Dr. Julie Ann W. Harrigan of Physician EHR Solutions to be Featured on Close Up Radio
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, UNITED STATES, May 7, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- While Dr. Harrigan always knew she was going to become a physician, she had no idea she would find herself in a strong position to improve patient care while securing the long-term financial health of medical facilities. She got here by being opinionated.
As a family medicine hospitalist at a hospital system in Albuquerque, NM, Dr. Harrigan understood the programming behind their electronic health records (EHR) system, and she had questions. “The EHR system was inefficient and had lots of room for streamlining. Because I always come to the table with solutions instead of problems, I began asking, why not do this?”
Nine months later, Dr. Harrigan received a phone call asking if she was interested in being advisor for a new project to standardize a 12-hospital system. She jumped at the opportunity. Three years later, when the project was complete, she continued the position as Corporate CMIO.
As CMIO and Executive Advisor, Dr. Harrigan works with hospitals, hospital systems, and ambulatory centers. While clients hire her with specific projects and goals, “I always find layers that need addressing. Being an advisor is a discovery process, and the level to which we can improve patient care is pretty amazing,” Dr. Harrigan shares.
EHR systems have been evolving with the goal of improving efficiency. When computers started appearing, we had a natural progression to go to electronics. “Books and newspapers are great examples,” explains Julie. “We can read 15 different papers online or purchase one and waste the paper.”
Some experts have argued that EHR systems are making hospitals less efficient. Dr. Harrigan sees this as a regulatory issue. “Government regulations are cumbersome and updated every year. Physicians and nurses have to do a lot of homework to stay abreast of regulations which would become entirely unwieldy without EHR systems.”
Right now, Dr. Harrigan is working as Interim Chief Medical Informatics Officer for a 22-hospital medical system in the middle of a large EHR merger. “This exciting project involves taking their existing medical records and consolidating them into one single EHR system to establish standardized practices of care. We are looking at regulatory components to determine whether or not hospital staff are in compliance. I am evaluating the entire system—policies and protocols, everything that makes a health system a true health care system,” shares Julie.
Before EHR systems began, paper charts were maintained in folders that were often overflowing. To find a piece of paper on the floor with sensitive healthcare data was not unusual—anyone could pick it up. “While inherit risk exists with any electronic platform containing sensitive information, we protect patients by limiting who has access. Two-factor authentication and digital signatures also help deter hackers. The fact is, hospitals are going through great measures to keep our EHRs safe,” explains Julie.
As for the future, Dr. Harrigan’s finishing up a fellowship in Clinical Informatics this year as she plans to continue working with EHR systems. “I’ve always considered myself a nerd. I’m more interested in having a positive impact on patient care and the financial stability of our entire healthcare system. Variations in practice costs our patients and the entire healthcare system a tremendous amount of time and money. When hospitals are providing the best standards of care, and policies are aligned, a ripple effect occurs on a national level. Patients receive quality care in less time. We see a reduction in mortality rates. Hospitals receive fewer fines and inventory is managed more efficiently.”
Close Up Radio will feature Dr. Julie Ann W. Harrigan of Physician EHR Solutions in an interview with Doug Llewelyn on Thursday, May 9th at 4:00 pm Eastern
Listen to the show on BlogTalkRadio
If you have questions for our guest, please call (347) 996-3389
For more information about Dr. Julie Ann W. Harrigan, please visit https://mdehr.com
Lou Ceparano
Close Up Television & Radio
+1 631-850-3314
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
EIN Presswire does not exercise editorial control over third-party content provided, uploaded, published, or distributed by users of EIN Presswire. We are a distributor, not a publisher, of 3rd party content. Such content may contain the views, opinions, statements, offers, and other material of the respective users, suppliers, participants, or authors.
