Cincinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health launched Accrete Health Partners in 2022 as a holding company to align digital health teams as well as invest in and scale digital products.
Accrete has allowed Bon Secours Mercy Health to stay nimble over the last few years and optimize its digital framework. The system has made strategic investments and is building on existing partnerships to scale technology systemwide. Accrete also leverages new and existing partnerships to co-develop technologies.
Over the last year, Bon Secours Mercy Health has focused on the digital front door, engaging in co-development work with Brado to create a digital assistant that guides patients through their healthcare journey. The digital assistant, dubbed Catherine for the founder of the Sisters of Mercy Catherine McAuley, is focused on making patient journeys easier.
"The digital front door is a priority," said Mark Townsend, MD, chief clinical digital ventures officer at Bon Secours Mercy Health, on a recent episode of the Becker's Healthcare Podcast. "Another priority is enhancing the workflows of our clinicians, and we've really doubled down on ambient or intelligent documentation, beginning with physicians and providers."
The largest clinical workforce is the nursing team, with more than 12,000 system members. Bedside nurses spend about 30% of their time documenting in each shift, and the leadership team wants to change that so nurses have more time to spend with patients.
"We started with a pilot in the intelligent documentation space," said Dr. Townsend. "You start with the early adopters and then you get the first followers engaged. The first followers were pretty energetic, as were the early adopters. Then the pilot took off very quickly, and it is being scaled throughout the organization for all employees, physicians and providers."
Dr. Townsend said the new technology is seen as an investment in the care teams, and it's creating a lot of buzz. Now, everyone wants the intelligent documentation capabilities and that will push the limits of the technology, said Dr. Townsend.
"This is not an off-the-shelf product that can be used at the bedside and acute care delivery for our nurses," he said, noting how the team will continue to work on customization. "That's one of the opportunities next year that we're excited about."
Accrete partners with Truveta, Nordic, Healthcare Highways, Omny Health and H2O.ai in addition to Brado.