HMS on the IBM platform: A solid and reliable solution

"We wanted a system that was going to be reliable," Baker said. "That was a big issue with us at the time. HMS' IBM platform is solid and reliable."

Harlan Baker
Information Systems Director
McDonough District Hospital
Macomb, Illinois

Three years ago, Harlan Baker, information systems director for McDonough District Hospital in Macomb, Ill., found himself in a technical nightmare. Baker was trying to run the rural hospital's computer system on four databases using incompatible software from different vendors. Getting information to flow between servers was a constant battle. Clinicians would order tests for patients that never reached the lab; lab workers would update records that never made it into patient files. Outdated software caused hardware glitches that slowed computers and caused frequent crashes. Full system failures in the middle of the day often forced the staff to register patients manually and catch up on filing information electronically later. "It was like a comedy routine making sure that all the systems were working correctly at the same time," Baker said.

The hospital, a 113-bed facility three years ago, Harlan Baker, information systems director for McDonough District Hospital in Macomb, Ill., found himself in a technical nightmare. Baker was trying to run the rural hospital's computer system on four databases using incompatible software from different vendors. Getting information to flow between servers was a constant battle. Clinicians would order tests for patients that never reached the lab; lab workers would update records that never made it into patient files. Outdated software caused hardware glitches that slowed computers and caused frequent crashes. Full system failures in the middle of the day often forced the staff to register patients manually and catch up on filing information electronically later. "It was like a comedy routine making sure that all the systems were working correctly at the same time," Baker said.

The hospital, a 113-bed facility with an average of 53,000 patients a year, wanted an integrated information system that would connect billing, medical records and all patient applications from the pharmacy and the lab to outpatient care and home health.

Finding a solution

Baker and other hospital administrators looked at three companies that provided fully integrated systems during a rigorous, yearlong search. In talking with clients and visiting hospitals, HMS came out on top in customer satisfaction and support. "Everyone we talked to said that the software did what they wanted it to do," Baker said. "They told us that HMS was willing to listen to what they could do to improve applications and include those in future releases." The price was right. HMS offered McDonough the applications it needed for half the cost in support fees. "When HMS updates a module, it's free," Baker said. "Other than the implementation fees to make the change, the software is what you paid originally."

HMS' IBM platform

The hardware HMS used clinched the choice. "We wanted a system that was going to be reliable," Baker said. "That was a big issue with us at the time. HMS' IBM platform is solid and reliable." After making their decision in October 2001, administrators wanted to get the new system up quickly, a challenge HMS helped them meet. "We only had 90 days, and the project management team was key in helping us," Baker said. "They showed us what needed to be done to meet the deadlines and helped keep us on track." The system went live in February 2002, and the change was immediate. Orders for tests and medicine actually reached the lab and pharmacy. The billing office received payments from patients and Medicaid and insurance reimbursements 30 days sooner. Technical snags disappeared. "We don't have a lot of backlog anymore," Baker said. "That was one problem with previous vendors.We had 60 to 70 calls that weren't getting addressed."

Adding MIMIX

Adding MIMIX, an around-the-clock managed availability system allowing continuous operations of critical functions, improved productivity even more, cutting downtime from 600 hours to 20. The hospital hopes to eventually add eMAR, a tool that helps nurses track patient medication, and Outreach Scheduling, software that allows physicians to schedule surgeries and appointments online. Hospital staffers like the convenience of their new system. Instead of writing orders for patient files and waiting sometimes an hour for medical records to locate them, clinicians can pull up records in a click. At least half of McDonough's physicians now review patient information online from offices across the street. "It's key to have up-to-date technology for them to be able to view information in a timely fashion and not have to rely on paper," Baker said.