When Corewell Health formed through the merger of three hospital systems, they faced a big decision: should they integrate legacy databases or start anew? They opted for a fresh start, moving to a single version of Epic’s Electronic Health Record (EHR) and rolling out Illumia’s NetMenu for food service.
In a chat with Anthony Boggs, Senior Director of Support Services at Corewell Health, he explained how this shift not only standardized their food services but also improved overall efficiency and patient safety across their 24 hospitals.
Key Insights
Efficiency Through Standardization: By adopting Illumia’s platform, Corewell Health reduced their food stock-keeping units (SKUs) by 70%. This move cut waste and generated returns that funded the initiative.
Enhanced Patient Safety: The integration of NetMenu with Epic allows for automated dietary compliance, ensuring patients receive meals suited to their health requirements and allergies.
Retail Meal Insights: Surprisingly, 80% of the meals provided at Corewell are for staff and visitors. This recognition has shifted their food service operations to resemble a retail business, making data tracking critical.
Reducing Waste to Support Innovation
After the merger, Corewell Health aimed to unify operations. By simplifying their food service through NetMenu, they achieved substantial savings. Boggs noted they slashed their SKUs from over 100 to just 30, allowing for bulk purchasing, reducing waste, and providing the financial justification to move forward with technology upgrades.
Automated Dietary Safety
The real game-changer came from linking NetMenu with Epic. Now, instead of relying on manual entries, the system cross-references patient diets with food options in real time. “We check if the chicken breast meets the patient’s dietary needs automatically,” Boggs explained, highlighting how it minimizes errors and enhances safety.
The Business of Hospital Food Services
Surprisingly, many hospital systems serve more retail meals than patient trays. At Corewell, 80% of meals are sold to staff and visitors. To keep up, they implemented a point-of-sale system called Quick-Charge, ensuring real-time tracking of sales and inventory. This not only streamlines operations but also informs purchasing strategies to avoid waste.
Lessons for Healthcare IT Leaders
The journey of Corewell Health illustrates how technology integrations can drive success. Instead of trying to merge old systems, they built a new foundation, aligning their EHR and food service for better outcomes.
As Boggs noted, “Navigating a single EHR system simplifies integration for auxiliary departments, maintaining consistency across operations.” A modernized food service, tied closely to patient data, helps reduce errors and optimizes performance.
For those in healthcare IT, the Corewell case reinforces a critical point: embracing change during a merger can lead to significant improvements in operations and patient care.
For more insights into modern healthcare solutions, visit Corewell Health and Illumia.
Listening to industry experts offers invaluable perspectives. Check out the Healthcare IT Today Interviews Podcast for more insights.
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