Beaufort Memorial Hospital has been recognized as one of the nation’s MOST WIRED according to the results of the 2012 Most Wired Survey released in the July issue of Hospitals &amp; Health Networks magazine.
The nation’s Most Wired hospitals are leveraging the adoption and use of health information technology (IT) to improve performance in a number of areas, expanding and adopting IT that protects patient data, and optimizes patient flow and communications, according to Health Care’s Most Wired 2012 Survey released recently.
“Being named among the Most Wired Hospitals in the nation is truly an honor,” says BMH Chief Information Officer and Vice President for Information Technology Ed Ricks.  “We are continually adopting new technology to improve our quality of care, patient safety and business processes.”

[caption id="attachment_7626" align="alignleft" width="150"]<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Health-BMH-IT.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-7626" title="Health-BMH IT" src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Health-BMH-IT-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a> The information technology (IT) staff at Beaufort Memorial Hospital.[/caption]

Beaufort Memorial, which has been named to the “Most Wired” list for 10 consecutive years, was given high marks, ranking among only six South Carolina hospitals and 215 hospitals nationwide who met all four core areas required to earn the award. Over the past year the hospital has made significant advances, including:
• Implementing Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) throughout the hospital to allow physicians to order tests, medications, and transmit information clearly and securely.
• Connecting hospital systems to physician office Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) to ensure the availability and integrity of patient data, including lab, test and imaging results.
• Virtualizing desktops so physicians and staff can securely move from workstation to workstation and quickly access patient data to make informed decisions about patient care.
Ricks points out that the selection criteria is focused on what hospitals are doing to comply with “Meaningful Use” requirements designed to help hospitals provide the highest level of quality and safety.
“This award underscores our commitment to investing in solutions that help create efficiencies and keep our focus on delivering quality patient care,” he says.
Among the key findings this year:
• Ninety-three percent of Most Wired hospitals employ intrusion detection systems to protect patient privacy and security of patient data, in comparison to seventy-seven percent of the total responders.
• Seventy-four percent of Most Wired hospitals and 57 percent of all surveyed hospitals use automated patient flow systems.
• Ninety percent of Most Wired hospitals and seventy three percent of all surveyed use performance improvement scorecards to help reduce inefficiencies.
• One hundred percent of Most Wired hospitals check drug interactions and drug allergies when medications are ordered as a major step in reducing medication errors
“As shown by these survey results, hospitals continue to demonstrate how IT not only can be used to improve patient care and safety but it is also a means to improve efficiency,” says Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the AHA. “Hospitals receiving Most Wired recognition are truly representative of our nation’s hospitals and systems — rural and urban, small and large, teaching and non-teaching, and critical access hospitals geographically dispersed.”
Health Care’s Most Wired Survey, conducted between Jan. 15 and March 15, asked hospitals and health systems nationwide to answer questions regarding their IT initiatives. Respondents completed 662 surveys, representing 1,570 hospitals, or roughly 27 percent of all U.S. hospitals.