Wood County Hospital Named a 2015 Most Wired Hospital
Wood County Hospital was named a 2015 Most Wired Hospital in the 17th annual HealthCare’s Most Wired TMs urvey, released today by the American Hospita lAssociation’s Health Forum and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME).
The 2015 Most Wired TM survey and benchmarking study, in partnership with CHIME and sponsored by VMware, is a leading industry barometer measuring information technology (IT) use and adoption among hospitals nationwide. Wood County Hospital was one of 20 hospitals and health systems in Ohio that achieved the Most Wired designation. The survey of more than 741 participants, representing 2,213 hospitals nationwide examined how organizations are leveraging IT to improve performance for value-based healthcare in the areas of infraastructure, business and administrative management, quality and safety, and clinical integration.
“Wood County Hospital’s Most Wired Hospital status illustrates our commitment to the adoption and use of information technology to better facilitate the delivery of the best care experience to the community we serve. Today’s health care environment demands that hospitals have robust electronic health records platforms to safely and securely capture data related to patient care. At WCH we have invested significant amounts of staff time, energy and other resources to achieve this status. We are pleased to receive this recogniition,” said Stan Korducki, President fo Wood County Hospital.
According to the survey, hospitals are taking more aggressive privacy and security measures to protect and safeguard patient data. Top growth areas in security amont this year’s Most Wired organizations include privacy audit systems, provisioning systems, data loss prevention, single sign-on and identity management.
“The ever-changing healthcare landscape calls us to live out our hospital’s mission within systems of technology that require constant updating,” said Joanne White, Chief Information Officer at Wood County Hospital. “Not only must we exchange data with physicians, healthcare facilities and government agencies, it must be readily available for the benefit of our patients through an online patient portal. Security, privacy and patient safety are foremost in our design and implementation process, as well as meeting HIPAA and governmental Meaningful Use requirements.”
As hospitals and health systems begin to transition away from volume-based care to more integrated, value-based care delivery, hospitals are utilizing IT to better facilitate information exchange across the care settings. This includes greater alignment between hospitals and physicians.
Driven beyond the requirements of Meaningful Use Stage 2, this year’s Most Wired hospitals are utilizing the benefits of a patient portal to get patients actively involved in their health and healthcare.
“We commend and congratulate this year’s Most Wired hospitals and their CIOs for improving care delivery and outcomes in our nation’s hospitals throught their creative and revolutionary use of technology,” said CHIME CEO and President Russell P. Branzell, FCHIME CHCIO. “These Most Wired organizatiaons represent excellence in IT leadership in the frontlines of healthcare transformation.”
“Congratulations to our nation’s Most Wired hospitals for harnessing the potential of information technology to improve quality care and patient safety and lower healthcare costs,” said Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the AHA. “At the forefront of the field, these4 hospitals are setting the bar for protection of patient data through discerning security measures.”
HealthCare’s Most Wired TM Survey, conducted between Jan. 15 and March 15, 2015, is published annually by Heath & Hospitals Network. Respondents compelted 741 surveys, representing more than 39 percent of all U.S. hospitals.
Detailed results of the survey and study can be found in the July issue of H & HN. For a full list of winners visit www.hhnmag.com.