HIPAA News

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Picks Meridian LMS for Compliance Training

(Dec 16, 2008)-- Meridian Knowledge Solutions, LLC isimplementing the software-as-a-service (SaaS) version of itslearning management system (LMS)for The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston to manage anarray of compliance training. The university's 7,200 users will haveaccess to the Meridian LMS, also known as the Training & Resource Center(TRC), via a password-protected web site accessible through laptop anddesktop computers as well as PDAs.

"Our users not only possess a wide range of computer skills but also havevarying amounts of time for training. So we wanted a training system thatwas user friendly," adds Megan Williford, the Training & Resource Center(TRC) system administrator for The University of Texas Health ScienceCenter at Houston. "Some workers simply want to get into the system, taketheir training and get out. Others want to explore learning opportunities.In either case, we wanted them to be able to access training with a fewclicks."

Williford notes that the university's overarching goal was to centralizeall training across its six schools and several different institutions forresearch. Prior to purchasing the Meridian LMS, the university's schoolshad different systems for compliance training and leadership development.With the Meridian LMS in place, the university has one training platformfor all registration, delivery and record-keeping.

The Web 2.0 features of Meridian's LMS include "team rooms," which consistof online forums that instructors and course-takers can use to reviewbasics before the start of a leadership development class.

"Our team rooms give instructors and employees a way to begin teaching andlearning before a class meets in-person," said Roy Haythorn, vicepresident of Operations for Meridian. "A team room combines elements of anonline discussion area and a blog."

According to Williford, the university's compliance training consists ofcourses on HIPAA, environmental health and safety, blood-borne pathogensand standards related to the Joint Commission on the Accreditation ofHealthcare Organizations (JCAHO). Williford says it's not unusual for2,000 people to attempt to access the compliance training at a time.

"With the amount of compliance training we do, it's fundamental for ourauditing process to have sound record-keeping," added Williford."Automating this process with a learning management system has taken theburden of tracking off us, and given us time to improve the quality andquantity of our courses."

With a SaaS offering in place, Williford has removed a burden from her IToffice, too. That's because Meridian hosts the university's new LMSoff-site, ensures the system is operating correctly and protects the LMSdata. This frees the university's IT department to focus on otherprojects.

"Our SaaS offering aims to give employers immediate access to the easiest-to-useLMS on the market today -- Meridian Global," remarked Haythorn. "OurLMS gives busy healthcare workers the training they need the moment theylog onto the system."

Earlier this year, the Heartland Centers at Saint Louis University Schoolof Public Health, as well as the Institute for Public Health Practice atthe University of Iowa's College of Public Health, chose Meridian's LMS.

To learn more, visit http://www.meridianksi.com

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