Healthcare IT News - January 2008 - (Page 14) 14 Healthcare IT News ■ January 2008 HoSpItalS & IdNs www.HealthcareITNews.com Ohio hospital opens as all-digital facility By rIcharD PIzzI, Associate Editor DUBLIN, OH – Dublin Methodist Hospital opened earlier this month as one of the nation’s few all-digital community hospitals. It is the first full-service hospital to be built in central Ohio since 1984. The brand new 94-bed facility was constructed with a full electronic health records system from Atlanta-based McKesson Healthcare. “We designed information tech- nology into the building as an essential component of care and committed early on to 100 percent system adoption by physicians, nurses and the rest of the care team,” said Cheryl Herbert, RN, president of Dublin Methodist Hospital. “We see healthcare IT as a key enabler in helping us achieve [our] objectives.” Herbert said the hospital’s alldigital commitment was in keeping with its partnership in the Pebble Project, a national group of healthcare organizations focused on following best practices in design that have proven to enhance quality of care, the patient experience and financial performance, and ultimately patient outcomes. The Pebble Project is a project of The Center for Health Design, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization. ■ More at healthcareITnews.com e connect: oHIo 0108 MInnesoTa Continued from page 13 l patient across different care settings in communities that are each about 20 miles apart.” Late last year, Lac qui Parle received a $1.6 million Health Information Technology grant from the Office of Rural Health Policy at the Health Resources and Services Administration. The grants are designed to help communities with Critical Access Hospitals build systems supporting health informa- If it’s not sealed, it’s not Datalux. Resists microbial growth, airborne germs, and the occasional spray. Zero tolerance for contamination? The all-in-one IPIX computer from Datalux is designed to fight the spread of healthcare-associated infections. Antimicrobial additives attack growth on the surface. Fan-less operation prevents circulation of bacteria in the air. And a sealed case means you can safely disinfect without the risk of damaging the computer. Compatible with any mobile cart or wall mount, you can be confident the IPIX all-in-one can handle your toughest environment. For more details call 800-DATALUX or www.datalux.com. tion exchange. Roisen revealed the federal grant came on the heels of a $40,000 eHealth planning grant from the Minnesota Department of Health. Those funds helped Roisen and his colleagues determine what forms of IT would best serve the three small network hospitals. “Our governance model has been very important in moving this process along,” Roisen said. “We’re able to pool resources because we’re a hospital services cooperative, and we share equal risks. We think this local cooperative model can be replicated in other locations, and we’ve been in dialogue with other Critical Access Hospitals in Minnesota and nationwide.” Lac qui Parle is preparing to select a technology vendor for the project, and hopes to make a final decision by spring 2008. Finding an affordable EHR product is crucial, said Roisen, and the product must be CCHIT-certified. The network also wants the vendor to have an established “Minnesota presence.” Ralph Gerbig, MD, medical chief of staff at Johnson Memorial Hospital, said physicians at the Lac qui Parle hospitals want their new EHR to help them keep current with patient medications, drug interactions, and disease protocols, and to aid in tracking immunization records. “An interoperable electronic health record will assist us in managing quality assessment across the continuum of care,” said Gerbig. “It will help us monitor community health measures and get a global picture of our patients.” Gerbig acknowledged the transition to a communitywide EHR would bring challenges. “Converting from paper to the electronic environment will impact everyone that works in our integrated healthcare system,” said Gerbig. “Our biggest challenge will be monitoring the staff to make sure everyone receives adequate education and training, without becoming overwhelmed by the change.” Representatives of the Minnesota Department of Health’s Office of Rural Health & Primary Care have offered advice and assistance to Lac qui Parle throughout the entire EHR planning process. Karen Welle, the ORHPC’s assistant director, believes the small network’s project will be a resounding success. “This is a really cool project, and Mark has done a great job working with the different hospital administrators in these three tiny communities,” Welle said. “They’re doing this for the right reasons. As healthcare becomes more complicated, they want to improve quality and become more efficient, safe and effective.” ■ More at healthcareITnews.com e connect: MINNeSota 0108 e l connect: dataLuX 0108 l http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=8418 http://healthcareITnews.com http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=8418 http://www.datalux.com http://www.datalux.com http://healthcareITnews.com http://www.healthcareitnews.com/eConnect.cms?id=8462 http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=8413
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