07/12/11 Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center has been recognized as one of the “Most Wired” hospitals in the nation according to the results of the 2011 Most Wired Survey released today in the July issue of Hospitals & Health Networks magazine.

The nation’s Most Wired hospitals are making progress towards greater health information technology (IT) adoption, according to Hospitals & Health Networks’ 2011 Most Wired Survey released today.   As a field, hospitals are focused on expanding and adopting certain kinds of IT, such as computerized physician order entry (CPOE), to promote improved patient care and data collection.

“This recognition reflects the unwavering commitment by Saint Joseph’s talented and compassionate team of associates, nurses, and physicians, at both our Mishawaka and Plymouth hospitals, to set the gold standard for health care delivery in this region,” said Albert L. Gutierrez, SJRMC’s President and CEO.  “Our strategic investments in state-of-the-art information technology have provided our employees and physician community with unmatched resources to make them more efficient – and ultimately make it easier for them to deliver care.  Most importantly our technology investments have provided our community with an exceptional standard of patient care and safety and the peace of mind that comes with that experience.”

Most Wired hospitals have made great strides forward in this area with the survey results revealing strong advances in CPOE.  Among the key findings this year:

  • Sixty-seven percent of Most Wired hospitals ordered medications electronically in comparison to 46 percent of the total responders.
  • Fifty-eight percent of all organizations reported that they have implemented computerized standing orders based on treatment protocols that have been scientifically proven to be effective; in the Most Wired group, 86 percent have implemented such standing orders.
  • A greater reliance on digital records puts pressure on Chief Information Officers (CIO’s) to ensure that data can be restored quickly in the event that systems go down.  Eighty-two percent of the Most Wired hospitals and 57 percent of all surveyed hospitals can restore clinical data within 24 hours after a power loss.
  • Most Wired hospitals are leading in the use of encryption on movable devices to safeguard information.  All Most Wired hospitals encrypt data for laptops and 76 percent encrypt smart phones in comparison to 85 percent of total responders that use encryption on laptops and 57 percent on smart phones.

“Greater adoption of IT can bring important new tools to our efforts to improve the safety and quality of care in hospitals, and better coordinate care across settings,” says Rich Umbdenstock, President and CEO of the AHA.  “To promote further use of information technology, we are aggressively working to remove regulatory barriers, and provide clarity in areas such as the meaningful use criteria.”

Hospitals & Health Networks’ Most Wired Survey, conducted between Jan. 15 and March 15, asked hospitals and health systems nationwide to answer questions regarding their IT initiatives. Respondents completed 530 surveys, representing 1,388 hospitals, or roughly 24 percent of all U.S. hospitals.

“Most hospitals look beyond short-term drivers of meaningful use and view technology as part of a powerful toolkit to support their long-term goals for clinical quality improvement and preparation for reform,” said Patrick Blake, Executive Vice President and Group President, McKesson Technology Solutions, a sponsor of the survey. “Using all aspects of an electronic health record, including CPOE, is becoming the expected standard of care in many communities. As a result, we continue to see growth in those areas.”

Strides are also being made in the integration of the electronic health records with digital clinical imaging, according to survey results.  Progress in the areas of digital dictation, structured reporting, and voice recognition with picture archiving and communication systems is also being made. Under these systems, clinicians receive faster diagnostic results that can improve aspects of patient care.

“We would like to congratulate SJRMC on this distinguished award”, said Tom Liddell, Executive Director of Michiana Health Information Network.  “Our partnership with SJRMC to provide health exchange services and the electronic health record integrated with voice dictation software underscores their deep commitment to health care automation and ultimately patient care.  Accurate, complete, comprehensive clinical information at the point of care is realized by the physicians and their support team.  Through our partnership to assist their physicians with connectivity, we have made great strides in meaningful use and beyond.”

The July H&HN cover story detailing results is available at www.hhnmag.com.

About the AHA The American Hospital Association (AHA) is the national organization that represents and serves all types of hospitals, health care networks, and their patients and communities. Close to 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 42,000 individual members come together to form the AHA.  Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends.  For more information, visit the AHA website at www.aha.org.

About the Most Wired Survey The 2011 Most Wired Survey is conducted in cooperation with McKesson Corporation, HIT Exchange, the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), and the American Hospital Association.

About the Sponsors McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 15th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to making the business of healthcare run better. The company partners with payers, hospitals, physician offices, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies and others across the spectrum of care to build healthier organizations that deliver better care to patients in every setting. McKesson helps its customers improve their financial, operational, and clinical performance with solutions that include pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management, healthcare information technology, and business and clinical services. For more information, visit http://www.mckesson.com

HIT Exchange magazine covers the health IT landscape from both business and technology perspectives, connecting healthcare executives who set the course for their organizations and the IT and clinical leaders implementing these strategies.

The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is an executive organization dedicated to serving chief information officers and other senior healthcare IT leaders. With more than 1,400 CIO members and over 70 healthcare IT vendors and professional services firms, CHIME provides a highly interactive, trusted environment enabling senior professional and industry leaders to collaborate; exchange best practices; address professional development needs; and advocate the effective use of information management to improve the health and healthcare in the communities they serve.

About SJRMC Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center (SJRMC) is a not-for-profit, multi-hospital healthcare system located in North Central Indiana, offering a full range of services. SJRMC includes: a 254-bed acute care hospital at our Mishawaka Campus; a 58-bed acute care hospital at our Plymouth Campus; a 40-bed Rehabilitation Institute; Outpatient services of the Elm Road Medical Campus; and the Saint Joseph Physician Network that includes 16 practices with over 40 physicians. All inpatient rooms at all SJRMC facilities are private.

A Catholic Ministry Organization of Trinity Health, SJRMC offers faith-based care in a diverse, team-oriented environment. SJRMC is continually engaged in improving technology, driving excellence in patient safety and outcomes. In April, 2008, the system completed its conversion to Electronic Medical Health Records (EMHR), and now uses Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE). SJRMC launched Bar Code Medication Administration in June, 2011, and Its Nursing Staff is currently on the Journey to Magnet Status. For more information, visit www.sjmed.com.