When Huntington Health decided to embark on the massive endeavor of moving its electronic health record (EHR) to CS-Link (Cedars-Sinai’s version of Epic), many had concerns that the process—and the new system’s adoption—might be bumpy. But nearly two years and thousands of user logins later, these two entities pulled off a tech triumph that showcases the kind of exemplary teamwork that can move mountains.
“The project went so smoothly that it stands as a model for how two large entities can collaborate on a major undertaking,” said Lori J. Morgan, MD, MBA, president and CEO of Huntington Health.
For Huntington Health, moving to CS-Link always had clear advantages. “CS-Link offers enhanced functionality, an intuitive user interface and the power of real-time data,” said Rachel Coren, associate chief information officer at Huntington Health and one of the project’s leaders. In addition, this transition would introduce a single EHR that maks it easier to seamlessly share, access and manage records across the system.
CS-Link would afford Huntington Health the benefits of a system already used throughout—and supported by—Cedars-Sinai. “The opportunity reflected one of the best things about our affiliation with Cedars-Sinai: being able to share the resources of a global healthcare leader while retaining our identity as a trusted local resource,” Morgan said.
But the question remained: How would the entities manage such a behemoth project? “EHRs are very complex systems,” said Coren. “This project not only required Huntington Health to transition from multiple EHRs to a single system, but also involved the conversion of historical data from those systems and the integration more than 180 other important applications to CS-Link.”
The planning phase included creating workgroups that consisted of subject matter experts and leaders from multiple departments and divisions. These leaders would assist in decision-making and help engage and support their colleagues through the changes. “We needed stakeholders to guide the project and ensure everyone would be ready when CS-Link went live,” said Coren. “The stakes are high in healthcare, and we couldn’t afford mistakes or confusion. With thousands of potential users, you have to work together if you want to succeed. Everyone at Huntington Health really stepped up. They embraced the process, working together in a true spirit of collaboration.”
That spirit made all the difference. Huntington Health leadership was committed to ensuring users would be well trained and have plenty of opportunities to practice so they would feel ready and as proficient as possible. Personalization sessions were held for physicians to help them configure their ordering and documentation tools. Nurses and other clinical staff from Cedars-Sinai helped support their colleagues at Huntington Health.
“It was a Big Bang implementation. Initially, we feared it was going to be chaotic,” said Gloria Sanchez-Rico, RN, Huntington Health’s chief nursing officer, recalling staff members’ reactions when they first heard about the coming transition. But those fears quickly faded as the implementation team started working and camaraderie between the two institutions grew and the work progressed. When CS-Link went live on Nov. 6, 2022, Sanchez-Rico marveled at the ease of the process.
“It was the smoothest implementation I have ever experienced,” she said. “There was so much support the whole time, from beginning to end.”
And the benefits of that transition are now being reaped. When Sanchez-Rico was introduced to CS-Link, she noticed a list of useful functions, including a “fantastic” task-tracking tool called The Brain; CS-Link’s Storyboard, which displays important patient information in an intuitive way; and a Capacity Management Dashboard, for leadership and the care team to view what’s happening in real time and help coordinate patient flow.
The switch to CS-Link was also accompanied by a major investment in new hardware. Nearly every patient room at Huntington Hospital now has a dedicated Workstation on Wheels. An updated version of Voalte, a secure communication platform that offers CS-Link integration with the patient’s care team, was deployed across all acute care areas. Over 1,000 new smartphones were distributed to clinical departments, including nursing, respiratory therapy, social work and many others. CS-Link also has a mobile version that supports different functions, from clinical care to transport and environmental services, that can be managed from a smartphone.
The shift to CS-Link has made such a difference that Nirav Kamdar, MD, described it as “an integral part of Huntington Health’s evolution toward even better coordination of care.” As vice president of Quality Improvement, Kamdar was among the project’s leaders. He went into the process keenly aware of the huge difference a world-class EHR can make.
“Previously, if a patient had digital records in discrete service areas, these could not be accessed in a single place,” he said. “For example, if someone had been seen in the Emergency Department and also had a record of appointments as an outpatient, the two records would not be integrated. Now, we can easily view both. A tool called ‘Care Everywhere’ is an additional advantage, allowing us to view care delivered at other facilities, which expands our capability to coordinate. This continuum of digital data affords us a comprehensive view of our patients’ medical histories, which greatly facilitates informed clinical decision-making. Ultimately, the beneficiary of our move to CS-Link is the patient—the most important stakeholder of all.”
