Stories from the Front Lines: The Journey to Meaningful Use

First WIREC Provider Attests to Meaningful Use:
Dr. Paul Williams of Washington Park Medical Center

Although there have been some early adopters in Washington state that have already attested to Meaningful Use, Washington Park Medical Center in Centralia, is the very first WIREC enrollee to attest. WIREC would like to congratulate Dr. Paul Williams and his staff for successfully attesting and earning their forthcoming CMS incentive dollars.

Recently, the Insider newsletter had a chance to speak with the practice about their transition to electronic health records, and the effect it had on staff and patients.

WIREC: Tell us a little about your practice.
WPMC: WPMC has been incorporated since 1976.  It has been a family business with Dr. David Williams retiring after 30+ years of practice, turning the practice over to his son, Paul. There are currently three physicians and one physician assistant.  We offer Family Medicine for all ages. In December of 2007, we began our EMR/PMS system and at the get-go started with the patient portal and electronic prescriptions.  We have an engaged staff willing to put patients first and to provide the best quality medicine we can provide.  Tammi, our default computer/EMR point person kept us on task as we worked to achieve meaningful use.
WIREC: What do you enjoy most about your practice?
WPMC: We enjoy helping our patients through all stages in their lives, their crises, and aiding them in improving on the health they have to maintain as independent a lifestyle as they can. We have a great staff that is fun to work with.
WIREC: How has your EHR affected the quality of care in your practice?
WPMC: We have been able to improve our quality of care by keeping current on preventive care for each person, proactively calling patients due for follow up visits, improving active medication lists, and tracking patient labs and vitals in flow sheets which help patients see the benefit of their actions. We have improved patient connection with the web portal interactions and with patients being able to access continuity of care documents and their health history.  Anyone in the practice can answer a patient’s phone calls about referrals, medication refills, phone messages, and so on, since it is available in one place simultaneously for all to access.
WIREC: What has that meant to your patients?
WPMC: This has led to more satisfied patients, knowing we take their health concerns seriously and have a system and processes that make sure we don’t overlook anything that would help them.
WIREC: How has your staff responded to the transition from paper to electronic health records?
WPMC: The transition was difficult the first six months, with many rumblings that they would like to go back to paper.  There was also a temptation to do both the computer and paper simultaneously.  But with a firm focus in view, within a year, no one wanted to go back to paper and by two years everyone couldn’t imagine how we practiced without it.
WIREC: Tell us about your work with WIREC.
WPMC: We worked with WIREC and they helped us push our vendor in making updates for Meaningful Use.  They also helped clarify Meaningful Use rules and measures (for example, helping us determine if an M.A. in Washington State can enter CPOE).
ONC: Congratulations to you, your staff, and your patients!

Washington Park Medical Center successfully attested July 6, 2011 and expects to receive this first CMS incentive check in September.