FTMC and Magruder Hospital to become all-digital, smart hospitals

In an ongoing commitment to provide the best medical care and leading-edge technology, Fisher-Titus Medical Center in Norwalk and Magruder Hospital in Port Clinton are expanding - in a non-traditional way. While over the past decade, expansion has been in the form of buildings and square footage at both hospitals, in 2010, the focus will be on expanding and integrating patient-focused technology to create an environment that enhances patient experiences and helps providers make the best and safest healthcare decisions possible.

In a joint project, FTMC and Magruder Hospital are collaborating with Cerner Corporation, a leading global healthcare technology corporation, to upgrade and integrate information technology systems making them the first two all-digital smart hospitals in the nation when the technology goes live in late spring. This leap forward will rank FTMC and Magruder among the top 5 percent of hospitals in the nation for the level of technology offered.

"FTMC and Magruder Hospital have an 11-year history of collaborating on information technology projects," said FTMC President Patrick J. Martin. "We are continuing that collaborative effort by partnering on this project, maximizing our investments to bring this state-of-the-art technology to our patients, providers and our communities."

One component of the project will automate current electronic and paper-based processes with a comprehensive electronic patient health record.

"The comprehensive electronic health record (EHR) we are building with Cerner will have 'one source of information' that will produce a single medical record for each patient," said John Britton, FTMC's vice president of information services and Magruder's CIO consultant. "That record will be immediately accessible and up-to-date in every clinical area our patients visit in the hospital. As an example, instead of having to repeat your allergies, or what medications you are currently on, you will only have to give that information once, and every clinical area that needs that information will have access via your real-time medical records."

Currently only 1.5 percent of the nation's roughly 6,000 hospitals use a comprehensive EHR.

In addition to the EHR, the project also features patient-centered "smart" rooms at each hospital. Patients will be able to use an interactive TV to access their health information and daily schedules as well as the Internet, movies and their favorite television programs.

A clinical "dashboard" in each room gives caregivers a summary view of the patient's current relevant health information. Medical devices such as blood pressure monitors feed data directly into the EHR.

"The ability for our providers to instantly access integrated, real-time patient information is a vital part of the care process and will improve patient outcomes," said Cliff Harmon, Magruder's President and CEO. "And while all of this technology is very impressive, equally impressive is its ability to allow caregivers to spend more time with patients, because it will streamline processes and cut down on paperwork."

While teams from both hospitals are working with Cerner to install and customize clinical electronic "solutions" for each department, physical renovations also are taking place. At Magruder, patient rooms are being renovated into new private rooms designed for the smart technology; and at Fisher-Titus all patient rooms are being updated to support the smart technology scheduled to go live in late spring.

"Fisher-Titus and Magruder were well-positioned to take on a project of this magnitude," said Martin. "Because of our history of working together on information technology projects, the advanced technology we already were using, and the commitment and dedication of our employees and medical staff, we were confident of implementing this project on such an aggressive timeline."

Cerner representatives are on-site at each facility working with hospital teams to put in place the systems that will change how patient care is delivered.

"Fisher-Titus and Magruder have always made patient safety and satisfaction a primary focus," said Trace Devanny, Cerner president. "This shared vision on the patient experience with Cerner and the commitment of the organization's leadership, caregivers and staff, will create a model of care that can serve as a model for the rest of our nation's healthcare providers."

The automation of these two smart hospitals will eventually create the infrastructure to allow Fisher-Titus and Magruder to connect and securely share information through a health information network. Through this network, consumers could easily access their health record anywhere, at any time.