For years, I have specialized in developing, implementing and optimizing electronic health record (EHR) systems. My experiences have involved assessing efficiencies in workflow operations for multiple healthcare facilities, developing clinical content, building training and implementation plans, and practically applying project management principles and methodologies.

After beginning my professional career as a clinical operation EHR training and implementation coordinator at Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center, I then served as a project associate/green belt at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Holy Family Hospital (a part of Providence Health & Services).

My passion for providing end-user support

It was in my role with Providence that I found a great passion for healthcare while engaging in projects that improved patient outcomes and supported the delivery of safe, efficient patient care.

A particularly rewarding experience with Providence was when I was given the opportunity to manage the early Sepsis Identification project. This project allowed care providers to identify the early stages of Sepsis, and my team and I were able to complete the project a month ahead of schedule, save the hospital over approximately $192,000 per year and directly enhance patient outcomes.

After my work with Providence and prior to joining T2 Tech, I spent over five years as an EHR system analyst at Community Medical Center, and once again, I was given the opportunity to help a respected healthcare organization meet patient needs.

I began employment at Community Medical Center in the beginning stages of their NextGen EHR implementation. I was responsible for the development, configuration, training and implementation of the clinical application to over 1000 users. As implementations were completed, I was able to provide post go-live support and clinical content development for optimization.

This experience fueled my continued passion for healthcare IT. I had an incredibly talented and effective team to work with, and it felt as though we were really making headway in our field.

Joining T2 Tech to bridge IT and patient needs

I joined T2 Tech Group as an application analyst to help ensure complex technologies serve the needs of clinicians. Recently, I have been engaged at Kootenai Health in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho on a variety of mission critical technology projects, and I have been fortunate to collaborate amongst the ambulatory teams to improve IT performance.

In my time with T2 Tech, I’ve noticed one very critical aspect of the IT industry in regard to healthcare: as healthcare systems quickly evolve, we recognize the importance of relationships being more paramount than ever before. The significance of forging meaningful connections is just the first step, and I would like to share how we make these bonds possible at T2 Tech.

Proven techniques and ideologies that lead to effective relationships

One crucial principle to turning IT ambitions into human progress is to recognize the value of bridging the gap between clinicians and technology. To bridge the gap between healthcare practitioners and complex technology in our work at T2 Tech Group, we seek to practice the following:

  • Speak the technical language while understanding the clinical language and workflows to facilitate effective communication amongst the two parties
  • Assess workflows to enhance technological optimization with clinical efficiency
  • Be keenly aware of the high costs associated with technology and healthcare, and keep a savvy eye on expenses (financial stewardship)

Turning our ideas to practical solutions

At T2 Tech Group, I am fortunate to work alongside a diverse team with a wealth of experience. Our varied client experiences have given us the ability to use industry-wide best practices to perform gap analyses, provide strategic implementation oversight and provide post-implementation optimization support.

My team members and I focus on being able to recognize where work needs to be done, providing efficient transition solutions and assisting organizations to ensure that everything runs smoothly after new systems are implemented. This eclectic approach has helped us see the big picture and turn ideas into real solutions. None of this would be possible if we did not emphasize the importance of interparty communication.

Bridging communication barriers to ensure the success of IT initiatives

Because they work in different and highly-demanding industries, it is natural for IT professionals and clinicians to speak two different languages, fraught with particular jargons and seemingly distinct priorities. Differences often lead to challenging communications; however, we all know that, in the end, we have one goal: the ability to provide outstanding patient care in the most efficient way possible.

When we start focusing on our common mission, it is amazing what kind of work can be accomplished, and eventually, with strategic effort, successful teams turn their combined attentions to the patients’ healthcare expectations. Patient expectations are simple and boil down to one thing: safe, effective and affordable care.