Stories from the Front Lines: The Journey to Meaningful Use

Seattle King County Public Health Department Meets EHR Challenges Head-on

Sue Sirlin, CPEHR, is the HIT Director and a Senior Consultant at Outlook Associates, a division of Qualis Health, the parent organization for WIREC. Sue shared her ongoing experience working with the Seattle King County Public Health Department (SKC) in the planning, evaluation, and selection of a new EHR. WIREC has collaborated with Sue and SKC in clarifying and interpreting meaningful use rules.

Although Outlook Associates (OA) initially became involved with SKC in 2008, they really began their EHR work with the organization in the spring of 2010, working with them to plan for a new implementation. OA looked at things like what steps to take, methodology, and how to move forward, giving SKC a crash course in selecting and implementing an EHR. It was also important to help the organization develop their teams in terms of roles and responsibilities.

Currently, OA is instrumental in helping them select a system or systems to meet their diverse needs. They are setting up a baseline and helping them finalize their options and requirements—and arming them with the tools to do that. They are also assisting them in drafting their Request for Proposals (RFP) document with SKC’s procurement department, so that they get the information they need to make an informed choice.

WIREC aids SKC in clarifying Meaningful Use requirements and working with them to ensure the organization is on track to maximize incentives.