Lakeland, FL – Lakeland Regional Health is pleased to announce it is one of just 19 of the nation’s Most Wired Advanced hospitals and healthcare systems, as announced Wednesday by the American Hospital Association’s Health Forum and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives. This is the second consecutive year that Lakeland Regional Health has achieved Most Wired Advanced status and the third time it has earned Most Wired® recognition.
According to the American Hospital Association, there are 5,627 hospitals in the United States. Out of more than 2,146 hospitals represented in the 18th annual Health Care’s Most Wired® Survey, only 341 met Most Wired criteria and just 19 were designated Most Wired Advanced. The Most Wired Survey® is considered an industry-standard benchmark study measuring information technology use and adoption among hospitals and healthcare systems throughout the country. This year’s Survey added questions on post-implementation processes, mobile health, social media and population health.
To achieve Most Wired status, an organization must demonstrate advanced capabilities in infrastructure, business and administrative management, clinical quality and safety, and clinical integration. To receive the prestigious Most Wired Advanced award, a healthcare system must not only meet all of these criteria but also excel in these areas.
“We are so proud to be honored for two consecutive years as one of the top-tier healthcare technology leaders in the country,” said Elaine C. Thompson, PhD, FACHE, Lakeland Regional Health President and CEO. “This accomplishment is a direct result of the ways our exceptional team is working together to provide safe, efficient and high-quality healthcare to those we serve.”
“We have a passion for technological excellence at Lakeland Regional Health,” said Elizabeth Kerns, MSIS, Lakeland Regional Health Senior Vice President/Chief Information Officer. “Our entire team is dedicated to using innovative health information technology to deliver the best patient outcomes.”
In addition to Lakeland Regional Health, other Most Wired Advanced healthcare systems include Emory Healthcare in Atlanta; University of Colorado Health in Aurora, Colorado; Detroit Medical Center; University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; and Children’s Health System of Dallas.
Examples of advanced technology initiatives at Lakeland Regional Health include:
- Fully digital health record implemented across Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center and all Lakeland Regional Health’s ambulatory campuses.
- Patient Portal, free secure online access to the healthcare information contained in a patient’s global health record. Patient Portal allows users to safely and quickly share electronic medical information with healthcare facilities and providers. It also allows patients to add information and care providers to add home-care instructions.
- Sepsis Crawler, an electronic system that monitors a patient’s vital signs and lab results to identify patients who may be at risk of developing blood infections.
- Predictive data analytics, such as readmission predictors, which help clinical team members identify patients who may need special attention.
- Around-the-clock telephone access that offers patients the opportunity to talk with clinical liaisons for appointments, prescription refills and coordinated care.
“Hospitals are breaking out of their traditional four walls and providing care where and when patients need it,” said Rick Pollack, President and CEO of the American Hospital Association. “These Most Wired hospitals exemplify this transformation by harnessing technology, engaging patients and offering services remotely.”
Lakeland Regional Health is listed in the most recent issue of Hospitals & Health Networksmagazine (http://www.hhnmag.com). Lakeland Regional Health will be honored during the Health Forum and American Hospital Association Leadership Summit from July 17 to 19 in San Diego.
About the 2016 Most Wired Survey
The survey was available online from January 15, 2016, through March 15, 2016. Detailed results of the survey and study can be found in the July issue of Hospitals & Health Networks publication. Highlights of the study’s findings include the rise in use of telehealth, increased availability of patient portals and the advent of E-visits through mobile applications. Hospitals & Health Networks, a leading publication for hospital and system executives, is published by the American Hospital Association (AHA). Nearly 5,000 healthcare systems and care providers and 43,000 individual members come together to form the AHA.
About Lakeland Regional Health
As a catalyst for community health, not-for-profit Lakeland Regional Health is reaching beyond its hospital walls to promote wellness, education and discovery in new places and new ways, providing a wide range of inpatient and outpatient healthcare services at its Medical Center, Hollis Cancer Center and ambulatory care locations. LRH has earned workplace awards from Forbes, Gallup and Becker’s Hospital Review. Its 849-bed comprehensive tertiary referral hospital, Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center, operates a Level II Trauma Center, a Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the Bannasch Institute for Advanced Rehabilitation Medicine and the state’s busiest single site Emergency Department. For more information about Lakeland Regional Health, visit http://www.mylrh.org.
# # #