Hospital records are going digital

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

Two years after implementing a new software system, Memorial Hospital of Carbon County staff are on track with digitizing electronic medical records, allowing the hospital to comply with possible federal legislation.

As he began his second term in 2004, President Bush pushed for hospitals, physician offices, nursing homes and other health care facilities to create electronic records. The hope was to create a national medical network that would lead to better accuracy in medical care and “avoid dangerous medical mistakes, reduce costs and improve care,” Bush said.

Four years later, there is little progress. However, some care providers have recognized the value of digital records and have streamlined their systems.

Choosing the health management system software to work toward that end, Memorial Hospital of Carbon County staff are continuing to iron out the bugs. However, Chief Financial Officer Florence Kostic said the software makes record keeping more efficient.

“We had numerous systems — separate lab system, hospital documentation was all done manually and we had a separate radiology system,” she said. “When we made the change in 2004, we moved to the fully integrated system.” Now, most hospital functions can communicate seamlessly despite the ongoing troubleshooting.

Kostic said the national system could be implemented in 2010. In anticipation, hospital staff chose compatible software. Listed as a certified provider of software compliant with national initiatives and with more than 400 users nationwide in 2003, the health management system seemed to be the best option, according to Kostic.

Dr. James Bush, Medicaid medical director at the Wyoming Department of Health, scoffed at the idea that the national system would be up and running by 2010.

“They are just now reaching interoperability standards,” he said, describing the need to standardize databases so different software can easily communicate. “The 2010 deadline is falling by the wayside.”

Still, James Bush realizes the value of a unified network. He is currently working to roll out the red carpet on a statewide Medicaid network, scheduled to launch this summer.

The ongoing question of privacy in health records has slowed national progress toward a fully electronic system, and it has not been ignored by staff at Memorial Hospital of Carbon County. The privacy rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act prevents full access to patient records by care providers, making the security of software systems a hot ticket in debates.

Terry Webster, director of health information management at the hospital, said hospitals get paranoid when information is put on a computer. “But there’s the same worry when it’s on paper,” she said.

Webster recently came to Rawlins from a Montana hospital that was part of a four-hospital network. The Meditech system they used prohibited access unless the patient provided an access code for their records. James Bush said that with patient confidentiality at the top of the list of priorities, software providers are nearly guaranteed to safeguard their systems.

Kostic listed another problem area in the ambitious project — the question of care providers being technologically savvy. “Many physicians’ offices aren’t able to purchase the sophisticated equipment that is required, so how will they fit into the network?” she asked.

James Bush said that when care providers, no matter how tech savvy, see the benefits of an integrated system, they will jump on board. “It is one of those true win-win situations,” he said of the developing Medicaid system.


State to go digital as well

Wyoming Department of Health officials are set to launch the “total health record” this summer, the state’s version of an electronic program centered around Medicaid patient care.

Headed by Dr. James Bush, the Medicaid medical director at the Department of Health, the statewide program should open the door for the state to more efficiently allocate its resources and maximize its care. Bush said the program also benefits patients and care providers.

Wyoming has the chance to be a national leader in implementing electronic medical records, Bush said. This is particularly due to the state’s small population, making it easier to implement a centralized system.

The Medicaid program should be administered by the software company Cyber Access. The main goal is to promote a patient-centered medical home, Bush said. It would push patients to get most of their care from a general physician, promoting preventative care and ideally reducing instances of large Medicaid claims that come with dramatic health problems.

Phase one, electronic billing, has been implemented, Bush said, with participation from 20 clinics. The system should be offered for implementation in physician offices with the highest percentage of Medicaid patients.