BJC Healthcare is a sprawling system of hospitals and clinics in the metropolitan area of St Louis, Missouri. 13 hospitals, approximately 100 clinics, thousands of patient beds, and an affiliation with the Washington University School of Medicine makes this hospital system one of the US’s largest.

BJC Healthcare wanted to unify their hospitals by moving away from paper-based systems and older technology. The staff recognized the need to upgrade their processes to a sophisticated EMR system. Epic EMR was their go-to software. Several hospitals under their umbrella were still using paper processes for their anesthesia department. Some hospitals had tried to transition to newer technology, but the touch screen computers they were using weren't very responsive and needed to be re-calibrated on a near daily basis. Disinfecting and cleaning was a top priority as well, which all but eliminated tier 1 computer choices. They needed a computer that could withstand regular cleaning. Clearly, anything other than medical grade was out of the question. The engineering staff at BJC was looking for a single solution capable of running Epic EMR to integrate into their operating rooms, pharmacies, ICU, and labs, with secure access protocols.

After researching the hardware recommendations and what other hospitals used to run their EMR software, they found Cybernet to be one of the leading manufacturers for their next computer hardware deployment. BJC reached out to the sales team at Cybernet and settled on a fanless medical all-in-one computer, the CyberMed HN24. It was the right choice because of its versatility for their massive Epic deployment, one of the largest “go live” efforts ever for Epic. The touchscreen on the CyberMed HN24 was more responsive and accurate than their older computers. The integrated Imprivata certified RFID reader was a huge success for their staff using Single Sign-On. Plus, the fanless design worked great for any clean-room operation whether in a lab or an operating room. Another important feature of the CyberMed HN24 was the sealed front bezel. Being IP65 rated meant the units could be cleaned with chemical disinfectants on a daily basis without damaging the internal components or degrading the touchglass.

As of today, eight hospitals in the BJC network have gone live with Epic EMR on the Cybernet computers. The end-users for the CyberMed HN24 are happy with the technology overhaul. The integrated touch-screen function with the CyberMed HN24 doesn’t need daily calibration like their older models, so the staff has more time to focus on patient care. The RFID reader coupled with employee badges streamlines their log-in process. The anesthesiology staff at BJC has reduced their wait time after scrapping their archaic paper processing. They love the included stylus too! They now use Epic on the CyberMed HN24 to administer anesthesia in their operating rooms and do their daily tracking in respective departments. Since their go live, BJC has only experienced one hardware issue that was quickly resolved and is considering Cybernet for future projects.