- Penn established a governing group to set IT priorities and ensure that the necessary resources were available, Mr. Restuccia. The group included the chief medical officer, chief administrative officer, pharmacy director, executive director of clinical practices, corporate senior VP, and CFO.
- While implementing its EMR system, each practice established a governance committee made up of clinical and administrative staff. Those groups worked with the information services team, deciding how areas such as work flow and data conversion would work.
- Physicians and nurses were included in the planning and implementation of all of the technology initiatives. Penn included their feedback to create customized solutions that addressed user needs, said Mr. Restuccia.
- Penn assigned project managers to each of its physician practices during IT implementations.
- Penn CEO Ralph Muller was important in transitioning information services from a mostly outsourced and decentralized organization to an internal, centralized department focused on service, said Mr. Restuccia
- Penn created an infrastructure that included WAN, wireless, and mobile to ensure reliable and high-speed connectivity. Access to patient information can now take place from virtually anywhere, he said.
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