Healthcare IT Enables Provider to Eliminate Paper and Film and Streamline OR Performance
ATLANTA, GA -- (MARKETWIRE) -- 05/16/2005 -- Physicians practicing at Gwinnett Hospital System (GHS) facilities will soon have secure access to up-to-the-minute patient information without carrying a briefcase full of charts, X-rays and other medical records. A Web-based physician portal, as well as a filmless medical imaging system, will soon be installed by the primary healthcare provider in one of suburban Atlanta's largest counties, as it expands its investment in information technology to improve patient safety and operational excellence.
Gwinnett Hospital System (GHS) will dedicate nearly $17 million over the next five years to automate and improve processes that support safer care delivery. GHS will implement solutions from McKesson to support its initiative to become a paperless health system, provide physicians with secure electronic access to patient information, and better manage its operating room scheduling, staff and supplies.
GHS has already automated central pharmacy operations with McKesson's ROBOT-Rx™ dispensing system which annually dispenses more than 325 million unit-dose, bar-coded medications nationally, virtually error-free, enabling pharmacists to spend more time on clinical consulting. By mid-year, nurses will use hand-held bar-code scanning devices at the bedside to help ensure proper identification and safe medication administration.
"In addition to our existing facilities, we have a state-of-the-art replacement hospital opening in less than a year. This new IT project is very strategic to our ability to optimize the use of resources and provide physicians and other caregivers with the technology they need to provide the safest possible care," said Tom Karr, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Gwinnett Hospital System. "Furthering our relationship with McKesson will enable us to achieve those goals while improving the entire system's operational and financial performance."
A wide range of McKesson solutions will be deployed to improve overall performance. The conversion to a filmless and paperless environment includes McKesson's integrated medical imaging and radiology management systems. These tools make diagnostic images and reports available online to clinicians on an "anytime, anywhere" basis through HorizonWP® Physician Portal. With document imaging, physicians will be able to electronically access, review and sign patient charts regardless of their location -- in the hospital, physician office or even at home. This enables them to improve clinical quality and patient satisfaction while reducing the cost of care.
In its 27 operating rooms and numerous surgical suites, GHS will standardize scheduling and manage the complex flow of surgical supplies across the system with Horizon Surgical Manager™. In addition, an advanced healthcare performance management tool combined with financial and materials management solutions will consolidate clinical, financial and operational information from across the organization. This will facilitate resource utilization and improve the organization's overall financial performance.
"Gwinnett Hospital System clearly set the stage a few years ago to make healthcare safer by automating processes with information technology," said Pamela Pure, president of McKesson Provider Technologies. "With a new replacement hospital coming in 2006, we are excited about expanding our relationship and helping Gwinnett become a truly digital hospital system that can provide the highest-quality care for a more demanding healthcare market."
About Gwinnett Hospital System
Gwinnett Hospital System is a not-for-profit healthcare network offering facilities and services to Gwinnett County and the surrounding community. The 479-bed system includes three hospitals plus supporting facilities anchored by their flagship, Gwinnett Medical Center, in Lawrenceville. With almost 4,000 associates and 700 affiliated physicians representing over 60 specialties, they take great pride in their role as guardians of their community's good health. In fiscal year 2004, GHS cared for 386,327 patients and delivered 5,792 babies.
About McKesson
McKesson Provider Technologies is part of McKesson Corporation, the world's largest healthcare services and information technology company. McKesson is a Fortune 15 healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining processes, and improving the quality and safety of patient care. Over the course of its 170-year history, McKesson has grown to provide pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management across the spectrum of care; healthcare information technology for hospitals, physicians, homecare and payors; hospital and retail pharmacy automation; and services for manufacturers and payors designed to improve outcomes for patients. For more information, visit us at www.mckesson.com.
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