University Health System wins awards

Technology used for communications and patient records among best in the nation

In recognition of its role as a national leader for implementation of computer-based patient record-keeping systems, the University Health System has received the nation's highest award for development of a systemwide computerized patient record that enhances patient safety and facilitates the paperless and confidential exchange of clinical information.

The OSU Health System was awarded the Nicholas E. Davies Award by CPRI-Host, a nonprofit organization established by the Institute of Medicine following its 1991 report citing the need to utilize computerized patient record systems as a key component for the delivery of high-quality medical care.

The University Health System also has been named one of the top 100 health care networks in the country for its use of communications technology to better serve patients, medical staff and external business associates. Ohio State was the only Ohio hospital system to make the list compiled by Hospitals & Health Networks in conjunction with Deloitte Consulting and McKesson HBOC, which polled the nation's hospitals on their use of Internet and computer technologies to improve the delivery of health care.

The computerized patient record system at Ohio State recognized by the Davies Award is one of the most advanced in the nation and gives physicians, nurses and other health care professionals the ability to enter patient orders, view medical records and do charting -- all online. The system also enables OSU health care providers to view test results and digital images, and take advantage of medical alerts that immediately warn medical staff if medication orders could potentially compromise a patient's care.

Hagop Mekhjian, chief medical officer for the OSU Health System, said the Davies Award is the highest award a health care system can receive in recognition of its commitment to the development and utilization of computerized patient record systems.

"We're extremely pleased to have our efforts recognized and endorsed by an organization that advocates a higher quality of health care through the computer management of patient records," Mekhjian said. "But the true beneficiaries of these efforts are our patients, who benefit from a level of safety and efficiency that has been achieved in only a few hospitals nationwide."

Mekhjian said Ohio State began developing its computer-based patient record system nearly 10 years ago to manage the retrieval and storage of confidential medical records.

"However, the system goes even further by incorporating technologies that reduce opportunities for human error such as illegible handwriting, transcription errors and avoiding known allergies," he said. "Computerization has made written patient orders nearly obsolete at Ohio State."

The computer system also enables multiple users to access records simultaneously, eliminating the time needed to transfer and wait for paper files or images to arrive at a destination, according to Asif Ahmad, chief information officer for the OSU Health System.

Ahmad said implementing a computerized record-keeping system at the OSU Health System was a challenging project because there were no "model" systems in existence for comparison.

"With four hospitals in our system and 8,100 employees, we had to develop a computer system that not only was reliable and able to sustain heavy use, but also user-friendly," he said.

Ohio State soon will offer at-home, online scheduling for patients. Also, OSU has taken the lead to provide medical students and residents with electronic access to patient information using "palm pilots."

In reference to the Hospitals & Health Networks rating, Ahmad said Ohio State has made a major commitment to advance its telecommunications technologies to the highest standards. "The technological capabilities we have in place are reshaping how medical care is provided and has become a model for similar systems throughout the country," he said.

The list of the 100 "Most Wired" hospitals and health systems appeared in the July issue of Hospitals & Health Networks, the journal of the American Hospital Association. The journal concludes the health care systems that qualified for the list are using computer technology to its best advantage for patient care and business.

New conference center in Wooster extends outreach into community

A brand new conference center packed with the latest technology for conducting business training and seminars -- both locally and at a distance -- is extending the outreach arm of Ohio State.

Located in Wooster, the $4 million Arden Shisler Center for Education and Economic Development was completed in June and dedicated during an Aug. 1 ceremony attended by more than 500 people. The center is a partnership between the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC), on whose campus the facility is located, and the Agricultural Technical Institute, which provides the staffing and programming for the center.

The 27,000-square-foot conference center will be used as a meeting site for businesses, trade organizations, community groups, educational institutions and professional organizations seeking to achieve economic success through education, said Jan Conrad, general manager of the Shisler Center.

Conrad said local businesses shared in the vision for the center, and hold the keys to its success. Partnerships with businesses and industry throughout the state are being developed which will not only lead to a self-supporting Shisler Center, but also advance the outreach mission of Ohio State.

"Any time you can get the business leaders of the community to campus to see, share in and support higher education, that's a great partnership," Conrad said. "It says that they believe in Ohio State."

Since opening in June, the center already has hosted conferences for the Tri County Administration, the Ohio Development Association and the board of directors of Nationwide.

Facilities include 10 meeting rooms, an executive conference room, a conference/banquet hall with 5,000 square feet of exhibit space, a 1,000-seat auditorium, a courtyard and access to two University libraries.

Funding for the Shisler Center came from the state and private donors; approximately $2.7 million in state funding was combined with private donations of $1.7 million, said Rebecca Rader, development officer with ATI/OARDC. "We are still seeking funds for an operating endowment to maintain the Shisler Center and to adjust to changes in technology," Rader said.

The center also will house the Office of Business Training and Educational Services (BTES), which serves as the continuing education arm of ATI and provides work force training. BTES has been offering customized training and educational services to the local business community and statewide training in agriculture for a dozen years, said Kim Sayers, director of BTES.

The Shisler Center also will serve as the distance education hub for ATI, Sayers said.

"The conference center has a wealth of technology infrastructure so that companies can deliver their training programs locally, statewide or worldwide, linking interactively with multiple sites," Sayers said.

All meeting rooms are fully wired for videoconferencing, distance learning, and high-speed Web and Internet accesses. Technology includes the latest in visual presentation and multimedia equipment, including Plazma displays, DVD technology, video/data projectors and wireless microphone systems. Broadcast-quality recording, editing and production facilities are available, as well as satellite up- and downlink services.

For more information, visit the center's Web site at www.shislercenter.ohio-state.edu.

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