Elected officials and business leaders from around the area gathered at Tyrone Hospital as representatives of Senator Arlen Specter and Tyrone Hospital leaders announced that Tyrone Hospital will receive a half-million dollar federal grant to develop the hospital’s health information system.
The funds were earmarked for Tyrone Hospital by United States Senator Arlen Specter as part of the fiscal year 2006 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill. Ms. Bettilou Taylor, Staff Director of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations, Committee on Appropriations and Mr. Doug Saltzman, Executive Director, Pittsburgh Regional Office of U.S. Senator Arlen Specter made the announcement on behalf of Senator Specter.
Senator Specter, Chairman of the Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee said, “I am pleased my colleagues in the Congress have provided this important funding for Tyrone Hospital, improving Tyrone Hospital’s ability to share and obtain patient information regarding medications, allergies and other critical data will ensure that individuals receive quality care.”
Walter S. Van Dyke, Chief Executive Officer at Tyrone Hospital said he is pleased to see these resources coming into the community.
“Tyrone Hospital exists to serve the community. The people who rely on us for their healthcare need to know that this is allowing their local hospital to keep ‘technological pace’. It is allowing us to make improvements for their benefit with regard to patient safety and the communication of clinical and other information,” he explained.
“In healthcare we find technology in patient treatment and diagnostics and in the financial end of things. But there is tremendous opportunity on the clinical side with regard to patient safety, Electronic Patient Health Records and chronic disease management and it has been proven that costs can be reduced while the quality of care improved when technology is used in these areas. The grant funds we have received will allow us to implement these things here in our community.”
Tyrone Hospital will utilize the funds received to develop the hospital’s technology infrastructure to position it for future technology, to enhance administrative decision support systems and to develop clinical information systems.
Mr. Van Dyke said there will be a great deal of planning involved to achieve these technology goals and most areas of the hospital will be involved in the development of these systems over the next two years.
Stephen Gildea, Tyrone Hospital’s Chief Information Officer will oversee the development and implementation of the hospital’s health information system. Mr. Gildea said the federal government’s goal is to move healthcare organizations toward expanded use of information technology over the next decade to improve patient safety and reduce costs. The funds Tyrone Hospital has received will help us move toward that broad goal at the local level.
“When fully implemented, Tyrone Hospital’s health information system will be comparable to that of large healthcare facilities nationwide.”
Mr. Gildea cited several examples of how Tyrone Hospital’s operations will be affected once the health information system is fully implemented. He said physician offices will have the ability to check on patient status and test results from their offices.
Most of the administrative documentation that is now done on paper, e.g. test ordering and entering information on the patients bill, will be automated, eliminating manual effort, missed information and errors. This will greatly improve the overall efficiency of the hospital, creating financial improvements.
The safety with which patient medications are administered will be greatly enhanced through the ability to scan a barcode on the patient’s wristband and scan a barcode on the medication label. The medication and patient will be crosschecked to ensure it is the correct medication for the correct patient. Dosage information can also be crosschecked against the latest allergies, vital signs, test results, height, weight, etc., and the nurse or physician can be alerted to a possible adverse reaction or alternate drug. More up-to-date medication desk reference guides will be possible. This aspect is where a dramatic improvement in patient safety and quality of care will be realized.
“Ultimately, we will see electronic networking with other community based providers. But we have to get all of the proper technology pieces in place before that can happen,” said Mr. Gildea.
