NEWS

WIRES

OTHER

Sisters of St. Francis Health Services Selects McKesson to Automate Emergency Department

Electronic Tracking Board, Medical Records Will Enhance Efficiency, Patient Care

Sisters of St. Francis Health Services, Inc. (SSFHS), a leading Midwest healthcare system with 12 campuses in Indiana and Illinois, announced that it has selected McKesson to automate healthcare delivery in its seven emergency departments (EDs). SSFHS' ED initiative is part of a systemwide effort to increase efficiency and provide safer, higher-quality care in the communities it serves. To achieve those goals, SSFHS will deploy Horizon Emergency Care(TM), part of McKesson's Horizon Clinicals(TM) suite of products designed to improve workflow, reduce care variability and enhance patient outcomes.

"Our EDs see more than 325,000 patients each year and are often the entry point to our entire healthcare system," said Bill Laker, vice president and chief information officer for Alverno Information Services, which provides computer services to SSFHS. "Automating the care delivery process in the ED to create the best patient experience possible is a top priority over the next several years."

SSFHS will first deploy electronic tracking boards to help shorten patient waiting times and alert medical staff when patients' test results are ready. Next it will implement ED clinical documentation tools that enable nurses and other caregivers to electronically document care and simultaneously access patient information for a seamless workflow. If a patient is admitted, the electronic record begun in the ED will be continued though the inpatient stay, enabling safer care while eliminating redundant testing and questioning to help ensure a patient-centered focus. Patient information documented in the ED will also be available online to clinicians through McKesson's Horizon(WP) Physician Portal, already in use throughout the healthcare system. The portal gives clinicians secure "anywhere, anytime" access to the latest patient data, enabling them to make timely and informed decisions about patient care.

"The McKesson Emergency Department System was an overwhelming choice as a solution because it meets the needs not only of our EDs but of the entire organization," said Laker. "It will give us consistent electronic medical records that stay with each patient across care settings, from the ED to wherever the patient receives care as an inpatient."

SSFHS will begin its emergency care system deployment at the Saint Margaret Mercy campus, which has facilities in the cities of Hammond and Dyer, Indiana.

"Hospitals nationwide are faced with reengineering their EDs to keep up with increasing market demands," said Sunny Sanyal, group president for clinical solutions, McKesson Provider Technologies. "McKesson's distinctive competence is the ability to integrate the ED into the information mainstream. We've had a very successful partnership with SSFHS for 15 years, and they recognize that competence. We look forward to expanding our partnership through this new initiative."

About Sisters of St. Francis Health Services

The Sisters of St. Francis began its mission in the United States with the founding of St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Lafayette in 1875, and over the course of more than 125 years, Sisters of St. Francis Health Services has grown into a leading Midwest healthcare system with 10 hospitals in Indiana and two hospitals in Illinois, with a combined workforce of over 16,800 full- and part-time employees.

About McKesson

McKesson Corporation is a Fortune 16 healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining processes and improving the quality and safety of patient care. Over the course of its 170-year history, McKesson has grown by providing pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management across the spectrum of care; healthcare information technology for hospitals, physicians, homecare and payors; hospital and retail pharmacy automation; and services for manufacturers and payors designed to improve outcomes for patients. For more information, visit us at www.mckesson.com.