Annual Report - Winthrop University Hospital

Winthrop-University Hospital 2011 Annual ReportAmong the topics and conditions studied in this academicresearch program are obesity and diabetes, end-stage renaldisease, causes of premature labor, vascular disease, gastrointestinaltreatment and ovarian cancer. This enrichment programsupports clinical investigators as they test new ideas and obtaindata in order to be in a better position to apply for and obtainexternal funding.TechnologyThe desire to maintain the highest level of patient safety hasalways been the impetus for Winthrop’s Health InformationTechnology (HIT) initiatives, and it’s the reason we are a leaderin adopting technology.In 2006, Winthrop-University Hospital began implementingan electronic health record (EHR) system, which now operateshospital-wide. Last year, we became the first and only LongIsland hospital to demonstrate meaningful use of EHR technologyduring the 2011 federal fiscal year.As a result, the hospital qualified for the financial incentiveprogram established by the American Recovery and ReinvestmentAct of 2009 and received $3.2 million from the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services to continue implementingits HIT program. At the close of 2011, Winthrop wasone of only four hospitals in New York State to qualify for theincentive. Fewer than 4 percent of hospitals in the United Stateshave reached this milestone of technology implementation.Effective technology improves patient safetyThe EHR system provides for Computerized Provider OrderEntry through which physicians and other healthcare providersinput medication and other orders into a computer system.This eliminates handwriting errors, expedites the sharing ofinformation and facilitates quality patient care.For example, when a medication order is entered into the system,the system checks for possible contraindications based onthe patient’s medical record. And by scanning and matchingthe barcode on the drug to the barcode on the patient’s IDJohn McNelis, MD, FACS, Vice Chairman of the Department of Surgery, uses “Winnie” the robot to see patients when he is not in the Hospital.30