As a pioneer of the electronic medical record, Riverside chose EPIC as a single vendor solution
After a year of analysis and an extensive evaluation, Riverside Health System will embark on a path to replace its major electronic medical record (EMR) and revenue cycle systems. During this last year, Riverside narrowed its options to a single vendor solution provided by Athena Health, Cerner Corporation or Epic Systems Corporation. These vendors emerged as the leading information technology solution companies who could provide solid integrated solutions.
After this evaluation process was completed the decision was made to enter into contract negotiations with Epic. It is our belief that replacing the various core systems and consolidating them under a single integrated platform will be in the best interest of our patients, caregivers, and Riverside's operations.
While Riverside has been named one of the nation's "Most Wired" health care systems for ten consecutive years, a change to an integrated system will be transformational and needed as we face the many new challenges in health care.
This decision will position us to achieve some major goals including:
- a complete patient record that spans the continuum of care, enhances patient outcomes, transitions of care, patient safety, and patient quality;
- a common registration, scheduling and billing system that is integrated with the medical record;
- an enhanced ability to support "Clinically Integrated Networks" and "Population Health" initiatives;
- the ability to have a unified patient bill that encompasses all areas of Riverside;
- a reduction in the complexities of inteRiverside Foundationacing the many computer applications;
- an improvement in data governance by reducing the number of software applications throughout the health care system;
- a reduction, over time, in the operating expenses associated with information technology, and
- the incorporation of new and exciting technologies such as mobile computing, enhanced patient portals and other tools that enhance the patient and provider experience.
A change of this magnitude will touch nearly every area of the organization. It is a major endeavor but I am confident that, with your engagement, Riverside will do an exceptional job and these conversions will be a great testament to the high caliber of talent and commitment of the Riverside family.
Our current major vendor partners, (Siemens, Cerner, McKesson, Athena Health, etc.), while disappointed in this decision, will be very supportive of Riverside during this multi-year journey.
Over the next few months, Riverside will be assembling the core team to help us navigate through the many changes ahead. With our commitment, to the Change Acceleration Process (CAP), I am certain this transition will be enormously successful.