What happens when you open a new hospital without a fully integrated electronic medical record (EMR) system?
You get the attention of state lawmakers if you're the Vermont Psychiatric Care Hospital in Berlin, a 25-bed, Level 1 mental health services facility for acute care patients. The hospital will be without a fully integrated EMR when it opens in the summer. This has local lawmakers upset, according to the Burlington Free Press.
“I understand all the reasons, but it is disappointing,” Senate Government Operations Committee Chairman Jeanette White, D-Windham, told Burlington Free Press.
The initial plan was to build upon a limited EMR system at the Vermont State Hospital in Waterbury and another psychiatric care facility. However, there was no pharmacy piece, so the government officials responsible for the project looked to Fletcher Allen Health Care, a medical center in Burlington, to save the day. However, the cost of extending Fletcher Allen's EMR to the new hospital was too high for the government officials.
Thus, the state officials are going through a request for proposal to find a system that can be of use. However, even if they get a contract in place by September, the officials tell Burlington Free Press, it would be a year before the system would be operational.
