KNOXVILLE, Tenn., July 25, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Covenant Health, an integrated not-for-profit health system based in eastern Tennessee, has selected Cerner’s comprehensive suite of integrated health care information technology (IT) solutions to support clinical, financial and population health management initiatives, resulting in a Clinically Driven Revenue Cycle™ across the enterprise’s acute hospitals and nearly 100 ambulatory facilities.
“To advance our goal of providing excellent care for every patient, we needed to select a robust IT system that could effectively and efficiently support multiple aspects of our health system operations,” said Jim VanderSteeg, president and CEO, Covenant Health. “We are confident that Cerner’s enterprise-wide functionalities will help us deliver high-quality care with the goal of improving health outcomes. We believe that Cerner’s predictable total cost-of-ownership will also contribute to Covenant’s financial stability and strength.”
Cerner’s solutions and services will provide model clinical and financial infrastructure, processes and workflows to support the unique needs of Covenant Health’s hospitals and services, and nearly 1,500 affiliated physicians. To provide clinicians a more holistic view of a person’s health status, Covenant Health elected to implement Healthelntent SM , Cerner’s system-agnostic, near real-time population health management platform designed to aggregate data from multiple sources into a single patient record.
“We are increasingly focused on keeping our patient population healthy by proactively identifying risks and intervening early beyond the four walls of the hospital,” said Dr. Mandy Grubb Halford, system medical director of Clinical Documentation and Informatics, Covenant Health. “With HealtheIntent , we will be able to use clinical information to develop actionable insights to help us better manage care and outcomes.”
“Covenant Health’s decision to bring the health system onto one integrated platform aligns the health system with some of our most successful clients that are committed to providing the best quality care possible to their communities,” said Zane Burke, president, Cerner. “We look forward to working with Covenant to continue its momentum as one of the leading health care providers in Tennessee.”
Patients will be able to engage in their health through an online patient portal that will enable them to schedule appointments, access personal health information and pay bills, all from a single access point. Patients will also experience a comprehensive billing system that reflects their treatment across the health system, regardless of the venue or physician they visited. Additionally, Covenant Health will leverage Cerner’s remote-hosting services, an offering where Cerner will manage data and deliver clinical and financial solutions from Cerner’s data center in Kansas City, Missouri.
“This relationship will play a significant role in our ability to provide better and more efficient care, and it represents a major investment in the health of our patients and the future of our health system,” VanderSteeg said. “Cerner’s IT solutions will enable us to work in an efficient and cost-effective manner, not only to improve individual patient outcomes, but also to improve population health and positively impact the quality of life in the communities we serve. We see Cerner as our companion in helping us fulfill our commitment to excellence, now and for many years to come.”
About Covenant Health Covenant Health is a community-owned integrated health system providing comprehensive health services in Tennessee. Headquartered in Knoxville, Covenant Health includes 10 hospitals and numerous outpatient services and clinics. The health system also includes specialty providers of behavioral, oncology, and rehabilitation services, along with home care, physician clinics, and community wellness and outreach programs. Covenant Health has 10,000 employees and nearly 1,500 affiliated physicians system-wide and is recognized regionally and nationally for quality and patient satisfaction. To learn more, visit covenanthealth.com or connect at facebook.com/covenanthealtheasttennessee. About Cerner Cerner ’s health information technologies connect people, information and systems at more than 20,000 facilities worldwide. Recognized for innovation, Cerner solutions assist clinicians in making care decisions and enable organizations to manage the health of populations. The company also offers an integrated clinical and financial system to help health care organizations manage revenue, as well as a wide range of services to support clients’ clinical, financial and operational needs. Cerner’s mission is to contribute to the systemic improvement of health care delivery and the health of communities. For more information about Cerner, visit cerner.com , read our blog at cerner.com/blog , connect with us on Twitter at twitter.com/cerner and on Facebook at facebook.com/cerner . Our website, blog, Twitter account and Facebook page contain a significant amount of information about Cerner, including financial and other information for investors.
Media Contacts: Covenant Health Debby Saraceni, Vice President of Marketing and Physician Services, 865-374-0424, dsaracen@covhlth.com Teresa Gross, Director of Public Relations and Communications, 865-374-0433, tgross2@covhlth.com Cerner Angela Vogen, Public Relations, 816-571-9189, angela.vogen@cerner.com
