AUBMC: Undertaking Medical Transformation IN ASSOCIATION WITH
American University of Beirut
DIGITAL REPORT 2020
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT
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AUBMC: Undertaking Medical Transformation
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Joe-max Wakim, IT Director, Medical Centre Processes and Systems director, explains how ambitious and trusted leadership assisted in enabling the medical transformation of American University of Beirut Medical Centre
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merican University of Beirut Medical Centre (AUBMC) has been a gem in the Lebanese health sector since its founda-
tion in 1902, holding a number of accreditations from bodies such as Magnate JACI and CAP. The facility handles over 360,000 patients annually and, to meet growing demand, is implementing what Joe-max Wakim, IT Director, Medical Centre Processes and Systems Director describes as a clinical transformation. Wakim has been with AUBMC for over 25 years and has seen the company grow exponentially. It was a fine chance that Wakim came to work with AUBMC in 1994, as he was home in Lebanon from his studies in the UK when he was introduced to the head of Biomedical Engineering, who later offered him a job. Wakim initially worked in the medical engineering department on the
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“ We believe in sharing back the way we learn from others” — Joe-max Wakim IT Director, Medical Centre Processes and Systems director, American University of Beirut Medical Centre
from scratch: the electrophysiology lab and the stereotactic neuronavigation solution and procedures,” he recalls. “I also helped develop the Memo Organiser, which is the medical engineering asset management and service management solution, which is something we’ve created inhouse.” Wakim’s move to the Hospital
maintenance and management of the
Information Systems Committee
medical devices at the medical cen-
marked the change in direction that
tre. He became IT Director, Medical
was to bring him to his current position.
Centre Processes and Systems 06
Under a consultant, Joe-Max’s team
Director in 2016. “I worked on a num-
was advised that they were better
ber of solutions which were created
suited to develop in-house, rather than purchase a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. This implementation went underway between 2002 and 2009, segregating them into a focused repository. In addition to this, a portal was created which simplified access to various applications. It was in 2009 that the medical centre appointed a new Dean, who presented an ambitious vision for the medical centre to become the best medical practice in the region. Wakim and his team began looking for highend medical solutions and developed an RFP in 2013, by which time he had become acting Director of the medical
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centre’s processes and systems team.
governance and ensuring that pro-
In 2016, the team moved to sign with
cesses are streamlined between
the Epic Team and began implementa-
different teams. “We’ve created gov-
tion at the end of that year, the same
ernance models where requests are
time that Wakim was made IT Director.
sent to the multidisciplinary stakeholder groups, including physicians, nurses,
CLINICAL TRANSFORMATION JOURNEY
administrators and IT analysts. These
The clinical evolution of AUBMC has
requests are reviewed and if approved,
been concurrent with Wakim’s career.
are sent through to project manage-
In his role as IT Director he works with
ment for scheduling and execution,” he
the CMIO, Dr. Ghassan Hamadeh, on
explains. Wakim’s role is to also ensure
IT strategic planning with an executive
that these projects are implemented
team at the medical centre. Wakim’s
as smoothly as possible from a change
responsibilities often focuses on
management perspective. www.a ub . ed u . lb
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT
A key aspect to the clinical transfor-
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over 50% of the US population. “The
mation was the implementation of Epic,
Epic team is truly dedicated to ensur-
an electronic health record solution
ing that their customers are improving
comprising a number of modules used
the communities they function within,”
across the medical centre, in order to
commends Wakim. “They’re con-
standardise the provision of care with
stantly pushing us to provide KPIs and
best practices, as well as decision
monitor our performance in order to
making tools. “We’ve got modules
look for opportunities to improve our-
implemented in the lab, pathology,
selves or introduce additional training.”
oncology, in the operating rooms, in
Of course, Wakim and his team
the ambulatory setting and for all
did face some challenges. “There’s
our outpatient clinics,” adding that
no goal, no type of implementation or
“we’re looking at additional modules.”
journey without its own challenges.
According to Epic, its system serves
While Epic only took a couple of years
1902
Year founded
to implement, our journey has taken much longer. We did a lot of preparation beforehand and spoke with other academic organisations similar to our-
$100mn+ Revenue in US dollars
3,400 Number of employees
selves on the most suitable platforms.” Wakim goes on to say that one of the major challenges was the upscaling of workforce: “We were only a team of 30 and needed to hire 60 people and conduct mass training.” Epic had listed the impending challenges and shared the prerequisites for Beirut Medical Centre before it would begin to implement the system. “We had to purchase
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“ There’s no goal, no type of implementation or journey without its own challenges” — Joe-max Wakim IT Director, Medical Centre Processes and Systems director, American University of Beirut Medical Centre a number of solutions that would assist with taking the platform live. So far, over 3,400 employees have been trained on the use of Epic, with 650 being supertrained within the company to assist with the shift from analogue to paperlight,” Wakim recalls. “In addition to the implementation of Epic, during those 10 years of implementation, we also wrote in a medication dispensing solution, a blood bank solution, a blood donor solution, a voice recognition solution and a medical device integration solution, which were all implemented entirely by different teams.” Currently, there are over 30 projects underway which overlap with Epic’s capabilities. Wakim has a particular interest in the improvement of analytics capabilities. “We are investing www.a ub . ed u . lb
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in improving our data governance and data quality in partnership with the Chief Quality and Compliance Officer. We’ve only just started to scratch the surface with regard to our ML capabilities and I am looking forward to exploring more AI and ML solutions.”
LEADING INDUSTRY DISRUPTION When Wakim considers the journey thus far, he affirms that this transformation would not have been possible without the ambition and vision of the 14
Dean. “We’ve been on an amazing journey over the last decade. So much credit also goes to RCMIO, who have been on this journey with us since the early 2000s when we first set out to automate the process. As Wakim and AUBMC look to the future, he shares that a number of goals have also been set internally: “Over the next two years, we’re focusing on growth for our team members in terms of professional growth and personal growth. We’ve created a tool that helps identify opportunities for them to grow so that the type of work they do changes and hence keeps them motivated to learn more and
“ So much credit goes to RCMIO, who have been on this journey with us since the early 2000s” — Joe-max Wakim IT Director, Medical Centre Processes and Systems director, American University of Beirut Medical Centre
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grow professionally.” He continues,
to share some of our experiences,
“Internally we will continue our com-
which we gladly do; we’re an academic
mitment to improving the solutions to
institution and we believe in sharing
better serve our clinicians and patients.
back the way we learn from others.”
We will continue on this journey of
Wakim says that this sharing of knowl-
automation until we are completely
edge is slowly having an impact on the
paperless. The success that AUBMC
industry nationally and the American
is achieving is setting the standard in
University of Beirut is paving the way.
Lebanon and it is no secret. “We’ve been asked by a number of institutions www.a ub . ed u . lb
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