Piedmont Hospital Named 2008 Most Wired Hospital for Fifth Consecutive Year

Piedmont Hospital has been named one of the nation’s Most Wired hospitals, according to the results of the 2008 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study released in the July issue of Hospitals & Health Networks magazine. Three of the four Georgia hospitals named to the list are part of the Piedmont Healthcare system.

Piedmont Hospital has been named for five consecutive years, while Piedmont Fayette Hospital, also a winner this year, has been recognized for four consecutive years. Both hospitals are the only two in the metro Atlanta area to be named to the 2008 list. This is the first year for Piedmont Mountainside Hospital in Jasper, Ga., to be named in the small and rural category.

“We are proud the Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study has recognized Piedmont Hospital for the fifth year in a row as a Most Wired hospital,” said Robert Maynard, president and CEO of Piedmont Hospital. “This recognition shows our dedication to quality and excellence in the use of information technology to improve patient care and safety.”

The Most Wired Survey is conducted annually by Hospitals & Health Networks magazine, which uses the results to name the 100 Most Wired hospitals and health systems. The purpose of the study is to promote the effective use of information technology in achieving clinical and operational excellence. It focuses on how the nation’s hospitals use information technologies for quality, customer service, public health and safety, business processes and workforce issues.

“Today’s results add to the growing evidence that the appropriate use of IT can enhance both quality and patient satisfaction,” said Alden Solovy, executive editor of Hospitals & Health Networks magazine. “Most Wired hospitals are proving the fundamental value of information technology.”

The nation’s 100 Most Wired hospitals show better outcomes in four key areas: mortality rates, patient safety measures from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), core measures from Hospital Compare, and average length of stay. Based on analysis of the tenth annual Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study results, hospitals are embracing technology as a key tool for healthcare quality improvements.

“Health IT has shown incredible promise in helping us improve the quality and safety of the care hospitals deliver every day,” said Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association. “The results of the Most Wired survey confirm that today’s patient also understands the benefits of IT in improving care and improving the overall hospital experience.”

Hospitals & Health Networks conducted the 2008 survey in cooperation with Accenture, McKesson Corp. and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives. The July H&HN cover story detailing results is available at www.hhnmag.com.