Columbus Regional Hospital: Realizing the Systems Vision for a Community Integrated Delivery Network - a FULCRUM Series Methodologies® Breakthrough

Client Challenge

Columbus Regional Hospital (CRH) is a prominent regional referral center and hospital system serving multiple counties in southeastern Indiana. Its formerly fragmented systems infrastructure did not support the needs of the emerging integrated delivery network, and had to be completely overhauled. The former situation was characterized by:

• "Islands of Information" providing limited data sharing
• weak network infrastructure
• inability to support growth requirements

Moreover, the Information Systems Department was understaffed relative to peers and was limited to "Data Processing". From an organizational perspective, the department did not have much support or recognition. Major change was needed.

The Solution: FULCRUM Series Methodologies®

CRH's Board, Physicians, Community Partners and Executive Team set out aggressively to redesign the Information Systems function to serve the organization's evolving business strategies. The team included a new CIO, Tim Tarnowski, who championed the use of the FULCRUM Series Methodologies to transform information management at CRH.

Benefits: Transformation

CRH successfully transformed the information systems infrastructure and its organizational capabilities, achieving implementation excellence in an accelerated time frame.

"Wherever I work in IT, I will use them (FULCRUM Series Methodologies tools). I will use them because they work so well. In the six years I have been here, we have planned and implemented 16 major installs and every one has made the budget and go-live of the original plan."

—Tim Tarnowski, Vice President and CIO, CRH

 

- FULCRUM Series Methodologies® Methods used at CRH
Thought Leadership: IT Strategy Methods	IT Transformation Methods	IT Management Methods
Long Range Planning: CRH Systems Strategy Vendor Strategy IT Architecture	Vendor Selection Systems Implementation: Full local and wide area network McKesson HBOC Star SBC Flex Benefits HR System Interface Manager Clinical Browser CRH Web site Midas Quality Management System Pathways Care Manager Dictaphone Dictation and Transcription System	Data Center Operations and Maintenance

 

Each method contains a workplan, a guidebook, sample deliverables and training materials. The tools and processes are designed to provide a structured, consistent approach to address all phases of the IT lifecycle.

The tools included in FULCRUM Series Methodologies were used in every aspect of the planning, redesign, selection and implementation of the entire systems solution. Using these tools, CRH introduced new systems philosophies, implemented professional methodologies and changed the skill mix of information management. FULCRUM was used successfully across the organization to plan, align expectations, communicate and manage the implementation of major systems. The core team had to introduce a huge amount of change in a very limited amount of time, involving hundreds of people, to achieve the results they sought. The FULCRUM Series Methodologies allowed the team to create a 5 year systems plan to support business needs and to operationalize the vision across the organization, maintaining momentum over the cycle of many implementations. This approach led to the on-time and on-budget implementation of over 16 software products.

The use of FULCRUM Series Methodologies product has helped CRH realize a systems vision in support of community healthcare.

Organizational Transformation

The "success cycle" of information systems-consistently delivering what is promised on time and under budget without disrupting operations-has transformed the culture of information management and its place in CRH. CRH is proud of its success, and the information management organization is a fun place to work. The "can do" attitude has created an environment where projects are funded, information management is trusted and personnel have a great sense of pride and accomplishment. Tim Tarnowski explains, "When you work in a service department, your word is your credibility. We're very proud of the successful track record we have established. Talented people want to work here and the rest of the organization enjoys working with us."

Tim adds, "As a result of using FULCRUM Series Methodologies tools, my staff have a common language and work well with each other and our customers. We all understand what we mean by planning, design and testing. We had a complex 5 year plan, and we are all grounded in the predictable cycle that we need to go through, including our vendors who initially all have a different plan."

Time Savings Using FULCRUM Series Methodologies®

CRH's use of FULCRUM Series Methodology's Vendor Selection method illustrates the breakthrough performance that can be achieved. Using the vendor selection methodologies enabled CRH to complete their initial vendor selection process in less than half the time of alternative approaches, as shown by the CRH chart below. Eleven teams, over 140 people, completed the process in only two and one-half months.

Over 50% time savings in vendor selection process using FULCRUM Series Methodologies® "Breakthrough" method in vendor selection:

Vendor Negotiation, Management and Implementation $ Savings

Because of the rigorous planning FULCRUM Series Methodologies enables, CRH has experienced considerable savings working with vendors. "Vendors' goals are different from mine", explains Tim. "They want us to cut a check and get their stock price up. I want operational effectiveness and efficiency; I want to make sure people understand the system and can use it. We have that conversation candidly. They come in with a two-page implementation-we cross-walk between their plan and the FULCRUM Series Methodology. I ask them, are you recommending that we leave out, for example, developing user practices and procedures? We have that conversation before the contract ever gets signed."

"No Problem" Implementations

Tim attributes smooth implementation success to the FULCRUM Series Methodologies. "On the day the core hospital information system went live, people didn't think it went live because there were no issues. There were a record number of admissions that day and nothing happened."

Management and Users Support

Executive and team users have glowing remarks about the information management organization and what it has achieved using FULCRUM Series Methodologies. CRH's Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services has said,

"Our I.S. Department continues to deliver high quality products and services which meet the users' expectations every time. Ongoing operations have never been adversely affected during conversions. All of this is done on time and under budget and adds great value to the organization. My peers in other organizations consider this very rare and are amazed that we continue to deliver on our I.S. projects the way we do."

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