Georgia’s largest health system is heightening the safety and efficacy of insulin therapy across its network of hospitals.
Waltham, MA — Known nationally for innovative care models, WellStar Health System, in partnership with Glytec, is taking proactive measures to optimize glycemic management for hospitalized patients. The not-for-profit health system is expanding use of Glytec’s patented and FDA-cleared eGlycemic Management System® (eGMS®) beyond its two largest facilities, WellStar Kennestone Hospital and WellStar Atlanta Medical Center, to an additional eight facilities in the Greater Atlanta and surrounding area.
“Over the past few years, WellStar has more than doubled the number of hospitals in our network, and having a uniform solution for glycemic management that is both evidence-based and technology-enabled will help us deliver consistent, high-quality care to our patients, no matter the location,” says Jill Case-Wirth, senior vice president and chief nurse executive for WellStar Health System. “As a high-alert medication, there are many known risks and challenges associated with insulin therapy, and standardizing care with eGMS® will elevate patient safety.”
eGMS® is used not only for patients with diabetes, but for many other patients whose blood sugar becomes elevated from the stresses of an acute medical condition. “At any time, between a third and half of our critical care and emergency department patients require insulin therapy, so managing the timing and rate of intravenous infusions in a safe and effective manner is a top priority,” explains LeeAnna Spiva, assistant vice president nursing operations and practice for WellStar Health System. “With Glytec’s system, we’re able to get patients into a prescribed glucose range very quickly and keep them there, with little fluctuation. This results in less risk of hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia and other complications. Evidence shows that by reducing variation and personalizing care in this way, patients have better outcomes, and that’s what matters most.”
Members of Glytec’s Clinical Services and Quality Initiatives teams will work with WellStar’s clinical nurse specialists, physicians, pharmacists and other care team members to tailor workflows and order sets, and to configure key performance indicators and analytics to ensure that desired outcomes are realized though ongoing monitoring, measurement and response mechanisms. They will also help with the formation of a multidisciplinary steering committee for glycemic management oversight and governance.
The eGMS® software-as-a-medical-device (SaMD) platform will be integrated with WellStar’s Epic electronic medical record. Using Glytec’s proprietary SmartClick® solution, clinicians will be able to access eGMS® directly from the patient chart. Additional interfaces to WellStar’s laboratory information system and admission-discharge-transfer system will allow for seamless import of demographic and clinical data, eliminating manual entry. “Now that all of our hospitals are live on the Epic EMR, we’ll gain new efficiencies by having a single integrated glycemic management platform that offers real-time decision support and doesn’t require clinicians to perform time-intensive calculations,” explains Darcy Barrett, system director of professional practice for WellStar Health System. “Glytec’s solution supports our framework for performance excellence. We view it as the gold standard for insulin therapy and are very excited to be expanding its use.”
About Glytec
Founded in 2006, Glytec is the pioneer of digital therapeutics, improving the lives of people with diabetes by making insulin a more effective and accessible option for millions unable to achieve their treatment goals. The company’s patented eGlycemic Management System® is the only FDA-cleared software-as-a-medical-device (SaMD) platform to enable the mass personalization of insulin across the continuum of care: inpatient, outpatient and virtual settings alike. Glytec offers several comprehensive programs combining evidence-based decision support technologies with expert professional services proven to aid providers in achieving best practices and standardization while reducing hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, A1C, readmissions, length of stay and cost. The company has offices in Waltham, Massachusetts and Greenville, South Carolina. For more information visit www.glytecsystems.com.
LinkedIn