UHN's Altum Health is live on Epic in all 13 clinics in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA).
Migrating seven patient care-related systems into one dynamic health information system (HIS) over a period of just eight months is a complex endeavour. But with strong teamwork and a vision for a unified client and staff experience, TeamAltum did just that with Project Horizon, completing the process on Dec. 4.
"This has been a team effort since the start," says Alexis Villa, Senior Director of Digital at Altum Health and Connected Care. "Now we are at the starting line, we know this investment will make our clinical operations nimble, efficient and data-driven using a single application."
The implementation of Epic is a cornerstone of UHN Altum Health's strategic imperative to transform digital health delivery, streamline operations and improve the client experience.
Expanding UHN's use of Epic to include Altum Health adds to the breadth of a single source of truth for each individual's medical journey, no matter where they receive care at UHN.
This milestone implementation makes UHN the first hospital network in Canada to use Epic on a large scale for complex outpatient rehabilitation.
A Unified Experience
Decisions on how the system would be configured to meet the unique needs of Altum Health were made by a cross-functional working group within the Project Horizon implementation.
"I've been able to build connections during this experience and work with people at other sites more in the last two weeks than in the past two years," says Britney Bechard, office administrator at Altum Hamilton and a member of the working group.
"It's not just about teamwork at the site level, but organizational teamwork that prioritizes staff perspectives to create an impactful framework for client care."
Altum Health clients can now access appointment information and certain care documentation through myUHN Patient Portal, making it easier to manage their care journey.
The new health information system provides the foundation to diversify Altum Health's service offerings, enabling growth and new possibilities in the rehabilitation space.
"We needed a digital health system that would help our teams deliver the right care always," says Shiran Isaacksz, Vice President, Altum Health and Connected Care. "Looking ahead, this digital health strategy is a big component of our future.
"A huge thank you to the Project Horizon team who worked tirelessly to make this vision a reality!"
