Six AHN Hospitals Recognized as Most Wired® 2018 Winners by CHIME
PITTSBURGH (PRWEB) December 13, 2018 -- Allegheny General Hospital (AGH), Forbes Hospital, Jefferson Hospital, Saint Vincent Hospital, West Penn Hospital, and Westfield Memorial Hospital, all part of Allegheny Health Network (AHN), have been recognized as Most Wired® 2018 winners by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME).
Most Wired® is the industry-leading survey on IT adoption and innovation in health systems across the country.
Forbes Hospital, a 315-bed facility located in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh, was the first of AHN’s eight hospitals to implement the Epic electronic health records system in 2015. Since then, the platform has been launched at the network’s two largest hospitals in the city, Allegheny General and West Penn, as well as across most of the system’s employed physician practices and at several of its large outpatient centers. AHN’s Jefferson Hospital in Jefferson Hills, PA, Canonsburg Hospital in Canonsburg, PA, Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie, PA, and Westfield Memorial Hospital in Westfield, NY implemented Epic in 2017 and 2018.
“We are using a variety of tools and emerging technologies to improve patient engagement, experience, and safety,” said Robert White, MD, Chief Medical Information Officer at AHN. “Last year, we implemented MyChart Bedside, which is an inpatient-facing patient engagement tool. We’re also taking advantage of tele-stroke, tele-conferencing, Video Visits and eVisits, and same day patient visits.”
Key findings of the 2018 Most Wired® Survey include:
- 50 percent of hospitals have access to electronic health records and other resources using mobile applications.
- 29 percent of hospitals have a comprehensive security program in place.
- 57 percent use clinical and billing data as well as health information exchanges to identify gaps in care.
- 90 percent offer a mobile patient portal and nearly all offer access to test results and visit summaries.
- 89 percent offer some form of telehealth service, but few offer focused telehealth services such as genetic counseling or rehabilitation.
- 50 percent use ePrescribing for controlled substances and 48 percent have their ePrescribing module connected to a prescription drug monitoring program.
“IT has changed exponentially over the past two decades, as has the role of the executives who oversee the technology and related support staff, said Russell Branzell, president and CEO, CHIME. “Their position has expanded from being skilled technicians to being strategic and visionary leaders and innovators. Most Wired is a tribute to the organizations and dedicated people in them who are transforming healthcare and improving patient outcomes.”
Two key emerging trends found in the 2018 Most Wired® Survey were the use of foundational technologies such as integration, interoperability, security and disaster recovery, and the use of transformational technologies to support population health management, value-based care, patient engagement and telehealth.
According to Dr. White, AHN intends to continue breaking new ground with its technology solutions. “We are currently using technology to decrease the regulatory burden and exploring how predictive analytics can help us further drive improved performance and greater efficiencies in patient care.”
About the Allegheny Health Network:
Allegheny Health Network (AHN.org), a Highmark Health company, is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region. The Network is composed of eight hospitals, including Allegheny General Hospital, its flagship academic medical center in Pittsburgh, Allegheny Valley Hospital in Natrona Heights, Canonsburg Hospital in Canonsburg, Forbes Hospital in Monroeville, Jefferson Hospital in Jefferson Hills, Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie, West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh and Westfield Memorial Hospital in Westfield, NY. The Network provides patients with access to a complete spectrum of advanced medical services, including nationally recognized programs for primary and emergency care, cardiovascular disease, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, women’s health, diabetes and more. It also is home to a comprehensive research institute; Health + Wellness Pavilions; an employed physician organization, home and community based health services and a group purchasing organization. The Network employs approximately 19,000 people, has more than 2,400 physicians on its medical staff and serves as a clinical campus for Drexel University College of Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.
About the Most Wired Survey
The mission of the CHIME HealthCare’s Most Wired program is to elevate the health and healthcare of communities around the world through the optimal use of information technology. The annual survey is designed to identify and recognize healthcare organizations that exemplify best practices through their adoption, implementation and use of information technology.
About the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is the professional organization for Chief Information Officers and other senior healthcare IT leaders. CHIME enables its members and business partners to collaborate, exchange ideas, develop professionally and advocate the effective use of information management to improve the health and healthcare in the communities they serve. For more information, visit https://chimecentral.org.
Krista Lardieri, Allegheny Health Network, http://ahn.org, 412-544-8574, [email protected]
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