests were counted in Athena vs. how they are now counted in Cerner was described. In Athena, each lab test was counted even if several tests were completed using one “stick” or sample collected. Cerner, however, counts tests by the encounter, or lab visit, which affects the count. According to Lemons, the numbers presented are within the expected range, given the recent changes and the normal low volume for the time of year.
A medical staff meeting was held on July 14. Dr. Mike McClintick presented educational materials, and pharmacist Isaac Boone presented a formulary change. One appointment was made during the Med staff meeting for Irfan Hasaan, MD, Radiology Consulting, which was approved by the board of trustees.
The board approved the consent agenda, including minutes of the June 26 board meeting, the June treasurer’s report, and disbursements, including payroll/benefits in the amount of $904,118.90 and accounts payable in the amount of $656,458.37.
The meeting was followed by an executive session to discuss risk management. No actions were taken as a result.
The next GWCH Board of Trustees meeting will be held on Thursday, Aug. 22, at 5:30 p.m.
