Health Center's records go electronic with hardware, expertise assist from Buckman

The Commercial Appeal
April 25, 2008
By David Flaum

Bob Buckman is a big believer in technology and in the Church Health Center.

The combination led the retired chairman and chief executive officer of Buckman Laboratories to finance the hardware for a computer system to allow the center to move to an electrical medical records system.

"I've been involved in information technology and knowledge systems since the '80s," said Buckman, who does consulting on "knowledge systems," has written a book on the subject and manages his investments.

"I'm intrigued that the health care system in this country is a good 15 years behind the business world in technology use," he said.

Leaders of the Church Health Center started looking at going electronic with patient records about three years ago, said director Ann Langston.

Buckman was introduced to the center and its founder, Dr. Scott Morris, a number of years earlier by Jack Blair, retired Smith & Nephew executive in Memphis.

"He's been talking to us about where we're going and how we could improve," said Langston of Buckman. "He really encouraged us to think big."

In terms of technology, that was especially needed because the health center is spread over eight locations, so good communications are essential, she said.

Buckman decided to put money, as well as his expertise, into the organization. For one thing, he said, it's one of only six nonprofit groups in Memphis with a four-star rating from Charity Navigator.

"They're a first-class outfit doing great work, and they have needs," he said.

Buckman paid for the computer system -- he said he hasn't kept track of how much -- and persuaded folks at Cerner Corp. to provide the software.

Cerner donated part of what it supplied, Langston said.

Cerner came into the picture through Methodist Healthcare Systems and Gary Shorb, its CEO, said Shad Williams, director of client development for Cerner.

Methodist is a longtime client of Cerner, Buckman is a board member of the LeBonheur Foundation -- which is under the Methodist umbrella -- and many Methodist doctors also work at the Church Health Center.

Shorb and Buckman "connected the dots," Williams said. They realized the information had to be sharable no matter where the physician is -- at the center, in the hospital or at home, he said.

With Methodist as one of his company's most important clients, Williams said, "It makes a whole lot of sense for Cerner to partner with them to help them serve the people they're trying to serve."

Plus, the software company exists to improve health care, he said. One way to do that is to make the data available to figure out what medical issues people are dealing with so doctors can better treat them, Williams said.

That is especially important for Church Health Center, which treats so many working poor people, he said.

The system has been in place about a year, Langston said.

"We are still learning, and we have seen a lot of benefit from it," she said. "We are still working out the bugs."

Buckman is not finished. He's backing the plan to move the agency's Hope & Healing wellness facility from paper to electronic records. That should start this summer.

"Where we want to go is to integrate Hope & Healing into the Church Health Center records," Buckman said.

Call David Flaum at 529-2330.

Church Health Center

Headquarters: 1210 Peabody

Top people: G. Scott Morris, executive director; Ann Langston, director

Mission: Provide health care for the poor

Patient visits: 36,000; 120 member visits to Hope & Healing

Employees: 215

Phone: 272-0010

Web site: churchhealthcenter.org