On October 31st, employees and partners who have been involved in the iCARE iConnect "system build" gathered together to celebrate the milestone of moving from the building phase of our EMR to the testing and validation phase - and to renew their commitment to "Finish Strong" for our patients.

CIO Bill Rieger presented every attendee a copy of the book Finish Strong, which was signed by a Flagler Hospital patient, connecting the project to its purpose. Participants were also asked to wear a Finish Strong bracelet to serve as a constant reminder of their enduring commitment to achieving enterprise-wide EMR adoption at Flagler Hospital. The themes of the day were committment, service, leadership and staying ever-focused on the benefits that an electronically connected medical community will bring to our patients.

Our President & CEO Joe Gordy acknowldged that there are many challenges ahead, but reminded us through Winston Churchill's words that "Kites fly higher against the wind, not with it." And Chief Medical Information Officer, Michael Sanders, MD gave an inspiring talk about the danger of indifference, stating that "indifference is at the heart of most problems." To read Dr. Sanders' speech in its entirety, click here.

Attendees also had the opportunity to participate in a photo shoot designed to illustrate their personal commitment to iCARE iConnect. As we move toward the training phase of the project, Flagler Hospital will host a hospital-wide event to engage every member of our team. Get your ideas and your markers ready, because you're next. We must all work together to Finish Strong!