Vermont Business Magazine Mt Ascutney Hospital and Health Center has been named one of America’s “Most Wired” hospitals by the American Hospital Association (AHA) in recognition of its successful adoption of information technology (IT) to enhance clinical performance. The 18th annual Most Wired list appears in the July 2016 issue of Hospitals & Health Networks magazine, an AHA publication. All hospitals on the list have demonstrated a strong commitment to using IT resources to improve their operational, financial, and clinical services.
Hospitals on the Most Wired list were chosen based on a survey conducted betweenJanuary 15 and March 15 of this year. The survey is a leading industry barometer, measuring information technology (IT) use and adoption among hospitals nationwide. More than 34 percent of American hospitals participated in the 2016 survey, which examines how organizations are leveraging IT to improve performance for value-based health care.
“We’re thrilled to receive this designation,” said Patti Strohla, R.N., director of clinical transformation. “MAHHC has invested significantly in IT, because we recognized its potential for helping improve our operations and patient care.“
One of the most important ways that technology is improving care at MAHHC, says Strohla, is through the use of telehealth technology, which MAHHC implemented in January in the hospital’s Emergency Department.
“In an emergency situation where we need immediate consultation with a specialist, our telehealth technology allows us to connect with board-certified tele-emergency specialists using a two-way, high-definition video/audio link,” says Strohla. “This allows the specialist to be virtually ‘in the room’ with the patient, diagnosing and directing care. For a small, rural hospital such as ours, a tele-emergency link means we can offer the same level of care that patients would expect from any major hospital in America.”
In addition to using telehealth in its Emergency Department, the Hospital has also added telepharmacy services for evening and weekend support, and plans to implement teleneurology and telestroke care services later this year.
Telehealth services are the most recent in a series of technology investments for MAHHC, which also replaced three disparate electronic health record systems and its paper charts with a single EHR that connects all inpatient and outpatient venues.
“Much of our capital budget over the last six years has been geared toward technology to improve our processes,” said Strohla. “But because we have a limited budget, we have to prioritize services that enhance the patient experience from a care and quality perspective.”
As an example, Strohla spoke about the experience of military veterans in the community who need prosthetics to walk. Many of these veterans are served by MAHHC’s rehabilitation center, but the Veterans Administration often requires them to be transported to a VA hospital for evaluation. Rather than transport patients to the VA facility in an ambulance, the Hospital is now working with the VA to use iPads which will allow VA clinicians to evaluate patients remotely and determine their prosthetic needs.”
“As you see, the opportunities for IT innovation are unlimited”, says Strohla.
The AHA’s Most Wired survey measured hospitals in four specific areas: infrastructure; business and administrative management; clinical quality and safety (inpatient /outpatient hospital); and clinical integration (ambulatory/ physician/ patient/ community). In order to earn Most Wired designation, hospitals were required to excel in all categories.
According to the survey, Most Wired hospitals such as MAHHC have implemented telehealth technology to expand and improve patient care. They’re also using tools such as patient portals to build stronger relationships with patients.
“Hospitals are breaking-out of their traditional four walls and providing care where and when patients need it,” said Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the AHA. “Most Wired hospitals exemplify this transformation by harnessing technology, engaging patients and offering services remotely.
“Making the Most Wired list is gratifying for MAHHC,” says Gay L. Landstrom, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, Interim Chief Executive Officer of MAHHC, who says the Hospital will continue to invest in IT expansion and upgrades. “Information technology has revolutionized so many aspects of healthcare in the last few decades,” she noted. “New ideas and applications are in the works that will give us even more tools for enhancing our operations and care. It’s an exciting time to be in health care.”
About Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center
Founded in 1933, Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center is a not-for-profit community hospital including the Critical Access-designated Mt. Ascutney Hospital in Windsor, Vermont, and Ottauquechee Health Center in Woodstock, Vermont. Affiliated with Dartmouth-Hitchcock, the Hospital provides people in communities across the Upper Connecticut River Valley with primary care and a comprehensive suite of specialty services, along with 25 inpatient beds, an Emergency Department, a therapeutic pool and an acclaimed Rehabilitation Center including ten inpatient beds. Mt. Ascutney Hospital is a recipient of the national Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Service, one of the most prestigious awards in healthcare, and is accredited by both the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) at the highest level possible.
About the American Hospital Association
The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the improvement of health in their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks and other providers of care. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit www.aha.org.