Community Hospital Cuts Nursing Documentation Burden With EHR Optimization
Wooster Community Hospital Health System, an independent, nonprofit health care provider, has reported measurable gains in clinical efficiency through a strategic focus on electronic health record (EHR) personalization and governance. The initiative, launched in collaboration with the KLAS Arch Collaborative and MEDITECH, highlights how targeted workflow redesign and frontline nurse engagement can improve both staff satisfaction and operational outcomes.
Wooster Community Hospital’s journey began after survey data from the KLAS Arch Collaborative revealed a post-pandemic decline in nursing engagement. To counter this, leaders introduced the Free Up Nurses’ Time (FUN Time) initiative, designed to reduce documentation burden and reengage nurses in EHR governance.
Through FUN Time, nurses were empowered to submit workflow improvement suggestions directly to the hospital’s IT and clinical teams. MEDITECH analysts and KLAS representatives partnered with Wooster’s staff to evaluate these recommendations against survey feedback, identifying opportunities for documentation efficiency and user personalization within MEDITECH Expanse.
The FUN Time program produced rapid and significant results. Wooster implemented 81 nurse-driven suggestions, leading to streamlined workflows and a measurable rise in satisfaction. Just 9 months after launch, the hospital’s nursing staff recorded a 20% increase in its Net EHR Experience Score. Overall, the health system projects nearly 1600 hours saved annually in nursing documentation time and a reduction of more than 7.5 million clicks across its workforce.
In addition to the documented savings in time and system interactions, FUN Time reinvigorated participation in EHR governance. Routine meetings and feedback loops established through the initiative created a sustainable framework for ongoing optimization.
The program also underscored the importance of clinician-led design in technology adoption. By bringing nurses into the decision-making process, Wooster improved staff perception of the EHR and strengthened alignment between clinical practice and digital systems.
Wooster leaders emphasized that their independent structure and use of MEDITECH Expanse provided the flexibility to make meaningful changes. By optimizing workflows internally, the system has been able to maintain autonomy while achieving efficiency gains.
For health care executives, Wooster’s experience underscores several critical lessons. First, engagement is both measurable and actionable. While survey data served as the catalyst for change, meaningful progress came from acting directly on staff feedback. Equally important, frontline involvement proved essential to driving adoption, with nurses playing a pivotal role in identifying and implementing workflow improvements. Sustainability also emerged as a key factor, as continuous engagement embedded into governance processes ensured momentum and long-term success. Finally, Wooster demonstrated that autonomy can be preserved through personalization. By leveraging the flexibility of MEDITECH Expanse, the health system was able to align EHR optimization with its organizational goals while maintaining independence.
References
- MEDITECH case study shows Wooster Community Hospital Health system reduced nurses' documentation time by nearly 1,600 hours annually. Business Wire. Septemeber 11, 2025. Access September 11, 2025. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250911578430/en/MEDITECH-Case-Study-Shows-Wooster-Community-Hospital-Health-System-Reduced-Nurses-Documentation-Time-by-Nearly-1600-Hours-Annually
- Wooster Community Hospital Health System frees up nurses' charting time by almost 1,600 hours annually in expanse. MEDITECH. Accessed September 11, 2025. https://info.meditech.com/wooster-community-hospital-health-system-frees-up-nurses-charting-time-by-almost-1600-hours-annually-in-expanse
