The FUN TIME Committee (Free Up Nursing Time)
Guest: Eric Gasser, VP of Information Systems and CIO, Wooster Community Hospital Health System
Eric, currently serving as chair-elect on the MUSE Board and a co-Chair of the MUSE Commercial Member Committee, shares updates on his organization’s recent initiatives since his last podcast appearance. He describes his career path from RN to CIO, emphasizing how involvement in EHR projects and collaborative meetings created opportunities for leadership. He attributes much of his success to the colleagues and teams around him.
A major focus of the discussion is a nursing efficiency and satisfaction initiative driven by KLAS Arch Collaborative feedback. The effort included forming the “FUN TIME Committee” (Free Up Nursing Time), which reviewed documentation workflows and gathered over 150 suggestions from nursing staff. They uncovered significant documentation bloat – requirements no longer necessary or relevant – and implemented a structured change-control process to prevent overwhelming clinicians.
The project delivered substantial results: 2.8 million clicks eliminated, 1,600 nursing documentation hours saved, and nursing satisfaction improved by 20 points on the KLAS scale. They leveraged MEDITECH enhancements, including improved handoff functionality, to streamline processes.
Eric notes that not every request could be solved; the most important factor was ensuring nurses felt heard. He discusses who was involved, how organizational buy-in was secured, and how other groups might begin similar efforts. They close with a conversation about the upcoming MUSE Executive Institute.
Show notes: