Stoltenberg Consulting Inc., has launched ACHIEVE, a new program designed to help community and rural hospitals meet meaningful use (MU) requirements and optimize their clinical information systems by providing expertise and strategic solutions tailored to their specific needs.
Although rural and community hospitals stand to benefit substantially from health information technology (HIT) implementations, a recent study published in Health Affairs reveals that small, non-teaching and rural hospitals are behind other hospitals in the race to adopt HIT and electronic health records (EHR). Often short on resources, such hospitals are challenged to invest time and resources to undergo the substantial IT overhauls required by MU legislation.
“Community hospitals across the nation are struggling to meet meaningful use requirements, and many are facing substantial business challenges that prohibit them from investing in the necessary resources and technologies,” said Sheri Stoltenberg, CEO of Stoltenberg Consulting Inc. “As 20-year HIT veterans, we recognize the benefits technology affords smaller hospitals in particular, and understand the critical nature of the timeframe in which these improvements must be made. The ACHIEVE program was created specifically to support the IT initiatives of small and rural hospitals by removing their risk, streamlining the process and minimizing obstacles.”
Leveraging the proprietary ACHIEVE roadmap, Stoltenberg provides clients clinical transformation services including a detailed education plan, comprehensive staff training, evidence-based content and clinical documentation. Stoltenberg also offers proprietary methodologies: ASCEND, the practice of addressing three key areas of workflow, project management and application programming for successful implementation, and SHARE, a collaboration tool designed to effectively communicate project status to all stakeholders.
“As we face pending meaningful use deadlines, the challenge of implementing the right technology in the most appropriate way can seem daunting at times,” said Chuck Christian, CIO of Good Samaritan Hospital. “Community hospitals need the help of technology implementation experts like Stoltenberg to help guide them along the process of meeting stringent meaningful use requirements on a tight deadline.
Targeting facilities ranging from 50-350 beds, ACHIEVE offers healthcare organizations a range of benefits, including:
- proven best practice standards for services, assessments and order sets;
- reduced risk and shortened implementation timeline by at least 30 percent;
- reduced implementation and maintenance costs by up to 50 percent; and
- comprehensive system that supports regulatory compliance and incentives (CMS and ARRA).
