Data-driven transformation at Frederick Health

As a leading provider with 24 locations, Frederick Health’s (Frederick, MD) network of hospitals and clinics uphold high-quality care standards by innovating the way they support the area’s growing population and the services they provide.

Having the right data at the right time has enhanced their population health strategy and also supported their collaborative approach to care. 

“When everybody can see all the information, we can make the best clinical decisions for the patient and the organization,” elaborates Jackie Rice, Vice President and CIO. “Getting data so that we can make strategic decisions for the organization out of one system is a lot easier.”

Healthcare generates large amounts of data, and that data’s relevance depends on each unique situation. Without a translatable workflow, information overload ends up slowing down the care delivery process and putting more strain on the system–especially on the users wading through those dense charts.

“We’re creating data all the time. Everything we do creates data, and it all goes into this database,” says Robert Wack, MD, pediatrics specialist and former CMIO. “The challenge,” he adds, is “to take out of that ocean of data and pull out the important pieces for that provider and put them right where that provider needs to see it, when they need to see it. So for example, with Expanse, the widgets are customizable so providers can arrange them the way they want — we can even build our own widgets, so they see it when they need to see it.”

By leveraging customizable and buildable widgets in Expanse, physicians are able to spend less time searching for information and more time focusing on their patients, driving progress in- and outside of the hospital.

The organization also plans to advance preventative care by utilizing their cutting-edge technology to anticipate problems and catch diseases before they progress into later stages.

In 2022, Frederick Health became an early adopter of MEDITECH’s Expanse Genomics, enhancing their already established Precision Health and Genetics program. Discrete genetic data flowing directly into charts proved to save clinicians time and allow them to make more informed decisions for their patients.