Memorial continued to make progress toward its goal of becoming the most technologically advanced healthcare system in South Florida, adding more technology, more efficiency and more convenience for the patients and families it serves.

The efforts are paying off: After the end of the fiscal year Memorial learned it had earned another “Most Wired” accolade from Hospitals & Health Networks, which also named Memorial among the most “Advanced” systems technologically. Only 25 other hospitals and health systems in the nation ranked alongside Memorial in the Advanced category.

Recent innovations and additions include:

Check-In Kiosks – Already a fixture at airports and banks, check-in and co-pay collection kiosks give patients arriving for appointments easier and faster access to the health system. Introduced at five Memorial emergency departments and Memorial's 24/7 Care Center, the kiosks enjoyed a 50 to 60 percent utilization rate system-wide.

“The kiosks are one of the biggest benefits we’ve been able to offer, because they cut down the time it takes from the patient side by more than half,” said Oscar Perez, Vice President, Information Technology. “With the kiosks, a patient’s actual check-in time can drop to a range of 30 to 40 seconds.”

Improved Online Scheduling Options – Through Memorial's website and patient portal, patients of Memorial Physician Group doctors have the ability to schedule online new-patient or follow-up appointments with their assigned providers. Memorial also launched an online appointment system for Memorial Pembroke 24/7 Care Center. The start of FY2018 saw Memorial looking to expand online scheduling for mammograms and lab appointments.

Tools to Boost Patient Engagement – To help improve service to hospitalized patients, Memorial launched MyChart Bedside, providing tablets to patients at Memorial Regional Hospital and Memorial Hospital West. Patients can consult the tablets to identify their care teams, see their treatment schedules, and make bedside requests without having to call the nursing station. The tablets also include entertainment applications for patient enjoyment.

Better Internal Connections – Memorial completed an 18-month system-wide initiative to migrate the laboratory systems to EPIC, the system’s electronic medical record system, allowing providers immediate access to lab results and helping to provide seamless access to medical records.

Remote Viewing in the NICU – Introduced last fiscal year, Memorial’s 63 NICU cameras at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital and Memorial Hospital West expanded their reach to families in locations around the world, including Canada, the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East.

Less than a year after MemorialDocNow debuted for Memorial employees and their dependents enrolled in Memorial health plans, the teleheath system expanded – providing more people with healthcare services and consultations more conveniently than ever.

The online service became available directly to the healthcare consumer in October 2016 – allowing patients and families to hold around-the-clock virtual visits with physicians affiliated with Memorial, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital or American Well’s Online Care Group.

Telehealth systems like MemorialDOCNow are increasing access to services such as general health consultations and non-emergency urgent care issues, with physicians able to diagnose, recommend treatment and prescribe medication without patients having to visit their doctors’ offices.

At the same time, MemorialDOCNow enrollments among Memorial employees continued to grow: 6,479 as of June 2017 – beating the program’s goal of enrolling 10 percent of the 23,000 employees and dependents covered by Memorial’s health plans by 181 percent.

MemorialDOCNow’s plans for the future? Continue offering telehealth services and thus increase the convenience of seeing a physician when and where it’s needed.

Already a great resource for patients, families and employees, Memorial Healthcare System Pharmacy Services expanded this year to include more services and locations – integrating new technologies to make accessing services easier.

• Memorial Regional Hospital’s Outpatient Pharmacy extended its hours to seven days a week and until 10 pm Monday through Friday
• The ScriptCenter Express Kiosk was installed at Memorial Regional Hospital, to offer around-the-clock medication pickup for employees and families
• Memorial laid the groundwork for Memorial Hospital Miramar Outpatient Pharmacy to open in the Medical Office Building in summer 2017
• Memorial Pharmacy’s Concierge Service continued to make discharge faster and easier and to improve patient compliance by delivering medications to patients at the bedside
• Memorial Pharmacy Services integrated with Memorial Global Health, to better serve our international patients
• South Broward Community Health Services increased its pharmacy service hours at the Hallandale and Pembroke Road practices to six days a week, and has added over-the-counter medication sections for improved compliance and convenience

Memorial Specialty Pharmacy will integrate with Memorial Home Infusion Pharmacy Services and expand to a freestanding facility, to provide a high level of pharmaceutical care and convenience needed by patients coping with cancer, heart disease, multiple sclerosis and other conditions. Memorial Pharmacy Services also is planning long-term enhancements like patient compliance programs and training platforms for pharmacy interns and technician students.

“Our commitment to convenience and customer service helps Memorial Pharmacy Services continue to play an important role in Memorial’s ability to heal the minds, bodies and spirits of those we touch,” said Gordon Garland, RPH, CPH, Director, Ambulatory Pharmacy Services.