Saddleback Memorial Implements Electronic Health Record (EHR) System Further Improving Patient Care and Safety

LAGUNA HILLS, Calif. (August 3, 2006) — MemorialCare Medical Centers announces the roll-out of their new electronic health record (EHR) system at Saddleback Memorial Medical Center (SMMC), — a week after the Institute of Medicine released a report calling for all prescriptions to be written electronically by 2010 to improve patient safety.

The EHR enhances physicians and clinical staff’s ability to make decisions with as much information as possible at the point of care. The new state-of-the-art system enables the entire patient care team to better coordinate care through immediate access to secure patient and medical data online in real time. The ultimate goal will be to eliminate most of the paper used in patient care planning, education and documentation.

Doctors’ orders and prescriptions are now entered into a computer rather than handwritten, reducing the risk of transcription errors and other mistakes. Prescriptions are immediately checked for drug crossover interactions and allergies. Evidence-based guidelines, decision support tools and other safety checks are integrated into the EHR.

“Patients are already benefiting from enhancements in safety, clinical accuracy and patient-centered care,” says Steve Geidt, Chief Executive Officer, SMMC. “This fully integrated system will enable us to take patient care to the next level, dramatically impacting the way we deliver care for the safety and well-being of our patients.”

“This is a huge leap forward for our physicians and medical staff. We knew the learning curve would be steep, but the adoption rate of our physicians is very impressive,” said David Lagrew, MD, Chief of Staff. “In planning this implementation, we anticipated it would take at least 4 months to have 80% physician utilization. We hit 84% in the first week. We also did not anticipate how quickly the doctors would virtually stop dictating. These changes have reduced the turn-around time in getting information on the chart and the notes are more legible, both of which benefit patient care.”

SMMC is the first of five hospitals in the MemorialCare system to roll out EHR, an investment of over $50 million to implement the Epic inpatient clinical information system. Only 10% of hospitals in the nation are currently implementing EHRs.

• Saddleback Women’s Hospital, with elegant LDRP suites, a fetal diagnostic center and a neonatal intensive care unit;
• Saddleback Heart Institute and Wellness Center, which features a comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation program and a variety of health and wellness classes, screenings and support;
• Saddleback Rehabilitation Center and Orthopedic Services, which offer inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation programs and comprehensive orthopedic services, including hip and knee replacements;
• Saddleback Cancer Services, with a full line of oncology treatments, including state-of-the-art diagnostic services; and
• Saddleback Coordinated Home Care and Hospice, which provide skilled home care and hospice services.

Media Contacts:
Elisabeth Sezonov
Email: esezonov@memorialcare.org
Phone: (949) 452-3064
Cell: (949) 241-2168

Carla Asta
Email: casta@memorialcare.org
Phone: (562)933-1853
Cell: (949)322-0882