HOUSTON, July 18, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- For the third consecutive year, the Memorial Hermann system has been named among the nation's most wired healthcare systems, according to the results of the 2007 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study released today in the July issue of Hospitals & Health Networks magazine.
The Most Wired Survey is conducted annually by Hospitals & Health Networks magazine, which uses the results to name the 100 Most Wired hospitals and health systems. It focuses on how the nation's hospitals use information technologies for quality, customer service, public health and safety, business processes and workforce issues.
Since 1999, the publication has named the 100 Most Wired hospitals and health systems. These selected institutions show better outcomes in four key areas: mortality rates, patient safety measures from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), core measures from Hospital Compare and average length of stay. Based on analysis of the ninth annual Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study, hospitals are graded on how they use information technology to address five key areas: safety and quality, customer service, business processes, workforce, and public health and safety.
In the past year, Memorial Hermann opened three new hospitals with technological innovations including an advanced Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system, paperless check-in using tablet PCs, positive patient ID using arm-band scanning, and OR tracking that enables physicians, staff and families to privately follow a patient's surgical progress using large display screens in waiting rooms, ORs and post-op/pre-op areas. Nurses and staff wear hands-free, wireless communication devices that enable them to connect with each other instantly anywhere in the hospital. Patient diagnosis is also enhanced with a new 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. This 3-Tesla MRI is twice as strong as conventional units and provides unsurpassed imaging and diagnostic capabilities.
"Memorial Hermann has made a tremendous commitment to using information technology to enable top-quality patient care," said Chief Information Officer David Bradshaw. "The opportunity to design and build three new hospitals gave us the opportunity to incorporate the very latest, state-of-the-art technology, as well as infrastructure for future growth. Our new hospitals utilize the best technology throughout our system and are piloting some innovations for upcoming rollout to other facilities."
Hospitals investing in quality are also investing in IT. "The Most Wired hospitals are focused on quality," says Alden Solovy, executive editor of Hospital & Health Networks.
Hospitals & Health Networks conducted the 2007 survey in cooperation with Accenture, McKesson Corp. and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives. The July H&HN cover story detailing results is available at www.hhnmag.com.
About the Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study
Hospitals & Health Networks, the journal of the American Hospital Association, conducts the voluntary Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study annually and names the 100 Most Wired.
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company.
McKesson Corporation is the world's largest healthcare services, technology and automation company.
CHIME was formed with the dual objective of serving the professional development needs of healthcare chief information officers and advocating the more effective use of information management within healthcare.
About the Memorial Hermann System
An integrated health system, Memorial Hermann is known for world-class clinical expertise, patient-centered care, leading edge technology, and innovation. The system, with its exceptional medical staff and 19,000 employees, serves southeast Texas and the greater Houston community. Memorial Hermann's 14 hospitals include three hospitals in the Texas Medical Center, two long-term care facilities, three heart institute locations and eight suburban hospitals. The system also operates numerous imaging, sports medicine and rehabilitation, and surgery centers, a Wellness Center, a chemical dependency treatment center, a home health agency, a retirement community and a nursing home. To learn more, visit www.memorialhermann.org or call 713-222-CARE.
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