Surprise
Some days extend the past, they're more-of-the-same protrusions of the previous. And some days surprise us, bringing news and unexpected feelings. One could argue that it is us (mis)managing expectations. It could be the amount of randomness we allow in.
Last Friday, I had one of the surprise days.
I work in healthcare IT at a hospital. There are a few EHRs out there, and my team runs one of the more common ones for our org. We also run a few other systems, some of which we only meet in person when they cough and sneeze. But the largest system is the EHR. We're on the oldest version, the one that is "hard as a rock, and heavy as a rock," as one account manager that I only met in person once put it. His successor, I got to know a little better. He sold us their newest version. It got us all excited for a minute until we realized the breadth of changes in a tumultuous year and a half ahead of us. Then we were all "Oh shit!", we have to do something, we're on a collision course.
Which brings me to last Friday. In the days before, I reached out to a dozen or so people in my role at different hospitals who implemented or were in the process of implementing this new version. I left voicemails, wrote messages, and even signed up for LinkedIn Premium for InMail. I received a few responses, one of which materialized in a call between our teams. There we were, about eight or so people, in a Zoom meeting with our cameras off, asking away.
"So how did you balance standard vs. custom content and dictionaries?"
"Did you implement the recommended best practices?"
"How did you select your consultants?"
"Has your database changed considerably? Is your SQL still working?"
"Any interface dos or don'ts?"
"Do you recommend any devices, and what mobile terminals did you choose?"
"Has all your historical data been brought over? Anything missing?"
"How did you pick your physician champion?"
Then came the surprise. We received actual answers. Specific. Detailed. Helpful. Not the generic or "I'm selling you stuff" type. Ultimately, the call felt like the most productive I've been in so far. I learned, and the other participants shared afterward that they learned too, more than we collectively did from any other meetings with the consultants or the EHR folks.
I don't know how and why it happened then. Did the stars perfectly align for the moment?
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I've wanted to write for a while but needed help finding the right avenue. This EHR upgrade is a huge undertaking, a once in a 20-30 years opportunity for an organization, and I wonder if I'll experience another one. So, I am starting to write now and I'll do so throughout the implementation. I've struggled with the start but also figuring out how to stay anonymous and detailed at the same time. I might have found a way.