Client Profile: Ben Wooley, Information Systems Manager
Pathologists’ Medical Laboratory – Asheville, NC
Goal: Fast, simplified, cost-effective clinical connections
Challenge: LIS vendors’ slow speed and high cost to stand up and manage client connections
Solution: Implement eTransX HEMI integration engine and design studio
Result: Quick, cost-effective connections and greater client growth
For over twenty years eTransX has been solving complex healthcare technology problems, and it has been our pleasure to support PML Pathology in Asheville, North Carolina with our HEMI Integration Engine.
Pathologists’ Medical Laboratory is an independent laboratory providing superior surgical, cytology, and molecular pathology services in western North Carolina since 1951. We are staffed with board certified physicians and technicians that have expertise across a broad range of specialties to provide the best in consultation, analysis, and service to our patients and physicians.
“When I started with PML about 12 years ago, I came in mid-way through an integration project that took OVER A YEAR to complete. Working with a vendor was difficult and frustrating.” Ben Wooley, the Information Systems Manager at PML Laboratory, explained. “We needed to get rid of the middleman and began looking at other options.” After talking a few different providers, the PML Pathology team chose to install eTransX’ HEMI Health Enterprise Messaging and Integration) engine and design studio on their servers and begin creating client and LIS connections on their own. “I took the training eTransX provided (2010) and it has been fantastic ever since!”
Competing in the laboratory market space where new players are always popping up and national laboratory giants regularly buy up regional market shares is a daily challenge for an independent operation. “Interfaces are crucial for us.” Ben goes on to explain “We HAVE to be able to quickly and reliably interface with our clients. The thing I absolutely love about HEMI is the ability to quickly start an interface with available tools in the Design Studio, like the drag-and-drop mapper. It’s super easy to essentially ‘cut and paste’ new client connections. The only hold-up is waiting on the other side to complete testing!”
Using HEMI, Ben estimated that PML Pathology has sped up the average time to connect with a new client by over 700%, and this has been key to their longevity and continued growth in this ever-changing business. In short order, due to HEMI’s ease of use, robustness and flexibility, the PML Pathology team was able to connect with major EMRs/EHRs like AllScripts, EClinicalWorks, EPIC, Modern Medicine, Athena, Cerner, Millennium, GE Centricity and many more. Additionally, the flexible HEMI platform allows for the same quick connections with non-standard EMR systems such as those used by many of PML’s clients at non-profit health centers, community health groups, and specialty and family clinics.
Looking to the future, Ben shares “What we’re finding now are opportunities to leverage our existing interface connections to grow our business. As we have seen some of our client practices being purchased by regional or national chains, that has given us an opening to go to the new management group and offer lightning quick HEMI connections with their other existing locations. We can add a handful or even a dozen new client locations very quickly.”
Finally, the flexibility and ease-of-use built into the architecture of HEMI is something that has made Ben’s life as the Information Systems Manager easier. “I love having visibility to all of our data and connections! We have even built custom dashboards tailored to our specific workflows.”
We at eTransX are thankful to be able to work with great clients like Ben Wooley and the PML team, and proud to be a fundamental part of their continued success.
For more information about the eTX HEMI clinical integration engine, please click here and we would be glad to schedule a time to discuss your needs.