Concord Hospital only N.H. hospital and one of eight New England hospitals named "Most Wired"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media contact: Andy Morse
(603) 227-7000, ext. 2342
amorse@crhc.org
CONCORD, NH — Concord Hospital is the only New Hampshire hospital and one of just eight New England hospitals named a Top 100 “Most Wired” hospital by Hospitals & Health Networks magazine, the journal of the American Hospital Association. Winners are based on recent results of the “Most Wired” Survey and Benchmarking Study.
This marked the third year in a row and the fifth time Concord Hospital has been named a Top 100 “Most Wired” hospital.

“We’re extremely diligent in selecting and implementing sophisticated technology that enhances quality, efficiency, and safety of patient care,” said Deane Morrison, RPh, chief information officer at Concord Hospital. “Our Board of Trustees and hospital administration are progressive, and our staff, clinical providers, and information technology professionals are talented enabling us to move forward with our technological efforts to help improve patient outcomes.”

The annual survey and benchmarking study shows an overall increase in Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) of medications and electronic bedside matching at the time medications are administered.

In 2007, Concord Hospital became the first hospital in New Hampshire to implement CPOE. This revolutionary information technology system with decision support allows healthcare providers to submit clinical orders electronically rather than by hand. Once the orders are entered electronically, the system communicates the information directly to other key departments such as nursing, the pharmacy, or the laboratory for processing. The hospital also fully implemented medication bar coding by allowing nurses to electronically scan a patient’s wristband to further ensure the correct patient is receiving the correct medication.
Other ways Concord Hospital uses technology to improve quality, efficiency, and safety of patient care include:

• An electronic medical record (EMR) system in its employed physician practices that allows clinicians to e-prescribe as well as more effectively manage a patient’s chronic condition such as diabetes and high blood pressure;


• A Provider Portal where physicians can quickly and securely access a patient’s laboratory tests, hospital dictation, and radiology and cardiology images from anywhere the Internet is available;


• A Picture Archiving Communication System (PACS) that allows physicians to easily view patient’s radiology and cardiology images in order to provide timely care;


• An electronic documentation system that gives nurses access to standardized forms to track a patient’s medical status, treatment, and care plan.