March 13, 2018

Recently, Texas Children’s executives and employees welcomed Judy Faulkner, CEO and founder of Epic Systems. Faulkner walked the group through a timeline of successes and innovations that have resulted from Texas Children’s 10-year partnership with Epic.

“We meet with our Epic partners on a very frequent basis,” said Julie McGuire, Director of Texas Children’s Enterprise Systems. “However, this is the first meeting with Judy onsite since the vendor demos more than 10 years ago, and it was an honor.”

Epic is essentially applications that support Texas Children’s comprehensive electronic health record system. Epic provides Texas Children’s with an integrated suite of clinical and financial applications, including billing, admissions, scheduling, patient charts and information, and order entry. It touches virtually every employee and, more importantly, every patient that passes through our system. Epic software is used in hospitals, homes and even hand-held devices.

Faulkner’s visit began with a brief overview of Texas Children’s history, presented by Executive Vice President Michelle Riley-Brown, who detailed the expansion of our global footprint and technology development over the years.

“Our goal is not to chase the quantity,” Riley-Brown said. “We chase the quality.”

Faulkner shared Epic’s vision, a current snapshot and plans for the future. Although personal development is always key, she emphasized that “it takes a village” when it’s comes to expanding technology as a whole.

“Keep in touch with other Epic users,” Faulkner said. “Share with others how you have expanded.”

Faulkner said she was impressed with how Texas Children’s has continued to evolve and respond to changing health care methods to meet the needs of patients.

“Texas Children’s Pediatrics was the first to use Epic strategies within the hospital, and we have been extremely successful thus far,” said Texas Children’s Pediatrics President Kay Tittle. “With the opening of multiple urgent cares and expanding to Austin, we are well on our way.”

During Faulkner’s visit, the Information Services team took her to the hospital’s nucleus – Mission Control.

Mission Control is equipped with state-of-the-art technology in a large, high-tech space on the third floor of Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women. The suite houses representatives from Security, Facilities, Room Management, Transport Services and Critical Care.

When a patient is transferred to or from Texas Children’s Hospital, several wheels are set into motion at Mission Control to make the process run smoothly for our patients and their families. During the first month Mission Control was launched last year, the Transport Team reduced their time from dispatch to pick up by 20 minutes. When Faulkner asked about technology to improve remote patient monitoring in Mission Control, the team assured her it is on the horizon.

“We’re definitely on the path to advancing the way we monitor patients,” said Myra Davis, Senior Vice President of Information Services. “Ultimately, our plan is that Mission Control will have remote monitoring so we always have that extra set of trained eyes on our most critical patients”

Also on the horizon is an Epic upgrade, currently scheduled for summer 2019. Both Texas Children’s and Epic Systems continue to be focused on elevating how we use Epic technology, implementing new modules, maintaining a concise alignment with Epic guidelines, and ensuring we meet the system’s strategic priorities of access and care coordination.

“It’s been an incredible 10 years with Epic, and I know as we continue to grow as an organization, the need to become even better as we get bigger will be even more critical,” Davis said. “I’m excited about seeing how our efforts will flourish as a result of this partnership.”

November 29, 2017

Information Services, the Cancer and Hematology Centers and Pharmacy recently partnered to successfully launch Epic Beacon, a new medical oncology module that gives physicians and other providers a better tool with which they can create personalized treatment plans and support care regimens based on standardized protocols. The outcome of such treatment plans and support care is a more efficient and effective way to follow each patient through outpatient doctor’s visits and inpatient hospital stays, easing the patient’s transition to lifetime, post-cancer care.

“This initiative has changed how we deliver care to some of our sickest patients,” said Cancer Center Director Dr. David Poplack. “With Beacon, we are able to provide more tailored treatment, more efficiently and at a decreased risk to our patients who receive some of the strongest medications.”

During the 18-month implementation process, about 600 treatment protocols were made electronic via Epic Beacon, which is fully integrated with Epic’s pharmacy and electronic Medication Administration Records (MAR) products, allowing oncologists to better track medications that have been dispensed and administered, including medications ordered outside of an oncology treatment plan.

In addition, Beacon, which is being used system wide where oncology patients receive chemotherapy, features decision support that can suggest protocols as well as dose-specific medication modifications based on chart data. It also tailors plans at the patient level, so medication orders can be created and queued up in advance of patient visits for cancer treatment.

“Using Beacon has been a culture change for the Cancer Center but well worth it,” said Julie McGuire, director of Enterprise Systems for Information Services. “It has taken real dedication from all teams involved as well as a tremendous amount of physician and nurse engagement.”

Dr. ZoAnn Dreyer, an oncologist with the Cancer Center, said Epic Beacon’s buildout and go-live process was smooth and seamless.

“Even Epic’s own representative was impressed, saying it was the best he has ever seen,” Dryer said. “And it’s worked well in clinic so far for sure!”

Other first impressions of Epic Beacon have been positive as well:

“I’ve never seen a project with as much dedicated physician support and I think that was a HUGE part of this project’s success!”
– Drew Willert, Information Services

“The success of the go-live and Beacon’s functionality is a direct result of a multidisciplinary team that demonstrated resilience, excellence and commitment to the overall success of the project.”
– Denise Tanner-Brown, Cancer and Hematology Centers

“I am so proud of what WE have done. I am so humbled by all of the outpouring of support from operational, Epic and IS leaders, as well as end users on the front lines.”
– Dr. Marla Daves, Cancer and Hematology Centers

October 31, 2017

The Texas Children’s Hospital Ukulele Choir cheered on our Houston Astros in the best way they know how, with the help of some very special patients!

Led by the Music Therapy Department and made up of Texas Children’s staff members, the choir led patients and staff from the Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit in a rousing rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” in support of the Astros’ appearance at the championship game.

The patients played and sang along with the choir demonstrating not only their enthusiasm for the Astros, but also the great strides they have made in their recovery at Texas Children’s.

Established in 2014, Texas Children’s Ukulele Choir is rooted in self-care and respite for staff members who work hard and endure much for our patients and families. It provides an opportunity for members to create positive moments and relationships within their work environment and outside of their immediate department. Since the choir is led by the hospital’s music therapists, patients and staff benefit from this form of therapeutic intervention intended to bolster positive moods and mindsets.

Once a month, the Ukulele Choir performs on inpatient units, high traffic areas of the hospital, as well as staff meetings and events. The choir also provides live environmental music throughout the hospital. Since its inception three years ago, the choir has grown from three to more than 30 staff members representing different areas of the hospital including Information Services, Nursing, Pharmacy and Child Life.

July 18, 2017

Texas Children’s has received the 2017 “Most Wired” designation for outstanding health care-based technology from Hospitals & Health Network Magazine – the flagship publication of the American Hospital Association.

The annual Most Wired survey polls hospitals and health systems nationwide regarding information technology (IT) initiatives in the areas of infrastructure, business and administrative management, clinical quality and safety, and clinical integration.

The 2017 survey of 698 participants represents 2,158 hospitals – almost 40 percent of all hospitals in the United States. Texas Children’s has earned Most Wired recognition in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.

“Earning our fourth Most Wired designation reflects the hard work of the Information Services team and our many clinical and operational partners at Texas Children’s,” said Myra Davis, senior vice president of Information Services. “The survey results provide industry-standard benchmarks to measure IT adoption and meaningful use for operational, financial and clinical performance in health care delivery systems.”

Texas Children’s noted several IS achievements, including enhancements to patient safety, patient care and the patient experience. Notable accomplishments include:

Applying PPID safety standards to breast milk – IS partnered with Nursing, Pharmacy, Milk Bank, Dietary and Clinical Informatics & Training to extend PPID safety protocols to breast milk. Centers for Disease Control guidelines say feeding expressed breast milk to the wrong child should be treated as an accidental exposure to bodily fluids. The new PPID controls hold breast milk to the same safety standards as medications in order to reduce the possibility of an adverse event from a baby receiving expressed milk intended for another infant.

Automated patient meal ordering service – IS partnered with Morrison Healthcare to implement MyDining, an automated complex diet ordering interface within Epic. The system automates patient meal delivery to:

  • Enhance patient safety in acute care settings by ensuring the right patient gets the right meal at the right time, based on physician diet orders for considerations like allergies, restrictions and supplement requirements.
  • Boost patient satisfaction by tracking, reporting and improving the on-time meal delivery workflow.

The Nerve Center – IS partnered with Nursing, Physician and Transfer Center leadership to deliver technology to support the organization’s transfer of about 1300 patients a year in a way that demonstrates excellence and efficiency. The technology provides:

  • Decreased time for the transfer team out the door
  • Improved and clear documentation on patient transfers
  • Most up-to-date information needed to make the best decisions on patients coming or leaving Texas Children’s Community provider satisfaction

New app to improve patient experience – IS introduced a new “Bedside” inpatient portal at The Woodlands campus to provide medical information, entertainment options, communication benefits and instructional videos using tablet devices. The goal of MyChart Bedside is to empower patients/parents to:

  • Improve patient satisfaction
  • Enhance quality and safety of care
  • Increase MyChart usage
  • Better meet compliance objectives

“In health care today, implementation and adoption of health care technology is crucial in advancing outcomes and experiences,” said Julie McGuire, director of Enterprise Systems for Information Services. “The Most Wired designation shows that Texas Children’s is leading not only in our clinical care outcomes but in the use of technology that drives improved outcomes and advancements in care.”

The 2017 Most Wired Survey is published by Health & Hospitals Network. Most Wired results are available here.

July 12, 2016

71316MostWired640Texas Children’s has received the 2016 “Most Wired” designation for outstanding health care-based technology from Hospitals Health Network Magazine – the flagship publication of the American Hospital Association. This is the third time Texas Children’s has won this award.

Health Care’s Most Wired Survey, conducted between January 15 and March 15, asked hospitals and health systems nationwide to answer questions regarding their information technology (IT) initiatives in the areas of infrastructure, business and administrative management, quality and safety, and clinical integration. The survey of 680 participants represented 2,146 hospitals – more than 34 percent of all U.S. hospitals.

“This designation is a tribute to the hard work of our Information Services team and clinical and operational partners at Texas Children’s,” said Myra Davis, senior vice president of Information Services. “We use this survey as a benchmark to measure our progress against our peers in the implementation of information technology and to ensure we are making the right technology investments to guide our strategy for improving patient care and safety.”

Texas Children’s was noted for several IS achievements including the implementation of Epic Rover, a mobile software application that uses barcode technology to prevent medication errors and improve the quality and safety of medical administration. This new technology was implemented in September 2015 and its effectiveness in promoting patient safety was recently highlighted in a Voice of Nursing blog.

Epic Rover is an extension of the electronic medication administration record (MAR) in Epic. Once this software is downloaded to an iPod Touch equipped with a scanner or sled, the barcodes on both the patient’s wristband and the prescribed medication are scanned at the patient’s bedside. The medication documentation then flows real-time into the MAR in Epic to ensure that the “five rights” are confirmed – right patient, right medication, right dose, right time and right route of administration.

Texas Children’s was also commended for using innovative alarm management technology to make alarms more meaningful and actionable for direct care providers while eliminating alarm fatigue within patient units. This new application resulted in the organization receiving ECRI’s 10th Annual Health Devices Achievement Award in 2016.

Other IS accomplishments include:

  • Optimizing clinical workflows – Since mobility is a critical factor in optimizing work flows, Epic’s mobile application suite allows providers to e-prescribe medications. Implemented in March 2016, this electronic feature improves the safe and secure transmission of patient health information among providers and optimizes patient experience by eliminating the need to drive to the clinic to obtain a prescription.
  • Advancing population health management – Health tools and registries were recently introduced within Epic for key patient populations such as those with asthma and diabetes. By leveraging data analytics, physicians can track and address patient needs, and easily pinpoint unmet needs and gaps in data or service delivery. Proactive steps can then be taken to ensure patients and their families receive the services they need to make a difference in their care and improve clinical outcomes.
  • Streamlining physician/patient communications – Voalte technology used by nursing, shared services and physicians has streamlined communication across the care continuum by enabling highly mobile staff to receive key notification alerts that require prompt action. The MyChart patient portal continues to grow in usage and capabilities. New options have been added making it easier for patient families to schedule appointments, send non-urgent messages to their care team and pay their bills online via MyChart billing.

“In health care today, health IT maturity is key in advancing outcomes and experience,” said Julie McGuire, director of Enterprise Systems for Information Services. “The Most Wired designation shows that Texas Children’s is leading not only in clinical care but in the use of technology to support and advance clinical care.”

The 2016 Most Wired Survey is published by Health & Hospitals Network. The July H&HN cover story detailing results is available at www.hhnmag.com.

June 7, 2016

6816Epicconnections640On Sunday, June 12, Texas Children’s Epic electronic health record (EHR) will receive a full system upgrade, adding hundreds of new features and updates to the tasks Epic users perform every day. The OnBase application also will receive an upgrade, beginning at noon, Saturday, June 11.

Check the resources below for a comprehensive look at the OnBase and Epic v2015 upgrades, including schedule, information, features and support.

Epic and OnBase upgrade schedule

Program downtime
OnBase: from noon, Saturday, June 11, to 4 a.m. Sunday, June 12
Epic: from 1 a.m. Sunday, June 12, to 4 a.m. Sunday, June 12

Need help?

Information resources

Epic v2015: New features and optimizations

OnBase: New features

June 1, 2016

6116usergroup640Representatives from more than 15 institutions and leaders from Epic, Omnicell and Codonics attended a conference hosted by Texas Children’s Hospital on May 23 and 24. The meeting focused on the innovation, integration, and interoperability of systems used in the medication use process within the operating room.

The Department of Pharmacy, in collaboration with Anesthesiology and Information Services, invited these three vendors to share their recent innovations and hear the collective voice of users that run these systems together. The goals were to leverage technology to optimize patient care and to initiate collaborative and constructive conversation to make improvements in workflow and safety.

The discussions provided opportunities to discover new ideas, share lessons learned, and gain knowledge from one another.