HCIC SUCCESS STORY: Enterprise Planning

Development of an Information System Strategic Plan and Selection of a Core System Vendor

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Situation:

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, a “Most-Wired Hospital” winner for several years, had pursued a “best-of-breed” strategy for selecting information systems vendors. The result was over thirty information systems that did not adequately share patient information from an outpatient and inpatient basis. Data was kept in different “silos” which created additional effort in providing care to the same patients in primary care clinics as well as an inpatient environment. In addition, the IS organization was not perceived to be effective by the rest of the institution. It had a similar “silo” orientation that required users to maneuver between the various IS groups in order to get new systems or modifications.

Solution:

• We conducted an IS performance assessment including applications portfolio, plans, organization structure, performance measures, and methodologies.
• We conducted a management assessment of the governance structure and decision-making in the context of the larger organization.
• Using a widely distributed web-based survey, we conducted a customer needs assessment combining a series of qualitative and quantitative techniques.
• We interviewed administrative and medical leadership on their vision, their objectives within the context of the strategic plan, their role as executive sponsors and their perception of IS.
• We helped the organization translate their global strategic imperatives into IS strategies.
• We worked with the organization to develop a value-based process for prioritizing initiatives.
• We developed a strategic approach that focuses on the concept of a core systems vendor.
• From our assessment of the performance of the IS organization, we developed recommendations for a customer-facing organizational structure.
• We identified the program changes to accomplish organization objectives and developed an Action Plan for specific projects that supported the strategic plan.
• Based on the agreement on the strategic initiative to select a core system vendor for inpatient, emergency and ambulatory care we did the following:
  • Organized selection teams and developed communications plan.
  • Developed the timeframe for the evaluation and selection process.
  • Worked with evaluation group to determine the core applications. o Conducted brainstorming session to develop Selection Criteria.
  • Develop approach for selecting vendor.
  • Prepared Request for Solutions.
  • Facilitated vendor evaluation sessions using the selection criteria to narrow the list of vendors.
  • Prepared scripted demo material, reference forms, etc.
  • Prepared a Request for Contract with the selected vendors.
  • Facilitated final evaluation sessions and prepared cost analysis.