Industry
Rural Health
Challenge
Cuero Regional Hospital was operating with a fragmented EHR landscape, using MEDITECH Magic for acute care since 1994 and Allscripts for ambulatory clinics, which created major challenges in clinical communication and data accessibility. As a rural Texas health system, Cuero faced aging technical infrastructure, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and an expiring hosting contract that lacked predictable service metrics. At the same time, recruiting and retaining the specialized IT leadership and technical talent needed for a large-scale EHR modernization was difficult for the local team.
Results
Our partnership began with laying the necessary foundation to achieve Cuero's goal of upgrading their EHR. Network closets were upgraded, so was the wireless network. Cybersecurity measures were defined and implemented, servers were upgraded and applications rationalized. Over the course of over six years, CereCore provided a fractional CIO to accomplish the foundational work, develop the technology roadmap, and transition the EHR. Ultimately, the CIO and an expert team led a MEDITECH Expanse READY implementation, transitioning Cuero to a single, unified EHR across acute and ambulatory settings.
Services Provided
MEDITECH, IT Infrastructure & Networking
About the Provider
Cuero Regional Hospital is a rural health system located in southeastern Texas, employing approximately 350 staff members and serving multiple counties. In 2024, the system treated over 10,000 ER patients, performed more than 1,700 surgeries, and delivered 185 babies. It operates five specialty clinics and one acute hospital, serving as a vital pillar for community wellness through comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services.EHR Modernization and Strategic Leadership
The collaboration began with the placement of a fractional CIO who aligned Cuero’s technology strategy with its operational and clinical needs. Recognizing that the local team lacked the bandwidth for a complex transition, CereCore provided the governance and subject matter expertise needed to manage the MEDITECH Expanse READY project. This partnership extended beyond simple consulting; it included automation strategies and scripting to handle the heavy lifting of the build process, allowing the hospital’s internal staff to maintain their focus on day-to-day operations during the implementation.
Key Outcomes:
Unified Clinical Record: Five clinics and the acute hospital now operate on a singular system, improving access to clinical data for patient safety.
Paperless Workflows: Successfully transitioned Physical Therapy from manual paper processes to digital pDOC workflows.
Operational Efficiency: Implemented automated ED level charges, charge forwarding, and M1 billing to streamline the revenue cycle.
Advanced Clinical Tools: Deployed new Transfusion Administration Record (TAR), Surveillance, and integrated GE CPN fetal monitors for Labor & Delivery.
Zero Critical Failures: Achieved a seamless hosting switchover and go-live with no critical issues reported during the transition.
End-to-End EHR Modernization
Transitioning from two different vendors to a single platform required massive data and process standardization. CereCore provided subject matter experts (SMEs) to lead the MEDITECH Expanse READY implementation, handling everything from build and testing to training. To ensure the local team wasn't overwhelmed, CereCore utilized automation and scripting for the build process, allowing Cuero staff to maintain focus on day-to-day operations.
"We could not have implemented Expanse on our own...we chose CereCore as a MEDITECH implementation partner because they helped us meet more than our deadlines. They walked with us every step of the way, from pre-planning to post go-live.”
Lynn Falcone | CEO, Cuero Regional Hospital
A "Quiet" Command Center and Post-Live Success
The go-live was exceptionally smooth. On Day 1, the command center handled 149 primarily access-related issues; by Day 3, that number dropped to just 26. MEDITECH representatives noted the environment was remarkably quiet and professional, citing it as one of the smoothest transitions they had seen. Within six months, the clinical staff was already pushing for more advanced features, signaling a successful move from basic adoption to the optimization phase.
"The CereCore staff have helped staff learn the basic system, and now they want more. We've been live for six months, so we are truly in our optimization phase. It is a great challenge... they know what they want, so now they ask ‘Help me build this. Add this.’"
Judy Krupala | CNO, Cuero Regional Hospital
Result
The partnership provided Cuero Regional Hospital with the executive leadership and technical expertise required to transform from a fragmented legacy environment to a high-performing, unified, and secure digital health system.
Hear from Cuero Regional Hospital Leaders
- Lynn Falcone, CEO: Building Trust: From Expanse Rollout to High Reliability Organization
- Alma Alexander, CFO: What Matters to a Healthcare CFO? EHR Implementation & Strategic Planning Advice
- Judy Krupala, CNO: CNO Day in the Life: Leading through Change
.png?width=146&height=146&name=Podcast%20Artwork_Apple%20Square%20(2100%20%C3%97%202100%20px).png)
Ready to get started?
