CASE STUDY FACTS:
CLIENT: Yuma District Hospital
DIGITECH SYSTEMS RESELLER: Rocky Mountain Microfilm and Imaging, Denver, CO
PROBLEM: Paper records dominated storage space and stymied business processes
SOLUTION: ImageSilo, PaperVision Enterprise and PaperFlow™
RECOGNIZED BENEFIT:
“Thanks to PaperVision Enterprise, we eliminated 100% of our file storage space. Now, we use all our space productively—for doctors, for nurses and for serving the people of Yuma County.”
-Cathy Wolff, CFO
|
After 30 years in operation, Yuma District Hospital had accumulated millions of paper records and stacked file boxes to the ceiling in storerooms and vacant spaces all over the hospital. To complicate the matter, there was little established process for handling documents. Fighting for space and losing time and energy in the file search, Yuma knew it was time to shed some paper weight.
Key Benefits
- Eliminated more than 1,200 large file boxes needed for paper records storage
Cleared 3,100 square feet of storage space
- Reduced file searching by 1,100 hours every year
- Saved $300 every month on office supplies
- Reduced records retrieval times from one hour to less than five minutes
- Accelerated secondary payment processing by three to four claims per day and improved cash flow
See what Digitech Systems software
and services can do for Healthcare! |
After implementing a Digitech Systems’ Enterprise Content Management (ECM) system in the Medical Records department, Finance department and Patient Business Office, Yuma saved 3,100 square feet of records storage and 1,100 hours in file management. Today, Yuma manages patient records, financial records and explanation of benefit records electronically.
The Situation
Yuma District Hospital is a full service, licensed 22-bed critical access hospital serving a population of approximately 7,000 people in Yuma County, Colorado. The hospital houses acute inpatient health services, the Yuma Clinic and the Center for Specialty Medicine, a practice location for a wide range of medical and surgical specialists. Every section of the hospital is dedicated to providing urban-quality healthcare in this rural area.
With 3,000 patients annually, the Medical Records department receives approximately 225 information requests every month. Finding patient records was a challenge because “documents were everywhere.” Approximately 1,200 large file boxes held 30 years of patient records. Across the hospital, the boxes were stored in offices, hallways, basement crawl spaces and were “piled to the ceiling” in storerooms.
Saving space was Yuma’s first concern, but time and money were major issues as well. Nine department employees, two of which were dedicated document specialists, spent the majority of their time looking for information. Some documents took as long as two hours to retrieve. The records system slowed patient records retrieval and stymied billing processes. Plus, maintaining the paper system cost $3,600 annually in office supplies.
Yuma needed an effective, flexible records system that eliminated storage space and saved time for its employees. “Our staff was so used to getting up and physically searching for records that we needed a simple solution that would be easy to adopt,” said Gina Eastin, Director of Revenue Cycle Services.
The Solution
In 2001, Yuma contacted Rocky Mountain Microfilm & Imaging (RMMI), a Digitech Systems reseller, to investigate ECM solutions. Yuma chose to implement both ImageSilo®, an on-demand system, and PaperVision® Enterprise, an on-premise system, because they offer ease of use alongside system scalability and flexibility.
Working together as a hybrid system, these two products enable both online and in-house information access and allow a customized solution for the unique needs of each department. With a scalable system, the hospital implemented ECM one department at a time. Plus, the system easily integrated with NextGen, their medical records software.
The implementation process took “no time at all,” said Lyndia Loppe, Vice President of Administrative Services. “It was point and click. It’s so simple to use that even the new people get up to speed in seconds. The system is so efficient and behind-the-scenes that most of our people don’t even know it’s there.”
As a full-service scanning bureau, RMMI provided scanning services to convert Yuma’s paper records to electronic images. Yuma mailed records to RMMI, which scanned and saved them to ImageSilo. Within 24 hours, documents were available on-demand.
Recognized Benefits
ImageSilo and PaperVision Enterprise have eliminated paper storage, improved records retrieval times, accelerated cash flow due to enhanced remittance processing and reduced supply costs.
Today, Yuma manages all patient records electronically. With the help of RMMI, they saved three million documents in their ECM system, emptied more than 1,200 large file boxes and eliminated 20 filing cabinets. In total, they reclaimed more than 3,100 square feet.
Using powerful search capabilities, employees in Medical Records, Finance and the Patient Business Office search and find documents in minutes. Instead of hunting for boxes, they retrieve information almost immediately. As a result, Yuma now saves 1,100 hours in file searching every year.
With efficient, electronic information management, the hospital is saving money and accelerating cash flow. The Patient Business Office used to process 15 secondary claims per day and now handles 19 claims per day. This accelerates revenue for Yuma and improves cash flow. By managing information electronically, Yuma has eliminated $300 previously spent every month on office supplies needed for the paper-based filing system.
Multiple levels of security, encryption and electronic backup systems have enhanced records protection. “Our document system was secure before, but now we have become fireproof and disaster proof,” said Cathy Wolff, CFO.
When Yuma built a new hospital facility, the ECM system eliminated the need to move 30 years’ worth of file boxes to the new building. “Thanks to PaperVision Enterprise, we eliminated 100% of our file storage space. Now, we use all our space productively—for doctors, for nurses and for serving the people of Yuma County,” said Wolff.
Their ECM success continues to spread across the hospital. Yuma intends to expand the system to include up to 45 important reference manuals for convenient employee access.
About Rocky Mountain Microfilm and Imaging
Rocky Mountain Microfilm and Imaging Inc. is a full-service electronic document management firm. For nearly 30 years, they have been dedicated to improving the efficiency, productivity and cost-effectiveness of businesses in the Denver, CO area. Their pledge is to provide companies with a flexible solution that promises security, fast disaster recovery and easy integration with their current systems. They serve a wide range of clients, including banks and credit unions, medical offices, hospitals, school districts, colleges and universities, law enforcement agencies, local and state governments, professional sports organizations, law firms, architects and many service organizations.
To learn more about RMMI, call 303.427.0625 or go to www.rmm-i.com.
|
Download a PDF of this story
