PointClickCare certification 'a game changer' for Salem Health Laboratories
Dec 18, 2024
For patients and families, the streamlined process helps avoid unnecessary hospital visits and emergency room trips.
Salem Health Laboratories is proud to announce that it is now a certified Integrated Orders and Results for Lab partner with PointClickCare, a leading health care technology platform enabling meaningful care collaboration and real-time patient insights.
This certification marks a significant step in Salem Health’s ability to connect with local skilled nursing and long-term care facilities, starting with a successful pilot at Avamere Salem Transitional Care.
“PointClickCare certification has been a game-changer for us,” said Tish Gross, outreach supervisor for Salem Health’s laboratory and imaging departments. “With this integration, we’re able to receive orders and send lab results directly to care facilities, cutting out delays from faxed paperwork and reducing errors. Our goal is to get critical information to providers in real time, which supports faster, well-informed care.”
In the past, care facilities often waited on faxed lab results, leading to delays in treatment and frustration among staff. Now, results are shared instantly through the electronic medical record system, which improves communication and efficiency.
“This certification enables us to reduce the time and effort involved in manual paperwork, which can lead to human error,” Gross added. “Providers now get the lab data they need directly on their screens, so they can respond to patient needs more quickly and accurately.”
Benefits flow both ways
The pilot project with Avamere revealed substantial improvements not only in the speed of information sharing but also in the quality of care.
“Our phlebotomists love it,” Gross said. “They know exactly which patients they’re seeing and what samples are needed, so they can work more efficiently and even adjust schedules based on the facility’s needs.”
This improvement has allowed Salem Health to use its resources more flexibly, sometimes reallocating phlebotomists to busier clinics, which improves care across the board.
The benefits also include operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness. It reduces physical paperwork and the need for back-and-forth phone calls, allowing staff to focus on other tasks.
“Less paperwork means fewer errors and a lot less time spent tracking down missing details or calling facilities to clarify orders,” Gross added. “It’s amazing how something as simple as direct digital access can free up so much time.”
Positives for patient experience
For patients and families, the streamlined process helps avoid unnecessary hospital visits and emergency room trips.
“When lab results reach the right people in time, patients can get treated faster and stay where they’re most comfortable, rather than being transferred to a hospital,” Gross said. “It means that facilities can manage patients’ health proactively, which is something the care teams have wanted for a long time.”
“Ultimately, it’s about keeping people healthier where they live,” she said. “It’s rewarding to see that we’re supporting better patient outcomes and making life a little easier for care teams, too.”
Salem Health plans to extend this service to other care facilities in the area, aiming to support up to 15 facilities by year’s end. Gross expressed her gratitude for Salem Health’s leadership in making this project possible, highlighting the organization’s forward-thinking approach to community health.
“This is about creating partnerships and showing that Salem Health is invested in improving health at all levels, even in areas that are sometimes underserved. It’s a win-win for everyone involved,” she said.
She added that PointClickCare certification means a new level of integration for Salem Health with the region’s care community and strengthens the health system’s commitment to high-quality, efficient patient care.
“We’re just getting started,” Gross said. “Our hope is to keep rolling this out to support even more facilities, so they all have the tools to provide faster, better care.”