Health
MENDOCINO COUNTY, Calif. – Adventist Health (AH) is making a significant investment in Mendocino County to improve the information technology infrastructure of Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital (HMH), Ukiah Valley Medical Center (UVMC) and their associated clinics to serve patients seamlessly across the region.
In February, AH will roll out an upgrade to the software that is used in the registration process.
According to Becky Ryan, lead project manager for the upgrade in Mendocino County, “Currently our clinics and hospitals have been running on two different legacy software systems. That is one of the reasons when you register for a service in the clinic, and then at the hospital you have to reregister as if you were a new patient. This upgrade will make significant improvements to how information is transferred between the clinics and hospitals. Our patient’s medical records will now be integrated into one system to provide seamless care for our patients in the clinics and at the hospital. The integration will improve the timeliness and thoroughness of patient care, including reduction of medication errors and unnecessary testing.”
This is the fourth upgrade that AH has undertaken as a system. Three other regions have already upgraded and improved their processes and flow of information.
Once all the upgrades are complete it will help improve processes across its19 hospitals and numerous clinics throughout California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington.
This means that medical records will be more easily accessible and transferable across the system – essentially making it easier for patients who utilize the services of an AH-affiliated hospital or clinic while outside of Mendocino county or the state.
President and CEO of UVMC Gwen Matthews believes that this upgrade will make a tremendous improvement in the overall information technology systems of the medical center.
“This will greatly improve the flow of electronic information across UVMC as a whole,” said Matthews. “Our clinics and ambulatory hospital services, lab and medical imaging, emergency services will be able to access the same medical record and information on each patient. This will help provide a consistent continuum of care for each patient no matter where they are seen in the system.”
Likewise, Howard Memorial Hospital President and CEO Rick Bockmann echoed Matthews’ sentiments.
“Patient safety and quality patient care have always been a top priority at HMH,” he said. “An upgraded system better enables us to continue to provide high quality care to our patients. With this change, patients will only register once even if their care requires multiple services within our care delivery network. As we approach the opening of our new HMH Hospital, I am confident this new system will improve the patient experience above our already high standards.”
The new system will take effect starting Feb. 4. The staff at both hospitals and all affiliated clinics have made every effort to ensure that there is minimal impact to patients during this transition. There might be slightly longer than normal waiting times as the staff gets acquainted with the new software.
These clinics include Heart Institute in Ukiah; Fort Bragg Rural Health Center; Mendocino Family Care; Redwood Medical Clinic in Willits; Ukiah Valley Medical Specialties - Gastroenterology; Ukiah Valley Medical Specialties – Orthopedics, and Ukiah Valley Rural Health Center network of clinics. Patients with scheduled appointments from Feb. 4 through Feb. 28 are advised to bring their ID/Driver’s License and proof of insurance for re-registration in the new system.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Sutter Lakeside received a disease-specific industry certification recognizing it as a primary stroke center on Friday, Jan. 16.
This means the hospital offers high-quality, immediate treatment on par with leading stroke centers in San Francisco.
“This is critical since we serve a remote population,” said Nicole Lamm, Sutter Lakeside Emergency Department nurse manager and stroke coordinator. “A stroke occurs when blood is unable to get to a part of your brain, and from its onset 32,000 brain cells die every second. There’s no time to drive to San Francisco to see a neurosurgeon.”
Sutter Lakeside works closely with the California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) in San Francisco on stroke cases.
Using telemedicine, a CPMC neurosurgeon can perform a bedside assessment just as he or she would in person, while patients benefit from faster, more personalized local care.
The primary stroke center designation is especially meaningful in Lake County, which has a high incidence of stroke in part due to its large retired and low-income populations.
According to Lamm, the biggest problem with stroke treatment is that people don’t get to the hospital fast enough.
Men wait an average of five hours to seek medical help, and on average women wait much longer – sometimes more than 24 hours.
To be most effective, treatment should be administered within three hours.
“We tell people to think FAST about the key signs of stroke: “F is for facial drooping (on one side); A is for arm or leg weakness; S is for speech changes; and T reminds us that time is of the essence,” Lamm says. “If you see any of these symptoms, call 911 immediately. This isn’t just about transportation; it gives us time to pull up the patient’s medical history to prepare the most effective, expedient course of treatment.”
Stroke victims often don’t realize they’re having a stroke, which is why they wait so long to seek help. It’s important to share the signs of stroke with caretakers and family members, including children.
“We also want people to know that many strokes are preventable,” Lamm said. “Key risk factors include obesity, smoking, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is our first and best defense.”
The primary stroke center certification comes from The Joint Commission, which accredits and certifies more than 20,500 health care organizations and programs throughout the United States.
The hospital has been working toward this goal for approximately two years. It received the certification after passing an onsite review by a Joint Commission field reviewer who assessed clinical procedures and outcomes, performance measures, leadership commitment and patient-education efforts.
“The certification demonstrates our commitment to meeting the most stringent performance standards for our patients,” said Sutter Lakeside Chief Administrative Officer Siri Nelson. “It all boils down to consistent care and better outcomes.”
To learn more about Sutter Lakeside, visit www.sutterlakeside.org/ .
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