Background
As a member of the Boston-based Partners HealthCare network, Wentworth-Douglass Hospital
(WDH) recently embarked upon the implementation of Partners’ Epic instance to their organization. With healthy margins, expanding services and a focus on practice acquisition, WDH was already a leading, innovative hospital focused on growth, and this implementation represented a momentous next step on their technology roadmap. However, concurrent initiatives and limited bandwidth made executing their Technical Dress Rehearsal a challenge – one that WDH planned for and met head on with the help of a trusted partner.
The Challenge
The TechnicalDress Rehearsal (TDR) is a critical technology-targeted testing event that, when executed effectively, mitigates hardware and device issues at go-live that can adversely impact both end users and patients. Already engaged with a full slate of capital projects and complex technical integration, the Epic implementation maxed out the bandwidth of WDH staff, and no full-time resource was available to oversee the TDR. Additionally, Partners’ integration tools and methodology, as well as the Epic system were new to WDH; and implementing them took time and coordinated teamwork. WDH identified early in their implementation planning that overseeing the execution of the TDR would be a full-time job. After assessing the scope of the project and the impact that would have on their own project management staff, Deb Timmons, WDH Technical Services Manager, made the call to solicit an experienced partner with the required expertise and experience to successfully execute their TDR.
The Solution
e4health deployed their TDR Swat Team to plan and execute the TDR, which comprised of a Project Advisor, a Project Manager, a Scheduling Coordinator, and Test Script Executors. As an objective third party, e4health was able to deliver expertise and guidance to help bridge transitional gaps between Partners HealthCare and WDH to effectively move the program forward as a unified team: “The culture changed – we took full ownership as a group and solved problems together”, said Timmons. “If a stranger was on the line, you wouldn’t be able to tell who was working for which entity.” e4health oversaw TDR progress, reporting and execution, providing transparency and awareness to the current status, allowing the WDH team to focus on other mission-critical initiatives. e4health’s past experience and expertise provided WDH with a clear understanding of the prerequisites required to successfully complete the TDR, which were identified and communicated in time for them to be actionable, leading to the project’s successful completion.
Results and Insights
e4health completed the TDR successfully, effectively testing every device and workstation in the WDH network and clearing the runway needed to set up WDH for a successful go-live.
How Can We Help?
e4health’s expertise in mid-revenue cycle management and its commitment to empowering better health through innovative healthcare solutions was evident in the success of this project. For more information about e4health’s charge flow solutions and how they can transform your organization’s revenue strategy, visit e4.health.