DAVENPORT, Iowa – July 20, 2016 -- For the 13th consecutive year, Genesis Health System has been named Most Wired by Hospitals & Health Networks magazine based on the use of information technology to accomplish key goals, including safety, quality and efficiency.
In addition, Genesis was one of only 19 providers nationally earning Most Wired Advanced recognition. Genesis met criteria for Most Wired Advanced in all areas of the Most Wired Survey.
Genesis Health System is the only Iowa hospital or health system to be recognized as Most Wired 13 consecutive years.
Genesis has consistently adopted innovative technologies to accomplish key goals of safety, patient outcomes and quality of care.
According to the 18th Annual Health Care’s Most Wired survey, Most Wired hospitals are using telehealth to fill gaps in care; provide services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; and expand access to medical specialists.
Rob Frieden, Genesis vice president of information services, said many of the information technology enhancements of the past year were more visible internally than externally, but with the opening of the expansion and renovation project in the next year; new technologies will be more visible to patients.
“One of the advancements patients will notice is ‘smart rooms’ that combine technologies that in the past were disparate systems that weren’t coordinated,’’ Frieden said. “Patients, for example, will be able to see on a smart screen that a healthcare provider is entering their room and what the credentials of that provider are.
“They will be able to order movies, meals and entertainment in their rooms.
“Pump integration will allow physicians to write orders for pumps and safely control the drug and flow of that drug remotely to add another level of patient safety and create efficiencies.’’
Frieden said Genesis continues to expand its use of telemedicine. Patients can be at one location and have an appointment with a physician remotely. Genesis is using telemedicine in with behavioral health patients and patients of Genesis VNA.
Most Wired hospitals are also using technology to build patient engagement with the individual’s lifestyle in mind, which includes electronic access to their care team.
Genesis has continued to expand the reach of MyGenesis, a patient portal allowing patients to have convenient access to their health records through a secured website. No matter where a Genesis patient may be, they can have access to their health records, including medication records and records from previous physician appointments and hospitalizations.
The MyGenesis portal for access to the physicians of Genesis Health Group is connected with 20,625 patients. The MyGenesis portal for access to Genesis hospitals has a reach of 11,864 patients.
Genesis also has aligned with the Iowa Health Information Network, making patient records and information available wherever a patient seeks treatment in Iowa. Hospitals and health systems participate by making the records accessible in a secured database.
Health Care’s Most Wired Survey asked hospitals and health systems
nationwide to answer questions regarding their IT initiatives. Respondents completed 680 surveys, representing more than 2,146 hospitals, or more than 34 percent of U.S. Hospitals.
“We continue to move toward a seamless and secure approach to medical records, which makes health care safer, more convenient and less stressful for patients,’’ Frieden said.
The nation’s Most Wired hospitals and health systems demonstrate better outcomes in patient safety, risk-adjusted mortality rates and other key quality measures through the use of information technology, according to analysis.
"Our focus is always patient safety and quality of care,'' Frieden said. "Will the new technology make our patients safer? Will it provide them with a better patient experience?
"And finally, will the new technology also create efficiencies for our caregivers and staff?''
The Most Wired winners are featured in the July edition of Hospitals and Health Networks (H&HN) magazine, the publication of the American Hospital Association.
About Genesis Health System
Genesis Health System, its affiliates and partners offer a full continuum of health care services in a 12-county region of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois. Our affiliates include: acute and tertiary hospital care at Genesis Medical Centers in Davenport, DeWitt, Iowa, Silvis, Ill., and Aledo, Ill.; home health and hospice services through Genesis VNA and Hospice; Genesis Workplace Services, including occupational health, employee assistance program and wellness services for employers and their employees; the Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House; senior living communities offering rehabilitation and long-term care; Genesis Health Group, with more than 170 primary care physicians and specialists; the Genesis Quad Cities Family Medicine Residency Program; Genesis Psychology Associates; three Convenient Care clinics; and Genesis Home Medical Equipment. Partners include the Genesis Medical Park, Crow Valley and Spring Street Surgical Center, Davenport. Genesis Health System also manages Jackson County Regional Health Center, Maquoketa, Iowa. For more information, visit our Web site at www.genesishealth.com.
