SAN DIEGO and SHAWNEE MISSION, Kan., Aug. 27, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Shawnee Mission Medical Center (SMMC) joins Skylight Healthcare Systems in announcing the launch and deployment of Skylight ACCESS for its 383-bed facility in Merriam, Kansas. The Skylight ACCESS system provides patients with customized health information, education and interactive services -- all at the bedside. Skylight ACCESS has demonstrated improved patient satisfaction and outcomes, while enhancing the entire patient care continuum for health care professionals, patients, and their families.
Through the Skylight ACCESS system, SMMC patients now have direct access to disease- and condition-specific health information, connection to patient support departments and a real-time feedback forum that allows SMMC to solicit patient feedback and provide immediate service recovery to address patient issues. Patients will also enjoy high-speed Internet, e-mail and other first-class entertainment options including popular movies, music and games.
"We realize that a hospital stay can oftentimes be stressful for patients and their families, and the implementation of the Skylight system is one way for us to help alleviate patient anxiety during an anxious time in their lives," said Samuel H. Turner, Sr., SMMC President and CEO. "By offering immediate access to education, entertainment and communication venues, we hope patients and their families will become our partners in care so that we can together achieve the best results possible."
By launching the Skylight system, SMMC will be able to increase the time clinicians spend providing direct patient care and improve the effectiveness of patient education efforts. Combining SMMC's unsurpassed clinical quality and compassionate care with the latest in-room technology will empower patients to partner in their own care and encourage positive collaboration between patients and caregivers.
Typical results from hospitals using Skylight have shown that after launch and deployment of the ACCESS system, overall patient satisfaction scores have risen by 8 percent, while patient satisfaction with health education offerings increased by as much as 42 percent. Other results include quicker access to patient education sessions -- reduced from 15 minutes to three minutes -- which dramatically increases the time clinicians can provide care directly at the patient bedside. The real-time feedback and service alert functionality gives hospitals the benefit of immediately identifying and responding to patient satisfaction priorities which also dramatically reduces the level of non-clinical call light volume.
"Throughout their history, Shawnee Mission Medical Center has set the standard for excellence in patient care and satisfaction, in addition to providing a workplace that has been recognized as amongst the nation's best," said David Schofield, President and CEO of Skylight. "We share their commitment and are honored to have been selected to help them achieve their mission of improving the health and the quality of life of the patients they serve."
About Shawnee Mission Medical Center:
Shawnee Mission Medical Center (SMMC) is a 383-bed facility with nearly 20,000 inpatient admissions and more than 195,000 outpatient admissions annually. SMMC has the busiest emergency department in Johnson County, the area's first accredited Chest Pain Emergency Center, a nationally recognized Center for Women's Health and delivers more babies each year than any other hospital in the metropolitan area. SMMC employs more than 2,700 local residents and supports an exceptional staff of 700 physicians representing 50 medical specialties, the largest medical staff in Kansas City. Visit us on the Web at www.ShawneeMission.org.
About Skylight Health Systems
Skylight(r) Healthcare Systems is the industry pioneer in interactive patient system technology. With patient communication as the cornerstone of a safe, comfortable and clinically optimal hospital experience, the Skylight ACCESS(r) Interactive Patient System encourages patient and family to actively participate in their health care, improves communication between staff and patient/family members, and can provide a smoother and faster recovery and discharge plan. Skylight's overall vision is to provide hospitals with a highly useful system which will provide greater communication along the entire patient care continuum. In nearly 10,000 installed locations, leading hospital administrators have confidently selected Skylight Healthcare Systems as the proven choice for their interactive patient system technology. Skylight Healthcare Systems is headquartered in San Diego, California. For more information, please visit: www.skylight.com.
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