Press Releases

CMS Launches PeopleSite: Custom, Web-Enabled HR Solution for Field Employees

New application empowers managers to access and use information to maximize staff management capabilities

St. Louis - July 02, 2009

Correctional Medical Services, Inc. (CMS) is pleased to announce the launch of PeopleSite, a new custom, web-based tool designed to aid field employees as they complete essential human resource functions for site and regional personnel.

The application enables regional and site managers to enter employee information in “real-time,” including hires, terminations, employee identification information and licensure status. In addition, the tool empowers managers to obtain a 360 degree HR snapshot view for each employee and a comprehensive view of site staffing allocations at the site level.

A successful rollout of the PeopleSite system began on June 22 beginning with CMS employees in Missouri. All field locations are scheduled to have PeopleSite access by the end of July. The application introduction marks CMS’ first large-scale deployment of a mission critical Web development application.

“The centralized, Web-based structure is advantageous because it’s much easier to support and make changes,” said CMS Director of Application Development Steve Diver. “The application is not housed on individual machines, but instead it’s online, so any changes are instantly reflected everywhere. The structure also enables rapid deployment to new sites because we don’t have to install a program on individual computers. Instead, we can simply provide managers a link to access it online. And since all the data entered is housed in the Central Office instead of on hundreds of individual machines, it allows for deeper analysis and a look at the information in a number of different ways. So, PeopleSite is a big step forward for a variety of reasons.”

Company managers say employees are eager to begin using the new system and feel it will enable them to manage site staffing and employee information more easily.

“The feedback from users has been great,” said CMS Director of Training and Development Pat Keeley, who developed and conducted a training program for PeopleSite to include a Train the Trainer program, an interactive user guide and a simulated trial environment where users can test out the system. “Everyone says it’s very user-friendly, intuitive and makes things a lot easier. PeopleSite is just the latest example of how we at CMS believe in creating and delivering tools to our managers to help them maximize their efficiency and success on the job.”

PeopleSite was developed in close concert with field staff, including a designated focus group of approximately 26 managerial and administrative staff who worked with the IT development team to provide input and feedback as the application took shape. Developers previewed updated versions of the product to the group based on their ongoing feedback and re-worked the application with them until a successful end product was realized. Focus group participants also had a hand in naming the application via a contest in April, with Maine Administrative Assistant Tania Roberts submitting the winning name.

As a national leader in the correctional healthcare industry for 30 years, CMS has developed a number of custom, proprietary applications for use in correctional medical units including those managing labor and time management, clinical effectiveness and staff education. The company says it will continue to invest considerable resources in the development of innovative solutions for its correctional healthcare programs, remaining committed to leveraging its technological and industry expertise to benefit both employees and clients nationwide.

About Correctional Medical Services, Inc (CMS)

Correctional Medical Services, Inc (CMS) is a nationwide leader in the provision of correctional healthcare services, offering a comprehensive suite of medical, dental, pharmacy and mental health services for the incarcerated population. CMS currently maintains a presence in 18 states and manages medical services for 10 statewide systems. More than 6,000 employees and independent contractors work with CMS nationwide. For more information, visit the CMS Web site at www.cmsstl.com.