Honor highlights accomplishments in information technology

Baptist Health South Florida has been listed among “Health Care’s Most Wired” hospitals and health systems in an annual survey conducted by Hospitals & Health Networks, the flagship publication of the American Hospital Association. The survey, now in its 16th year, highlights hospitals’ use of information technology (IT) to improve care through better documentation and the reduction of errors using computerized physician order entry; provide patients with better access to healthcare information and their medical records; and improve operational performance.

Baptist Health also received a special Innovator Award for its “Take Your Meds!” program, which will be featured in H&HN’s August issue. Innovator Awards recognize achievement of business objectives, creativity and uniqueness of concept, scope of solution and impact on the organization. The “Take Your Meds!” telehealth program provides medication therapy management for home care patients with congestive heart failure. These patients receive counseling and encouragement, via in-home videoconference, from a Baptist Health “ePharmacist” in collaboration with a home care nurse.

The Most Wired survey, administered between Jan. 15 and March 15, asked hospitals and health systems nationwide to answer questions regarding their information technology initiatives. Respondents completed 680 surveys, representing 1,901 hospitals, or roughly 33 percent of all U.S. hospitals. This year’s list recognizes 445 healthcare organizations in four categories: Most Wired, Most Wired – Advanced, Most Improved and Most Wired – Small and Rural. Detailed survey results are featured in the July issue of H&HN and online at HHNMag.com.

“The Most Wired data show that shared health information allows clinicians and patients to have the information they need to promote health and make the most-informed decisions about treatments,” says Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association. “Hospitals, their clinicians and their communities are doing tremendous work to enhance their IT systems in ways that support care and delivery improvement and patient engagement goals.” Among the survey’s key findings:

“Advanced information technology permeates every aspect of our operations across seven hospitals and dozens of outpatient and urgent care facilities,” said Brian E. Keeley, president and chief executive officer of Baptist Health. “From our basic infrastructure to our business and administrative management processes to our clinical quality and safety measures, we rely on our IT professionals to support and enhance our work. Recognition as a Most Wired organization is a powerful affirmation of our IT team’s excellence.”

Baptist Health is the largest healthcare organization in the region, with seven hospitals (Baptist Hospital, Baptist Children’s Hospital, Doctors Hospital, Homestead Hospital, Mariners Hospital, South Miami Hospital and West Kendall Baptist Hospital) and more than 30 outpatient and urgent care facilities spanning three counties. The not-for-profit, faith-based Baptist Health has more than 15,000 employees and 2,200 affiliated physicians, and also includes Baptist Health Medical Group, Baptist Outpatient Services and internationally renowned centers of excellence. Baptist Health Foundation, the organization’s fundraising arm, supports services at all hospitals and facilities. Baptist Health was recently listed by Fortune magazine as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America (#19 in the nation and #1 in Florida) and has remained on the list for 14 years. It was also recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the third year in a row by the Ethisphere Institute. Visit BaptistHealth.net.