Nash Health Care is embarking on a 15-month, multi-million dollar Cerner clinical implementation project called “On Track for ePatient Safety.” The project will dramatically enhance the way patient care is delivered. On Track foe ePatient Safety will streamline the electronic medical record documentation process, improve patient safety, and save the hospital system millions of dollars over the next seven years.

"We are designing new tools and processes that will serve us and our patients for the next 10 to 15 years," said David Hinkle, senior vice president and chief information officer at Nash Health Care. "We will be able to design patient safety into the fabric of our electronic communications with each other...the team spirit that has characterized how we have worked to get to this point has been wonderful. "

Essentially, the system will bring all electronic medical records, documentations and reports under a single, standardized and streamlined clinical information system. As a result, the more user-friendly interface will allow physicians, nurses, and other health care providers to improve communication, run reports easily, and integrate information that will help continually improve the safety and care of patients.

The project is scheduled to be completed and "go-live" in March 2011.

Larry Chewning, president and CEO of Nash Health Care, said, "Once implemented, this new software and hardware will fundamentally change the way we deliver patient care. In the end, our decision to invest in the Cerner system was driven by the desire to improve the way we deliver patient care, making it more efficient and safer.”

Cerner is a global supplier of health care solutions. Working together with more than 8,000 clients worldwide, Cerner is solving health care’s many challenges by making sure the right people have the right information at the right time.  Implementation of the Cerner system at Nash Health Care will ultimately result in around $8 million in benefits over the next seven years.

Leslie Hall, senior vice president and chief nursing officer, emphasized that having a single information system and integrated medical record throughout the hospital system is a vital part of Nash Health Care’s mission to provide superior quality health care services to the community.

“The implementation of a new clinical information system is a huge step forward for Nash Health Care,” she said. “The role of a single information system and an integrated medical record throughout the organization is critical to supporting both our clinical and business strategic initiatives.”