MidState Medical Center Boosts Efficiency and Cuts Costs.

It was clear to MidState’s HIM staff that managing paper records and using manual processes was inherently inefficient and expensive. Even more importantly, inaccessible records, incomplete forms and errors sometimes impacted care delivery. Fortunately, the construction of a new building provided the acute care hospital with an opportunity to introduce state-of-the-art technologies and transform its existing HIM processes.

After reviewing a number of options, the organization selected Eclipsys Sunrise Record Manager™. “Our goal was to automate the management of patient information to better support first-class patient care,” explains Jeff Flaks, chief operating officer and executive vice president of MidState Medical Center. “We wanted a system based on the latest technology and a company with the expertise to incorporate anything we felt would serve our information needs. We measured cost and value, and Eclipsys was the clear winner.”

Sunrise Record Manager was first implemented in 1998. Today, the latest version of the solution is utilized by almost 400 MidState doctors, all healthcare teams and HIM staff, as well as Hartford Hospital, MidState’s “sister” facility.

“In our old facility, we had approximately 4,200 square feet for our entire HIM department,” recalls Judy Guccione, director of HIM and HIPAA Compliance. “When we moved to the new building, we went down to 1,200 square feet, with an archival area of 12 by 4 feet. Working closely with Eclipsys made us very confident about moving into a smaller space. They helped us analyze our new facility and identify the steps needed to reach our goals.”

Anytime, Anywhere Access to Complete Patient Records
Of course, Sunrise Record Manager yields benefits far beyond reducing storage space requirements. Sunrise Record Manager enhances and streamlines clinical workflow by providing access to patient records from any computer and letting caregivers view information instantly. “What’s exciting is that it’s both instantaneous and simultaneous,” Guccione says. “At any point during a patient’s episode, you can have a social worker, physician and nurse all looking at the patient’s record from different locations.”

Sunrise Record Manager also provides Guccione with the critical tracking and audit tools for release activities and record access required for regulatory compliance. “The Eclipsys product is wonderful because there’s audit functionality in the background,” she explains. “I can run a report and see who went into a record, what they looked at and if they printed it. With privacy and security such major concerns, that information is crucial to have in my position.”

The Benefits
Complete and instantly accessible patient information through Sunrise Record Manager translates to a smoother revenue cycle and faster reimbursements. MidState has realized an 85 percent improvement in a key revenue cycle indicator — Discharged, Not Final Billed (DNFB) — the amount directly related to “uncoded” accounts pending action by HIM. Using Sunrise Record Manager, MidState has reduced DNFB from $3 million to $450,000 to date and expects to see continuous improvement.

Today, MidState Medical Center’s state-of-the-art facility manages electronic paper records in a nearly paperless environment, while reaping the benefits of integrated HIM with clinical and revenue cycle workflows. And it couldn’t be done without Sunrise Record Manager.

“Over the years, I’ve worked with many vendors,” Guccione notes. “The confidence I feel working with Eclipsys is priceless. When you need to tweak the application to meet the needs of your organization, Eclipsys listens — and delivers.”