A creative attitude to technology and growth has helped New York Cancer & Blood Specialists (NYCBS) expand its state-of-the-art services to communities in Long Island, the five boroughs of New York City and Upstate New York. Ongoing work with electronic medical records (EMRs) and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) allows them to automate tasks and reduce costs as they improve and enhance their multidisciplinary approach to healthcare.
NYCBS’s Chief Information Officer, Sean Riley, has been a key player in the practice's journey to provide the best possible patient experience through technology. “When I joined, the IT department was one person, one day a week for seven locations,” says Riley. “Now, we have 96 locations and an IT staff of 20.”
A key aspect of the practice's approach to technology is the use of electronic medical records (EMRs), which all clinicians use to store patient clinical information. “All clinicians use electronic health records applications to store clinical information for patients. Oncology-focused EMRs like Flatiron's OncoEMR are used by more than half of private practices,” says Riley.
The practice has also adopted Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to automate certain tasks. Riley believes that RPA is the first step to freeing up staff to take on new tasks and reducing costs. “AI is a trend everyone is talking about, and RPA is the first step,” says Riley. “Although some people may fear job losses, RPA can automate tasks such as data entry and onboarding new staff. It is estimated that around 15% of jobs can be automated, making RPA a valuable tool for streamlining operations.”
