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Commitment to IT Brings Rewards to NCH Healthcare System; Long-Time Dedication to Technology Nets Record Nursing Satisfaction Rates

Posted on: Monday, 12 September 2005, 09:00 CDT

Before NCH Healthcare System (NCH) adopted healthcare information technology, clinicians and staff spent considerable portions of their days copying more than one million pieces of paper for patient records every month between the system's two hospitals. Together with Cerner Corp. (Nasdaq:CERN), the nation's leading provider of healthcare information technology, NCH has eliminated paper from much of its care process.

"Having a common data repository that can be accessed in different ways -- depending on the various needs of patients, providers and payers -- is the key to both safety and efficiency," said Dr. Allen Weiss, president of NCH, who testified in July before the United States House of Representatives' Ways and Means health subcommittee in support of widespread adoption of healthcare IT. "Our nursing satisfaction is at an all-time high and our nursing turnover is at an all-time low. Our nursing vacancy is at an all-time low, and IT is a big part of that."

Like much of the hospital community, NCH faced the challenges of the industry-wide nursing shortage. Adopting healthcare IT, NCH learned, allowed nurses to spend more time dedicated to patients rather than paperwork. Cerner's decision support solution, in place at NCH, increased the consistency and quality of care delivery with workflow enhancements that shaved 20 minutes from each patient's assessment, enabling nurses to admit 27 patients in a normal workday, as compared to the previous 23.

NCH elected to pursue widespread use of healthcare IT as an opportunity to reduce administration and increase time to focus on patients. Based in sunny Naples, Florida, the healthcare system also sought advanced technology solutions to effectively manage its seasonal increase in patient population.

NCH's use of Cerner solutions allowed clinicians to expand the system's care concept, a fundamental approach to a healing environment with the person at the center. Electronic medical records enhanced care givers' timeliness and completeness, resulting in 100 percent compliance with the Braden Scale, which measures risk for patients developing pressure ulcers. Following NCH's implementation of Cerner's technology, the system's pressure ulcer rate fell from 13 percent to less than 1.7 percent, as compared with the national average of 7.5 percent.

"The benefits NCH Healthcare System have experienced are a tremendous example of how healthcare IT provides clinicians with the tools to demonstrate quality in care," said Trace Devanny, Cerner president. "Technology helps dedicated physicians and nurses become more operationally efficient, fundamentally improving how care is delivered."

By selecting Cerner, NCH chose a supplier with strength in numbers. Cerner has more than 4,300 Cerner Millennium(R) solutions live at nearly 860 client facilities around the world, providing technology solutions for a diverse client base, from independent physicians to nationwide healthcare organizations.

NCH Healthcare System is a non-profit, community-based alliance of more than 500 independent physicians and medical facilities in dozens of locations throughout Collier County and southwest Florida. NCH offers advanced comprehensive care, embracing new, effective ideas in medical care and healing. HealthGrades Hospital Report Card ranked the NCH Healthcare System among the top five percent of hospitals in the Nation for Overall Clinical Excellence.

Cerner Corp. is taking the paper chart out of healthcare, eliminating error, variance and waste in the care process. With more than 1,500 clients worldwide, Cerner is the leading supplier of healthcare information technology. The following are trademarks of Cerner: Cerner, Cerner Millennium, Cerner's logo. (Nasdaq:CERN).

Source: Business Wire

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