Laura begins by describing her path into healthcare, explaining how her experience working with a neurologist inspired her to shift from medical school to becoming a nurse practitioner. While in nursing school, she also completed a graduate degree in social anthropology, which she says has enriched her perspective and career. She explains how she and her team came to work in Alaska, outlining the vast region their organization serves and the unique transportation and cost challenges that affect care delivery.

Laura discusses what it means to be an Alaska Native and part of the Indian Health Service, providing context for the population they serve. She shares her experience presenting at the MUSE Inspire conference, and explains how their organization reworked its referral process using MEDITECH Expanse. She emphasizes the importance of ensuring proper staffing and support before undertaking such large workflow changes. Looking ahead, Laura says they plan to focus on data optimization, building registries, enhancing Business and Clinical Analytics (BCA), and leveraging patient connect tools to improve care and efficiency.

Dr. Buley describes her journey into medicine, what brought her to Alaska, and how she transitioned into leadership. She explains her organization’s selection of MEDITECH Expanse to achieve a “one search, one practice” model that improves continuity of care. Currently in the early post–go-live phase, they are currently focused on governance.

She highlights how Expanse has enhanced their referral process as they add new specialties, and how AI scribe software is reducing after-hours charting. Dr. Buley also notes the integration of the PAC committee into the Medical Executive Committee to strengthen collaboration.

On the patient side, she emphasizes the importance of portal engagement, using QR codes during visits and on marketing materials to boost enrollment. Technology like Starlink is enabling improved access to care in rural areas. She also discusses the value of the MUSE community and conference, and concludes by sharing her appreciation for the arts scene in Juneau.

Eric, currently serving as chair-elect on the MUSE Board and a co-Chair of the MUSE Commercial Member Committee, shares updates on his organization’s recent initiatives since his last podcast appearance. He describes his career path from RN to CIO, emphasizing how involvement in EHR projects and collaborative meetings created opportunities for leadership. He attributes much of his success to the colleagues and teams around him. A major focus of the discussion is a nursing efficiency and satisfaction initiative driven by KLAS Arch Collaborative feedback. The effort included forming the “FUN TIME Committee” (Free Up Nursing Time), which reviewed documentation workflows and gathered over 150 suggestions from nursing staff. They uncovered significant documentation bloat – requirements no longer necessary or relevant – and implemented a structured change-control process to prevent overwhelming clinicians. The project delivered substantial results: 2.8 million clicks eliminated, 1,600 nursing documentation hours saved, and nursing satisfaction improved by 20 points on the KLAS scale. They leveraged MEDITECH enhancements, including improved handoff functionality, to streamline processes. Eric notes that not every request could be solved; the most important factor was ensuring nurses felt heard. He discusses who was involved, how organizational buy-in was secured, and how other groups might begin similar efforts. They close with a conversation about the upcoming MUSE Executive Institute.