In Search of eHIM: A Case Study of Transformation to a Centralized HIM Record Archival and EDMS Processing Center in a Multi-Hospital Network

Presenters Darice Grzybowski, MA, RHIA, FAHIMA, HIMentors Wm. Kelly McLendon, RHIA, Information Evolution Management Ed Stewart, Vice President, HIMentors Copyright © 2007 by the American Health Information Management Association. All rights reserved.

Outline Introduction & Background Assessing the Situation Evaluating the Options Moving Forward - CDMC become a reality Next Steps and the Evolution to EDMS! Copyright © 2007 by the American Health Information Management Association. All rights reserved.

Introduction and Background Mercy Health Partners – Toledo, Ohio 3 hospital system St. Vincent St. Charles St. Anne Hybrid environment electronically – part CPOE, but all paper storage Complicated Retention Policy 40 Disparate storage locations US and Canada; some owned-some outsourced Growing volumes of records – including non-clinical and non-HIM ‘owned’ Copyright © 2007 by the American Health Information Management Association. All rights reserved.

Files, Files, Everywhere! 80+ football fields worth of files Lack of ‘control’ and standardization Poor space utilization across facilities Legal health record definition Future processing needs for EDMS – keeping the vision in mind Copyright © 2007 by the American Health Information Management Association. All rights reserved.

Assessing the Situation The ‘team’ Record management inventory process initiated, box by box; area by area How can you know what to save, if you don’t know what you have? Are you enforcing your archive and retention policies as legal custodian of records? Space as a cost and movement as a cost Copyright © 2007 by the American Health Information Management Association. All rights reserved.

Evaluating the Options Do Nothing Offsite Storage (all or part) Onsite Storage – self managed or external managed; Refurbish Existing Facility, Rent/Lease/Purchase New Facility Film, Fiche, Scan, or other Electronic Options Copyright © 2007 by the American Health Information Management Association. All rights reserved.

Steps in the Evaluation Process Develop a project plan Develop comparison matrix for options Develop knowledge-base about project vendors and all project data elements Create business arguments – pros and cons Get management and budgetary approvals Perform final vendor selection – contracts/estimates Execute plan……….. Copyright © 2007 by the American Health Information Management Association. All rights reserved.

Challenges Along the Way Facilities Management / Construction Delays Keeping every day operations going in HIM Union issues – changing environment means changing job descriptions and work hours Accurate numbers! Other departments Record Retention guidelines Budgets Copyright © 2007 by the American Health Information Management Association. All rights reserved.

Moving Forward: CDMC Becomes a Reality Central Document Management Center Improved retention policies Seeing What you Really Have! A new tracking system Better control and access too Improved staff morale Time for a celebration! Copyright © 2007 by the American Health Information Management Association. All rights reserved.

A Picture is Worth 1000 Words…… Slideshow Copyright © 2007 by the American Health Information Management Association. All rights reserved.

Next Steps and the Evolution to EDMS Creation of a centralized area saved space at main facilities and allowed staff combinations/flexing Additional 12 months to prepare and install EDMS system (pre-selected and forms work already begun) Legal Health Record definition, future purging and disclosure tracking is easier Long term – other use for files – still good space utilization! Copyright © 2007 by the American Health Information Management Association. All rights reserved.

Questions? Thank you to Catholic Health Partners Northern Region for helping us tell their story www.HIMentors.com Email: info@HIMentors.com 708-352-3507 Copyright © 2007 by the American Health Information Management Association. All rights reserved.