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What's New?
Outpatient practices in Wave 1a go live with full ambulatory functionality
'Sense of excitement to get going' with CareConnect evident at go-liveStaff members convert 100,000 existing appointments
Faculty and staff members from different departments of the health system share their erly experiences of using CareConnect within weeks after the March 1, 2013 go-live.
100,000 appointment converted from existing system to CareConnect
Over two weekends in February, staff members from UCLA's more than 200+ outpatient practices manually converted approximately 100,000 existing patient appointments into CareConnect - just in time for the soft go-live of the CareConnect's scheduling application (Cadence) on Feb. 11.
Physicians validate clinical content in CareConnect
A group of subject-matter experts composed of UCLA faculty and staff members reviewed clinical content order sets developed specifically for CareConnect that our providers will use beginning on March.
CareConnect Table Reads complete
Eight table reads, held Nov. 27 - Dec. 17, gave dozens of managers and front-end staff members the chance to work through full patient scenarios in CareConnect as if the system were live.
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New WOWs coming soon to hospitals
Approximately 70 wireless workstations on wheels are being delivered starting Jan. 18 to inpatient departments here at UCLA to be used for physician rounding. An extended battery life of up to 10 hours on a two-hour charge is just one of the many benefits of these new carts.
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Super users readied to provide support before go-live
Nearly 2,000 of your colleagues and peers are ready to provide at-elbow support to you before, during, after CareConnect goes live on March 1, 2013.
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Four events feature benefits of CareConnect for employees and patients
The day and night events held Dec. 12-13, drew approximately 1,200 future users of CareConnect to UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica and Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
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Clinics are built out individually to make sure technology, infrastructure in place
Radiation Oncology was one of the first clinics to go through the build-out process - it's a Wave 0 clinic - which will go live with the full CareConnect suite on March 1. Marie Webber of radiation oncology said the build-out has already improved the patient experience and operations at her clinic.
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UCLA faculty and staff read through full patient scenarios, perform tasks in CareConnect
A group of UCLA Health System leadership members huddled around a conference room table to run through a full CareConnect script on Oct. 16 - with physicians, nurses, and other clinicians reading their own parts, while navigating the electronic health record system as it will look and function when it goes live on March 1, 2013.
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Faculty and staff preview specific workflows in 66 pilot training sessions
High-volume and complex workflows are the focus of 66 pilot training sessions that are being held through Oct. 5. The sessions will give the training team an opportunity to collect feedback on its approach and materials before end-user training begins on Dec. 17.
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Trailers delivered for CareConnect's Modular Training Center
Seven trailers have been delivered to an open lot at the intersection of Gayley and LeConte avenues, and assembled to create CareConnect's 4,700 square-foot Modular Training Center, which includes seven, 20-person classrooms and a detached bathroom facility.
Primary care and referring physician communication workflows previewed
Primary care physician and referring provider communication workflows were the focus of CareConnect's Sneak Peek session on July 24. Nearly 90 attendees attended the session at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center's Tamkin Auditorium, as about 35 others watched from the auditorium at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica via videoconferencing.
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UCLA doctors help at UCSF go-live
We're not the only ones implementing Epic System Corp.'s electronic health record system. In one of a series of go-lives, UCSF Medical Center rolled out the EHR for all inpatient, business, and administrative functions on June 2, and a group of UCLA executives and physicians was on hand to provide support.
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Standing-room only turnout at readiness lead kick-off meeting
More than 300 readiness leads - who will serve as go-to people to help faculty and staff members in their operational areas transition to CareConnect -- have been designated to represent nearly every department within our health system's hospitals, support services and clinics.
CareConnect training begins Dec. 17
About 15,000 future users of CareConnect will receive the training they need to do their jobs in an eight-week period before the system goes live. We have the latest details on the 5 W's of training.
May 9, 2012: CareConnect announces 'big-bang' go-live date
We've officially started the clock and we're counting down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until CareConnect's big-bang go-live on March 1, 2013.
May 8, 2012: CareConnect hosts sneak peek session in Santa Monica
CareConnect's Sneak Peek series makes a stop in Santa Monica as staff from UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica and nearby clinics offer feedback on scheduling and registration functions in the electronic health record system.
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May 7, 2012: 80+ UCLA nurses preview their workflows in CareConnect
An end-to-end demonstration of nursing workflows in CareConnect sparked a lively discussion and an abundance of questions from a group of more than 80 UCLA nurses on April 18.
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May 2, 2012: CareConnect conducts readiness survey
CareConnect conducted a survey at last month's Hospital Operations Team and Santa Monica Hospital Operations meeting. The survey results will serve as a baseline for CareConnect's readiness activities. The CareConnect readiness team expects the repeated surveys will reveal improvement as work toward readinness progresses throughout the health system.
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April 25, 2012: EOB approves ambulatory rollout sequencing
CareConnect's Executive Oversight Board last month approved a new sequencing for implementation of computerized physician order entry (CPOE) and documentation to UCLA Health System's 200-plus clinics.
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April 15, 2012: CareConnect launches first in a series of Web Peeks
Watch our first Web Peek video to see how CareConnect's SmartTools will help you with documentation. Web Peeks are online demos with audio descriptions of selected CareConnect functions and tools. New Web Peeks will be posted frequently leading up to go-live, and offer a quick way to learn more about CareConnect before you go to training.
April 4, 2012: CareConnect Update
CareConnect's readiness plans are taking shape; users will be able to access CareConnect remotely; psychiatry's master treatment plan goes electronic; and CareConnect tells a patient's story.
April 2, 2012: What you can expect from CareConnect
Whether it is the ability to pull up patient records in seconds or SmartTools that help physicians with documentation, CareConnect will bring numerous benefits to our patients, the health system, and our employees. Check out our list of some things you can expect from CareConnect that you might not have thought of.
March 13, 2012: Executive Oversight Board approves simultaneous rollout of CareConnect
Everyone will begin using some form of CareConnect a little more than a year from now, according to the new schedule for implementation of our electronic health record system approved on March 13 by the program's Executive Oversight Board.
March 1, 2012: CareConnect evaluates two rollout options
CareConnect is evaluating two rollout options and expects to offer a recommendation to the EOB in mid-March. The EOB approved development of a new tool -- called "CareConnect Lite" -- that will allow physicians and other providers to view lab results reliably during implementation.
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February 29, 2012: Master Treatment Plan goes electronic
CareConnect is creating an electronic version of Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital's Master Treatment Plan, which will be accessible remotely and enable its multi-disciplinary team to work together and plan care.
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February 23, 2012: Getting a sneak peek of CareConnect
CareConnect presents its first Sneak Peek to showcase how the system looks and how it will work in conjunction with other UCLA workflows.
February 14, 2012: CareConnect to revise rollout schedule
CareConnect's Executive Oversight Board on Feb. 14 announced that a recently discovered technical issue related to our legacy systems requires that the program's implementation schedule be revised.
February 8, 2012: Executive Oversight Board approves scanning approach
CareConnect's Executive Oversight Board approves recommendations to continue centralized scanning of inpatient documents through UCLA's Health Information Management Services (HIMS) Department, as ambulatory clinics are offered a hybrid approach.
February 4, 2012: One patient, one encounter, six bills
A UCLA patient sends in a photo of the six billing statements she received after one encounter here.
See Dr. David Feinberg's response >>
February 1, 2012: Ancillary caregivers vet physician order sets
Physical therapists, lab technicians, pharmacists, and other clinicians are reviewing order sets, which were created to work with their departmental workflows in CareConnect. The group members will give feedback on an estimated 200 order sets being developed for UCLA.
January 25, 2012: Integration testing begins for CareConnect
Over the next two months, more than 80 patient scenarios associated with Go-Live 1 will be examined through integration testing. The scenarios involve multiple CareConnect applications, such as ADT, ambulatory, scheduling, and managed care.
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January 18, 2012: CareConnect tells a patient's story
In CareConnect's patient story, a patient's essential information -- reason for hospitalization, medical history, problem list -- were available on a single screen here at UCLA without having to access multiple systems or pull charts.
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January 17, 2012: CareConnect Update
Excitement over CareConnect extends to patients; see details of the upcoming Sneak Peek, an end-to-end process walkthrough set for February.
January 11, 2012: CareConnect selects patient education, instruction materials
CareConnect is selecting the patient education and discharge instructions to be used by the electronic health record system, with a couple of vendors expected to demo their materials by the end of the month.
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January 13, 2012: Employee News - CareConnect Update
Even though training to use CareConnect won't start until May 2012 for the first go-live, you may be wondering: Who will conduct my training? When will I get a log-in? Read about the latest training news.
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December 21, 2011: When does your clinic go live with CareConnect?
Starting July 1, 2012, the entire health system -- including outpatient clinics (except UCLA Santa Monica Bay Physicians) -- will use CareConnect for patient access and billing services. Whether clinicians will be using CareConnect instead of paper charts to document visits, however, depends on when a particular clinic is scheduled to go live with clinical functions.
Read more, see the rollout schedule >>
December 14, 2011: Task force stays on top of CareConnect developments
The Neurology CareConnect Task Force got the first glimpse of a map showing where various devices -- workstations, printers, and scanners -- will be placed in the neurology suite at 300 Medical Plaza.
Read more, see photos >>
December 8, 2011: CareConnect Update
Your questions about privacy and security are answered in a new set of FAQs, and a schedule details the rollout of CareConnect's clinical functions to ambulatory clinics.
November 21, 2011: eBlast
Testing begins for Go-Live 1 applications; a scope of practice work group determines who performs which functions in CareConnect. Read about the latest CareConnect developments.
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November 15, 2011: Defining scope of practice standards
The 15,000 future users of the electronic health record will need to perform work at the highest level authorized by their licensure or certification as defined by scope of practice standards. A Scope of Practice Work Group was given the task of clearly defining those roles within CareConnect.
November 9, 2011: Application testing begins
Testing of departmental processes in CareConnect has begun just a few months after teams began modifying workflows to meet the needs of our health system and those of our patients.
November 2, 2011: Internal medicine residents preview CareConnect
Future users of CareConnect are catching their first glimpses of the electronic health record system about eight months before the first scheduled go-live at UCLA Health System.
October 19, 2011: Physicians design clinical content
The development of clinical content for CareConnect, UCLA's electronic health record program, is currently underway, and physician involvement from all specialties is crucial in the process.
October 15, 2011: Employee News - CareConnect website gets a new look
CareConnect, UCLA's electronic health record program, is continually evolving to ensure it will meet the needs of our health system and patients when it goes live, and our website - www.CareConnect.uclahealth.org - is changing in the same way. It is now even easier to use and designed to keep you up to date on everything you need to know about CareConnect.
October 12, 2011: eBlast
With the first go-live date for CareConnect scheduled in nine months for thousands of users, it’s natural to have questions about the who, what, where, when, and how of training. While work on a comprehensive training plan continues, answers to basic questions are available now on CareConnect’s website.
October 5, 2011: Faculty, staff tackle Beacon
Dozens of faculty and staff members from UCLA Health System and David Geffen School of Medicine are just beginning the process of evaluating oncology-specific workflows in CareConnect in a new round of validation sessions.
September 25, 2011: Protecting Patient Privacy in CareConnect
A Confidentiality Work Group, made up of faculty and staff members from clinical, medical records, privacy, and information security departments, was formed specifically to evaluate CareConnect functions relating to protecting patient records.
September 20, 2011: eBlast
As we edge closer to our first go-live next July, excitement is growing over the transformation CareConnect will usher in at the UCLA Health System. We're pleased to offer an update on progress: Development of clinical content is underway, as we are preparing for our seventh round of sessions to validate workflows in Epic's Model System.
September 15, 2011: Employee News - We're answering your questions about CareConnect
How will CareConnect affect my job? Where will CareConnect be implemented? What happens if the system goes down? You'll find the answers to those questions and dozens more in a new series of FAQs on CareConnect's website.
September 7, 2011: Interest in CareConnect grows as go-lives near
Members of CareConnect's leadership team offer regular updates to departments and groups throughout UCLA Health System to keep faculty and staff up-to-date about the implementation of our electronic health record program. CareConnect Director of Organizational Transformation Arpi Chalian, MD, met with the Nurse Practitioner Council on Aug. 28.
August 31, 2011: Connecting with CareConnect
Two informal drop-in events were held in August to give future CareConnect users an opportunity to learn more about UCLA's electronic health record program. Attendees met one-on-one with members of the CareConnect leadership team.
Read more, view photos >>
August 15, 2011: Employee News - Faculty and staff help define CareConnect
There's no question that CareConnect will transform the way care is delivered at UCLA Health System. But who determines how our electronic health record system will function?
August 11, 2011: eBlast
We're committed to keeping you informed as we implement CareConnect across UCLA Health System. Last month we completed four of seven sessions to validate workflows in Epic's Model System to make sure they meet UCLA's needs.
August 2, 2011: CareConnect moves into next phase
A Phase 3 Transition Meeting and Celebration was hosted by the CareConnect team July 26 to mark the move of UCLA's electronic health record system into the next phase of implementation.
Read more, view photos »
July 25, 2011: Physician Advocate Council hosts first meeting
More than 40 physicians attended the first CareConnect Physician Advocate Council meeting July 21. The group was formed to communicate the physician's perspective at all steps of CareConnect development.
Read more, view photos »
July 20, 2011: Validation sessions bring together staff, ideas for the future
The third of seven rounds of validation sessions wrapped up July 14, as part of an ongoing effort to make sure workflows in CareConnect will fit our needs and effectively serve our patients when our electronic health record system goes live.
July 12, 2011: eBlast
As you know, UCLA's electronic health record system will be rolled out in phases beginning in July 2012. Today, we're one-year out from our initial go-live when business systems and the first group of ambulatory clinics will transition to CareConnect.
Read more >>
June 16, 2011: Staff turn out to validate CareConnect workflows
Many of 60+ sessions were standing-room only as more than 600 faculty and staff from UCLA Health System participated in the second round of validation sessions from June 14-16.
June 15, 2011: More than 40 physician advocates receive early CareConnect training
Forty-one physicians from UCLA Health System traveled to Wisconsin to the headquarters of Epic Systems -- whose Model System provides the foundation for CareConnect -- for two days of early training on June 9-10, 2011, on tools commonly used by physicians.
June 15, 2011: Employee News - Hear what experienced users are saying
We talked to UCLA doctors, nurses and other staff members who have experience using electronic health records (EHRs) that were developed by Epic. Read what they have to say about the benefits and challenges of using an EHR.
June 6, 2011: Alex Nury joins CareConnect as director of project management
Alexander S. Nury joined the CareConnect team as director of its project management office. In this leadership
role, Nury provides horizontal oversight of the CareConnect implementation, maintaining the overall
overall program plan, and managing risk and relationships to ensure a successful rollout.
Learn more »
June 2, 2011: eBlast
As CareConnect advances to its next phase of implementation, we're engaging the help of hundreds of staff and faculty to make sure our electronic health record reflects the way we do things here at the UCLA Health System.
May 27, 2011: Red light, green light: 400+ faculty, staff validate CareConnect workflows
Kerckhoff Hall's Grand Salon was nearly half full on May 25 as a representative for Epic Systems walked through the process for how doctors and nurses will view and route the results of patient tests in CareConnect, UCLA's electronic health record system. Test results appear in a physician's "In Basket," where they can be read, documented, or routed for follow up. Fast and simple? Yes. And then ... the questions began.
Read more, view photos >>
May 15, 2011: Employee News - Building the foundation for CareConnect
CareConnect's first series of Validation Sessions will be held at UCLA medical facilities in late May. The goal of this phase is to set the groundwork for UCLA's electronic health record program, CareConnect.
April 29, 2011: Hundreds of health system staff members participate in site visits
Hundreds of UCLA Health System staff members shared information about how they do their jobs to help inform the development of CareConnect. At the end of April 2011, staff reviewed processes for our clinical and business workflows through site visits with our vendor, Epic Systems.
Read more, view pictures >>
April 26, 2011: eBlast
We are delighted to introduce CareConnect, UCLA's comprehensive electronic health record (EHR) program. It is based on one of the most highly rated EHR software systems in the nation, and will securely connect thousands of people across the UCLA Health System.
April 15, 2011: Employee News - Got questions about CareConnect?
Q. What does EHR mean?
A. The Electronic Health Record (EHR) is a digital record of patient health information including patient demographics, progress notes, problems, medications, vital signs, past medical history, immunizations, laboratory data and radiology reports.
March 28, 2011: CareConnect training off to a strong start
An intensive training class for the first members of the CareConnect team was held late February at the Epic Systems headquarters in Verona, Wisconsin. More than 50 CareConnect staff attended the training, and showed they were a determined group braving the weather conditions and delving into the details of the Epic Model System. The Epic Model System-a set of common practice configurations, workflows, and content-serves as the foundation for the CareConnect implementation process. The trainees were divided into different classrooms based on setting-such as Ambulatory and In Patient. They were further grouped into specific areas (e.g., surgery, hospital billing, anesthesia) and focused on content particular to each department. "The team is willing to do what it takes to make sure physicians, nurses, and all other staff at UCLA have a system that works well for them," says training participant Ellen Pollack, RN, MSN, CareConnect inpatient clinical director. "Thousands of dedicated health professionals at UCLA who take care of our community will have an Electronic Health Record that will enhance the work that we do."
March 15, 2011: Employee News - Epic staff to make site visits this spring
The CareConnect program is moving forward with site visits this spring, as part of an ongoing process toward implementation of our electronic health record. Epic staff will begin visiting UCLA's clinics and hospitals.
Read more >>
February 11, 2011: CareConnect, a new name for UCLA's innovative EHR program
The electronic health record program will now be called CareConnect. The name CareConnect reflects both the breadth of the program and the benefits that will result from its implementation. While the CareConnect program is using Epic Systems technology, the actual implementation will be tailored to UCLA's needs, according to Michael Steinberg, MD, chairperson, CareConnect Executive Oversight Board. CareConnect builds upon the mission of delivering leading-edge patient care by streamlining our processes and systems. UCLA Health System is taking the next step to a truly integrative medical practice, and this will be a transformative experience for the organization. "The CareConnect program is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to work together as an organization to really change how we deliver health care," adds Patricia Kapur, MD, co-chairperson, UCLA Faculty Practice Group; and chairperson, department of anesthesiology. "It puts UCLA in an excellent position for examining and enhancing processes that support the overall care experience." Look for the new CareConnect website and program communications, coming soon.
August 5, 2010: UCLA Health System moves forward with Epic Systems
We are pleased to announce that a contract has been signed between UCLA Health System and Epic Systems Corporation to provide an integrated Electronic Health Record system for our organization. After an in-depth assessment by members of our organization, we have determined that the Epic System is the right system for UCLA.
We have contracted for the enterprise suite of products that includes practice management and clinical systems. The sequence of our rollout will start with scheduling, registration, billing, and ambulatory clinicals followed by inpatient clinicals. Next year will primarily focus on the design and build of the system and the actual deployment will occur in 2012 and 2013. A detailed project plan is in the process of being developed and you will be hearing more in the very near future.
This will provide our clinicians and patients with a seamless and integrated set of systems that allow easy access to information to facilitate and improve the overall patient care process, facilitate health sciences education, and support the multitude of robust clinical research programs across UCLA and its affiliated partners. This system also provides the foundation to further our service mission of healing human kind, one patient at a time.
We would like to thank those who participated in the workgroup process to help us reach this decision. This is an exciting time for our organization and we look forward to your partnership as we undertake this significant initiative.
Sincerely,
A. Eugene Washington
Vice chancellor & dean
David Feinberg
Presient and chief executive officer, UCLA Hospital System,
Patricia Kapur
Interim co-president, UCLA Faculty Practice Group
John Mazziotta
Interim co-president, UCLA Faculty Practice Group
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