How a Rural Hospital Got an Interoperability Boost During COVID-19

When Brian Miller arrived at Arkansas’ DeWitt Hospital a year-and-a-half ago as the CEO, he knew he had to implement a new EHR system. He also knew the rural hospital needed an interoperability boost due to its lack of updated health IT.

“We were just about to launch Azalea Health EHR, then COVID-19 hit,” Miller said. “No more on-site visits were allowed and we were now working the phone, but we never missed a beat. We were able to bill and get claims out the back door.”

“I’ve been through three implementations in the past, but when you throw COVID into the mix and at first it seems impossible, but I can testify that it’s not, because the two teams worked together to get it done.”

Although it was done virtually, Miller explained the EHR vendor was very hands-on and their technology team was able to connect with DeWitt’s IT staff every day to launch the new system during the pandemic.

“COVID-19 has changed the world, and I hope that we’ll get back to normality at some point,” concluded Miller. “But when you’ve got an electronic health record system and company that adjust with the changing times, it makes life easier.”