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For immediate release:  October 25, 2007

Rehab Department first to go paperless at HRMC
 
The Haywood Regional Medical Center Rehabilitation Department became the first department at the hospital to totally transition from a paper to an electronic environment for Inpatient Rehabilitation Services (physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and wound care), completing the task on Sept. 24. 

One goal of the transition was to streamline reporting processes by only presenting information relevant to the physicians and other clinicians providing patient care. Some other benefits of the transition are:  a more efficient report review process; increased legibility; the data is stored in Patient Care Inquiry and can be retrieved anywhere there is Meditech access.

The expected outcome will include enhanced patient safety and satisfaction, hospital officials say.

“EMR facilitates a more accurate patient encounter, assisting in more timely and effective care,” said Chuck Nettles, director of Rehabilitation Services. “The new reports are a great enhancement. We commend IT for their excellent work to make these a reality for us.

“The electronic medical records have brought efficiencies that reduce the time needed for documentation and other administrative requirements,” Nettles said. “It allows our clinicians to focus on what they do best … improving the quality of care provided to our patients.”