Carroll Hospital Center implements Lawson core applications

Carroll Hospital CenterOct 26 2009

Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster, Maryland, recently completed an organization wide deployment of multiple enterprise software applications from Lawson Software (Nasdaq: LWSN). The healthcare provider implemented Lawson Enterprise Financial Management and Asset Management suites as well as Lawson Business Intelligence. In addition to the core Lawson applications, the hospital is fully operational with the Lawson Human Resource Management suite, including Employee and Manager Self-Service, Payroll, Budgeting and Planning and ProcessFlow Integrator. These applications are helping the hospital reduce operational costs, improve administrative efficiency and automate personnel processes.

Carroll Hospital Center is located near Baltimore and is the second-largest employer in Carroll County, with 1,850 employees. Established as a community hospital nearly 50 years ago, Carroll Hospital Center has evolved into a comprehensive medical center with state-of-the-art technology and a team of more than 400 skilled physicians representing 38 medical specialties.

Lawson Professional Services managed the implementation, which was completed in less than 12 months. The implementation team brought industry-specific expertise and knowledge of healthcare industry best practices. Lawson Professional Services managed a coordinated, methodical approach to the implementation while tailoring the system to some of Carroll Hospital Center’s unique needs. This approach is helping Carroll Hospital Center achieve a faster return on investment.

“Everyone who works at this hospital had a keen interest in the smooth implementation of this system, because it affects everything from how they care for patients to how they get paid,” said Kim Moreau, chief information officer at Carroll Hospital Center. “Our staff members like it because it gives them more control over their own information through self-service functionality, and it reduces or even eliminates some paperwork. Management likes it because they have a lot more information at their fingertips, in usable form, available online in real time. The Lawson solution makes everyone’s job easier, faster, more accurate and more immediate.”

The speed of the implementation was important. “We have a complex system with a lot of components and a diverse group of stakeholders,” Moreau added. “To complete a project this large, on time and on budget with minimum disruption and high quality, is very valuable to us. It was a relatively seamless transition for staff and patients.”

“The Lawson team had a depth of knowledge of the system and the healthcare industry that allowed us to push an aggressive project timeframe. There are nuances here specific to the healthcare industry; for example, our pay practices are unique. And the Lawson team was well-versed in those nuances,” Moreau concluded.

“The Lawson Professional Services team’s deep knowledge of the healthcare business helped Carroll Hospital Center successfully implement an affordable enterprise management system to help control costs and improve productivity,” said Hannah Raleigh, practice director, Lawson Professional Services. “This implementation will help improve business management at Carroll Hospital Center, so it can focus on its patient care mission.”

Lawson serves more than 500 healthcare industry customers representing more than 4,500 facilities, including eight of the top 10 integrated delivery networks. The company also serves managed care systems, academic medical centers, hospitals, clinics, physician group practices, home healthcare, long-term care and other health services enterprises. Lawson solutions help healthcare organizations manage their business so they can focus on their patients, automate and streamline materials management for a better bottom line, and overcome the challenges of the labor shortage.