September 2018

Thoughts From Our President

If enough people say it, maybe it’s true? I want to thank our clients for continually sharing their positive comments about our services to various vendor evaluators. We are proud to report we are the top-rated company in every MEDITECH specific study that KLAS has done over the past five years, and we maintain consistently strong scores in their continuous reporting. In August we learned Black Book Market Research ranked Navin, Haffty & Associates #1 in the “2018 MEDITECH Implementation Consultants” category. The following excerpt is from their website:

Black Book Research announced the top information technology advisors and consultants as collected from nearly 2,000 healthcare providers and organizations in client experience and satisfaction. In total, 142 consultant firms received crowd-sourced evaluations from the polls conducted Q1 to Q3 2018.

Again, I want to thank our clients for their praise. We set a high standard for ourselves and hope to continue to give each of our clients a reason to speak favorably about NHA as a partner committed to your success.

John Haffty, President
Navin, Haffty & Associates

6.1 Sites: Reasons to Consider MEDITECH Expanse

If you’re utilizing MEDITECH 6.1, you may wonder if the value of the new capabilities in Expanse are worth the effort of an upgrade. In short, the answer is yes, due to the significant enhancements that would benefit your organization. While there is no charge from MEDITECH for this upgrade, there are direct and indirect costs that warrant consideration.

First and foremost, Expanse includes the web version for both Acute and ED physicians, providing the same look and feel across the continuum with Ambulatory. Physicians are reporting the web version is the most efficient EMR they have worked with, reducing clicks and increasing productivity. NHA had the privilege of partnering with the first wave of hospitals that went LIVE with Expanse and each are proudly hosting site visits (on a select basis).

Beyond physician productivity and satisfaction (as if there needs to be another reason), you might consider these significant enhancements. Each of these enable easier collaboration and improved communications among all caregivers and are the results of extensive input and feedback from many clinicians:

• The One Documentation Tool
• Universal Discharge
• One Chart

We believe each of these will be covered in more depth at the MEDITECH Physician and CIO Forum in October.

Some other notable enhancements:

• Allowing the FSV process through the web
• Fetal monitor vendor single sign-on access

What does it take to upgrade an existing 6.1 site to Expanse?

• There is a hardware/technology requirement to support the increased web access. This may have a cost and should be discussed with your technology partner.
• Evaluate end user device requirements that may need to be purchased to utilize the web features. Tablet users have reported greater satisfaction as the web platform is optimized for those devices.
• There may be third-party costs or work effort associated with enhanced content or tools from First Databank, Nuance, Forward Advantage (for single sign-on) and IMO (version 2.0 is highly recommended).
• While this is a project of significant effort to implement, the new features enhance order management, clinical documentation and discharge processes. You will need to commit a project manager or team leader, physician champions, IT staff, pharmacy and clinical staff. Beyond software updates and testing, the advantages associated with workflow process improvements and efficiencies should be very satisfying for your physicians.
• If your physician advisory committee has become dormant, you will want to revive it. As with any change in software and processes, user education is critical to a smooth implementation and rapid adoption.
• Although MEDITECH is not providing on-site assistance, they are conducting nine content specific webinars each month to support this effort.

If you need more information, contact your MEDITECH representative or NHA at info@navinhaffty.com.

MEDITECH Expanse – Web Presentation Layer

We were recently asked which users should and should not have web access with MEDITECH Expanse. Here is how we are advising our clients:

• All providers (except those who use Oncology [ONC]) should have web access
• Any other user creating reports that will be signed by a web user will need web access; these include scribes and may include rehab therapists
• All IT staff supporting web should have access to both web and desktop

Why not nurses?

While Web Acute/ED has been designed for physicians, nurses have already taken advantage of some web technology via widgets as well as leveraging Web Presentation Layer (WPL) in areas like critical care and surveillance. The first focus for leveraging web for nursing is the new Expanse Point-of-Care. This product streamlines everything that should be done at the point of care, encouraging real time documentation and clinical decision support.

NHA has had the privilege of being the consulting partner for most of the early Expanse implementations that have successfully gone LIVE and will continue to share our insights.  If you have any questions, email us at info@navinhaffty.com.

NHA and Navigant Studies Conclude Academic Medical Centers Trail Non-Academics on Cost and Quality Metrics

NHA has published studies that prove academic medical centers trail non-academics on cost and quality metrics. Navigant Consulting recently published a study which validates our findings. Here is an excerpt from their website:

Despite steady improvements, a new analysis shows academic medical centers (AMCs) generally trail non-AMCs across a variety of cost and quality metrics. The study from Navigant also found that quality outcomes are not significantly better at high-cost AMCs and non-AMCs, compared to low-cost ones. According to the analysis, Medicare median wage and case mix index (CMI)-adjusted cost per case was 5.8% higher at AMCs versus non-AMCs in 2017. 

Analysis results also suggest:

• AMCs received more overall value-based program penalties from 2016-2018, with 40% getting seven or more of nine possible penalties versus 23.1% of non-AMCs
• Although AMC overall weighted performance on CMS readmission, hospital-acquired condition, and value-based program measures increased 10.4% from 2016 to 2018, AMC scores still trail non-AMCs by 1.3 points

Navigant’s analysis is based on data from 387 U.S. hospitals (175 AMCs, 212 non-AMCs) with more than $500 million in annual net patient revenue and 10,000 annual discharges. Facilities that didn’t report financial data in 2016 and CMS value-based program scores for FY 2018 were excluded from the analysis.

We wanted to share this information with our readers and encourage those interested to go to the Navigant website to read more on this study. We thought this would be interesting to the MEDITECH community as AMCs generally use Epic or Cerner software, both often making claims about their impact on cost and quality. NHA has published studies demonstrating superior outcomes at hospitals that use MEDITECH compared to those using these other vendors. Our research is based on the entire CMS database and we are open to questions on our independence. The study by Navigant, a consulting company with over 5,900 employees according to their website, validates our conclusion. To see our studies, visit our research page.

Canadian Corner

One of the most interesting aspects of entering the Canadian market has been our observation of the differences in the use of the MEDITECH EHR. We have witnessed hospitals in the U.S. utilizing the MEDITECH software for patient safety, and strongly suggest Canadian hospitals take advantage of these features. In our opinion, the most significant tool for patient safety is MEDITECH’s Bedside Verification (BV) software. Multiple studies in the U.S. have documented the effectiveness of this software in virtually eliminating medication administration errors.

Beyond the specific benefits around medication administration errors, the process of scanning medications and patient wrist bands has two notable benefits: reduced time spent on nursing documentation and medication information updated real-time in the EMR, providing all clinicians the ability to make more informed clinical decisions in a more timely manner. Without BV, some nurses complete their documentation hours after administering medications, impacting the ability of other caregivers to assess their impact. For those wanting more information, here is the product brief on BV, which is available in all platforms (MAGIC, C/S and Expanse).

Tied closely to BV is MEDITECH’s Expanse Point-of-Care software. The first early adopter is going LIVE this month and there is a webinar on September 25 (see Calendar of Events section below). MEDITECH’s Expanse Point-of-Care software extends the mobile capabilities of the Patient Care System by enabling care providers to review patient lists, administer medications, document care, and perform other functions at the patient’s bedside utilizing a smartphone type device they are likely using for other tasks. With Expanse Point-of-Care, you can use these devices to:

• Enhance patient safety through mobile barcode scanning
• Scan, acknowledge, review, administer, and co-sign medications
• View detailed allergies and adverse drug reactions
• Receive immediate notification of due and overdue medications and interventions
• Review patient lists and document care
• Sort worklists by name, room and bed, or next action to prioritize workloads

We encourage our Canadian friends that have not taken advantage of BV’s capabilities to give this serious consideration. If you need more information, contact your MEDITECH representative or email NHA at info@navinhaffty.com.

KLAS Update

We would like to share recent commentary collected by KLAS from organizations where we are providing services:

“Navin Haffty did a fabulous job. We collectively put together a comprehensive package that was affordable. Consulting is not cheap, but they provided wonderful value. I would ask them to come back again if I were doing things over again.” – CNO

“Our most recent engagement with Navin Haffty was a staff supplementation for an upgrade. The vendor has done optimization assessments for us, and they have always been great. They are one of our preferred vendors for issues with MEDITECH systems. The consultant that Navin Haffty sent was excellent and extremely knowledgeable. That person was motivated, responsible, professional, proactive, and had integrity. The consultant also communicated with us and asked appropriate questions when necessary.” – Analyst/Coordinator

Please note selected commentaries may not represent the whole of provider sentiment related to this product or service. For a complete view, visit KLASresearch.com.

Quick Notes

• MEDITECH announced its first MEDITECH as a Service (MaaS) client, Montgomery General Hospital, Montgomery, West Virginia. For the full story, click here.
• MEDITECH recently held its 2018 Revenue Cycle Summits for Expanse/6.x and MAGIC/C/S clients. This was attended by almost 100 customers. For more details, click here.
• We recommend taking a look at MEDITECH’s recent blog post, What the 2019 proposed MACRA changes mean for you.
• Congratulations to Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital, St. Johnsbury, Vermont, on their recent Go LIVE with MEDITECH Expanse (Web Acute and Web Ambulatory). NHA is proud to have been the READY-certified consulting partner for this implementation.
• NHA is pleased to announce we have been selected by the following organizations for their upcoming projects:
  • Conway Regional Health System, Conway, Arkansas – 6.15 Ambulatory Implementation
  • Highlands Medical Center, Scottsboro, Alabama – MU Stage 3 Project Management
  • Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland – Expanse Implementation
  • Pine Creek Medical Center, Dallas, Texas – Client/Server Optimization

Calendar of Events

Upcoming conferences:

MUN Conference 2018
September 26-27
Liverpool, United Kingdom

NHA will be attending this year’s MUN Conference where MEDITECH will explain why Expanse is the web-based EPR you’ve been waiting for.

2018 Physician and CIO Forum
October 17-18
MEDITECH’s Foxborough, MA Conference Center

If you are planning to attend, it would be wise to register as soon as possible since last year’s event approached maximum capacity. Here are some of the sessions being offered:

• Expanse, from there to now! The European experience of a CIO and MIO
• Building Standard Content to Address the Healthcare Needs of Today and Tomorrow
• Diabetes Management Toolkit (Expanse, Ambulatory)
• Cybersecurity in Healthcare; Effective Strategies for Protecting Your Organization
• Problem List Evolution
• Opioid Management Toolkit (Expanse)
• The Journey to a Fully Digitised Oncology System
• Choose Your Own Adventure: Analytics Edition
• Clinical Informatics and Why the CIO and Physician Relationship Matters
• Population Health: Preparing to Launch
• Transforming to Expanse – What you need to know!
• Mobile Technology Streamlines Patient Care Documentation (Expanse)
• Web ED in the Urgent Care Setting

Several of us from NHA will be there, and since we are local to MEDITECH’s offices we can easily arrange to meet before or after the Forum. To arrange a meeting, contact David LaFontaine.

Once again this year, NHA, CloudWave and Forward Advantage are hosting the Welcome Reception for MEDITECH customers, which will be held the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 16. Most of the NHA leadership team will be present, and we look forward to seeing you there.

Upcoming MEDITECH webinars (all times listed in EDT):

Business and Clinical Analytics
September 13, 2:00 PM | 60 min.
This refreshed 60-minute webinar provides an in-depth look at how MEDITECH’s Business and Clinical Analytics (BCA) can help your organization increase efficiency, measure progress, and improve its clinical, financial, and operational performance.

Population Health: Supporting the Challenges of Today and the Opportunities of Tomorrow
September 18, 2:00 PM | 30 min.
As the healthcare paradigm shifts from volume to value, see how MEDITECH can facilitate new roles, processes, and strategies to help you deliver proactive care at an affordable price.

Physician Experience: Acute
September 20, 2:00 PM | 60 min.
This high-level demonstration of MEDITECH’s Expanse EHR showcases the evolution of its bold functionality within the inpatient space. See how MEDITECH’s Acute solution, a product developed by physicians, for a physician’s unique workload, optimizes workflow and increases productivity.

Gain Mobility with MEDITECH’s Expanse Point-of-Care Solution
September 25, 2:00 PM | 30 min.
Learn how MEDITECH Expanse Point-of-Care (POC) software offers flexibility to the care providers’ workflow. Attendees will learn how these components help nurses, LPNs, aides, therapists and other clinicians and how POC complements the mobile capabilities of MEDITECH’s Patient Care and Patient Safety solution.

Mastering the Physician Mindset with MEDITECH Expanse
September 26, 2:00 PM | 60 min.
See how MEDITECH Expanse offers physicians the modern, personalized workflows they deserve, through mobile web-based navigation.

MEDITECH Expanse Revenue Cycle: Every Claim Has a Story
September 27, 2:00 PM | 60 min.
Learn how MEDITECH’s end-to-end integration can help you to minimize lost charges, reduce claim rejections, and improve employee productivity.

NHA is Hiring

If you are interested in consulting, consider joining us. NHA continues to need excellent MEDITECH specialists and for the fifth year in a row, we have been named to the “Best Places to Work in Healthcare” by Modern Healthcare magazine.

We are currently looking for Canadians with MEDITECH implementation experience as clinical leads/project managers for Canadian based Expanse/6.1 projects.

If you are interested, please contact us at recruiting@navinhaffty.com or call us at (855) 309-9334. See what positions are currently available by visiting the NHA Careers page.

Please note that at this time we are only able to consider those able to travel up to 80% of the time (also employees from MEDITECH and our clients cannot be considered).

Client Job Board

If you are interested in exploring new positions at other organizations, visit the client job board section of our website. This is a free service of NHA to the MEDITECH community. Currently, there are many postings from MEDITECH organizations. If you or a colleague are interested, check out what’s open.

If you would like to include your organization’s listing on the NHA website, please email Katie Kelly at kkelly@navinhaffty.com. Please note that as this is a courtesy to the MEDITECH community, we will not accept postings from recruiting companies.