Daily Key Messages available here.
Support at the elbow, on the desktop and remote
Find support when and where you need it during Go-Live. If you need help or have a question, reach out 24/7 to support staff on your unit, use the “Band-Aid” tool at the top of your screen to get help, or call IHealth Central Support at 1-855-755-7001 or 28555.
How to report a quality or safety concern
• Go to the Go-Live Command Centre in PCC S150, or
• Report it through the Patient Safety and Learning System (PSLS)
BPMH gets a digital upgrade
Island Health’s advanced EHR system allows comprehensive Best Possible Medication History (BPMH) to be easily maintained and updated as patients move through the healthcare system.
Dr. Celia Culley, RJH Clinical Pharmacy Coordinator, highlighted the importance of accurate medication documentation. “When patients are admitted, accurately documenting their home medications is critical,” she said. “Our clinical pharmacy
technicians interview patients at their bedside and electronically document all home medications. This allows physicians to reconcile those medications with new orders. The BPMH process helps identify possible medication reasons for admission. It also optimizes continuity of care, providing reassurance to patients that their home medications are being addressed on admission.”
Previously, the BPMH process involved manual and digital components, requiring pharmacy staff to piece together details from different sources.
“As patients get admitted and discharged, their current medication details will carry over, reducing potential gaps,” said Dr. Sean Spina, Regional Clinical Pharmacy Manager.
Within the first two days of Go-Live, the pharmacy team achieved a 100% rate for BPMH completion within four hours of admission for admitted patients at RJH, a stellar collective effort by staff and an early demonstration of how this change can benefit patient care.
Clarene Ho, RJH Pharmacy Site Coordinator, praised her team’s hard work. “We’ve been anticipating the advanced electronic health record system for a long time and glad that we’re here now. Our team worked hard in preparation. There were hurdles with such a huge change, but pharmacy staff did a fantastic job adapting and rolling with the changes.”
Rainbow rounds enhance IHealth support
In a vibrant display of teamwork and expertise, the “Rainbow Rounds” initiative at RJH is making supportive waves during the implementation of IHealth. These colourful teams of specialists circulate throughout the hospital during Go-Live, ensuring that clinical and medical staff receive the necessary support and guidance.
“Recognizing that we all have different skills, we do our best to be effective knowing that we’re all one resource for this implementation group to support our staff,” says Dr. Eric Shafonsky, Associate Chief Medical Information Officer. This collaborative approach is visually represented by the shirts worn by different support specialists, each symbolizing their unique role and expertise.
Green shirts indicate Clinical Supports, many of whom come from nursing and allied health backgrounds and include team members with implementation experience from Oracle Health/Cerner.
Red shirts are worn by Provider Education and Experience (ProEX) and Clinical Informaticists, focusing on learning, system and workflow optimization and adoption.
Blue shirts are worn by people with a background in IM/IT, devices and other project specialties, who often tackle aspects related to the interface between the hardware and the people who use it.
Purple shirts are physician peer mentors, many of whom have deep experience working in the EHR, providing valuable peer-to-peer guidance and support. Behind
Behind these colours are a host of other people providing additional support through clinical and project operations, in-person and remotely.
Dr. Shafonsky highlights the importance of this diverse team, stating, “At times, one individual colour or group will have that special relationship or technical skill to respond to an emerging issue.” This tailored support is crucial as the hospital navigates the complexities of moving from paper to digital records. It also promotes interaction, coordination and sharing of experience between the various support teams.
ED overflow clinic supports RJH ED during CPOE Go-Live
“It’s 12:45 pm and we’ve already sent between 15 and 18 people to the ED overflow clinic.”
Cathy Edwards is referring to the extension of the Royal Jubilee Hospital emergency department created to support the RJH ED during transition to CPOE. While she is normally manager of the Westshore Urgent and Primary Care Centre (WUPCC), Edwards has been assessing patients who present at the ED to determine if their conditions are suitable for the overflow clinic.
“ED staff seem grateful for the support we are providing – I think they are noticing a big difference,” she said. “Wait times are going down in the ambulatory area, and patients have been so thankful to be getting care fairly quickly.”
Dr. Paul Sawchuk is medical co-lead for South Island UPCCs. He’s joined Edwards in lending support to RJH ED staff by working as a physician in the overflow clinic.
“ED staff have been super supportive in helping us determine how to get the work done through the course of the day and also appreciative that we can take some lower acuity patients off of their list,” he said. “We’ve been able to provide good service to patients and there is a positive sense of camaraderie with staff.”
Between 25 and 32 patients have been seen each day in the ED overflow clinic.