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Clinical Leadership 

Mental Health

HIT / Meaningful Use

Rick and Diana's Story

Performance Improvement  

Patti's Story

Bangor Beacon Leadership 

Eric's Story

By 2014, the federal government is requiring that all health records are available electronically. Based on estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Education, and independent studies we'll need another 51,000 qualified health information technology (IT) workers over the next five years to meet the needs of hospitals and providers as we adopt an electronic healthcare system, facilitated by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act to promote the adoption and meaningful use of health information technology.   

The Bangor Beacon Community, through its partnership with Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC), is helping to prepare the future workforce for the challenges electronic medical records and health information technology pose to primary care practices, clinics, hospitals, and other health care facilities. EMCC launched its electronic medical records course this semester as part of its Associate of Applied Science degree in Medical Office Technology. The community college, with monies from the Beacon grant, was able to purchase the health information technology used by local healthcare professionals to their students. EMHS, provided staff to set up the equipment and Frank Bragg, MD, at EMMC's Husson Internal Medicine created a training data base for students to get practical hands on experience using the technology.

Career opportunities with this specialty include office manager, office assistant/administrative assistant, medical secretary, transcriptionist, coder, billing manager, billing clerk, medical records clerk, unit secretary, patient registration, office clerk, or receptionist.

I have been a registered nurse for more than 24 years working in various specialty areas across the continuum of care, including orthopedics, surgery, post anesthesia recovery, outpatient surgery, pain management, home health, and discharge planning from acute care. I started as a nurse care manager in June of 2010, when the Bangor Beacon Community began enrolling patients. Through the work done by Beacon, one specific area identified as problematical for patients was the transition process from hospital to home or skilled care to home. For the last five months, I have been working strictly on the transition process for these patients, and I can honestly say that this is how healthcare should be. Support the patients with self management of any health challenges they may be dealing with, and surround them with support when they are the most vulnerable; during all transition phase. The Transitions Care Management position is challenging and rewarding.

Each day is different, but each week contains the same components. I round at Eastern Maine Medical Center (EMMC) daily and at St. Joseph's Hospital three times a week. At both hospitals, I meet with care managers who are doing discharge planning to discuss the patients' progress and plans for discharge. I am able to communicate that information back to the primary care practice. This coordination of care helps us better support our patients when they leave the hospital.

For example, if a patient is discharged with a high risk medication like Coumadin, I share that information with their primary care team so that a quicker follow up call will occur to answer questions, arrange for lab work, and provide any needed education. By building relationships with the inpatient care managers, I can also share any concerns they have about patients with primary care staff to specifically address those concerns during our follow up phone calls. Additionally, if the inpatient care manager feels that a referral to home health is needed but the patient declines, we can address those concerns during the follow up call in order to make sure that the patient hasn't changed their mind or provide additional information. If the patient changes their mind, we can quickly make a referral.

One thing I didn't anticipate when I started this position was how much time I would spend assisting people with connecting to a primary care provider. For many of these people that are currently in the hospital, they are underinsured or uninsured and financial issues are of huge concern for them. I am able to meet with them in the hospital, talk a little bit out PCHC and our mission, and get them scheduled with a primary care practice after discharge. The most amazing part is that I get to look them in the eye and say sincerely, I don't want you to worry about not having insurance. We will help you take care of yourself no matter what. You can see the relief in their eyes. To date I have helped 29 patients get into a primary care practice, patients who had none, and 96 percent of those patients showed up for their first appointment.

I am continuing to build relationships with the eight area skilled nursing facilities and the two acute psychiatric hospitals in the area. Nurturing relationships and building trust is the key to my success. Recognizing the fact that staff at these facilities are very busy and convincing them that this position has value to them as well as the patient, is a slow process but well worth the effort. We now have a consistent flow of information about the patients' progress and possible barriers for discharge. I am able to communicate this information back to the practice team and the primary care provider. This type of exchange is the ideal.

For as long as I can remember, the focus and philosophy of healthcare has been to focus on their "market share." Through the Bangor Beacon Community project, relationships have been formed and the lines of communication have been opened. Now it feels as if the philosophy is now about how we can "share the market" and keep people healthier. We, as healthcare providers, are now doing a better job of supporting our patients as they navigate and move along the continuum of care.