Streamlined connectivity between electronic health record (EHR) and pharmacy operations enhances safety, caregiver productivity and speeds medication orders
JACKSON, Miss., Oct. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Marrinson Senior Care Residences, a Fort Lauderdale-based, family-owned and operated group of senior communities, is the first to use interoperable functionality developed by American HealthTech between its EHR system and Omnicare. The new workflow enhances medication accuracy and safety, saves Marrinson's clinical staff time when managing medication orders and refills; and speeds the time it takes for an order to transmit for dispensing. In addition, medication waste is minimized, providing a savings in cost and time in returning or destroying unneeded medications.
Scott Lipman, Chief Operating Officer at Marrinson, pleased with progress at one of their skilled nursing centers, stated, "The new pharmacy interoperability developed by American HealthTech is a new mode of communication for our nurses. We love that transmission to the pharmacy is immediate upon entering an order and that medication information is accurately reflected on the medical record." Marrinson has been optimizing operations with American HealthTech over the past several years. Lipman summarized their efforts saying, "This latest innovation helps us stay on top of everything. It eliminates unnecessary processes and mitigates errors. Ultimately, it allows us to stay focused on our residents' care."
With the success at Marrinson, American HealthTech is certified by Omnicare for interoperability between EHRs and pharmacy operations for all mutual customers. Omnicare's vendor certification process is designed to benefit all parties, as it assures shared customers that patient safety and customer service will always be our highest goals through the paperless order integration process.
Deep interoperability is a next step beyond admission, discharge and transfer (ADT) interfaces between systems and greatly improves upon paper-based communication processes. Brenda Kessler, MBA, RN, Clinical Specialist with American HealthTech explained, "Some pharmacies or software providers push ADT information from one system to the next. This is a great start, but a larger opportunity exists to take interoperability performance further. The interoperability provided by American HealthTech and Omnicare streamlines the order and keeps the medical records updated and as accurate as possible, something absolutely necessary for efficiency and quality clinical decision making. Enter once, and the rest is automated."
American HealthTech's President and CEO, Teresa Chase added, "By addressing adverse drug events (ADEs) with interoperability, providers are taking another step in the right direction to reduce hospital readmissions, improve care quality, and manage costs."
About Marrinson Group
Founded in 1966, the Marrinson Group "Family of distinguished Senior Care Residences" has been and continues to be family owned and operated by Ralph A. Marrinson. Mr. Marrinson, a former delegate to the White House Conference on Aging, is a both a leader and a visionary in the healthcare community. Marrinson Group operates independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing communities and offers respite care services in Fort Lauderdale and Margate, Florida; and in Aiken, South Carolina. www.marrinson.com/.
American HealthTech
Headquartered in Jackson, MS, American HealthTech is the skilled nursing industry's Ultimate Connectivity Partner, connecting caregivers, partners, and healthcare networks to drive higher outcomes in the new era of post-acute care. Coast to coast, a fifth of the nation's providers depend on AHT daily for innovations that free hands to care for others. Founded in 1982, American HealthTech is an employee-owned company. www.healthtech.net.
SOURCE American HealthTech