Standing Stone Helps Emory University Achieve Joint Commission Accreditation Time After Time.

By: Diane Wirth, ANP-BC CACP

The Anticoagulation Management Service (AMS) for Emory Healthcare was established in 1999.  The clinic previously utilized a software program that was stand alone.  As the clinic grew and providers were added the software was not used except to track patients on the schedule, all visits were done manually.  In 2002 the model of the AMS switched from a pharmacy managed practice to a mid-level practice staffed with NP’s and PA’s.  The search for software that would meet the growing needs of the AMS was begun at the inception of the new model of care.

The decision was made in 2003 to purchase the Standing Stone Software to manage our anti-coagulated patients.  We have not once questioned if this was a sound business investment or the best investment for patient care we could have made.   The customer support is above all other vendors I have dealt with as the manager of the AMS. The IT departments from Emory and Standing Stone worked closely in 2009 and our progress notes from Standing Stone are interfaced directly into our electronic medical record.  As of May 2009 we were able to go paperless for the first time in 7 years. Standing Stone has helped us remain in compliance with the Joint Commission, each survey since 2003 the AMS has been visited.  In 2009 at the time of our survey, the surveyor stated “this is an example of a best practice clinic”.  The surveyor was  able to navigate through the progress notes and out documentation and trace the patient without any difficulty. 

The AMS currently manages over 3000 patients and the tracking and management is easily done using the SS software.    Upgrades are done to the system several times a year and encompass suggestions from clinics such as ours to improve patient care and documentation.  Utilizing this software has made a huge contribution to the success of our AMS clinic at Emory Healthcare.