e-ChannelThe Right Care Right Here

An electronic newsletter for our employees and friends • Available at www.irmc.cc, under ‘Staff Tools’

VOLUME 3 | NUMBER 6 | March 17 2011

Why is IRMC upgrading and expanding the functionality of its electronic health record? Because it is the right thing to do for our patients’ safety and quality of care. Although legislation coming from Congress provides financial incentives to improve our electronic records and processes, our motivation is the safety and quality of care that we provide our patients.

With this new legislation came an onslaught of abbreviations, leaving many of us scratching our heads trying to unscramble the alphabet soup of terms. Our goal today is to begin putting the pieces together; making ARRA, HITECH, EHR, HIE, CPOE, and MU familiar and understandable terms.

The Alphabet Soup of the New World of Electronic TechnologyARRA…HITECH…EHR…HIE…MU…CPOE

Improving Patient Safety and Quality

Unscramble the alphabet soup, and this is what you get:

ARRA American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

CPOE Computerized Provider Order Entry

EHR Electronic Health Record

HIE Health Information Exchange (HIE)

HITECH Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health, a part of ARRA

MU Meaningful Use

continued on page 4

ARRAIn February 2009, Congress

passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) as an economic stimulus package. Funds from ‘The Act’ will go toward many projects aimed at improving education, road construction, public transportation, the criminal justice system—and healthcare.

HITECHThe Health Information

Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) is just one part of the American Recovery and Reinvest-ment Act (ARRA). This is the section of ‘The Act’ that establishes new Medicare and Medicaid financial incentives to stimulate investments in health information technology and its use.

EHRThe Electronic Health Record

(EHR) is a computerized medical record that retains patient health information. This is commonly referred to as a longitudinal electronic health record and includes information such as patient demographics, progress notes, problems, medications, vital signs, past medical history, immunizations, laboratory data and radiology reports. The EHR automates and streamlines the clinician’s workflow. The EHR has the ability to generate a complete record of a clinical patient encounter (visit) - as well as supporting other care-related activities directly or indirectly including evidence-based decision support, quality management, and outcomes reporting.

HIEHealth information exchange

(HIE) is the sharing (exchange) of healthcare-related data among healthcare facilities, health information

ARRAHITECH

EHR

HIE

MU

CPOE

IRMC employees could be found zip-lining and jumping from a 40-foot high pillar on a recent warm and sunny day at the Behavioral Health Center’s Executive R.O.P.E.S (Reality Oriented Experiential Services) Challenge course. Seven employees were working to become certified or earn their recertification on the course during the first full training session on the course in a couple years.

The idea is to utilize the R.O.P.E.S. course more frequently with BHC patients and outside businesses in team-building exercises, said Keenan Mallory, LCSW, who is new to the R.O.P.E.S. coordinator position.

The program is a fantastic tool that is

used with patients, staff for staff devel-opment, outside schools, churches and businesses. The R.O.P.E.S. course offers a balance of ‘classroom’-style learning

and ‘experiential’-style learning. These educational styles combined provide an atmosphere to practice the key tools and skills essential to maximize problem-solving skills and goal setting, while teaching individuals how to work effectively with a team of individuals.

The outdoor R.O.P.E.S. course includes seven low elements, eight high course elements including a zip line, and 40 ft. climbing wall and

12 ft. climbing wall. The indoor R.O.P.E.S. course includes five low elements and four high elements.

IRMC Employees Conquer R.O.P.E.S. Course Certification

Trainees, from left, included: Bryan Barden, MHT; Tom Metzinger, MHT; Joseph Cheries, Psy.D., section chief of Psychology; Keenan Mallory, LCSW; and Chris Ellison, MSW. Carol Ernst, MSW, and Cindy Wilson, CTRS, not pictured, also received training.

Dr. Joseph Cheries jumped from the ‘Pamper Pole’ at a height of about 40 feet for the first time as part of his recertification on the R.O.P.E.S. course.

IRMC Cancer Series Talk Explores Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Colorectal Cancer

Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, accounting for about 20 percent of all cancer deaths. Colon cancer is also one of the most curable types of cancer if it is diagnosed early.

Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer is the topic of IRMC’s sixth Cancer Series lecture tomorrow, March 18, from 2-3:30 p.m.

The lecture, titled What We Can Do to Try to Prevent Colorectal Cancer features radiation oncologist Dr. Stuart Byer; general surgeon Dr. Daniel Glotzer; and hematologist/oncologist Dr. William McGarry. The IRMC Cancer Series is a free community service held at the Emerson Center, 1590 27th Ave., Vero Beach, at the corner of 27th Avenue and 16th Street.

Free colorectal screening kits will be provided, compliments of IRMC’s Cancer Center.

For reservations, please call 563.4627.

Friday, March 25th, marks the local American Cancer Society Relay for Life at Vero Beach High School’s Citrus Bowl. Walkers are needed for the IRMC team! Walkers can sign in when they arrive. Recommended arrival time is 4 p.m. to assist with set-up. Opening ceremonies begin at 6 p.m. Closing ceremonies are at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 26th.

For details and to sign up, please contact Crystal McLaughlin, CNA, 4 N/Oncology, at 772.766.9799.

Walkers and Volunteers Needed for Upcoming Relay for Life

Organized by IRMC rheumatologist Dr. Alistair Kennedy, 20 pre-med students from the Florida Institute of Technology toured IRMC’s Critical Care Unit and Vero Radiology Associates on Feb. 18th. Guest speakers included President/CEO Jeff Susi, Dr. Kennedy and Dr. Randall Bertolette, FSU regional campus dean, Ft. Pierce, who gave a short overview of Florida State University’s medical program, one of the medical schools where they might eventually apply.

Once up in CCU, the FIT students accompanied Dr. George Mitchell, medical director, Critical Care, on multidisciplinary rounds, something usually only found at leading academic medical centers. During their visit to VRA, Dr. Peter Joyce led them through the advanced imaging technology of MRI, CT and PET that can reveal in an instant the cause of illness.

Due to their intense interest, the two-hour tour extended to three hours, giving the students the opportunity to ask questions and meet with several Florida State University medical students

who are currently rotating through IRMC as part of their medical training. We hope by possibly making this an annual event, medical students will consider our local area as an ideal area to practice medicine in the future.

“It was not only helpful, but it was very inspiring,” said FIT senior Alejandro Chavarriaga. “This motivates us to keep going in our studies and lets us see that there is light at the end of the tunnel.”

FIT Pre-Med Students Get a Taste of Real Medicine at IRMC

Above: Dr. Alistair Kennedy, far right, introduced the FIT students to Dr. Eduardo Borja, intensivist, Critical Care Medicine, before they began their tour of the Critical Care Unit.

Left: After hearing an inspiring impromptu talk from Stephanie Reed, a fourth-year medical student with FSU, standing right, Dr. Kennedy introduced the students to Dr. Robert Hendley, IRMC cardiologist, center. Professor Julia Grimwade, Ph.D., chair of the FIT premedical biology program, standing left, accompanied the students.

Bob Gunnoud, R.N., CNOR, right, showed Linh Nguyen, left, and Rafael Mejia-Galvan an anesthesia delivery circuit.

Rafael Mejia-Galvan and Linh Nguyen, seniors at St. Edward’s School, spent the week of March 7 for eight hours each day observing joint replacements, C-sections and open heart surgeries – and they still want to be physicians!

While other high school students have come to IRMC to observe surgeries, Rafael and Linh are the first to come for an entire week, said Bob Gunnoud,

High School Seniors Do ‘First of Its Kind’ Week-Long OR Observation

Orthopedic surgeon Christopher Talley, M.D., right, showed Rafael Mejia-Galvan, left, and Linh Nguyen, examples of joints in a medical book.

R.N., CNOR, nurse educator, Surgical Services. And we would welcome the opportunity to do it again, said Sherry Cooper, R.N., BSN, MSN, CNOR, nurse manager, Surgical Services.

Rafael, who hopes to attend Berea College in Kentucky or Purdue University in Indiana, wants to be an anestheologist. Linh, who is attending Rice University in Texas, hopes to be a trauma surgeon. Both found the week invaluable.

“The doctors answered every question we had and really took the time to show us everything they could,”

Linh said. “They inspired us to be doctors and said we might be taking care of them one day,” Rafael added.

So You Think You Can Sing?

IRMC’s Urgent Care was one of the major sponsors for the Under the Oaks art festival this past weekend at Riverside Park in Vero Beach (across from Vero Beach Museum of Art).

Attendees became aware of the Pointe West and Sebastian centers through Urgent Care banners hung amid the palm trees throughout the event, and Plexiglas stands holding Urgent Care flyers and large bottles of hand sanitizer with Urgent Care labels placed in the food area.

Chris Pearce, Under the Oaks co-chair, said that she does not have a count for this year’s event yet, but she knows that it exceeded last year’s attendance of 80,000 people!

Urgent Care Centers Enjoy High Visibility ‘Under the Oaks’

If you are 65 years of age or over and have a voice that you would like to showcase, come out and be heard! Tri-Rail’s Senior Idol will identify and salute talented singers 65 and older. Auditions, sponsored by IRMC, will be held during Indian River Mall’s ‘Spring Senior Health Fair’ on Wednesday, Apri 13. One finalist will later compete for the title and a $500 grand prize at the final competition in Fort Lauderdale.

IRMC’s own Dr. Eric Carter, medical director, Emergency Services, will serve as one of the judges. To schedule an audition, call 772.770.9404 by Tuesday, April 5.

Friendly Reminder to Delete Unneeded Voicemails

Please review and remove any messages on your voicemail that are not needed. Too many stored messages impact the hospital’s storage system. Thank you!

Alphabet Soup story continued from page 1

organizations (HIO) and government agencies according to national standards. The goal of the HIE is to allow the healthcare provider the ability to access and retrieve a patient’s clinical data in order to provide safer, more timely, efficient, effective, equitable, patient-centered care.

Meaningful Use (MU)The U.S. government’s intent of the

EHR is for hospitals and physicians to use the documented information meaningfully. IRMC currently utilizes medical record data to improve the quality of our patients’ care and looks forward to improving our processes through additional automation…using evidence-based decision support, quality management and outcomes reporting.

CPOEComputerized Provider Order

Entry is how physicians/providers will place patient orders over the computer rather than writing them down in the chart or saying them over the phone. Currently physicians and other providers write orders manually onto a piece of paper, which are then entered into the computer by a nurse, ACC, pharmacist, etc. This can be problematic. Is the order legible? Is the patient allergic to that medication? Can that medication be given with the other medications the patient is on? Was that test already performed or ordered?

When physicians, nurse practitioners, and other providers enter the order into the computer themselves, those questions can be answered immediately

and automatically by the system, thus improving patient safety and the quality of care. Entering this order via computer is called CPOE–computerized provider order entry.

In summaryAs IRMC and hospitals nationwide

move forward with electronic technology to improve patient safety and quality of care, each of us plays a role in this exciting revolution and transformation of medicine.

When you unscramble the alphabet soup of ARRA, HITECH, EHR, HIE, MU, CPOE…what does it spell? Patient Safety and Quality Care!