Going Digital

Electronic Health Records

By Cutright Elizabeth on Jun 14, 2017 in People

By adopting an electronic health record platform with a centralized database, senior living provider Northbridge Companies lives up to its commitment of providing best quality of care to its residents.

When Northbridge companies made the choice to transition from paper documentation to electronic health records, the company’s primary objective involved eliminating redundant tasks and improving staff productivity. As someone on the front lines during the company’s switch to Yardi EHR, Marcia Suddy saw firsthand how swiftly technology can improve the workplace.

“One of the biggest changes with electronic records versus paper is that you can lay your hands on information very quickly,” she says. “That reduces the length of time needed to resolve issues and helps us provide the best quality of care to our residents.”

Live Well, Love Life

Founded in 2006, privately owned senior living provider with 15 communities servicing residents across New England, Northbridge Companies has made providing quality senior care a priority for over a decade. Northbridge Community provides its 850 residents with an environment designed to “encourage freedom, offer lifestyle choices, and provide the necessary services to live life to the fullest.”

When Suddy began her nursing studies, she quickly realized she felt a connection to seniors. “While I was earning my administrator’s license and BC certification, I absolutely fell in love with senior care,” she says. “I don’t foresee ever doing anything else.”

As Regional Director of Care Services for Northbridge, Suddy feels great satisfaction working for a company she describes as being “passionate about senior care.”

“It’s such a relief to work for an organization that truly lives up to the values they advocate,” she says. “It’s not just the president of the company, but the associates, the investors, the families. Everyone is committed to providing the best quality of care.”

“It’s just the right fit,” declares Suddy. “It’s been such a wonderful experience. I can’t imagine working anywhere else.”

Safety Secured

While the main purpose of the company’s decision to adopt EHR revolved around reducing redundancies and eliminating paper records, Suddy points to a whole host of additional benefits to going to digital. With EHR, says Suddy, the company no longer needs to rely on physical storage space to hold critical documents. In addition, real-time tracking and reporting enhance resident care by providing staff with up-to-the-minute information on medications and assessments.

“Having the information in one database allows us to access it easily, which makes us more efficient and helps keep our residents safe,” she explains.

In addition, digital records help with compliance requirements and HIPPA security standards.

“I feel a lot better knowing sensitive information is being stored safely in the cloud,” says Suddy. “It’s much more reassuring than knowing that information is just sitting in a file in storage somewhere.”

“Security is going to be one of the key issues for us moving forward,” she adds. “We are focused on protecting our records and creating a culture within our communities that prioritizes security.”