North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC) was recently featured in Canadian Healthcare Technology (continued here) for its approach to change management and how it contributed to a successful MEDITECH Expanse rollout in 63 outpatient clinics.
The article outlines how NBRHC's thoughtful, people-first strategy enabled the majority of its outpatient clinics to return to a full patient schedule just three days after go-live. The team recognized that each clinic had unique needs and developed a "change matrix" to assess each clinic's readiness to tailor training and build-out accordingly. A key technique called "parallel testing" allowed staff to learn the new Expanse platform without interrupting patient care. This enabled NBRHC to keep the clinics fully operational throughout the transition.
Equally important was early and ongoing engagement with staff at every level. Role-specific training sessions, monthly communications, and a network of 44 trained staff champions ensured that clinicians, nurses, and administrative teams all felt supported and prepared on go-live day. A dedicated command centre provided rapid issue resolution, minimizing disruption during the critical early days.
"You've got to show that it allows for easier access to information," said Chief Medical Information Officer Dr. Alexis Lemmex. "When physicians and staff really understand what it means for them, and how it would make life easier, they're always saying, okay, let's do it."
Today, more than 90 of NBRHC’s outpatient clinics use Expanse and can securely exchange patient information with one another and with the hospital.
The success at NBRHC illustrates that large-scale digital transitions can be achieved seamlessly when backed by thorough preparation, strong teamwork, and a dedicated focus on employee involvement.
Read the full story in Canadian Healthcare Technology.
