HealthStream offers performance learning management solutions to help develop your healthcare staff into leaders and reduce turnover.
View All ProductsHealthStream works with healthcare organizations to create engaging and high-quality training videos for your staff and management.
View All ProductsImprove care quality and save money by making informed decisions about your healthcare facility and staff with HealthStream's reporting analytics solution.
View All ProductsHealthStream's proven methods for the improvement and overall engagement of your healthcare staff foster a positive workplace and increase retention rates.
View All ProductsBe confident in your staff’s ability to reduce risk by providing compliance training that changes behavior.
View All ProductsDevelop next-level people for next-level care by prioritizing quality and safety improvements.
View All ProductsStandardize policy and procedure management with an automated, customized, and centralized system.
View All ProductsEstablish a culture of belonging with education supporting DEI, wellness, engagement, and leadership development.
View All ProductsDeliver custom or industry designed product training directly to patient and resident care environments to reinforce proper use.
View All ProductsStreamline the revenue cycle management process and protect your bottom line with expert-backed education.
View All ProductsIn all areas of resuscitation, from neonatal to elderly care, clinical deterioration is a risk that can be avoided with the help of HealthStream's training programs.
View All ProductsNurture the skills of your nurses and medical staff to help mold them into effective leaders with development training from HealthStream.
View All ProductsMake sure your clinicians have the support they need to provide competent care with clinical competency training and development from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All ProductsThe suite of healthcare onboarding solutions available from HealthStream aids in nurse retention and improved patient outcomes.
View All ProductsGive your healthcare staff the decision support and skills training they need with the online products available from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream leverages medical professional development in healthcare by providing staff training programs
View All ProductsCreate engaging and impactful learning experiences that meet the unique needs of your acute care staff.
View All ProductsUnlocking the full potential of clinicians goes beyond aspiration – it’s a commitment we embody. Our competency development solutions help personalize learning for every clinician so you can confidently bridge the gap between theory and practice for your nurse residents while meeting the unique development needs of your seasoned clinician.
View All ProductsHealthcare workforce management is essential. We provide advanced scheduling solutions for organizations to solve issues such as nurse retention
View All ProductsTackle all the challenges of provider directory management within a health plan with a single solution tailored to your specific needs.
View All ProductsOur affordable CVO credentialing services establish patient safety by enabling primary source verification for your healthcare organization.
View All ProductsFinally, a comprehensive resource to support collecting, storing, and sharing credentialing data with ease.
View All ProductsIntegrate with Epic to validate and add new providers directly to your provider master file.
View All ProductsMitigate risk and elevate your quality of care. Improving both clinical and business outcomes starts with a smarter, more integrated approach to regulatory training, continuing education and quality management.
Learn MoreSentara Healthcare was first established in 1888 as
a 25-bed retreat for the sick in Norfolk, VA. Over
the past 135 years, they have grown to be one
of the largest not-for-profit integrated healthcare
delivery systems in the Mid-Atlantic region of the US.
Recognized nationally for clinical quality and safety,
Sentara Healthcare is strategically focused on
innovation and creating an extraordinary healthcare
experience for its patients and members. Their
mission to improve health every day is reflected in
their commitment to keeping their patients safe and
informed, treating them with dignity and respect,
and working together to provide the best care.
In January of 2023, Sentara Healthcare acquired AvMed, a not-for-profit health plan
headquartered in Miami, FL. AvMed provides commercial group, individual, and Medicare
Advantage coverage to more than 200,000 members. But Sentara Healthcare’s growth
didn’t stop there. Shortly after, in conjunction with Infinite Computer Solutions, OptaFi, LLC.
was created, a joint venture focused on supporting healthcare companies to deliver digital
health. OptaFi provides a reliable pathway to digital health by leveraging cloud migration
expertise and an in-depth understanding of healthcare operations, security, compliance, and
technology.
Attempting to meet the needs of multiple divisions housed under one umbrella, quickly
exposed some shortcomings in Sentara Healthcare’s credentialing and privileging
processes. But as an organization committed to innovation, Sentara Healthcare quickly set
out to make the necessary changes needed to service their growing organization.
Sentara Healthcare is no stranger to making necessary changes for the benefit of their
community. Back in 2011, after determining there was a need to upgrade their privileging and
credentialing processes, they successfully implemented EchoCredentialing. That transition
helped Sentara Healthcare navigate one of the most taxing healthcare crises the world has
faced - the COVID-19 pandemic. But with mergers on the horizon, there came a need for a
more robust solution to facilitate collaboration between all of Sentara Healthcare’s new and
existing entities.
Because of the multiple mergers and acquisitions that took place, standardization across all the divisions became one of their biggest challenges. Four governing bodies within a single system meant a single CVO was tasked with processing applications for 11 of 12 hospitals. And within those 12 hospitals, there were 11 separate medical staffs to work with. There were variations between delineation of privileges (DOPs) being used and the criteria within them, and each of the individual medical staff committees met on different dates. With no standardization in place, the work became cumbersome and unmanageable.
Hand in hand with standardization came complications with onboarding. The real problem Sentara Healthcare faced lay in onboarding the same provider at multiple facilities.
Privileging providers is a complex process in itself, maintaining multiple processes across varying facilities wasn’t sustainable.
"We were drawn to a solution like
CredentialStream because of its ability to
standardize delineation of privileges at any given
time, a functionality we desperately needed."
Carla Allen, Medical Staff Coordinator, Sentara Healthcare
EchoCredentialing was a great solution for Sentara Healthcare at first. It empowered them
to go paperless and helped auto-process their workflows, reports, and rosters while keeping
accurate records. But with the acquisition of AvMed and the creation of OptaFi, Sentara
Healthcare was having problems with duplicate records, complications with system-wide
updates, and a lack of transparency within the application process. CredentialStream was
chosen as the solution to address those issues, and more.
Validated, integrated, and continuously updated vSource data tables: This provides
Sentara Healthcare with information about facilities, schools, payers, and license boards
that is up-to-date, accurate, and reliable, helping them avoid errors and duplicate data.
Ability to apply changes in batches: Sentara Healthcare will now be able to provide the
same updated document to multiple providers in a single step, as opposed to needing to
do so for each individual.
Ability to standardize documents and release forms: CredentialStream’s continuously
updated, best-practice content libraries, and industry-leading data sets make standardizing
documents across all divisions easier and seamless.
The Provider Hub: With a centralized portal, Sentara Healthcare can offer providers and
clinical leaders a direct connection to key credentialing processes and information, and
the ability to maintain their own profiles, preferences, and much more.
Sentara Healthcare knew it was necessary to build a team of dedicated resources for seamless integration. They designated a dedicated IT Manager and several executive sponsors from the IT and Medical Staff departments to focus on the switch to CredentialStream. They appointed a Process Improvement Engineer to lead all meetings with specialty representatives to keep all team members on track and accountable for DOP approval. Selected team members worked together in tracking and documenting all decisions to ensure the project moved at the desired pace. They also:
"Overall, it’s been a positive experience making
this transition, though it’s been challenging with so
many puzzle pieces to keep track of, especially with
team members on both sides. I’m excited to see the
positive impact CredentialStream will have on the
provider experience across the organization."
Carla Allen, Medical Staff Coordinator, Sentara Healthcare
Sentara Healthcare is still in the process of migrating its data from EchoCredentialing to CredentialStream. As they look ahead, they plan to continue learning and growing with the technological advancements that come their way. They are committed to pushing their limits and thinking outside the box while using all the features CredentialStream can offer to the fullest extent. As they complete the migration process, they are looking forward to:
HealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All Learning & PerformanceHealthStream offers performance learning management solutions to help develop your healthcare staff into leaders and reduce turnover.
View All ProductsHealthStream works with healthcare organizations to create engaging and high-quality training videos for your staff and management.
View All ProductsImprove care quality and save money by making informed decisions about your healthcare facility and staff with HealthStream's reporting analytics solution.
View All ProductsHealthStream's proven methods for the improvement and overall engagement of your healthcare staff foster a positive workplace and increase retention rates.
View All ProductsWhen you enact HealthStream's quality compliance solutions, you can do so with the confidence your healthcare organization will meet all standards of care.
View All Quality & ComplianceBe confident in your staff’s ability to reduce risk by providing compliance training that changes behavior.
View All ProductsDevelop next-level people for next-level care by prioritizing quality and safety improvements.
View All ProductsStandardize policy and procedure management with an automated, customized, and centralized system.
View All ProductsEstablish a culture of belonging with education supporting DEI, wellness, engagement, and leadership development.
View All ProductsHealthStream offers professional training and education on how to best optimize your reimbursement process within your healthcare organization.
View All ReimbursementStreamline the revenue cycle management process and protect your bottom line with expert-backed education.
View All ProductsLearn about our advanced resuscitation training solutions. Our solutions are designed to help improve patient outcomes.
View All ResuscitationIn all areas of resuscitation, from neonatal to elderly care, clinical deterioration is a risk that can be avoided with the help of HealthStream's training programs.
View All ProductsNurture the skills of your nurses and medical staff to help mold them into effective leaders with development training from HealthStream.
View All ProductsExpand the decision-making skills and effectiveness of your healthcare workforce with HealthStream's clinical development programs and services.
View All Clinical DevelopmentMake sure your clinicians have the support they need to provide competent care with clinical competency training and development from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All ProductsThe suite of healthcare onboarding solutions available from HealthStream aids in nurse retention and improved patient outcomes.
View All ProductsGive your healthcare staff the decision support and skills training they need with the online products available from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream leverages medical professional development in healthcare by providing staff training programs
View All ProductsMake sure your healthcare staff can schedule out appointments and work schedules with ease using HealthStream's line of software solutions.
View All SchedulingHealthcare workforce management is essential. We provide advanced scheduling solutions for organizations to solve issues such as nurse retention
View All ProductsComprehensive, industry-leading provider onboarding and credentialing software that validate health outcomes and support provider assessment.
View All CredentialingOur affordable CVO credentialing services establish patient safety by enabling primary source verification for your healthcare organization.
View All ProductsIntegrate with Epic to validate and add new providers directly to your provider master file.
View All Products