Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems (EMHS)
About Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems
Since its creation in 1982, Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems (EMHS) has evolved into a remarkable resource for central, eastern, and northern Maine. Through its member organizations, EMHS advocates on behalf of patients and communities with an integrated, tireless, and passionate voice. Member hospitals and other organizations share common values and work to ensure only the highest quality care is available to all.
In 2009, EMHS was recognized with the National Health System Patient Safety Leadership Award from the National Business Group on Health and the VHA Foundation. In awarding the distinction to EMHS, the groups cited the system’s vision to become the best rural healthcare system in America by 2012, as well as tying executive compensation to quality and safety outcomes, ongoing board education, building safety features into computer systems, and that EMHS is a founding partner of a statewide coalition working to reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections.
Together We’re Stronger
EMHS serves as a foundation for more than 30 member organizations, of which these seven hospitals are most prominent: The Acadia Hospital, a free-standing psychiatric hospital is the only one of its kind to receive magnet status for nursing excellence, The Aroostook Medical Center, Blue Hill Memorial Hospital, Charles A. Dean Memorial Hospital and Nursing Home, Eastern Maine Medical Center, Inland Hospital, Sebasticook Valley Hospital, and Eastern Maine Medical Center (EMMC). As the largest of the EMHS hospitals, EMMC offers many specialized services; an American College of Surgeons verified Level II Trauma Center, Centers of Excellence, and a commitment to patient safety that was nationally recognized with the 2008 Nicholas E. Davies Award of Excellence, sponsored by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS).
Other EMHS member organizations include Affiliated Healthcare Systems, RossCare, Eastern Maine HomeCare, and Healthcare Charities, the philanthropic arm of the system. EMHS also oversees numerous long-term care facilities and emergency transportation services – including an LLC for LifeFlight of Maine, the state’s only medical helicopter.
The Need
EMHS was challenged to find a cost-effective delivery mechanism that could support more than 9,000 users in numerous locations across Maine. Adding to this challenge was that it needed to be completed in just three months. Fortunately, EMHS leadership understands the importance training and organizational acceptance has on the success of any project, and an implementation team to deliver comprehensive training to the entire user community as part of the upgrade process.
The eLogic Solution
Understanding that time was critical, eLogic partnered with EMHS to implement the eSSential Learning Management System (LMS) in one month. This implementation included system setup, custom branding, data conversion, automated interfaces, and on-site administrative training. The eSSential LMS platform allowed the EMHS IT team to successfully support the Enhanced View roll-out. The application training was delivered as eLearning via SCORM compliant courses, with material available online 24/7 so users could complete the training as their schedules permitted. Ultimately, the rollout was a success, with all training objectives being met. Now EMHS has a platform which will train new hires on the Enhanced View platform, and provide existing users with access to refresher training.