Published on July 19, 2011

Mercy again named among Nation's Most Wired Hospitals

Most Wired 2011Mercy Medical Center has once again been recognized as one of the nation’s MOST WIRED hospitals, according to the results of the 2011 Most Wired Survey released this week in the July issue of Hospitals & Health Networks (H&HN) magazine, a trade publication published by the American Hospital Association.

Just four of Iowa’s 118 hospitals are represented on the 2011 Most Wired Survey.  Mercy is the only Cedar Rapids hospital to earn the designation.  This is the fourth time Mercy has made the list since 2006.

The nation’s Most Wired hospitals are recognized for making progress towards greater health information technology (IT) adoption.  This recognition is based on technology advancements made by organizations to enhance patient safety, clinical quality and customer service in healthcare centers.

The nation’s Most Wired hospitals have demonstrated better outcomes in four key areas—infrastructure, business and administrative management, clinical quality and safety and care continuum.

”We are proud to have implemented a number of clinical systems that work in combination with one another to positively impact patient safety and quality,” said Jeff Cash, Sr. Vice President and CIO at Mercy. “Additionally, as we look to the future we are focused on new opportunities to develop our IT systems further.  One of those initiatives is the development of a patient portal wherein patients will be able to visit one site to pay their bills, schedule doctor’s appointments and access their personal health records online.  The ultimate goal is to make patients healthier and keep them engaged in their own care.”

 Hospitals & Health Networks’ Most Wired Survey, conducted between Jan. 15 and March 15, asked hospitals and health systems nationwide to answer questions regarding their IT initiatives. Respondents represented 1,388 hospitals, or roughly 24 percent of all U.S. hospitals.

Mercy was among the Most Wired winners to be recognized for this accomplishment at an awards ceremony in San Diego this month.

The July H&HN cover story detailing results is available at http://www.hhnmag.com.

About the Most Wired Survey

The 2011 Most Wired Survey is conducted in cooperation with McKesson Corporation, HIT Exchange, the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), and the American Hospital Association.