Kara Hidalgo, BSN, RN, PMH-BC

Led EHR training strategy for Fort Washington Medical Center Oracle Health (formerly Cerner) EHR implementation

• Developed cost-effective training plans utilizing internal Clinical Informatics teams.
• Facilitated EHR training sessions for physician specialists, hospitalists, ED physicians, acute care nursing and ancillary departments.
• Created customized materials (manuals, tip sheets, videos).

Quality, Regulatory, and Accreditation Readiness Project Subject Matter Expert for Adventist HealthCare’s systemwide initiative to streamline adult acute care nursing documentation

• Crosswalked EHR admission data elements against CMS, COMAR, JC, and internal policy standards.
• Project achieved a 43% reduction in face-up documentation, saving 2,915 hours annually and reducing 2.57 million clicks, enhancing nurse satisfaction and patient care time.

Oracle Health (formerly Cerner) In-App eCoach Implementation

• Designed and built a customized Oracle Health In-App eCoach, avoiding external consultant costs.
• Led full development lifecycle, integrating tailored learning materials aligned with clinical roles and workflows.

Facilitate interdisciplinary workgroups to align clinical policies, workflows, and EHR configurations with best practices and regulatory standards

• Design EHR enhancements and report specifications to monitor documentation compliance and evaluate EHR enhancements.
• Built the System Quality Services SharePoint site, a centralized resource hub for Adventist HealthCare employees.
• Serve as system administrator for clinical tools including UpToDate, Lippincott Solutions, Ovid Medical Library, and MCN Policy Library; manage vendor relations, contracts, and analytics.

Regulatory and accreditation readiness SME across a wide range of care settings, including acute care, outpatient specialty services, primary care, behavioral health (outpatient), assisted living, home care, and inpatient/outpatient rehabilitation

• Monitor and interpret regulations from CMS, HHS, COMAR, OHCQ, and accrediting bodies including JC, CHAP, CARF, and COA.
• Conduct detailed regulatory crosswalks between EHR configurations and clinical policies to ensure compliance.

Support or lead command center operations during on-site survey activity

• Perform real-time EHR documentation audits and coordinate retrieval of requested documents.
• Conduct pre-survey readiness sessions and post-survey compliance sessions with leaders and frontline team members.
• Crosswalk potential findings to applicable regulations. Present supporting evidence to surveyors in real time to challenge and remove findings when appropriate.

Clinical Policy Administrator for Adventist HealthCare, overseeing annual review of over 580 system-wide clinical policies

• Chair of the systemwide Clinical Policy Workgroup.
• Author, review, and revise system-wide clinical policies to ensure alignment with current standards, regulations, authoritative sources, and operational workflows.

Active member of multiple systemwide committees driving EHR enhancements, accreditation readiness, quality and patient safety

• Member of strategic boards shaping systemwide clinical standards and physician engagement in EHR optimization
• Guest presenter across multiple leadership and clinical forums, sharing expertise in accreditation readiness, quality informatics, clinical documentation, and EHR optimization

• Hospital nursing supervisor for the behavioral health service line (109 beds, 7 inpatient units, outpatient PHP, outpatient IOP).

• Nurse Manager of a 24-bed inpatient Psychiatric Adolescent Unit and 12-bed Psychiatric Children's Unit.
• Revamped Child and Adolescent Unit programming, leading to a reduction in restraints.
• Worked with Employee Assistance Program to facilitate team-building retreats for compassion fatigue relief.

• Facilitated bi-weekly orientation sessions for new hires (Oracle Health EHR, policies and procedures and clinical topics).

• Charge nurse for Seneca Adult Co-Occurring Unit and Montgomery Adult Mood Disorders Unit.
• Supported clinical teams and physicians during EHR go-live as Oracle Health 'Super User'.

• Coordinated discharge plans with interdisciplinary teams to ensure smooth transitions of care.
• Assessed patient needs and preferences to develop individualized discharge strategies.
• Facilitated communication between patients, families, and healthcare providers for effective care planning.
• Educated patients on post-discharge care instructions to enhance recovery outcomes.

• Supervised patient care technicians on 30-bed dual diagnosis unit during 8-hour shifts.