Going Paperless
in
Press Release
Mille Lacs Health System, Onamia, MN
by Mary Rains, Marketing Manager
Contact Mary (320) 532-2608 or mrains@mlhealth.org.
Members of the Emergency Department staff at Mille Lacs Health System in Onamia have been participating in training for the new Emergency Department Information System (EDS) The department will be going paperless with a new software program that does away with dictation and written orders.
According to Peter Lindbloom, Emergency Department Manager, the MLHS hospital electronic health record health management system – hosted by Medhost − will enhance the operation of providing emergency care in several ways:
- Improved safety.
- Improved patient “through-put.” The patient experience will be streamlined and smoother, from admission to the emergency department through to discharge.
- E-Prescribing will enable providers to send prescriptions directly to pharmacies. This is a good safety measure because prescriptions can’t be altered or stolen.
- It will provide users the ability to generate reports and have access to a more robust database.
In mid-September, approximately 40 employees – physicians, PAs, nurses, NARs, and registration staff − attended training sessions. “Super users” spent additional time in training.
The new system will begin near the end of September, but Lindbloom says it’s normal nationwide that when a new system is begun, there will a period of adjustment as users adapt to the changes. “From the time we implement this, things may slow down,” he says. “But eventually we’ll all be up to speed and this new system will be more efficient for everyone involved.”
