TMC first Southern Arizona hospital to receive 'Most Wired' designation | Health

Tucson Medical Center was just named as one of the “Most Wired” hospitals in the U.S., and only the second Arizona hospital to reach this distinction.

This is not the first high-tech benchmark for TMC; in the summer of 2010 they left paper records behind and pioneered a movement to electronic records, one of the first in Southern Arizona.  By summer 2011 TMC had earned a Stage 7 HIMSS Analytics score, this score placed the non-profit hospital in the top one percent of more than 5,000 hospitals for their use of technology.  And with this new ‘Most Wired’ designation it places TMC as one of the most technologically advanced hospitals (for information usage) in America.

TMC is the first Southern Arizona hospital to secure the ‘most wired’ honor, a recognition which means many things, first that they use their technology to help improve care for patients, second to streamline data collection and third to boost efficiencies.  TMC was one of 154 hospitals nationwide to receive the title, and these honorees were chosen from over 1,570 hospitals represented in a survey by Hospitals & Health Networks, a publication of the American Hospital Association.

“TMC for years has been focused on finding ways to leverage technology to improve patient care,” said TMC’s Chief Information Officer Frank Marini. “I was very pleased that the organization has been recognized for the hard work and the investment it has taken to get to this point.”

“It is not an easy designation to reach, so I think it says something about the progressive culture we have here at TMC,” Marini continued. “This recognition is not just about the technology we have in place, but is a gauge of the strength of our commitment in using these tools effectively to achieve clinical excellence.”

This new technology allows for better accuracy, an example listed was patient medication distribution.  Each patient’s medication is linked directly to them, and by simply scanning a bar code on the patient’s wristband the correct medication can be distributed.  Vital signs are another example, there is no waiting around for the information to be written in the patient’s chart - vitals are gathered directly from the equipment and electronically entered into the patient record.  Even X-rays, CT-scans and MRI’s are paperless now, there is no waiting around for a ‘film’ copy of anything - after a scan is done it is stored electronically and ready for immediate access.

With TMC participating in a new accountable care organization, called Arizona Connected Care, she said, it is that clear healthcare providers in the future must collaborate to help patients stay healthy, instead of treating them just when they’re sick.

“Obtaining this Most Wired distinction is another benchmark that recognizes we are positioned to provide the right service at the right time to our patients, ultimately saving resources and leading to healthier patients,” said TMC President Judy Rich, when asked how this new distinction will help the hospital in the future, as healthcare undergoes a re-orientation and transformation in the years to come.

“With TMC participating in a new accountable care organization, called Arizona Connected Care,” Rich said, “It is that clear healthcare providers in the future must collaborate to help patients stay healthy, instead of treating them just when they’re sick.”