Physician and Funeral Director Buy-In

1. Physician and Funeral Director Buy-In Kathlene A. Mueller, Manager Office of Data, Statistics and Vital Records/ State Registrar South Dakota

2. Keys to a Successful Buy-in • Communicate with your partners • Start Early • Communicate Often • Use Different Modes • Involve your Partners • Involve them Early • Involve them often • Money • If you have it, it helps, but if your product is good it will not matter. • Expertise • Where you don’t have it, find someone who does.

3. Buy-In – South Dakota Experience • Communicate • Communicate Early - Bring the necessary partners to the table at the outset. • Buy-in for an EDR in South Dakota began in 1998. • The Vital Records Office had gone through the task of mapping each process to remove duplication of effort. • These processes were then taken to the partners.

4. Buy-In – South Dakota Experience • Communicate Often and with Different Modes • Funeral Directors • Attended five district meetings of the Funeral Directors Association – Yearly or twice a year • Attended the Funeral Directors Association Meeting – Yearly • Wrote Articles for the Funeral Directors Association Newsletter. • Presented Sessions at applicable meetings • Developed a Booth • Designed our own Newsletter to share information with them monthly.

5. Buy-In – South Dakota Experience • Physicians • Presented the concept to the South Dakota State Medical Association’s Commission. • Wrote Articles for the Public Health Bulletin. • Developed an Electronic Death Registration Brief • Register of Deeds • Presented twice a year at their Spring Workshop and Fall convention. • Made visits to their Office – Twice • Designed our own Newsletter to share information monthly • Coroners • Many Coroners also Funeral Directors • Sent Informational Letters

6. Buy-In – South Dakota Experience • Involve Your Partners Early and Often • Formed the Electronic Vital Record and Screening System Workgroup in July of 2000. Made up of hospitals, funeral directors, Registers of Deeds, coroners, physicians and their Associations. The group assisted with • RFP Analysis and Vendor Selection • Helped write and or review legislation. • Assisted with system design. • Served as our Pilot sites • Continue to act as a resource even today.

7. Buy-In – South Dakota Experience • Money – If you have it use it. • South Dakota received the SSA dollars in the amount of $500,000. System Development was already funded. We used SSA dollars to obtain buy-in. • Provided $2500 grants to each funeral home who was ready to go by January 1, 2004. • Must meet equipment requirements • We are also providing grants to Round II Funeral Homes.

8. Buy-In – South Dakota Experience • Expertise – Where you don’t have it, find someone who does. • When obtaining physician buy-in SD looked for individuals who would have expertise in working with physicians. • Contacted the South Dakota State Medical Association for assistance with obtaining buy-in for physicians. (Member of Work Group) • SDSMA suggested contracting with the University of South Dakota, Office of Continuing Medical Education.

9. Buy-In – South Dakota Experience • Expertise Continued • Contract includes • developing an tutorial for physicians to learn how to complete the cause of death and use the EDRS. • Conducting educational sessions for completing the cause of death and using the EDRS. • Grand Rounds • Marketing Materials • Labor