With 15,000 team members, 3,000 providers and $3.1 billion in annual operating revenue, Memorial Healthcare System is one of the largest public health systems in the United States. A South Florida-based academic medical center, Memorial operates six hospitals, including Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital; multiple primary, urgent and 24/7 care facilities; a medical specialty center; and a nursing home.
PROBLEM
Memorial began offering on-demand virtual urgent care to its employees and patients through a third-party provider in 2016. With the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Memorial implemented telehealth services to all of its primary and specialty care centers and today conducts approximately 100,000 virtual health care visits each year.
Previously, Memorial providers found that relying solely on third-party providers for on-demand urgent care resulted in inconsistent patient experiences and raised quality concerns due to Data sharing is limited.
For example, a third-party virtual provider does not have full access to the patient’s medical records, creating a disconnect patient experience and frustrations for patients who have to submit medical records and medication lists as if they were receiving care at an entirely separate health system.
Additionally, all data from these visits was lost to Memorial and its provider group because that data was not transferred back to Memorial.
“With the previous virtual provider, we could brand the service as our own for patients, but virtual providers couldn’t,” said Bill Manzie, administrative director of telehealth at Memorial. know’ the patient because they do not have access to the patient’s complete medical records.” Healthcare system.
“The result is that patients have to enter their medical history or medication list and wonder why the doctor doesn’t know that, leading to patient frustration and a feeling of disconnection.”
PROPOSE
In January 2023, Memorial began partnering with KeyCare, a virtual care company based at Epic (Memorial uses Epic for its EHR).
“With KeyCare, Memorial can provide patients with a seamless virtual care experience, patients and staff can rest assured that patient data is shared between KeyCare and Memorial providers, and that Memorial has can save money by taking advantage of Epic’s built-in engagement features that minimize technical demands from their staff,” Manzie explains.
“KeyCare provides health systems access to a nationwide network of virtual care providers operating on its optimized version of Epic, which then easily connects connectivity with other Epic-based health systems.”
Ultimately, the challenge Memorial faces is expansion digital front door and expand capabilities with virtual workforce providers in a way that delivers a seamless patient experience, maintains the health system brand and patient relationship, ensures Robust data interoperability between health systems and partners, can be deployed quickly with minimal IT increase, and can generate positive ROI, he said.
MEETING THE CHALLENGE
Memorial was an early adopter of Keycare and became the first site to launch in pediatrics. The project, which includes weekly meetings and sessions focused on billing, reporting and marketing, began on November 15, 2022.
Notably, the service was successfully launched just two months later, starting January 17, 2023. Today, both adult and pediatric patients nationwide have access to KeyCare providers offer on-demand virtual urgent care 24/7 through MemorialDOCNow, Memorial’s online portal.
“In addition, KeyCare providers have access to individual Memorial patient data as they provide care and complete their notes on the Epic version of KeyCare,” Manzie noted. “After completing the visit, encounter information will automatically be sent to the Memorial via Epic Care Anywhere and Telehealth Anywhere capabilities.
“Additionally, a message in the basket can be sent to the primary care provider or any Epic team designated by the health system,” he continued.
“As a result, Memorial providers and patients get a truly coordinated experience, as all encounter details can be viewed natively in the Memorial version of Epic, and Memorial providers can can review and accommodate any new allergies, medications, or problems posed by KeyCare.”
Today, the scope of work between Memorial and KeyCare includes:
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On-demand urgent care, 24/7
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Nationwide insurance for consumers and employees
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Ensure new and existing users stay connected to Memorial’s digital front door instead of having to rely on an outside third party to take care of it
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Integrated interoperability between the Epic version of KeyCare and the Epic version of Memorial
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Consulting from KeyCare’s operations and marketing team on program design
RESULT
By partnering with KeyCare, Memorial has been able to strengthen its care team, optimize capacity and open its digital doors, Manzie said.
“After the official launch with KeyCare, virtual visits increased rapidly, with more than 4,000 visits completed in the first ten months after the program launched,” he reports. “Through MemorialDOCNow, KeyCare providers have seen patients in more than 30 different states.”
Additionally, he noted:
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Average waiting time is about 10 minutes
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Reducing the number of low-acuity visits to the office or emergency room has value, as 54% of these patients said they would have gone to urgent care otherwise, 18% to primary care. first and 9% go to the emergency room if this virtual service is not available. This also reduces the risk of leaks to outside medical systems
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Patients rated the experience highly, with a net promoter score (NPS) of 87 and 91% of patients identified as promoters
ADVICE TO OTHERS
In the rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, Manzie said, close provider collaboration has set a standard for technology integration that enhances patient care and coordination. of the provider.
“As we navigate this journey, there are a number of lessons and advice we can offer to other healthcare delivery organizations considering following a similar path,” he said. ”. “Ensure technology integrates seamlessly with your existing systems. Use an advanced platform, combined with capabilities like Care Anywhere and Telehealth Anywhere, allowing real-time access to patient data This seamless integration is critical to maintaining comprehensive and continuous care, minimizing disruption to existing workflows.
“Prioritize solutions that provide robust data sharing capabilities,” he continued. “The ability to access patient data and share encounter information automatically ensures every care touchpoint is informed and updated. This level of access promotes a coordinated care experience , is critical in a telehealth environment where continuity is key.”
And adopt technologies that enhance communication between suppliers, he advises.
“The ability to send in-cart messages to designated providers or groups within our health system illustrates how technology can facilitate direct and effective communication between care team, ensuring everyone is informed and can act promptly.”
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