HCHC to receive T-Systems for emergency department

By BRYCE KELLY

Mt. Pleasant News

The Henry County Health Center Board of Trustees voted to adopt The T-Systems, an electronic records system specifically designed for emergency departments, at their latest board meeting on Tuesday.

The new electronic records system is currently used in roughly 2,000 emergency departments nationwide. This new system would provide physicians with computer-assisted coding software, and add increased accuracy in medical coding and service reports.

Currently, HCHC?s emergency department physicians do not use computerized documentation. Instead, these physicians are using dictation, which has been a standard practice for emergency department physicians for many years. Despite its long-term use, this process of documentation can pose a higher chance of information loss.

?The T-Systems thinks intuitively like an E.R. physician or an E.R. nurse would,? said Robb Gardner, CEO of HCHC. ?We believe this is going to create a more efficient work flow, increase patient satisfaction and better our recruitment opportunities.?

Gardner estimates that full implementation of The T-Systems could take upwards of five to seven months.

Budgets were also a hot topic during the meeting with HCHC CFO, Dave Muhs briefing the board on fiscal year 2016?s budget.

?Our gross patient revenue is expected to increase 4.4 percent and that 4.4 percent increase is based on a three percent price increase and a 1.4 percent increase in volumes,? said Muhs.

The board approved the 2016 budget as presented.

This past month, Muhs also said that there have several unexpected repair projects that have affected the recent budget, but nothing that is a major threat.

He also announced that HCHC is in line to offer a third health insurance plan to all HCHC employees.

In other news, the HCHC board approved the following:

? A two-year management agreement with Great River Health Systems

? A strategic plan for fiscal year 2016

? A medical staff bylaw revision and a medical staff bylaw addition

The next Henry County Health Center Board of Trustees meeting will be Tuesday, June 16, at noon, in the HCHC Board Room.