UT Southwestern Recognized as One Of Nation's 'Most Wired' Hospitals for Successful Use of Health Information Technology

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Jul 20, 2011, 01:25 ET

DALLAS, July 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- UT Southwestern Medical Center's focus on safety and quality of care for its patients has earned its University Hospitals & Clinics a place on the annual "Most Wired" list by Hospitals & Health Networks magazine.

"This recognition from the flagship publication of the American Hospital Association is the latest acknowledgement of UT Southwestern's leadership in using information technology to provide better patient care," said Dr. Bruce Meyer, executive vice president of health system affairs. "We use the most advanced technologies available to enhance the safety and care of our patients."

From the patients' perspective, the most visible use of technology is when they are visiting their physicians. Doctors have electronic access to their patients' medical records – including radiology images, laboratory reports, clinic notes, medications, discharge papers and summaries of previous visits to any physician in the UT Southwestern health system.

UT Southwestern's hospitals and network of clinics all use electronic medical records, an effort that began in 2002. Spurred on by a $10 million donation by Dallas philanthropists William and Gay Solomon that formalized the Clinical Services Initiative, UT Southwestern was the first major medical center in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to implement electronic medical records across all of its clinical practice groups, making patient care safer and more efficient.

In addition, more than 50,000 patients have used the medical center's MyChart system to schedule appointments, refill prescriptions or ask questions of their health care providers over an encrypted, secure Internet connection.

To compile its "Most Wired" list, Hospitals & Health Networks evaluated hospital systems on information technology in four areas: infrastructure, business/administrative management, clinical quality/safety, and care continuum. UT Southwestern met the standards in all four areas to win its spot on the "Most Wired" list, which can be viewed on the publication's website.

"This recognizes our consistent investment in all aspects of information technology, from patient Internet access to supply chain automation to how doctors take care of patients," said Suresh Gunasekaran, associate vice president for health system information resources. "We've surrounded all aspects of patient care with information technology."

This year, 154 organizations nationwide made the "Most Wired" list. Children's Medical Center Dallas, which is affiliated with UT Southwestern as its primary pediatric teaching hospital, also was recognized as a "Most Wired" hospital.

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SOURCE UT Southwestern Medical Center