Sep 20
2015
LRGHealthcare and Speare Form LLC: Asquam Community Health Collaborative
Responding to federal government requirements for information technology integration and infrastructure to support clinical care, LRGHealthcare (comprised of Lakes Region General Hospital and Franklin Regional Hospital) and Speare Memorial Hospital have partnered to form Asquam Community Health Collaborative, a limited liability corporation. The Asquam collaborative has selected Cerner, a global leader in healthcare technology, to provide its electronic health record (EHR) across the two health systems.
Cerner’s full suite of healthcare information software solutions will replace multiple existing systems from various suppliers. The integrated EHR will help the hospitals improve population health, support clinical care and advance interoperability through meaningful use—the federally mandated use of EHR to improve care coordination, quality, efficiency and patient safety.
“Our collaboration with LRGHealthcare has enabled us to acquire a robust operating system and depth of information technology expertise that would not have been achievable on our own,” says Michelle McEwen, FACHE, President and CEO of Speare Memorial Hospital. “Currently we have two separate EHR platforms at Speare for the hospital and our practices. As the two systems do not ‘talk to one another,’ data transfer from one system to another is quite cumbersome. The new EHR system will be one clinically integrated system, allowing for easier referrals and information sharing from the emergency room to primary care and specialty care.”
Cerner will implement its Millennium EHR in each hospital’s inpatient and ambulatory facilities, as well as practice management solutions, remote hosting and end-to-end revenue cycle management solutions.
“We made a commitment to invest in a technology platform to help improve the health and care of our patients,” says Kevin Irish, LRGHealthcare’s Chief Information Officer. “We’ve been a longtime user of Cerner’s laboratory, radiology and pharmacy solutions and knew that Cerner could provide a top-notch inpatient EHR as well.”
Adds Mike Cosgrave, Speare’s Director of Information Technology, “We were eager to align with a supplier that could integrate our patient information and provide efficiencies across our organization’s venues of care.”
“Cerner’s set of solutions will help connect the healthcare systems with the communities they serve,” notes Zane Burke, President of Cerner. “This collaboration enables providers to put the patient first through open and secure exchange of data, which will help strengthen quality of patient care and enhance the ability to manage the health of the population.”
While the initial implementation is focused on the three hospitals and their related providers and practices, Michelle McEwen explains the platform will be built in such a way that other provider partners along the continuum of care, and other hospitals, could also be integrated into the system in the future. She asserts this will further enhance our local healthcare systems’ ability to better manage and positively impact population health overall.
Chuck Van Sluyter, LRGHealthcare Interim President and CEO concludes, “Being a small, community healthcare system, partnerships with other healthcare organizations are vital to provide the exceptional care our communities deserve. This collaboration with Speare is another great example of what we can achieve when we work together.”
About Asquam Community Health Collaborative, LLC.
Asquam Community Health Collaborative is a joint collaboration developed by LRGHealthcare and Speare Memorial aimed at improving the health and care of the communities in which it serves.
Speare Memorial Hospital—nationally ranked one of the Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals in the United States and designated a 2015 HealthStrong™ Hospital—is a 24-hour, acute care, non-profit community hospital and health care provider serving Plymouth and the communities of central New Hampshire. Visit online at www.spearehospital.com and join us on Facebook and Twitter.
LRGHealthcare is a not-for-profit healthcare charitable trust representing Lakes Region General Hospital, Franklin Regional Hospital, and affiliated medical providers. LRGHealthcare’s mission is to provide quality, compassionate care and to strengthen the well-being of our community. For more information, visit us at lrgh.org or find us on Facebook and Twitter.