Watertown Memorial Hospital Recognized as “Most Wired
Story by: WAHS Staff
Watertown Memorial Hospital has been named on the nation’s MOST WIRED—SMALL AND RURAL, according to the results of the 2006 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study released in the July issue of Hospitals & Health Networks magazine which has named the 100 Most Wired hospitals and health systems since 1999.
“As an organization, we are proud to achieve this accomplishment for a fourth year,” says Tim Strauch, director of information services at Watertown Area Health Services. “This achievement is shared by the entire organization, as we use information technology to create safer, more efficient communications between physicians, hospital staff and patients.”
As a Most Wired hospital, Watertown Memorial Hospital has hosted over 75 site visits from healthcare organizations across the nation who want to learn more about how to apply information technology to the challenges they face.
The nation’s 100 Most Wired are using information technology to improve quality, satisfaction and patient care by investing in technology to streamline business and clinical practices; to reduce medical errors; and to improve clinical outcomes, as follows:
§ 92 percent of the medical records at Most Wired hospitals are available digitally, compared with 61 percent at Least Wired hospitals;
§ 36 percent of medications are ordered electronically by physicians in Most Wired hospitals, compared with 2 percent among Least Wired hospitals.
“As consumers become increasingly involved in their health care decisions, the Most Wired hospitals are providing the technology infrastructure necessary to address their needs,” said Lewis Redd, managing director of Accenture's Health & Life Sciences Provider practice in North America. “This investment in clinical systems technology helps enable high-performing providers to deliver higher-quality results and better service to their patients and consumers.”
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 of information technologies for quality, customer service, public health and safety, business processes and workforce issues.
Hospitals & Health Networks conducted the 2006 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.
# # #
(800) 472-4210
