PointClickCare Customer of the Month: Melissa Draper

We’re celebrating the New Year by recognizing the first Customer of the Month for 2020, Melissa Draper!

Melissa is the Director of Clinical Informatics at Heritage Operations Group based out of Bloomington, Illinois. Founded in 1962, Heritage Operations Group built the first of its homes in 1963 utilizing one of the first FHA-insured nursing home loans. Since then, Heritage has grown to include over 30 skilled nursing facilities, 12 assisted and supportive living communities, and 9 independent living communities.

Melissa was able to successfully implement PointClickCare in 4 of Heritage’s Assisted Living Facilities only 3 years into her 5-year success plan for the project. We sat down with Melissa to learn how she pulled this off.

Tell us about yourself

I have been serving as the Director of Clinical Informatics at Heritage Operations Group for approximately 3 years. I work to optimize and implement new PointClickCare modules to decrease the amount of time the nurses need to spend at the computer and increase the time they can spend at the bedside. As a Masters prepared RN, I worked in the acute care world before coming to Heritage and also had the opportunity to travel optimizing EHRs across the country. This allowed me to view Heritage’s EHR with an unbiased eye.

What’s the best part about your job?

There are so many things about my job that I love but the one thing that keeps me coming back is knowing that I am making a difference in someone’s life. Whether it is through the use of COMS to improve and standardize our resident’s care or optimizing the time it takes for a nurse to complete documentation so they can return to the bedside, everything I do can have an impact on the care our residents receive.

How does Heritage’s decision to partner with PointClickCare align with its mission or vision?

The Heritage mission statement is to provide superior health and hospitality services, delivered every day, with passion and integrity from our trusted family to yours. As Heritage is committed to the care our residents receive, PointClickCare is committed to providing Heritage the tools to make this happen. Heritage’s partnership with PointClickCare will optimize financial and operational health, effectively manage and mitigate risks by connecting with the right partners, and help us leverage technology to solve the global healthcare challenge.

You mentioned that going live in your Assisted Living Facilities was part of a 5-year plan that was achieved in only 3. What made you so successful in achieving this goal?

When I was hired at Heritage, our Senior Living team was not utilizing a full EHR. In speaking with the team, it was clear that there were negative impacts of not having a full EHR, so implementing one became part of my 5-year success plan. Heritage worked closely with the PointClickCare Senior Living team to help identify and rectify a number of state regulated issues that created roadblocks in utilizing an EHR in the first place. Due to this partnership, we’re only 3 years into my 5-year success plan and we have already fully implemented PointClickCare in our Assisted Living Facilities. Success for this project stems from leadership dedication and support along with continually looking for a solution for every roadblock that we faced.

What support did you receive from PointClickCare during this rapid implementation schedule?

The entire Senior Living Team at PointClickCare provided a great deal of support for our staff from the first discovery discussion, to the onsite kickoff parties, and finally through the implementation and go-live phase of the project. I cannot say enough about how amazing the PointClickCare Senior Living team is.

What does the future look like for Heritage?

2020 brings so many exciting opportunities for Heritage. In early 2020, Heritage will be implementing COMS Nursing Advantage and Insights across our skilled facilities. We will also be implementing Integrated Meds Management across our assisted living facilities.

Quarter 2 brings the implementation of PointClickCare in our Supportive Living facilities.

What’s one tip or piece of advice you’d give to an organization thinking about moving to an EHR platform or adding new modules to their core EHR?

Moving to an EHR in this day and age is almost inevitable with the demands of hospital partnerships. Take the leap of faith and let go of the paper. Proper planning through solid project management is important. Change management practices will be the key to your success or failure. Having executive buy-in and involving key stakeholders in each phase of the process helps to give ownership and accountability.

Connect with Heritage Operations Group on Facebook or check out their website to learn more about the organization.

Click here to learn more about PointClickCare’s Senior Living solutions.