Company Celebrates 15 Years on List, Demonstrates Continued Commitment to Technology to Improve Care
ThedaCare is once again among the nation’s best when it comes to using technology. The American Hospital Association’s (AHA) Health Forum released the results of the 18th Annual Health Care’s Most Wired® survey today, recognizing the Appleton-based organization for the 15th year in a row as one of the country’s “Most Wired” hospitals and health systems.
The 2016 Most Wired survey and benchmarking study is a leading industry barometer measuring information technology (IT) use and adoption among hospitals nationwide. According to the survey, this year Most Wired hospitals are using telehealth to fill gaps in care and expand access to medical specialists. The top three telehealth services offered in hospitals are consultations and office visits, stroke care and psychiatric examinations and psychotherapy. The survey noted that stroke care is the most rapid growth area for telehealth services, up 38 percent from 2015. It also reported that 25 percent of hospitals use internet-enabled monitoring devices for chronic disease management of congestive heart failure, diabetes and heart disease.
In addition to ThedaCare, 13 other Wisconsin health systems and hospitals made the 2016 list.
Keith Livingston, senior vice president and chief information officer for ThedaCare, said, “We congratulate our IT staff for their significant efforts and dedication to helping us advance information technology to improve our ability to improve the quality of care in the communities we serve. We’ve grown our electronic medical records to give providers a more complete picture of a patient’s health. We have also improved our communications between patients and their providers. We’re proud again to be considered one of the Most Wired systems in the country.”
“Hospitals are breaking out of their traditional four walls and providing care where and when patients need it,” said Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the AHA. “These Most Wired hospitals exemplify this transformation by harnessing technology, engaging patients and offering services remotely.”
ThedaCare shares its EMR through the organization’s membership in the Care Everywhere Network. Livingston reported the organization sends patient information to 109 different health organizations in 45 states. ThedaCare is also the first member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network in Wisconsin, which means doctors can share information about patients electronically with Mayo specialists.
The versatility of mobile technologies makes it possible for clinicians and care team members to have the right tools for clinical decision-making wherever they are: 81 percent of Most Wired hospitals use mobile applications to notify clinicians of sudden changes in patient conditions and correlated events such as falls or respiratory distress or failure.
“As we build out these new capabilities, we are also taking strong actions to ensure health data is secure,” reported Livingston.
Detailed results of the survey and study can be found in the July issue of Health & Hospitals Networks magazine.
About the Most Wired® survey
HealthCare’s Most Wired® survey, conducted between Jan. 15 and March 15, 2016, is published annually by Health & Hospitals Networks (H&HN). The 2016 Most Wired® survey and benchmarking study is a leading industry barometer measuring information technology (IT) use and adoption among hospitals nationwide. The survey of 680 participants, representing an estimated 2,146 hospitals—more than 34 percent of all hospitals in the U.S.—examines how organizations are leveraging IT to improve performance for value-based health care in the areas of infrastructure, business and administrative management; quality and safety; and clinical integration.
About ThedaCare™
For more than 100 years, ThedaCare™ has been committed to finding a better way to deliver serious and complex healthcare to patients throughout Northeast Wisconsin. The organization serves over 200,000 patients annually and employs more than 7,000 healthcare professionals throughout the region. ThedaCare has seven hospitals located in Appleton, Neenah, Berlin, Waupaca, Shawano, New London and Wild Rose as well as 34 clinics in nine counties. ThedaCare is the first in Wisconsin to be a Mayo Clinic Care Network Member, giving our specialists the ability to consult with Mayo Clinic experts on a patient’s care. ThedaCare is a non-profit healthcare organization with a level II trauma center, comprehensive cancer treatment, stroke and cardiac programs as well as a foundation dedicated to community service. ThedaCare Regional Cancer Center in Appleton opened in February. For more information, visit www.thedacare.org or follow ThedaCare on Facebook and Twitter.
