A current example of the increasing use of EMR (Electronic Medical Records) in the healthcare industry can be seen with Stan Bjornstad in Dilworth, ND [1]. Bjornstad is in the process of continuing his education after having spent his career in the field of teaching and eventually ending up in business. But now, Mr. Bjornstad will be tasked with training Stanford Health staff in the use of an EMR software package that is being funded with nearly $8 million that is being targeted for the Fargo region for approximately 10,000 employees. Bjornstad is one of the 100 employees that have received temporary positions to assist with the transition to the Sanford One Chart electronic records system.
Training Center Conversion
In the Fargo area, a former Walmart has been converted into an EMR software training center. There, 30 classrooms have been created that can accommodate at least 300 staffers from Stanford each day for training. Bjornstad has pointed out that he plans to retire in April and take off for the summer (Bjornstad is a former school teacher). But he wanted to be working this winter and this assignment fits the bill nicely. His earlier role as a teacher (plus the job timing) made this the perfect job for his plans.
Another individual who has been hired as a Fargo EMR trainer is Barnesville, MN resident Lucinda Craft, who recently received her degree in Community Health. Her hopes lie in the possibility of this temporary position turning into a permanent job in the same field. Previously, she had taught healthcare classes that involved elderly students.
Last week, Sanford filled 48 of the 100 temporary jobs with an average hiring rate of 90%. This figure was reported by Fargo region’s chief clinical information officer, Caryn Hewitt. She expressed amazement over the high quality and education levels of the applicants. She stated that about 75% of the applicants had college degrees – including master’s degrees. She also stated that the current state of the economy has probably accounted for this phenomenon.
Interestingly enough, these temporary positions mostly pay $10 per hour and are entitled “application assistant”. However, there are a small number of positions that pay upwards of $15.78 or more per hour, depending on the applicant’s experience.
The software conversion is set up to take place in three different stages. In all, three Sanford locations have made their switch to EMR software access to patient medical records. The entire investment is slated to run $100 million over a period of several years.
References:
- Sanford hires 100 for electronic record switch, Inforum, November 24, 2011, Patrick Springer, http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/341781/group/News/