This week, Encompass Health, a national leader in integrated healthcare services company with a network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and home health and hospice agencies, launched its 150th post-acute inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, with Oracle Cerner Corporation’s electronic health record (EHR) system. Implementing Oracle Cerner technology in all Encompass hospitals enables clinicians to learn and use one platform.
In 2009, Encompass Health paired with Oracle Cerner to deploy an inpatient rehabilitation hospital EHR, piloting the technology for two years in three hospitals. Following the successful pilot, in 2011, the companies began a large and complex rollout to implement the system in every Encompass Health hospital nationwide. Named ACE IT for Advancing Clinical Excellence through Information Technology, the project transformed Encompass Health from a paper-based system to an electronic workflow and documentation system.
“Having a standardized EHR and deployment strategy across all our hospitals has increased our ability to successfully complete and integrate developments, acquisitions, investments and joint ventures consistent with our growth strategy, including realization of anticipated revenues, cost savings and productivity improvements,” said Rusty Yeager, Encompass Health Senior Vice President, and CIO.
The implementation attained Stage 6 Certification of the EMR Adoption Model from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. Clinicians utilize the same system in every Encompass Health hospital, which promotes documentation efficiency and allows more time to focus on providing quality patient care. Encompass Health and Oracle Cerner also continue to develop the joint Post-acute Innovation Center, which received a 2019 CHIME Collaboration award.
“Our focus at Oracle Cerner is helping to solve ongoing challenges in healthcare including building more reliable, intuitive, and useful tools to reduce complexity and help improve the caregiver and patient experience,” said Bob Kopanic, Oracle Cerner senior vice president of North American client relationships. “Supporting Encompass Health in implementing Oracle Cerner technology across all its hospitals, ensures clinicians can work at any of their facilities without needing to relearn systems and workflows – giving them more time to focus on great patient care.”
Since 2011, Encompass Health has opened 61 de novo or acquired hospitals with Oracle Cerner technology in place on day 1, and there are plans to add 6 to 10 more each year.
As a national leader in integrated healthcare services, Encompass Health (NYSE: EHC) offers both facility based and homebased patient care through its network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, home health agencies and hospice agencies. With a national footprint that includes 150 hospitals, 252 home health locations, and 99 hospice locations in 42 states and Puerto Rico, the Company provides high-quality, cost-effective integrated healthcare. Encompass Health is ranked as one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For.