Mountain Laurel Medical Center is a vital healthcare provider serving Maryland and West Virginia, dedicated to implementing the patient-centered medical home model. With a team of 25 providers and multiple locations, the center offers essential healthcare services, including integrated behavioral health, to diverse, rural, and aging communities.
The Challenge
Community health centers like Mountain Laurel play a crucial role in providing high-quality, personalized care to individuals regardless of their insurance status. Emphasizing holistic health and preventive care, the center is committed to not only addressing immediate health issues but also educating patients and enhancing the overall well-being of the communities it serves.
However, being a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) comes with its own set of challenges. Jessie Storey, the director of IT and compliance at Mountain Laurel, highlighted the maze of value-based contracts, reporting requirements, staffing challenges, and operational hurdles the center faced on a daily basis. The outdated on-premises EHR system was a major bottleneck, hindering the center’s ability to expand and provide the quality care its patients deserved.
The cumbersome system required excessive manual upkeep, limiting the center’s growth potential and operational efficiency. Managing IT infrastructure across multiple locations was complex and time-consuming, leading to downtime and added stress for the staff. Mountain Laurel needed a modern, flexible system that could streamline operations, enhance patient care, and support sustainable growth without overwhelming the team.
Proposal
In search of a solution, Mountain Laurel turned to EHR vendor athenahealth to upgrade its technology infrastructure. The cloud-based suite of EHR, practice management, revenue cycle management systems, and patient engagement tools offered by athenahealth promised to address the center’s business needs and provide actionable insights for operational and clinical improvement.
The analytics capabilities of athenaOne stood out to Storey, as they would enable the center to monitor performance metrics, optimize workflows, and track revenue cycle management effectively. The enhanced interoperability of the system would streamline care coordination and information sharing, while automation features would reduce administrative burdens and empower providers to make informed decisions in real-time.
The seamless transition to the new technology was facilitated by athenahealth’s support teams, ensuring minimal disruptions and a quick onboarding process for Mountain Laurel staff. The interoperability features of athenaOne allowed for immediate access to state registries and comprehensive patient records, enhancing care delivery and efficiency across the organization.
Meeting the Challenge
The implementation of athenaOne brought significant improvements to Mountain Laurel’s operational efficiency and patient engagement. The user-friendly interface, intuitive workflows, and powerful analytics tools transformed how the center operated, leading to notable financial performance enhancements within a short period.
Storey reported that the rapid implementation of athenaOne enabled the center to surpass revenue goals and achieve record-breaking financial outcomes. Billing time decreased, collections increased, and claims billed and charges by first-billed date rose significantly, demonstrating the positive impact of the new technology on Mountain Laurel’s bottom line.
The automation features of athenaOne lightened the administrative load on staff, allowing them to focus more on patient care and strategic initiatives. The seamless integration of the system with third-party applications like Suki AI and Navina further enhanced provider productivity, patient outcomes, and value-based performance at the center.
Results
The successful adoption of athenaOne has positioned Mountain Laurel for sustainable growth and operational excellence. The center has expanded its services into new states and communities, leveraging the innovative technology to enhance patient care and community well-being. Staff satisfaction has increased, efficiency has improved, and patient engagement has soared, reflecting the positive impact of the new system on all aspects of the center’s operations.
Advice for Others
Storey emphasized the importance of having dedicated personnel focused on key workflows and engaging with technology vendors to optimize system performance. Patience and a focus on interoperability are crucial during the learning curve of implementing new technology, as the long-term benefits become increasingly evident with continued use.
In conclusion, the successful transition to athenaOne has empowered Mountain Laurel Medical Center to deliver high-quality, patient-centered care, drive operational efficiency, and support sustainable growth. By embracing innovative technology and prioritizing staff and patient satisfaction, the center is poised to continue its mission of improving the health and well-being of the communities it serves.
