Henry County Health Center Named 2010 Most Wired
HCHC receives award for fourth year
Henry County Health Center has been recognized as one of the nation’s “Top 100 Most Wired Hospitals”according to the results of the 2010 Most Wired Survey released in the July issue of Hospitals & Health Networks magazine. HCHC also received this award in 2007 and 2009, and in 2008 was named a “Top 25 Most Wired Small and Rural Hospital.”
The 100 Most Wired organizations are hospital and health systems that scored the highest on the 2010 Most Wired Survey questions. Each survey is scored using a methodology emphasizing the use of information technology. H&HN (Hospitals and Hospital Networks) sponsors this annual survey and benchmarking measure to all members of The American Hospital Association (AHA). Hospitals participate in this survey for a variety of reasons, but a main reason is because hospitals understand the importance of health information technology (IT) and the benefits of its widespread adoption.
"To be recognized for the fourth year in a row for our advancements in technology is a great honor for the organization. This accomplishment is possible only through the commitment and dedication of our Medical Staff and associates,” commented HCHC CEO Robb Gardner. “Our continual pursuit of excellence in information technology is ultimately for the benefit of our patients – to improve patient safety, and to provide high quality care in the most efficient way to give patients the healthcare experience that they expect and deserve. Our progress in information technology allows us to work toward our mission to enhance the health of individuals and our communities through high quality, effective and efficient services.”
Dr. James Widmer, a member of HCHC’s Medical Staff, agrees that being recognized for this award for a fourth year shows the importance that HCHC places on information technology’s role in healthcare.
“This award is a positive reflection on how hard the hospital staff and physicians have worked to make advances in information technology for the benefit of our patients. This includes the implementation of electronic medical records, which is now federally mandated. The Most Wired designation shows our commitment to increasing accessibility of medical information, as well as continuing the overall important emphasis on patient safety through tools like medication bar coding and computerized physician order entry,” explained Dr. Widmer.
Most Wired and patient safety
This year’s survey reveals continued progress for hospitals in patient safety initiatives:
· Fifty-one percent of medication orders were done electronically by physicians at Most Wired hospitals, up from 49 percent last year.
· Over half (55 percent) of Most Wired hospitals match medication orders at the bedside through bar coding or radio-frequency identification, up from 49 percent in 2009 and from 23 percent five years ago.
· Additionally, Most Wired hospitals have made improvements when it comes to sharing information during care transitions. For example, new medication lists are electronically delivered to caregivers and patients 94 percent of the time when a patient is transferred within the hospital, 98 percent at discharge and 86 percent when transferred to another care setting.
“The survey results highlight that continued progress is being made but the full potential of health IT has not been meet,” says Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association (AHA). “Hospitals embrace health IT and recognize the many benefits it can provide to patients, but even Most Wired hospitals face barriers to adoption. We have asked that the federal government stimulate greater adoption by making Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments more widely available to hospitals and physicians so more hospitals can move in this direction.”
Survey results speak to the fact that the full potential of health IT has not been met and that the use of electronic medical record (EHR) functions is still not widespread, even with independent physicians who practice within hospitals. For Most Wired hospitals, only 43 percent of independent physician practices have the ability to electronically document medical records, 41 percent have computerized physician order entry (CPOE) and 44 percent have decision support.
Hospitals & Health Networks conducted the 2010 survey in cooperation with McKesson Corporation and CHIME. The July H&HN cover story detailing results is available at www.hhnmag.com.