At Henry Medical Center in Stockbridge, Ga., important patient information will soon be just a few clicks away for authorized physicians, nurses and other members of the care team. The 215-bed not-for-profit community hospital recently agreed to implement a broad range of clinical IT solutions from McKesson to help manage the growing complexity of delivering healthcare, drive the highest levels of patient safety and achieve measurable quality outcomes. The Horizon Clinicals® suite is in use nationwide, with more than two million clinicians relying on the system every week to deliver high-quality healthcare.
“Our overriding goal is to build a regional medical center that is dedicated to excellence in all aspects of clinical service,” said Terry Wilk, vice president and chief information officer, Henry Medical Center. “After looking at a number of software providers, we realized that the breadth and depth of McKesson’s solutions offered us the ideal path to achieve a high degree of automation, integration and patient safety – all by working with a single company.”
Among the solutions to be deployed are handheld, bar-code scanning devices that nurses plan to use in administering medications at the bedside. By scanning bar codes on the medication, the nurse’s badge and the patient’s wristband, the nurse can check for the “five rights” of medication safety – right patient, right drug, right dose, right time and right route. McKesson’s systems will also enable clinicians to electronically document and review patient information at the point of care, leading to more coordinated care by giving all authorized members of the care team access to current information on the patient. Elsewhere, solutions in the surgical suite, laboratory and pharmacy will provide instant access to the information required to support better planning, documentation, evaluation and coordination of each procedure.
Henry Medical also plans to implement McKesson’s medical imaging system, enabling clinicians to receive, distribute and archive medical images and diagnostic reports on an “anytime, anywhere” basis. With McKesson’s physician portal, physicians will enjoy online access to patient data for enhanced decision making regardless of their location – hospital, office or even at home.
Over time, physicians also will be able to communicate patient care instructions electronically through a computerized physician order entry solution, thereby decreasing delay in order completion and reducing errors related to handwriting or transcription.
In addition, the hospital plans to deploy McKesson’s performance analytics solution which combines clinical, financial and operational data to analyze and continuously improve organizational performance. Combined with revenue cycle and materials management solutions, the hospital will have a powerful suite of IT tools for managing clinical, financial and operational information to facilitate resource utilization and improve the medical center’s overall performance.
“We are pleased to partner with Henry Medical Center as it works to develop a comprehensive electronic environment that supports advanced clinical processes and patient safety,” said Duncan James, group president, Health Systems, McKesson Provider Technologies. “The hospital is clearly committed to employing information technology to drive clinical excellence and significantly propel care standards forward in its community.”
About Henry Medical Center
Henry Medical Center is a 215-bed not-for-profit community hospital located in Stockbridge, Georgia just south of Atlanta. Here, leading edge technology and first class care come together in our centers of excellence in cardiovascular care, orthopedics, surgery, critical care, emergency and diagnostics. Henry Medical Center is committed to providing high-quality care and outstanding service.
About McKesson
McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 18th on the FORTUNE 500, is a 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. McKesson is the longest-operating company in healthcare today, marking its 175th anniversary this year. Over the course of its history, McKesson has grown by providing 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 http://www.mckesson.com.