Where it all begins

Located in Mobile, Alabama, Springhill Medical Center has been a trusted healthcare provider and community partner for generations. With more than 270 beds and nearly 1,200 clinical professionals, Springhill plays a vital role in delivering high-quality care to the Gulf Coast region. Beyond providing exceptional healthcare services, the organization remains committed to improving the health and well-being of the communities it serves through compassionate patient care, local engagement, and ongoing investment in innovative clinical programs and technologies.

Some technology partnerships last for years. Few last for decades. The relationship between Springhill and Altera began over 25 years ago. Since adopting Sunrise in 2004, Springhill has remained committed to the platform, working alongside Altera through upgrades, innovations and the ever-changing demands of healthcare.

Springhill over the years

Over the years, Springhill has done more than simply use technology. The organization has embraced new capabilities, often serving as an early adopter. Springhill helped develop Sunrise Financial Manager and was among the first organizations to implement Sunrise Financial Manager in August 2015. Today, Altera continues to serve as Springhill’s full IT department, managing everything from infrastructure to EHR upgrades. That long-standing partnership was put into action again during Springhill’s Sunrise 25.1 upgrade.

An upgrade with clinical teams in mind

For Springhill’s clinical teams, the upgrade represented an opportunity to address workflow challenges that had emerged over time, particularly around medication reconciliation and physician workflows. “We were having challenges on the clinical side, particularly medication reconciliation from admission through discharge,” said Elizabeth Wilson, Senior Manager of Managed Services. “And one of the major benefits of upgrading to 25.1 was addressing these issues for our team.” The enhancements and overall improvements to Prescription Writer have made the medication-entry process more streamlined, intuitive, and efficient. These improvements have reduced the time required to enter medications and complete patient discharges, contributing to improved patient throughput, greater operational efficiency and meaningful time savings for clinical staff.

The ability to have prescribers’ medication favorites readily accessible and visible within Prescription Writer has, in itself, had a significant positive impact on physician satisfaction. Providing quick access to frequently prescribed medications creates a more intuitive and personalized prescribing experience, reduces the number of steps required to locate commonly used medications, and allows providers to complete medication orders more efficiently. This streamlined workflow minimizes unnecessary navigation and interruptions, helping physicians save time while improving overall usability and confidence in the prescribing process.

The improvements were welcomed by physicians and nurses alike. Functionality that clinicians felt had become more cumbersome in earlier releases was restored and optimized, helping simplify everyday tasks and support safer patient care. “Physicians and nurses were excited about these changes because of the value they would bring to patient care and the patient experience,” Wilson said.

Post go-live: Driving efficiency across the board

Since go-live, Springhill has seen stronger physician satisfaction and more streamlined workflows. Nurses have also found it easier to access and document patient information, creating a more efficient experience across the care continuum. The benefits were felt beyond the clinical environment as well.

For Springhill’s revenue cycle teams, Sunrise 25.1 introduced enhancements that improved the way work is managed and distributed. According to IT Manager Ryan Dawkins, the upgrade created a more efficient process by updating workloads in real time and helping staff focus on the highest-priority tasks. “The expanded use of work queues represented a fundamental shift in how workloads were managed and distributed,” said Dawkins.

A smooth upgrade with the right support

A key reason for the smooth implementation was the support Springhill received from Altera’s Testing Center of Excellence (TCOE). Preparing for an enterprise software upgrade requires months of testing, multiple mock upgrades and constant issue resolution. TCOE provided hands-on assistance throughout the process, helping create test plans, manage tickets and coordinate with development teams. “Their involvement has significantly reduced the amount of testing work our team must perform,” said Springhill’s CIO, Delanea Radbourne.

Wilson credits that support with helping make the Sunrise 25.1 deployment one of Springhill’s most successful upgrades. “One of the biggest successes of this upgrade was that we had no go-live blockers,” she said.

A partnership built for the future

Beyond upgrades, Springhill values Altera’s commitment to listening and responding to customer feedback. Through user forums and ongoing collaboration, the organization has seen firsthand how customer input shapes future product development. “Altera works hard to listen to customers and understands the issues teams are experiencing,” Wilson said. “They do a good job of incorporating customer feedback and moving the software in the direction customers want.”

For more than a quarter century, Springhill and Altera have built a proven partnership centered on innovation, reliability and continuous improvement. The platform has remained a critical component of Springhill’s digital strategy, evolving alongside the organization’s clinical and operational needs. “We view Altera as a strategic partner, not simply a software vendor,” said Radbourne. “Based on our experience, ongoing investment in the platform and shared vision for the future, I expect Springhill to continue leveraging this solution for many years to come.” said Radbourne. For Springhill, that confidence is grounded in a relationship built over decades, one defined by collaboration, innovation and a shared commitment to continuous improvement.