Health IT, Hospitals

How Cherwell Software assisted UPMC with its IT issues

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center was experiencing information technology-related problems. But with assistance from Colorado Springs, Colorado-based Cherwell Software, the health system was equipped to solve its IT service management issues.

For University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Cherwell Software was the missing piece of the puzzle.

The Pennsylvania health system was struggling with its IT service management platform, as its legacy system was sorely lacking in various areas.

For an employee whose computer breaks down, it should be easy enough to request a new one. But with more than 20 hospitals and thousands of employees at UPMC, it was challenging to ensure the request would be completed in a timely manner.

So in late 2015, the health system made a decision to switch to a platform provided by Cherwell Software, an ITSM company headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Said platform enables UPMC to have a user-facing IT service catalog. It went live on Cherwell’s product in July of 2016.

As Chris Carmody, UPMC’s senior vice president of enterprise infrastructure, said in a 2016 news release:

The scope and scale of our organization requires a flexible and powerful ITSM platform. We rely on Cherwell to be our user-facing IT service catalog, as well as the platform to design and orchestrate workflows across … multiple systems and solutions. Cherwell’s recognition is well earned, and we look forward to working with them as a key partner to accelerate pursuit towards our long-term goals and objectives.

In a recent phone interview, Jarod Greene, Cherwell’s vice president of service management strategy, highlighted the benefits of his company’s software, particularly in the healthcare setting.

For one, healthcare professionals often don’t have boatloads of time to spare when they have an IT issue.

“Your doctors, nurses and administrators aren’t in a position to call,” Greene said. “A lot of times, when they have an issue, they don’t want to pick up the phone and dial 1-800 help desk.”

Through Cherwell, that process is simplified, and providers aren’t forced to call and request assistance. Instead, they can use the company’s portal and get help faster.

Greene also underscored how flexible Cherwell’s software is, thereby enabling UPMC to be more self-sufficient. The health system can customize Cherwell’s solution to fit its own specific needs and deliver its own roadmap.

“Rather than restrict them, we were able to let them do the things they needed to do,” he said.

Looking ahead, Greene said his company anticipates further success with the health system.

“What’s great about the relationship is [UPMC] being a large medical center means the requirements they have aren’t dissimilar from requirements other organizations have,” he said.

Cherwell works with various health systems, including Sutter Health and Atlantic Health Systems. Such relationships can be beneficial for UPMC, as it can join user groups to discuss any issues or questions.

Photo: Tetra Images, Getty Images

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