Rockdale Medical Center's IT team was recently awarded the LifePoint Hospitals 2012 Information Technology Leadership Award for technological improvements enhancing patient safety and physician satisfaction.
Sean Tuley, Sr. Vice President and Chief Information Officer for LifePoint, presented the award to the Rockdale Medical Center executive team at the annual LifePoint Leadership Conference. He said, "The underlying IT foundation keeps the hospital operating and must be constantly maintained. Strategic improvements in technology at our hospitals can increase efficiency, enhance patient safety, improve services and, over time, reduce costs."
Technological improvements at Rockdale Medical include the Simplified Remote Access program, which allows physicians and staff access to the hospital computer systems from outside of the hospital to check patient status and enter orders for patient care. Automated, or ‘smart', IV pumps have been installed, and enhance patient safety by reducing the possibility of inaccurate doses of medication being administered to patients. More departments at Rockdale Medical Center have been given access to computerized physician order entry (CPOE). CPOE is electronic entry of physician instructions for the treatment of patients. Orders can be placed directly to the department responsible for fulfilling the order (pharmacy, radiology, medical staff) thereby reducing the delay of treatment, as well as errors related to handwriting or transcription. The IT department also improved wireless signals for cellular connectivity for patients, doctors, visitors and staff.
Upon receiving the award, Gail Waldo, Director of Information Technology at Rockdale Medical Center, said, "Everyone in IT feels extremely honored to be a part of such a wonderful organization where technology is considered a strategic service in supporting initiatives that will have a positive impact on quality of care, physician and employee satisfaction, fiscal responsibility and community outreach."
Rockdale Medical Center is a 138-bed acute-care hospital owned by LifePoint Hospitals, which owns 50 community hospitals nation-wide. Rockdale Medical is fully accredited by the Joint Commission which evaluates hospital patient care for quality, safety and value.
