Pamela Banchy, RN-BC, is the CIO and vice president of clinical informatics at Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio-based Western Reserve Hospital.
The physician-owned hospital has earned American Hospital Association's Most Wired distinction and has been a first-place winner in Beacon's Best Most Innovative Workplace award. Here, Ms. Banchy outlines the hospital's IT challenges and opportunities for the future.
https://www.westernreservehospital.org/about-us/recent-awards.aspx
Question: What is your strategy for optimizing your EHRs?
Pamela Banchy: My plan is to continue to provide our patients and care team with efficient and timely access to information and improve efficiencies with an integrated EHR.
Q: How do you approach clinician training and communication to ensure EHRs are a tool instead of a hindrance to care?
PB: We focus on governance with a physician steering committee composed of a multidisciplinary team, including pharmacy, nursing and residents. This forum allows for communication, decisions and closed loop feedback. We also attend regular resident 1:1 training with enhancements and changes to the EMR.
Q: Where do you see the biggest opportunity for health IT to improve the patient experience?
PB: Patient engagement that is easy to use, affordable and adaptable to the needs to the population they serve and their families.