Saint Anthony Hospital (Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.) uses technology to help prioritize the needs of communities it serves.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared on Allscripts Blog: It Takes a Community.
A recent case study features this forward-thinking hospital’s partnership with Allscripts Managed IT Services to help deliver healthcare that truly meets the needs of its patient population.
Allscripts Managed IT Services staff have diverse clinical expertise and seamlessly work with hospital team members to bridge the gap between clinical needs and technical solutions.
“I have been most impressed by the Managed IT Services team’s depth of knowledge regarding Allscripts Paragon® EHR,” Physician Champion Dr. Harveen Soodan, M.D., said. “The team is accessible and committed to providing an efficient and pleasant experience for all those involved - from patients to nursing to ancillary staff to physicians.”
Saint Anthony needed technology solutions to accommodate a community that has access to smart phones but has low computer literacy. “We recently deployed mobile technology solutions that send text messages to remind patients about appointments. We’re hoping to expand this type of support to include reminders to take meds and connect patients to community resources they need,” Allscripts employee and Saint Anthony’s Vice President and Chief Information Officer Mark Jennings said.
Another example of how technology helps deliver a better patient experience is a new system that improves the discharge process. Clinical and IT teams introduced a Red-Yellow-Green rating system to identify patients for potential discharge by 11 a.m. the next day. Integrated visualizations help identify discharge opportunities and barriers for clinicians in real time. “Saint Anthony went from having less than 3% of patients discharged by 11 a.m. to more than 20% in about six months,” Jennings said.
Building a solid foundation for future plans
Saint Anthony recognizes the value of IT Outsourcing and Application Management services being able to scale to the organization’s needs. “A package of services enables buying just enough resources and have that critical backup, while holding down costs,” Jennings said.
Like many hospitals its size, Saint Anthony remains focused on achieving high-quality, high-performance IT solutions at the lowest possible cost. As a hosted client, Saint Anthony has avoided more than $700,000 in capital costs and has been able to repurpose existing servers to meet non-mission-critical processing needs.
Saint Anthony sees technology as an extension of the hospital’s commitment to better serve its patients. Its next step is to build an innovative sustainable healthcare model, which will be called Focal Point® Community Campus. The campus will blend healthcare, education, retail, wellness and affordable housing and is expected to generate revenue that will reinvest in Saint Anthony’s underserved community.
To read the full Saint Anthony Hospital case study on its technology achievements and future plans, click here.
Learn more about improving the patient experience.