Vim & Vigor - Spring 2012 - Community Healthcare - (Page 56)

Physicians at hospitals across the state, including Nephrologist Marisela Varela, M.D., have access to important patient information through electronic medical record systems. Valuable Connections BY ELISE SIMS exchange, physicians have quick and reliable access to patient health records when and where they need them. “By connecting our hospitals and physicians to the healthcare community at a regional and state level, patients will have greater assurances that information about their health, regardless of where they receive care, will be accessible to their providers,” says John Gorski, chief operating ofﬁcer of Community Healthcare System. IHIE operates a respected clinical messaging service that provides results from participating hospitals, laboratories, long-term care facilities, radiology centers and other healthcare organizations. With health information now accessible to physicians and other providers, duplicate tests are avoided. If a patient is unable to explain his or her health history, physicians can access information electronically, make informed decisions more quickly and prevent adverse drug interactions. If hospital records are destroyed by a natural disaster, healthcare providers have access to information that is safely stored in electronic form, ensuring uninterrupted care of patients. “Our partnership with the IHIE enables us to take the next steps toward realizing the many beneﬁts of getting patient records stored in many different locations converted into electronic data that can be securely accessed by everyone involved in a patient’s care,” Gorski says. A Making your healthcare information available across the state ONLINE 70-year-old male patient was brought into the Community Hospital Emergency Department suffering from acute renal failure and dehydration. Attending physicians called Nephrologist Marisela Varela, M.D., who specializes in kidney care, for consultation. The healthcare team was unable to get a medical history from the patient as his symptoms gave him amnesia. Varela questioned the patient’s wife about admissions and tests at other local hospitals, including St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago, but his wife had no answers. Convinced the patient must have been hospitalized before, Varela logged on to EPIC, the electronic medical record system in place at the hospitals of Community Healthcare System— Community Hospital in Munster, St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago and St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart. Sure enough, the patient’s complete medical chart was available with a previous hospitalization—at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart—with a list of medications and a summary of tests. “EPIC made a difference in the care and treatment we were able to provide,” Varela says. “It helped us make timely decisions that were best for the patient.” No matter where you go in Indiana, your medical information needs to be accessible to doctors, caregivers and other members of the healthcare team when you need it most. Taking this accessibility a step further, Community Hospital in Munster, St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago and St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart are part of the Indiana Health Information Exchange (IHIE). BETTER COMMUNICATION, BETTER CARE As more hospitals and physicians adopt electronic medical record systems, valuable health information is no longer locked away in a paper chart in a provider’s ofﬁce. By transferring data through a secure electronic health information Improved Technology Means Better Care for You Visit us online at www.comhs.org to learn more about the many resources we offer. 56 Vim & Vigor · SP R I N G 2 012 http://www.comhs.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Spring 2012 - Community Healthcare

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2012 - Community Healthcare
Contents
Community Message
Community Briefs
Care When You Need It
Saving Time, Saving Lives
Get Real
How Far We’ve Come
Patient Survival Guide
Perfect Attendance
A New Day
Lean on Me
Intimidated by the Gym?
What Is Your Volunteer Style?
A Prescription for Relief
Creating Comfort and Convenience
SPOTLIGHT ON: St. Catherine Hospital
SPOTLIGHT ON: St. Mary Medical Center
SPOTLIGHT ON: Community Hospital
Valuable Connections

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2012 - Community Healthcare