Beaver Dam Community Hospitals Moves to EHRs with McKesson's Paragon(R) Community HIS

2008-11-10 22:55:04 -

- Beaver Dam Community Hospitals (BDCH), Inc. (Beaver Dam, Wis.) has chosen to implement award-winning healthcare information technology from McKesson to provide a fast track to electronic health records (EHRs). BDCH selected the Paragon(R) community healthcare information system (HIS) to provide integrated clinical and financial information systems and comprehensive EHRs for its new state-of-the-art hospital and facilities. Additionally, the organization will implement McKesson's document management solution, which will enable doctors to sign electronic patient records online and streamline the management of information for all hospital personnel -- from physicians to coders.

"BDCH is committed to optimizing technology to support our clinical excellence initiatives while also enabling us to more efficiently manage our financial performance," explains Scott Abrams, BDCH vice president of finance and chief financial officer. "We knew we needed an integrated system, and Paragon is the perfect fit because we can access all patient information -- clinical and financial -- from one affordable solution to meet our mission of providing and coordinating exceptional healthcare."

A robust solution, Paragon is specifically designed to address the unique needs of a community hospital setting. An electronic charting system will help streamline the charting and billing process by providing immediate access to important patient information whenever and wherever the care team needs it. Point-of-care applications, such as bar-code medication scanning and automatic documentation of administered medication, are designed to ensure that physicians and nurses have the tools they need to provide the safest care possible. McKesson's document management solution provides anytime, anywhere access to review, analyze, code and complete electronic patient records.

"Beaver Dam Community Hospitals has a modern new facility and its selection of McKesson's Paragon solution means it will have the technology to match," said Jim Pesce, McKesson's senior vice president and general manager for Paragon. "We're pleased to help BDCH replace its paper system with our comprehensive, cost-effective and easy-to-use system for the community hospital market."

With the implementation of Paragon, BDCH plans to continue to improve clinical quality and the patient's healthcare experience by enabling quicker, more informed decision making by clinicians, better communication and improved service efficiency. Improved clinical efficiency also is a key goal for BDCH as it works with McKesson's implementation team to redesign processes and achieve optimum value from the new EHR technology. "We don't want to invest in a great system and then implement bad processes that reduce efficiency," said Abrams. "EHRs should help, not hinder, clinicians as they seek to improve one-on-one time with their patients."

Implementing an EHR also serves as a recruitment tool in BDCH's competitive market. "Many physicians and clinicians are being trained in hospitals with electronic health records to access patient records," said Abrams. "When they complete their education, they expect to use electronic systems when they come to BDCH. The Paragon system ensures they will."

About Beaver Dam Community Hospitals, Inc.

Beaver Dam Community Hospitals, Inc. is an independent, non-profit healthcare organization whose objective is to deliver excellence in patient care and wellness programs at a reasonable cost to patients in the greater Dodge County, Wisconsin area. BDCH offers a comprehensive continuum of services to people of all ages, from obstetric and inpatient acute care, through outpatient surgery and oncology services, to rehabilitation, home care, and long-term care. For more information visit www.bdch.com.

About McKesson

McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 18th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining processes, and improving the quality and safety of patient care. McKesson is the longest-operating company in healthcare today, marking its 175th anniversary this year. Over the course of its history, McKesson has grown by providing pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management across the spectrum of care; healthcare information technology for hospitals, physicians, homecare and payors; hospital and retail pharmacy automation; and services for manufacturers and payors designed to improve outcomes for patients. For more information, visit www.mckesson.com.

McKesson Corporation
Yancey Casey, 404-338-2468
yancey.casey@mckesson.com