Nevada Regional Medical Center Implements New Health Care Information System Nevada Regional Medical Center has been diligently preparing for a major change to its patient care and financial systems. The hospital is transitioning to a new hospital-wide health information system called Meditech. This new system consists of over 20 integrated software applications optimized to support the clinical, financial and administrative needs of the hospital. This will strengthen core business processes, from daily scheduling and management of resources to billing, claims management and long-term strategic planning. The Meditech system will allow the hospital to replace several applications with one integrated platform so that all of the components can work together. This will promote patient safety, automate manual processes and improve communication across the care continuum. This new technology offers several advantages including improved patient throughput (which means less time spent at the hospital), more efficient billing and immediate access to accurate medical records which will enable clinicians to make faster, more informed decisions. The ultimate goal is for caregivers to have the ability to view a patient's entire medical record electronically. NRMC President and CEO Judy Feuquay said such technology will become increasingly important for the hospital. “Better tools, better information and better ways of sharing information will be critical in connecting the health-care community and ensuring the safest, best-possible care for the patients we serve,” Feuquay said. NRMC is scheduled to “go-live” with the new system on November 1, 2008. This is the second of three phases in the implementation process. Additional clinical applications will go-live within the next one and a half to two years. Hospital officials started planning for the implementation in fall 2006. The hospital added substantial hardware in preparation, including nearly 30 additional personal computers throughout the facility. The total cost of the system and hardware will be over $3 million. Officials are asking visitors to be patient while staff members learn to utilize the new system. “As each day passes, we will get better at using the Meditech system. Our communication and workflow processes will continue to improve,” said Feuquay. All patients will be asked to confirm their personal information. This will ensure that accurate and up-to-date information is on file. Verifying who you are is also an important step in patient safety. Officials are also asking patients to bring a valid ID and any insurance cards with them when they come to the hospital. Meditech, a leading software vendor in the health care informatics industry for 39 years, provides integrated software solutions that meet the information needs of health care organizations worldwide. For additional information on Meditech products and services, visit www.meditech.com.