TAMC named one of nation’s ‘Most Wired’ hospitals
PRESQUE ISLE — TAMC’s use of technology to improve patient care has landed the organization on the American Hospital Association’s (AHA) top 25 list of the nation’s “most wired” small and rural hospitals.
TAMC is one of six Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems (EMHS) hospitals cited as being
at the forefront of using information technology to improve patient care, based on the results of a 2013 survey published by the AHA. TAMC, Acadia Hospital in Bangor and Inland Hospital in Waterville were honored in the most wired — small and rural category. Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Sebasticook Valley Hospital in Pittsfield and Blue Hill Memorial Hospital were recognized in the health care’s most wired category. The six hospitals were among only eight in Maine to be cited.
“These EMHS hospitals are playing a leadership role in adopting and leveraging technology,” said EMHS president and CEO M. Michelle Hood, FACHE. “Our use of technology gives caregivers access to information at the bedside, improves medication safety, and connects physicians and patients through telemedicine. We are proud to be recognized among the best in the nation because we know that our patients benefit when we use technology to its fullest potential.”
The data used to identify the most wired hospitals comes from Hospitals & Health Networks magazine’s annual survey of hospitals from around the country. The survey assesses hospitals’ performance in four facets of information technology: infrastructure, business and administrative management, clinical quality and safety, and clinical integration.
“The TAMC team has been quick to embrace the latest technology to help us improve the delivery and quality of care we provide to the people we serve throughout Aroostook County,” said Sylvia Getman, TAMC president and CEO and senior vice president of EMHS. “Our team is truly deserving of this honor. They are dedicated, innovative, and creative professionals who share a common passion — to serve the health care needs of our community and deliver the right care, at the right place, and at the right time.”
TAMC, along with other EMHS hospitals, participate in HealthInfoNet, a statewide service that allows hospitals to share information in a secure way for the purpose of making health care safer and easier. All EMHS hospitals also use electronic medical records to reduce the likelihood of medication errors and ensure that important information about patient health is available to caregivers when and where it is needed.
As TAMC and EMHS have integrated more technology, measures have been taken to ensure patient privacy and security. The latest technology is used to ensure patient health information is kept safe and secure. These safeguards were noted by the AHA in determining which hospitals were named to the most wired list.
