Case Study Demonstrates Efficacy of OpenVista for Behavioral Health

Mental health facilities report improved care, better access to patient records and higher quality patient data through implementation of open platform EHR

CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Medsphere Systems Corporation, the leading provider of affordable and interoperable electronic health record (EHR) solutions and services, today announced the release of a case study focused on three inpatient behavioral health facilities that have implemented Medsphere’s OpenVista electronic health record (EHR). The integration of OpenVista into workflows and processes at Silver Hill Hospital, IntraCare North and The Recovery Center at EvergreenHealth Monroe has yielded clear benefits at each facility in terms of both patient care and the day-to-day experience of clinicians and staff.

The clinicians at all three hospitals now have rapid access to more accurate and comprehensive patient records. Administrators can much more efficiently generate and submit reports to the Joint Commission, as well as state and federal agencies. Referring physicians can review patient records the same day they are sent instead of several days later.

Sigurd Ackerman, M.D., president and medical director for Silver Hill Hospital“Clinical records were hard to find … to operate more smoothly, our staff needed immediate access to the whole patient record,” said Sigurd Ackerman, M.D., president and medical director for Silver Hill Hospital, a New Canaan, Connecticut-based facility comprising several buildings on a pastoral New England campus.

“IntraCare wanted the ability to easily share patient information with referrals, which was difficult to do with paper records,” explained Terry Scovill, CEO of the Houston-based hospital. “We knew that if we could quickly share quality data with referring physicians, everyone would benefit, especially our patients.”

Part of Monroe, Washington’s larger Valley General healthcare system, which also implemented OpenVista, The Recovery Center at EvergreenHealth can now rapidly share patient information throughout the network using an affordable healthcare IT tool that doesn’t drain resources from other projects.

“These three hospitals have made the jump without federal financial incentives, which clearly demonstrates their commitment to better patient care through improved data sharing with all relevant providers,” said Medsphere President and CEO Irv Lichtenwald. “OpenVista’s affordability makes it possible for behavioral health providers to achieve the benefits of comprehensive healthcare IT without having to mortgage the future or mothball other important projects.”

Irv Lichtenwald, President and CEO of Medsphere Medsphere’s proven implementation and training process ensures that hospital clinicians and staff are prepared and on board when OpenVista goes live.

“No one wants to go back to paper, even physicians who were initially reluctant,” said EvergreenHealth Medical Director John Patz, M.D.

Medsphere's OpenVista is the commercialized version of VistA-based EHRs created and developed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Indian Health Service (IHS) and credited with helping turn the agencies into national leaders in quality patient care. Using public sector code available from these agencies through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), OpenVista can be implemented much more quickly and affordably than traditional proprietary solutions.

Click on Three BH Hospitals Leap from Paper to EHRs to read the full case study and learn of more benefits these hospitals enjoy by implementing affordable healthcare IT.

About Medsphere and OpenVista®

Founded in 2002 and based in Carlsbad, Calif., Medsphere Systems Corporation is an organization of committed clinical and technology professionals working to make quality healthcare IT solutions accessible to organizations of virtually any size, shape or budget. Medsphere’s OpenVista® is an acute and inpatient behavioral health-oriented portfolio of clinical products and services that leverages the VistA electronic health record (EHR) system developed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Indian Health Service (IHS). Medsphere’s Government Services Division also applies that VistA expertise to development and testing projects for both VA and IHS.

Medsphere’s MBS/Net division enables better ambulatory care via physician practice EHR, revenue cycle management (RCM) and practice management systems and services. Using a vendor-independent approach to helping hospitals solve critical challenges, the Phoenix Health Systems division provides a host of healthcare IT services, including systems implementation, compliance project management, service desk, end-user device management, infrastructure support, application management and IT leadership.

Whatever your healthcare IT challenge, Medsphere has a solution.

Learn more about Medsphere at www.medsphere.com.