SOMERS, NY – February 16, 2005 – IBM and BlueWare today announced that West Branch Regional Medical Center, a flagship hospital of Northern Michigan Health, has transformed its patient care operations into an electronic based system by digitizing all of its patient care records. As a result, the hospital has saved more than 50 thousands dollars in the first six months and administrative staff inefficiency has been slashed by as much as 40 percent.
Inefficiencies also existed within the organization’s accounts payable department, as billing was delayed while staff awaited paper-based medical records. Since the implementation of the information management system, the accounts receivable days have dropped from 90 days to 60 days.
The integrated IBM and BlueWare solution, has replaced the hospital’s existing paper-based patient records into an electronic format that enables authorized physicians and nurses to gain real-time access to historical patient data, such as digital access to x-rays and other medical lab results. Now medical personnel can respond more rapidly to patient requirements by having access to the patients’ medical history instantaneously.
In the past, physicians spent too much time locating information on paper-based patient charts, such as the patients’ medical history, medication prescribed to the patient for treatment and the medical test results. The process of manually locating this data delayed patient assistance and care process. The new electronic health medical records solution provides doctors with more real-time access to patient history and is also helping flag potential patient safety problems, such as medication allergies and interactions, before a patient suffers harm or potential death due to delayed access of information on patient history.
Reducing healthcare cost and improving patient care by adopting digital technology systems for handling patient records is outlined as a major priority for President Bush’s 2006 budget and agenda. The administration plans to solicit $125 million in funds for IT-related health projects. Recognizing that healthcare industry has diverse needs based on today’s regulatory environment, IBM is working with several ISVs such as BlueWare so they can capitalize on a wide range of resources to more effectively develop customized solutions that meet the healthcare industry requirements.
BlueWare, a Michigan-based solution provider specializing in electronic health-management solutions, is an ISV Advantage partner and part of IBM’s PartnerWorld Industry Networks for Healthcare. This is one of IBM’s primary initiatives designed to provide business partners with go-to-market sales support and technical resources specifically tailored to meet customer needs industry by industry. BlueWare is also a winner of the PartnerWorld Beacon Awards 2005 competition, which honors IBM Business Partners for their ingenuity, customer satisfaction and outstanding achievements in providing On Demand Business solutions. Nearly 600 nominations are judged by a team of leading industry journalists, analysts, and IBM executives, who selected winners in 31 award categories.
Based on IBM DB2 Content Manager software and IBM eServer iSeries, the Wellness Connection solution provides the physicians and nurses with an integrated suite of applications that manage and digitally store patient data and offer remote access of patient data to authorized physicians. The new solution built on a non-proprietary IT infrastructure is significantly improving the duration in which the patient enters the hospital and is attended by a physician for treatment.
“Patients undergoing tests and treatment often move among the various facilities we cover within the hospital and the medical records wouldn’t immediately follow,†explains Randy Lewis, Information Systems Director, West Branch Regional Medical Center. “This made it difficult for physicians to access information and as a result the potential existed for treatment to be delayed or tests repeated. Now, with the help of the IBM and BlueWare solution, we have been able to transform the hospital’s operations into an on demand system that allows authorized staff to access all patient data in real-time and enables clinicians to deliver the highest quality of patient care,†said Lewis.
Patient safety has also become a prime directive nationwide and healthcare consumers are seeking facilities where they feel that their information is secure. With the new solution patient safety has improved significantly due to the ability of caregiver’s access to the patient’s history that can be accesses only by authorized users. Consumers also demand efficiency and speed of care particularly in the emergency room and Wellness Connection is now helping address those issues effectively as well. The new solution has enabled the hospital to comply with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) rules and regulations focused on improved patient safety.
“Working with IBM was extremely helpful in bringing West Branch Medical Center on board,” said Rose Harr, CEO, BlueWare. “Access to IBM’s technical resources through PartnerWorld Industry Networks program enabled us to develop an open and secure electronic medical records solution that allowed West Branch Medical Center to improve physician efficiency. Our customers recognize the value we bring to them through our relationship with IBM and our relationship with IBM is helping us sell solutions with increasing success into the on demand world of healthcare.”
As part of the PartnerWorld Industry Networks initiative, ISVs work with IBM to port their applications to IBM’s open infrastructure, with a special focus on developing industry specific solutions. The PartnerWorld Industry Networks also provide rich marketing and sales tools to support ISVs in generating and closing industry opportunities.
About IBM
With 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate, IBM is the world’s largest information technology company. IBM is a leading provider of e-business solutions and is dedicated to helping companies, business partners and developers leverage the potential of the Internet and network computing across a wide range of businesses and industries. The company offers a host of cross-industry and industry specific solutions designed to meet the needs of companies of all sizes. For more information on partnering with IBM, please visit: www.ibm.com/isv.
About BlueWare
BlueWare, Inc. is a software firm that develops and supports the Wellness Connection Suite for healthcare facilities. The Wellness Connection Suites’ modules include Electronic Medical/Patient Record System, Transcription/Dictation System, Healthcare Specific CRM (Customer Relationship Management), Healthcare Specific Intranet, and Healthcare Specific Extranet. BlueWare is a solution provider to hospitals, clinics, and home healthcare agencies. In addition to being an IBM Premier Business Partner, BlueWare is also an Advanced Lotus ISV, providing product sales, support, and service. BlueWare also provides consultation for disaster recovery, planning for present and future technologies, and management of data and images.
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