“MOST WIRED” FOR BETTER CARE:
PROVIDENCE RECEIVES REGONITION AS ONE OF THE NATION’S BEST
July 12, 2005
PORTLAND, Ore. – Providence Health System has been named one of the nation’s Most Wired Hospitals and Health Systems, according to the results of the 2005 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study, released today.
This marks the second time Providence has received this prestigious honor. Other organizations receiving “Most Wired” awards this year include Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
“This recognition reflects our commitment to the use of information technologies that improve health care in all of our communities,” said Laureen O’Brien, chief information officer, Providence Health System – Oregon.
Since 1999, Hospitals & Health Networks has surveyed the nation’s hospitals on their use of information technology to accomplish key goals, including safety and quality objectives. Based on a detailed scoring process, the magazine annually names the 100 Most Wired Hospitals and Health Systems. This year 502 surveys were submitted, representing 1,255 hospitals.
“There are three key differences in how hospitals apply and use information technology to improve care,” says Alden Solovy, executive editor of Hospitals & Health Networks, the journal of the American Hospital Association (AHA). “The Most Wired use a wider array of IT tools to address quality and safety, they have a significantly larger percentage of physicians who enter orders themselves and they conduct a larger percentage of clinical activities via information technology.”
According to an outcomes analysis conducted for the magazine by Solucient, the 100 Most Wired hospitals have, on average, risk-adjusted mortality rates that are 7.2 percent lower than other hospitals, even after controlling for the size of the hospital and teaching status. While the new survey does not establish a “cause and effect” relationship between information technology use and improved outcomes, it demonstrates that technology can play an important role in quality.
Hospitals & Health Networks conducted the 2005 survey in cooperation with Accenture, IDX Systems Corporation and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME). The July H&HN cover story detailing results is available at www.hhnmag.com.
Contact:
Gary Walker
(503) 215-7567
gary.walker@providence.org
Providence Health System in Oregon, ranked as the fourth most integrated health care system in the nation, offers a comprehensive array of health and education services through its seven hospitals, medical clinics, health plans, long-term care facilities and home health services. With more than 14,000 employees, Providence is the state’s second-largest private employer. Visit www.providence.org/oregon.
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