Communicate out from the EHR team to all staff much more than you think necessary.
Be transparent and thorough; you’ll undercut yourself doling information by the spoonful.
When the team has an important message to get out, have an event, such as a meal, and spend 10 minutes on the message.
Throughout the process, the team should plan and promote a series of fun and informative happenings, especially during build and go-live.
The EHR team should hold a project kickoff meeting with vendor staff and do something special that staff will enjoy based on their preferences (e.g. a potluck versus catered meal).
At the beginning of the project create a mission statement and graphics for the project (e.g. C.A.R.E. for Clinical Excellence, Accelerated Growth, Regional Leadership and Employee Satisfaction). Put it on everything (e.g. the website, banners, t-shirts) to create consistency and continuity in messaging, and staff buy-in.
It’s imperative to communicate with physicians throughout the process. EHR updates/issues should be a standing agenda item for medical staff and all other departmental meetings.
Put out a newsletter every Friday, with details on what happened during the week, what’s on the horizon, what successes and failures occurred, and how the team will retackle whatever didn’t go as smoothly as hoped.
Have a countdown clock on a computer screen in the cafeteria that shows days, hours, and minutes until go-live, and take photos of staff in front of it as it hits zero, zero, zero.
The day before go-live give out pens that say “the last pen you’ll ever need.”
Promote and have a celebration at go-live to relieve stress (e.g. set up a fake margarita bar and have the CEO and EHR team hand out snacks; provide green-for-go-live t-shirts with the mission statement to vendor staff and super-users to wear at go-live.)
(N.B. Vendors emphasize electronic means. Peers suggest these but verified that they also employ the low-tech standbys they use for regular departmental/staff updates, e.g. binders and bulletin/white boards: Ingrained sources for updates that staff check regularly already are often more effective, especially to reach the many nurses who work only periodic shifts and don’t check the CAH email.)