HIT Breakdown

In this panel discussion, Win Vaughan, Managing Director Markets, Advisory Services, sat down with Nordic physician experts Dr. Craig Joseph, Nordic's Chief Medical Officer; Dr. Laura Copeland, Chief Medical Information Officer, Healthtech, A Nordic Global Company; and Dr. Michael Augustyniak, Chief Medical Information Officer, S&P Consultants, A Nordic Global Company to discuss ways to provide a positive clinician experience during an EHR consolidation. As a part of their discussion, Drs. Joseph, Copeland, and Augustyniak cover important topics, including: Prioritizing change management processes early on Setting up clear governance structures Data governance

In this podcast, Nordic's Director of Performance Improvement Kelly Krulisky sat down with Nordic's Managing Director of Digital Health Kevin Erdal and Chief Medical Officer Craig Joseph, along with Emory Healthcare's Corporate Director Matt Robuck and Texas Children's Hospital's VP of IT John Hamm, to discuss the positive effects a new data strategy can have on a health system's ability to manage their patient population and business operations and how it might improve the overall patient experience.

Join us for a discussion covering the technical components of the cloud transformation with host Kevin Erdal, Managing Director Digital Health (Nordic) and panelists Saran Sonaisamy, Director, Advisory Services (Nordic), Reza Chapman, Managing Director, Cybersecurity (Nordic) and Jimmy DeLurgio, Senior Solution Architect (AWS).

Super User programs are a common piece of the implementation puzzle, but what is their purpose after go-live? Many organizations drop their Super User programs just after their EHR system is implemented. Leveraging your super users post-live can be a significant benefit to long-term behavioral change and system adoption. The key is tailoring the program to your organization’s specific needs and culture. Sarah Rosebrock, Nordic Training Solutions Manager, sits down with Georgianna Kelly, Jerrie Rankin, and Kaitlin Kalina from Baylor Scott & White Health to discuss their system-wide program and how it supports post-live efforts.

Before COVID-19, healthcare organizations already had an overwhelming amount of work around reporting and quality measures. Add COVID-19, and now you have an even heavier reporting load. Nordic recently introduced a way to automate the submission of data to registries with an application called Registry Direct. We sat down with Scott Rossignol, director of interoperability here at Nordic, to have him explain the solution and the main applications for healthcare organizations. If you want to learn more about Registry Direct, we have a brief overview video available. We'd also enjoy a chance to explore your registry or other data submission needs.

Given the COVID-19 crisis, many organizations have been abruptly pulled into the world of telehealth and the broader world of virtual care before they were fully prepared. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? You may recall go-lives and how you needed to “just get it live” and worry about optimizing later. This is even more true right now with telehealth. There are many opportunities to optimize and fully harness the power of virtual care. It’s so much more than just the technology that enables the encounter. To explain how we might finish what we started with virtual care, we sat down with Dr. Laura Copeland, who is both chief medical information officer at Healthtech Consultants (a Nordic subsidiary) and a practicing physician. We talked about how her private practice has changed and what changes she still sees necessary to make virtual care truly deliver on its promise. Enjoy the conversation and if you have questions, remember to write us at AskNordic@nordicwi.com or AskHealthtech@healthtech.ca if you are in Canada. Thanks for listening!

Picture this scenario: It’s Monday morning and you’re driving into work. Cars are typically bumper to bumper at this hour, but not today. Traffic’s flowing so well, you’ll have enough time to stop and get Starbucks before your 8 a.m. meeting. Then, WHAM! You hit a pothole. It came out of nowhere. The next thing you know your car’s making a loud thumping sound. You pull over to the side of the road and, sure enough – you’ve got a flat. To make matters worse, you don’t have a spare tire. In an instant, your morning commute went from smooth to stressful. It’s time to call a tow truck. Oh, and never mind Starbucks, you’re not even going to make it to that 8 a.m. meeting. Wouldn’t it have been nice if you had a little warning about that pothole? A simple road sign or barrier would have helped you avoid a morning of chaos.   Warnings signs are helpful for many scenarios in life – especially as you develop your Affiliate extension strategy. There’s a lot you can learn from other organizations that have experienced challenges during this process, so you can account for and avoid potential pitfalls (or potholes) with your own program. Experts from our Affiliate Solutions team recently discussed the most common pitfalls they see organizations experience with an extension program: Expectation-setting Delineating responsibility Identifying decision-makers Developing repeatable processes Testing oversight   Listen in as they offer planning tips to avoid these issues, so you can experience a more seamless affiliate extension – free from any potholes. And if you need help developing your EHR extension strategy, or have questions about specific challenges you’re facing, let’s talk. We’ll listen to your needs and help you determine the best roadmap for your organization and its affiliates.

Odds are, while you spent the past decade focused on enhancing the critical functions of your EHR, you may have had little time (or money) to spend on your organization’s other important “E” system. Your ERP. Now you’re left trying to reconcile your state-of-the-art EHR with a lack-luster, legacy ERP. Which, in many ways, can be like trying to connect your iPhone with a walkie-talkie. If you want these systems to operate cohesively, it’s time to turn your attention toward updating, upgrading, or replacing your legacy ERP system. And while you may be in the initial phases of planning your ERP update and integration with your EHR, we’re here to tell you it’s worth it. We recently sat down with a few of our performance improvement experts who’ve witnessed these benefits first hand. They just completed a project where they helped an organization enhance its EHR and ERP integration in the perioperative areas. By pinpointing and resolving the EHR/ERP integration issues surrounding the organization’s OR supply chain, the team helped the organization increase time savings and cost reduction – enhancements that have already added millions of dollars to its bottom line. Listen in as our experts make a compelling case for driving functionality between your systems to realize these improvements in the OR and beyond. Also, if your organization is looking to upgrade your ERP system in the future, they outline a few steps you can take right now to make the transition easier in the long-run. If you’d like to discuss this topic further, or if you’re looking for additional advice on your ERP migration strategy, please schedule a give us a call.  

Some days it may feel like all you’re doing is putting out fires. As soon as you resolve one maintenance issue with an application, a completely unrelated problem may appear with another application. If it’s to the point where these fires are keeping you and your team from accomplishing other, more strategic work, it may be time to call in some reinforcements. That’s where our Managed Services team can help. We can take on support and maintenance tasks, providing ongoing issues-resolution for your organization and its extension partners. Our team can also offer high-level knowledge and practical expertise at a predictable cost, digging in deeper to solve problems at the root cause. We recently sat down with experts from our Managed Services and Affiliate Solutions teams to discuss how hub-and-spoke organizations can benefit from remote support. They share what you can expect from managed services, ways that Nordic’s Managed Services team supports extension partners, and how to determine if managed services is the right solution for your organization. If you’re interested in learning more about managed services, and whether it may be a helpful resource for your hub and spokes, listen to the podcast. And if you’d like to discuss how Nordic’s Managed Services or Affiliate teams can help support your EHR extension, please schedule a meeting with us.

When you’re in the thick of an extension project, it can be easy to get caught up in the everyday details. You have a long list of priorities, and more than likely, you’re focused on building a solid system for your extension partners over building a solid relationship with them. We get it. There’s a lot to manage during this process. And sometimes it’s more convenient to put the relationship-build on the back burner. However, to deliver an EHR system that leads to effective outcomes, you’ll need to establish a strong relationship with your extension partners – sooner rather than later. Recently, members of our Affiliate Solutions team sat down to discuss how to build this relationship, offering advice on setting expectations, improving communication, and establishing a partnership mentality. If you’re looking for ways to strengthen your hub-and-spoke relationship, listen in on the podcast. And if you’d like to discuss this topic further, or if you’re looking for additional advice on your EHR extension project, please schedule a meeting with us.  

There’s good news and bad news when it comes to increasing end-user efficiency and happiness with the EHR.The good news is, with the right mix of tools and resources, you can help your users feel more comfortable and efficient in the EHR. We’re seeing this firsthand from organizations that report having happy end-users. The bad news is, as you may have expected, there’s no quick-fix for this problem. It takes time to figure out the best formula, or mix of tools and resources, that will increase user adoption, and ultimately, satisfaction with the EHR. Lauren Griessmeyer, our Director of Training solutions, recently sat down with Dr. Amy Maneker, a physician executive here at Nordic, to discuss this formula for end-user happiness. Both Lauren and Dr. Maneker have spent the past decade helping organizations improve user adoption by focusing on four key areas:• Shared ownership• Education• EHR personalization• System configuration and refinementIn this podcast, they discuss how these four components play an important role in helping organizations overcome EHR challenges and increase user happiness. They also share examples and advice for addressing these issues head-on.

In August 2018, CMS unveiled its proposed “Pathways to Success” program – an overhaul of the existing Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), which would redesign participation options for Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). It’s anticipated that the proposed program will pass in 2019. That means ACOs will need to prepare to transition from a multi-track reimbursement model to a two-track model, among other changes. Jake Aleckson, director of Optimization Solutions, and Steve Bloom, project director of Strategic Services, have been closely monitoring these proposed changes and how they will impact ACOs. Jake and Steve discuss the changes ACOs can anticipate from the new MSSP in 2019, providing a breakdown of the consolidated tracks, reimbursement rates, and ways organizations can demonstrate value-based care. If you’d like to learn more or need help optimizing your value-based reimbursement program, please reach out.

  The end of the year is quickly approaching, and if you’re an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) you’ve likely already started planning for your Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) submission. This process is critical to helping your organization demonstrate you’ve met the necessary quality measures to receive reimbursement from CMS at year-end. MSSP submission, while necessary, can be somewhat complicated. To help your organization successfully navigate this complex process, Jake Aleckson, director of Optimization Solutions, and Kyle McAllister, a senior consultant on the optimization team, break down the key areas of focus for your population health and quality management teams. They offer tips and advice around the tools, timelines, and data extraction options your team should consider when putting together your submission for CMS. If you’re interested in learning more about the MSSP submission process, or need our assistance with your submission, please contact us.  

Maybe your organization is expanding its footprint by acquiring other organizations, or you want to further develop your relationships with providers or organizations in your community. Whatever your reason for pursuing a Community Connect program, you'll need a rock-solid strategy to ensure you understand pricing, timelines, and scope of services going in. Lindsey Manzuk, implementation strategy director, and Lauren Piazza, director of Affiliate Solutions, sit down to talk about the tenets of a successful Community Connect strategy and their lessons learned from many extension projects.

Is your team struggling to dedicate time to strategic projects because they're bogged down with supporting and maintaining your EHR? If so, you're not alone. We hear from clients all the time that with competing priorities on the table, they could really use an experienced team to take on tier 2 application support — and give their teams the space to pursue the work that really matters to their organization. In this podcast, Service Delivery Manager John Lanari sits down with VP of Managed Services Ian Mamminga to discuss how Managed Services can act as a strategic partner to your organization. They'll discuss the reasons organizations pursue Managed Services in the first place, as well as how to be successful in choosing, integrating, and collaborating with a Managed Services partner.

If you're thinking about exploring project management, you may be curious about Nordic's affiliate team, which helps our partners successfully approach mergers and acquisitions, Community Connect projects, and strategic partnerships with other organizations. We sat down with Director of Affiliate Solutions Lauren Piazza and Senior Consultant Sara Balasundaram to discuss the core responsibilities and day-to-day life of an affiliate PM, as well as how to be most successful in the role.

In every organization, there are people who inspire their colleagues to work harder, complain less, and get involved in company initiatives. If you can identify these people and encourage them to carry your organization's banner, you'll find it a lot easier to implement large-scale change across your hospital or health system. Suddenly, you'll find that even the most challenging people are on board with the change – simply because they're following a natural leader they respect. In this episode of the HIT Breakdown, we sat down with implementation experts Lindsey Manzuk and Kristi Kempe and affiliate/Community Connect expert Scott Isaacson to discuss how to leverage change champions for a more successful go-live.

Transitioning maintenance and support often comes with some big questions about internal team morale. If you’re thinking about bringing on Managed Services, you may be thinking: Will my team see this as a threat to their jobs? Will I have to replace or lose staff members? And how will these disparate teams work together to represent my organization? In this podcast, we sit down with Loma Linda University Health’s Richard Yaw to discuss some of the reservations he had about bringing on Nordic’s Managed Services – and how the relationship proved more successful than he ever expected. Hopefully this will give you some ideas about how Managed Services could benefit your organization and how to successfully integrate your teams for a long-term relationship.

Extending your instance of Epic to affiliate organizations can mean a major shift in your organization's mindset. Now that you're a vendor, you'll need to think about a host of things you may not have considered before, among them setting expectations with your affiliates, providing white-glove customer service, and enforcing consequences should expectations not be met. For this episode of the HIT Breakdown, we sat down with Directors of Affiliate Solutions Scott Isaacson and Andrea Schmeichel to discuss best practices for adopting the vendor mindset. They'll talk through the do's and don'ts of setting expectations with affiliates, committing to a plan together, and building a great relationship at every step of the process.

A well-maintained problem list could do wonders for patient outcomes. But the problem list is often de-prioritized on an ever-growing list of provider tasks, and when it isn't cared for, its benefits are lost. In this podcast, Director of Optimization Solutions Rick Shepardson and Manager of Optimization Solutions Jake Aleckson discuss a potentially controversial question: Who should be responsible for maintaining and updating the problem list? (Hint: They think it may not have to be physicians).

If your organization is going through a merger or acquisition, you may consider your EHR consolidation just one item on a laundry list of "to-dos" to kick off your new partnership. But in fact, a consolidated, optimized EHR can set the stage for a positive relationship between your two organizations and make the rest of your organizational priorities easier to accomplish. In this podcast, industry expert Kate Grimm and Nordic optimization experts Jake Aleckson and Rick Shepardson sit down to discuss how organizations can standardize workflows, optimize the system, and get the most out of their EHR following a merger, acquisition, or Community Connect extension. If you prefer to read rather than listen, the transcript to the podcast is below. And as always, don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or to talk with our experts.

“We get too much email.” “I’m in meetings all day.” “I’ve got too much going on to read hand-outs.” In the workplace, it sometimes seems like communication is the biggest stumbling block to progress. Everyone thinks their message is of critical importance, and no one has the bandwidth to dedicate their full attention to anyone else’s message. During an EHR implementation or transition, communication issues are made harder by stress and overwork. Luckily, our implementation experts have been through enough implementations to know where the pitfalls lie – and how to avoid them. Here, Nordic Implementation Strategy Director Lindsey Manzuk, Director of Affiliate Solutions Scott Isaacson, and Director of Business Development Kristi Kempe talk about the components of effective communication plans, and how to get the necessary information to the right audiences.

Go-lives are a special experience. They’re exciting, stressful, ultimately bonding events that can either set you up for real success with your EHR – or get you off on the wrong foot, depending on how well they’re planned. Nordic’s implementation experts have been through hundreds of go-lives, and they say that planning a go-live isn’t unlike planning an extremely involved birthday party. From ensuring you have snacks and wifi to keeping your people happy, our experts have plenty of tips to ensure you go live and love it. In this podcast, Nordic’s Implementation Strategy Director Lindsey Manzuk and Senior Consultant Sara Alvarez talk through their “lessons learned” from many go-lives.

Almost every healthcare organization struggles with achieving a 360-degree view of its patients’ healthcare experience. - Even if you have a full grasp on how patients interact with your system, it’s harder to see the hundreds of other interactions th...