Integration Update

JHS Collaborates with Future Members on New Patient Accounting System

Jefferson Health System (JHS) is collaborating with two future members ­ Albert Einstein Healthcare Network and Frankford Health System ­ on the implementation of a common patient accounting system.

"Implementing a common new system will capitalize on our collective strengths by utilizing 'best practices' of current and future JHS members," says Alexander Cibenko, JHS Patient Accounting Project Director and Project Director of this initiative. "To that end, the system will be implemented with many standard definitions and processes. This collaboration means significant cost savings."

"This decision was based on both the functional advantages of this system and a significant return on investment advantage over the other system finalist," says Mr. Cibenko. "The collective strength of JHS members ­ both current and future ­ allows all members to realize significant savings in negotiating the system cost as well as to gain efficiency during implementation."

The collaboration took shape in recent months through the efforts of a joint task force of representatives from the information systems and patient accounting departments of each JHS member, Mr. Cibenko explains. After intensively studying and defining system requirements, the task force unanimously selected Invision, a patient accounting system developed by Shared Medical Systems (SMS) of Malvern, PA.

Now, a JHS implementation team staffed with experts from JHS members is working with SMS to bring the new system "live" in stages.

Frankford Health System will be the first to "go live" with its implementation planned for November 1998. Einstein's, Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals' and Main Line Health System's implementations will follow after that.

Oversight of this important process is provided by a JHS steering committee chaired by Michael J. Curran, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, JHS. Other committee members include:

Michael Buongiorno, Vice President of Finance, Main Line Health; Kevin Connor, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Frankford Health System; John Murino, Senior Vice President for Finance, Albert Einstein Healthcare Network; Mark Richards, Vice President for Finance, Jefferson Health Network (JHN); Hal Augustine, Chief Information Officer, JHS, and Mr. Cibenko, Project Director.