12-24-2013
Eliminating paper charts and transitioning to an electronic health record (EHR) system has been an interesting journey for Mount Wolf Medical Center, PC in Mount Wolf, PA. The staff has had to modify their long standing processes and workflows to accommodate this new technology in order to truly utilize it in a meaningful way.
First, it was difficult to get the physicians on board with the continued process of meeting Meaningful Use, however, holding meetings with the doctors, providing articles to read, printing information to share, and continued discussions with the physicians definitely helped to get everyone on board.
Secondly, understanding and implementing all of the required MU measures has been a challenge. “I had to constantly make sure I understood the measures and what it would take to implement them to reach our goal to attest,” said Office Manager Wanda Buttrey. “I want to thank Nate Altland (from PA REACH East) for the tremendous help he gave me to keep us moving forward. He always answered my questions and concerns.”
Another challenge faced by Mount Wolf Medical Center was making sure their EHR system was able to meet the MU qualifications. To help remedy this concern, Buttrey stayed in close contact with the practice’s EHR vendor to ensure that their system was equipped to meet these measures. “Our vendor helped and reassured me that they were on the correct path as they had deadlines as well, said Buttrey.
In the beginning of the MU process, the physicians felt it took much longer to see a patient because of all the things they now had to do in the electronic chart. This has improved with time and probably will continue to improve as the practice keeps moving forward with the goal to eliminate the paper chart completely. “We have come a long way and I personally thank Nate for all of his dedication to our practice and for helping us meet our goals. It was a great day when the practice received our first check and we are looking forward to finishing our first full year of meaningful use,” said Buttrey.
As far as lessons learned, Buttrey shared that maintaining a positive attitude, building teamwork between the staff and physicians, and staying on the path were all key to helping her practice accomplish its goals. She also expressed that the assistance she received from PA REACH was invaluable. “Nate was very professional in helping us implement our EHR. I personally would have been lost without his support,” said Buttrey.