St. Clair explained that new prospects should compare Altera to other big players in the market when shopping around, saying, "I think anyone will find that Altera provides quicker deliverables, a much less expensive acquiring cost, and a less expensive ongoing operational cost. I would definitely include Altera in any kind of consideration if you are looking for a new EHR or revenue cycle service. Look at what the organization has to offer in an actual setting-come to Springhill and see how it works in the real world. I think prospects would really be amazed to see how it is used here, how it is adjunctive to what our nurses and caregivers do, and how easy it is. The training is far less intensive than you would think."

Managed Services: Adding value through strong relationships

A unique and important piece of Springhill's relationship with Altera is demonstrated through its long-tenured Managed Services team. The team works onsite to support all aspects of a facility's IT infrastructure as well as all Altera solutions and any third-party applications the facility may have.

From Altera's Managed Services CIO Delanea Radbourne's perspective, the service brings significant value to both Altera and Springhill. "Managed Services brings Altera and the hospital organization together. We sit in between the two and are advocates for both organizations. We look out for Springhill and bring a lot of expertise to the table for both sides," Radbourne said.

The Managed Services team at Springhill consists of 28 employees that comprise four main groups: a full desktop team, a full business services team that supports all nonclinical applications (such as payroll and supply chain), a clinical/clinical technical that manages upgrades, server builds, report writing, and more, and an integration team that handles all interfaces/integration between all ancillary systems.

The Managed Services team at Springhill is known for its loyalty and dedication not only to Altera, but to the hospital and its staff as well. According to the team members, these factors are directly related to the positive outcomes that they experience in their day-to-day work. "With the longevity and tenure of the majority of the Managed Services employees, you get better quality. It has been helpful to Springhill that we are experts in what we do," Radbourne said. "The hospital trusts the Managed Services team with all of its technology, its patients and its data. The team often includes us in a lot of decision-making for the organization."

Over the years, the Managed Services team has formed a relationship with Springhill Medical Center that can be best described as a well-oiled machine.

"Springhill is different than a lot of hospitals. When you walk around, everyone is always happy and smiling at each other. You see the same faces all the time and you feel like you know them. You go out into the community and people know who you are because we, as Managed Services, are so involved with the hospital. We are an extension of their family," Elizabeth Wilson, RN, Clinical Systems Manager, said.