Published on 7 July 2023

The EMR Phase 2.1 Go-Live will commence this Sunday at the Williamstown Hospital Emergency Department, in what is a very exciting time for Western Health. A huge thank you to everyone involved in reaching this important milestone.

This two-minute video highlights the Go-Live support available for staff, as well as some of the important benefits that the new EMR functionality will bring.

Chief Medical Informatics Officer

In the lead up to EMR 2.1 Go-Live and to provide support post Go-Live for our optimisation phase, I am pleased to share that Dishan Herath, Head of Unit for Cancer Services and CMIO at Peter Mac will be assisting the Digital Health team as interim Acting CMIO at Western Health.

We are actively recruiting for a permanent replacement to the CMIO role after Go-Live, however in the meantime I want to thank Dish for stepping in to support the organisation during this important period of activity.

Go-Live support available

If you have a query during the Go-Live, please seek out the following supports:

  1. Refer to the Digital Health information site for Quick Reference Guides
  2. Look for an EMR Super User wearing a blue top or blue badge
  3. Contact the Western Health Service Desk for 24/7 EMR support from 7:00am on Sunday 9th July until 7:00pm Sunday 30 July

The EMR Transition Team will assist in the areas requiring transition of clinical patient information into the EMR on the day that the area goes live, while the Quality and Safety Team will be supporting the identification of any clinical safety or quality issues.

Finally, our Patient Communication Team will be roaming our EMR sites to provide information, in a range of languages, to patients in each area going live. This information is available on the Digital Health information site. 

Go-Live Schedule Changes

Assessment of the EMR Phase 2.1 maternity component has shown that additional time will enable our teams to achieve a clinically safe Go-Live in keeping with the commitments that Western Health has always maintained. Whilst this was a challenging decision to make, it is the right decision to make and I extend my thanks to all involved with this work.

With that in mind, the EMR Phase 2.1 Go-Live schedule has been adjusted as follows:.

  1. On Monday 17 July Newborn Services will Go-Live with EMR
  1. On Monday 17 July Specialists Clinics Outpatients – Women’s and Children’s will Go-Live with:
    1. Outpatient clinic referrals
    2. Creating clinic appointments
    3. Arrive/ Depart and outcomes
    4. Clinical documentation
    5. All allied health/medical specialties will document on EMR

Some specific maternity documentation previously completed in BOS will remain.

  1. On Monday 14 August, Joan Kirner MAC, birthing and Inpatient maternity areas will Go-Live with a hybrid model EMR functionality with the following documentation on EMR:
    1. Passport to surgery
    2. Maternity Observation and Response Charts (MORC) (except intrapartum)
    3. Documentation of Packs
    4. Documentation of Blood loss
    5. Regional Obstetric Analgesia Document (ROAD)
    6. Jaundice charts
    7. Victor charts

Some specific maternity documentation previously completed in BOS will remain.

Further information regarding how this impacts specific areas or workflows will be provided shortly.

We will continue to work towards activating all Women’s and Children’s documentation into the EMR.

A reminder that the full EMR Phase 2.1 Go-Live schedule is available on the Digital Health information site. Please familiarise yourself with this schedule and do not proceed to use the EMR until the Go-Live for your area and until you have completed training.

If you have not completed training, please see your line manager. 

Continue to practice and prepare

A sincere thank you to the thousands of staff who have completed their training in recent weeks and months. It’s very heartening to see our teams getting ready for this exciting implementation.

Please continue to practice what you have learned as much as you can prior to Go-Live. Login details for the EMR Practice Environment can be obtained from your area’s Super User or from your Divisional Director.

A reminder that the WeLearn lessons will always be available if you wish to refresh your knowledge prior to Go-Live or beyond.

In conclusion, I would like to thank everyone across the organisation who has played a part in getting us ready for this Go-Live. It has been a huge team effort to bring something so significant and transformational together. To the hard working project team, our 1000+ EMR Super Users, and everyone who contributed through the project development, and now in readiness activities, I’d like to congratulate you on your amazing work in amongst everything else that Western Health are doing to support our communities.

Throughout the Go-Live our EMR Super User team will be out on the floor supporting staff and our hospitals will be a hive of activity, so keep an eye on the Digital Health information site for Go-Live photos and updates. At the conclusion of the EMR Phase 2 project, Western Health will have one of the largest EMR footprints in Australia and we will have the base to become a truly innovative healthcare leader with the ability to make further significant advancements in the provision of Best Care for our community.