Piedmont Hospital and Piedmont Fayette Hospital Named 2007 Most Wired

PIEDMONT HEALTHCARE CONTACT: Diana Lewis, 404-605-3372 

HEALTH FORUM CONTACT: Lee Ann Runy, 312-893-6866 

Only Two in Metro Atlanta to be Named

ATLANTA (July 24, 2007)- Piedmont Hospital and Piedmont Fayette Hospital have been named two of the nation's Most Wired hospitals, according to the results of the 2007 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study released in the July issue of Hospitals & Health Networks magazine, which has named the 100 Most Wired hospitals and health systems since 1999.

The two Piedmont Healthcare hospitals are the only two in the metro Atlanta area to be named to the 2007 list.  Piedmont Hospital has been named for four consecutive years, while Piedmont Fayette Hospital has been listed for three consecutive years.  The two Piedmont Healthcare hospitals are among only three in the state of Georgia to be named.

"This recognition is a testament to Piedmont Healthcare's commitment to using the latest information technology to improve quality and patient care," says R. Timothy Stack, president and chief executive officer of Piedmont Healthcare. "We are proud the Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study has recognized Piedmont Hospital for the fourth year in a row and Piedmont Fayette for the third consecutive year as Most Wired hospitals."

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. It focuses on how the nation's hospitals use information technologies for quality, customer service, public health and safety, business processes and workforce issues.

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 ninth annual Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study results, hospitals are embracing technology as a key tool for healthcare quality improvements.

"Many hospitals have made strong commitments to using information technology to improve the quality of care," says Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association (AHA). "They are combining technology with clinical knowledge and creativity with a focus on improving outcomes and making care safer and more streamlined for both patients and clinicians."

Some findings of the 2007 Most Wired Survey include:

• 89 percent of the Most Wired hospitals use electronic bed management systems in the Emergency Department, compared with 32 percent of the Least Wired hospitals (defined as the 100 hospitals scoring lowest on the survey); 
• 36 percent of medications are ordered electronically by physicians in Most Wired hospitals, compared with two percent among Least Wired hospitals;
• 79 percent of  the Most Wired hospitals have electronic surveillance systems tied to alert systems, compared with 14 percent of the Least Wired hospitals; 
• 99 percent of the Most Wired hospitals provide digital radiology images in the hospital inpatient setting, compared with 77 percent of the Least Wired hospitals.

Hospitals investing in quality are also investing in IT. "The Most Wired hospitals are focused on quality," says Alden Solovy, executive editor of Hospital & Health Networks. 

"The continued adoption of technology for clinical systems in healthcare is driving rapid change and great outcomes," said Lewis Redd, managing partner, Accenture Health & Life Sciences North American Provider Practice and one of the 2007 survey sponsors.  "The leaders in the field are already showing us how technology can help connect hospitals with their patients and enhance clinical outcomes.  This survey is a call to action."

Hospitals & Health Networks conducted the 2007 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 http://www.hhnmag.com/.

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About Piedmont Healthcare 

Piedmont Healthcare (PHC), a not-for-profit organization, is the parent company of Piedmont Hospital, a 458-bed acute tertiary care facility in the north Atlanta community of Buckhead. Piedmont Hospital offers all major medical, surgical and diagnostic services, and is a recipient of the 2007 and 2006 Distinguished Hospital Award for Patient Safety^TM from HealthGrades (a leading healthcare ratings company) and one of the nation's Most Wired hospitals in the 2007, 2006, 2005 and 2004 100 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study. PHC also includes: Piedmont Fayette Hospital, a 106-bed acute care community hospital in Fayetteville, named one of the nation's 100 Top Hospitals^® for the fourth year in a row and one of the nation's Most Wired hospitals in 2007, 2006 and 2005; Piedmont Mountainside Hospital, a 35-bed community hospital in Jasper, named 2006 Hospital of the Year by the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals; Piedmont Newnan Hospital, a 143-bed acute care community hospital in Newnan; The Piedmont Hospital Foundation, the philanthropic entity for private fundraising initiatives; Piedmont Physicians Group, with more than 75 primary care physicians in a network of 21 offices throughout metro Atlanta; and the Piedmont Clinic, a 496-member physician network. For more information, visit www.piedmont.org.  

About the Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study 

Hospitals & Health Networks, the journal of the American Hospital Association, conducts the voluntary Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study annually and names the 100 Most Wired.

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. 

McKesson Corporation is the world's largest healthcare services, technology and automation company. 

CHIME was formed with the dual objective of serving the professional development needs of healthcare chief information officers and advocating the more effective use of information management within health care.