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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 21 F E B R UA R Y 2 3 , 2 0 1 5 If you want a good understanding of why implementing such a system is important and how it can help improve patient care and cut opera- tional costs, just talk to Dr. Jackie Cawley, the chief medical information officer and associate chief medi- cal officer at MaineHealth. One of her main jobs is providing clinical leadership in the system-wide rollout of Epic, the health record software MaineHealth will use across all of its practices and hospitals by . Cawley says the integrated health care system will have invested more than million over the several years it takes to implement. So far, she says, Epic has been implemented in Maine Medical Center in Portland and Waldo County General Hospital in Belfast, along with ambulatory practices in Portland, Scarborough, Falmouth, Belfast, Rockland, Damariscotta, Boothbay and Norway, and two of the system's home health agencies. at means MaineHealth still has six member hospitals and hundreds of providers to go. Eventually, the health care system's , employees will have to be trained. Cawley didn't provide a dollar value when asked about the project's expected return on investment. Instead, she says, the return will be seen in "improved efficiency, better patient outcomes and better transitions of care and flow of patient information." ere are countless examples of how an electronic health record sys- tem can improve care, but there's one in particular that comes to Cawley's mind. It happened in late January. "[Maine Medical Center] had a very sick patient who needed a lung trans- plant … He ended up having to go to Duke University Hospital [in Durham, N.C.]," Cawley says. Because Maine Medical had an electronic record of the patient readily available, she says, the "transplant team was able to exchange information, real time, with Duke." at cut hours from the patient's transplant wait time. "It's so wonderful because it could have taken us hours to get things faxed, but it went so smooth because we were able to [share] information real time," Cawley says. Improving patient care is a top pri- ority, but the adoption and implementa- tion of the Epic software also provides MaineHealth with financial incentives. In December, the health care organiza- tion received a . million check from the federal government for saving nearly www.avitaofstroudwater.com Join us for one or more events in an experiential, educational oering for caregivers. Each of the two day-long sessions* will begin with the Virtual Dementia Tour – a program that helps you discover the realities of living with dementia. e day will end with Healing Moments- a fun and energizing WHEN: Tuesday, March 24, 2015 |8:00 AM - 12:00 PM Virtual Dementia Tour only, allow 30 minutes for your tour experience. ursday, April 9, 2015* | 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM Professional training Certicates of Completion available. Tuesday, May 12, 2015* | 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM For family caregivers only. Sunday, June 21, 2015 | 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM Open to the public. | In a nal and separate oering, join us on "e Longest Day" as we use a buttery release to acknowledge the sunrise-to-sunset challenges of those living with Alzheimer's Disease or other related dementias and those who care for them. WHERE: Avita of Stroudwater 320 Spring Street Westbrook, ME 04092 RSVP: 207.857.9007 or Lea@avitaofstroudwater.com e Virtual Dementia Tour ®is a patented program, created by PK Beville, Founder of Second Wind Dreams®, an organization committed to changing the perception of aging for elders. Meeting Alzheimer's training that helps us develop a deeper understanding of dementia. We will break for lunch from Avita's Eat Fresh, Eat Local kitchen. ($10 per registrant) e Virtual Dementia Tour and Eat Fresh, Eat Local kitchen. ($10 per registrant) e Virtual Dementia Tour and Eat Fresh, Eat Local Buttery Release events are oered independently. For more information, or to register, visit www.mainebiz.biz/OTRportland or call 207.761.8379 x341 Get out from behind your desk to meet and mingle with other business execs at a special reception for Mainebiz readers. Mainebiz is coming to six new regions of the state to continue facilitating face-to-face networking for the business community. admission is free complimentary hors d'oeuvres cash bar R E G I O N A L S P O N S O R S 5–7pm | State Theatre Portland, March 19 C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E »