the beginning. That gave us a lot of clout.”
With support in place, Mr. Furlong knew the
project’s two biggest risks were inconsistent user
adoption and problems with the system after
launch. So he prioritized these issues, ensuring the
leadership team understood the value of training
and testing.
From the outset, the stakeholders made sure
employees understood that training wasn’t
optional. “Our CEO repeatedly communicated, ‘If
you don’t get trained, you can’t log in. And if you
can’t log in, you won’t work,’” he says.
As a result, all but one employee completed
training on time. The project team delivered 89,772
hours of training as part of the project, running
31 classrooms full-time for two months, with 170
staff members teaching. The team also spent nine
months testing the entire system before the go-live
date of 1 July 2014.
“People work
in healthcare
because they
want to help
people. So
illustrate
how patients
will benefit.
That’s what
will motivate
employees.”
—Ceci Connolly, PwC
Health Research Institute,
Washington, D.C., USA
Thanks to careful planning, a smooth rollout
and rapid user adoption, administrative staff has
seen improved efficiencies in billing and tracking
payments, and medical staff expect patients to be
treated faster due to better access to data. “It lets
physicians focus on what’s important: patients in
the procedure room,” Mr. Furlong says.
His advice for other healthcare organizations
embarking on similar system upgrades: work
closely with vendors on project planning, get buy-in early from executives who will serve as project
champions, and prioritize training and testing.
When developing training methods, don’t only
focus on how the technology works or the financial
benefits of the system, adds Ms. Connolly. “People
work in healthcare because they want to help
people. So illustrate how patients will benefit,” she
—Sarah Fister Gale
