UH names chief of electronic-records project
Regina McEnery
Plain Dealer Reporter
A physician and information science expert at the Cleveland Clinic has broken ranks to oversee the implementation of University Hospitals’ $88 million electronic medical records system.
Dr. Holly Miller has been appointed UH’s chief medical information officer. She joined the Clinic in 1999 as director of the clinical Internet systems and is now managing director of eCleveland Clinic.
Miller steps into her new role as UH, the region’s second-largest health system, is rolling out a massive effort to streamline electronic medical records.
“This is an incred ibly exciting oppor tunity,” said Miller, who will assume her new post later this month. “To have the right information for the right patient at the right time is of paramount importance.”
University Hospitals first announced the record-keeping project last January, when it launched a $1 billion expansion that also includes a new cancer hospital, suburban hospital and major enhancements to UH Case Medical Center’s neonatal intensive care and emergency departments.
In August, University Hospitals rolled out a $2.5 million upgrade of its electronic records system designed to connect more than 7,000 physicians affiliated with the system. The new portal, a password-protected Web site, allows doctors to get, in seconds, the medical histories of patients via a secure Internet server linking UH’s 11 hospitals and 15 outpatient facilities.
Eventually, patients will be able to get their electronic medical records online and, with a click of the mouse, obtain reliable information on medical conditions. With time, it may even be possible for information to flow between systems, allowing for more streamlined care.
Miller said the goal is to assure the safety of patients and improve quality of care. For instance, electronic medical-record management can be used to monitor the use of beta blockers, which are generally recommended for heart attack victims to improve life expectancy.
“This is an incred ibly exciting oppor tunity,” said Miller, who will assume her new post later this month. “To have the right information for the right patient at the right time is of paramount importance.”
University Hospitals first announced the record-keeping project last January, when it launched a $1 billion expansion that also includes a new cancer hospital, suburban hospital and major enhancements to UH Case Medical Center’s neonatal intensive care and emergency departments.
In August, University Hospitals rolled out a $2.5 million upgrade of its electronic records system designed to connect more than 7,000 physicians affiliated with the system. The new portal, a password-protected Web site, allows doctors to get, in seconds, the medical histories of patients via a secure Internet server linking UH’s 11 hospitals and 15 outpatient facilities.
Eventually, patients will be able to get their electronic medical records online and, with a click of the mouse, obtain reliable information on medical conditions. With time, it may even be possible for information to flow between systems, allowing for more streamlined care.
Miller said the goal is to assure the safety of patients and improve quality of care. For instance, electronic medical-record management can be used to monitor the use of beta blockers, which are generally recommended for heart attack victims to improve life expectancy.
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