Newswise — Loyola University Health System (LUHS) has been named one of the nation’s Most Wired Hospitals and Health Systems, according to results of the 2010 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study. These results were published in the July issue of the American Hospital Association’s Hospitals & Health Networks (H&HN) magazine.
“Loyola recognizes that quality patient care goes beyond the bedside to use information technology to link our clinics and connect to our patients,” said Art Krumrey, vice president and chief information officer, LUHS. “Our organization is honored to be recognized for the strides we have made to advance these innovations for patients and health-care providers.”
2010 marks the 12th annual release of the list of Most Wired Hospitals and Health Systems. LUMC was one of the 124 hospitals named Most Wired of the 1,280 that applied. This award marks the eighth time LUHS has been named to the list.
Hospitals are named to the list based on a detailed scoring process. The survey evaluates how hospitals use information technology to address five key areas: safety and quality, customer service, business processes, workforce and public health and safety.
Among the reasons LUHS was included on the list was its investment in an electronic medical record system, which has recently been updated.
“Loyola’s upgraded electronic medical record system provides immediate access to health information and further protects patients from human error,” Krumrey said. “This technology will bring significant clinical and operational efficiencies to the health system.”
LUHS is among a small percentage of institutions that fully use electronic medical records. The technology allows physicians to receive patient test results and communications from other physicians more quickly and easily through electronic inboxes. Loyola also has taken its electronic medical record system a step further by establishing myLoyolaSelect, a web-based tool for patients to see select portions of their medical records and communicate securely with their physicians.
“The health system has expanded its information technology resources to improve communication and enhance the patient experience,” said Ron Price, associate dean for information systems, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. “Loyola will continue to take a progressive approach to bringing interactive resources to our patients.”
Based in the western suburbs of Chicago, Loyola University Health System is a quaternary care system with a 61-acre main medical center campus, the 36-acre Gottlieb Memorial Hospital campus and 25 primary and specialty care facilities in Cook, Will and DuPage counties. The medical center campus is conveniently located in Maywood, 13 miles west of the Chicago Loop and 8 miles east of Oak Brook, Ill. The heart of the medical center campus, Loyola University Hospital, is a 570-licensed bed facility. It houses a Level 1 Trauma Center, a Burn Center and the Ronald McDonald® Children’s Hospital of Loyola University Medical Center. Also on campus are the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Loyola Outpatient Center, Center for Heart & Vascular Medicine and Loyola Oral Health Center as well as the LUC Stritch School of Medicine, the LUC Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing and the Loyola Center for Health & Fitness. Loyola's Gottlieb campus in Melrose Park includes the 250-bed community hospital, the Gottlieb Health & Fitness Center and the Marjorie G. Weinberg Cancer Care Center.
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