The Dow Chemical Company Implements Medical Informatics Engineering (MIE) EHR in Employee Health Centers Around the Globe

FORT WAYNE, Ind., Sept. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- MIE has announced that its Enterprise Health system has now been licensed by Dow for its global employee health clinics.  The EHR has been deployed in Dow's North American worksites and in India.  Over the next several years, WebChart Enterprise Health will be implemented at worksites in other countries such as the Netherlands, UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Belgium, Argentina, China, Germany, Brazil, Switzerland and Spain.  WebChart will also be used in support of remote health services in Indonesia, Singapore and Egypt.

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WebChart Enterprise Health EHR replaces and expands upon Dow's former health surveillance system by automatically identifying which employees are due for visits, notifying the employee via email and allowing them to self-schedule their appointment.  Appointment confirmations and reminders are also sent to the employee with a link to all pre-visit information collection and health questionnaires.  If the visit is required for compliance or requires certification, WebChart keeps track of the certification dates and can communicate completion of requirements with the employee as well as their manager.  Finally, the system tracks and reports for the health professional staff employee health risk factors and wellness coaching opportunities, as well as lab and preventive health screening results with step-by-step advice on how employees can improve their health.

"Our main goal was to provide our on-site health clinics and employees with the tools needed to support optimal health and do it efficiently.  As a global organization, we want to have standardized practices and processes at all touch points to improve productivity and control costs," said Catherine Baase, MD, global director of health services for Dow.  "MIE was able to provide a full EHR solution and they were able to incorporate specific Dow processes into the software so we didn't have to completely revamp how we work." 

"Initially, we looked at other occupational health software vendors to see if they could provide us the EHR we needed," added Michael Gondek MD, corporate medical coordinator for Dow.  "We eventually chose MIE because of their ability to deliver a robust EHR solution that could incorporate information from our legacy surveillance and other data systems. In addition to having significant experience in the health care space, the company worked with us closely to understand our unique needs and then implemented their solutions." 

Paulette Kloes, a certified occupational health nurse at Dow, says although the on-site medical staff experienced a small learning curve initially, they now find WebChart extremely helpful.   "Everything has been integrated into one comprehensive, online package," said Kloes.  "We're able to track employee health needs, report out the necessary results and interface with different locations around the world.  This is a valuable resource that will help us greatly enhance our ability to service the health of our employees." 

"MIE has developed comprehensive and flexible solutions for our Enterprise customers that help them improve service levels for their employees, give them access to worldwide healthcare information and effectively manage costs," said MIE CEO and President Bruce Lisanti.  "We are honored that Dow has chosen MIE and are pleased to help them integrate their global health IT network."

For more information, please visit www.mieweb.com and/or www.dow.com.

About Medical Informatics Engineering (MIE):

MIE Enterprise Health solutions are used by companies operating on-site employee health clinics. This web-based suite of products integrates clinical, occupational health and employee engagement modules, and includes EMR, PHR, RIS/PACS, and Document Management functionality tailored for the specific needs of each enterprise. MIE's Minimally Invasive EHR portfolio is also deployed in specialty and group medical practices that value MIE accessibility, flexibility, affordability and interoperability benefits. More information can be found at www.mieweb.com.

About Dow

Dow combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element" to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world's most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2009, Dow had annual sales of $45 billion and employed approximately 52,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 214 sites in 37 countries across the globe.  More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

SOURCE Medical Informatics Engineering