In the News

New Valley Baptist Information Technology Initiative
to Help Transform Health Care in the Rio Grande Valley; Will Benefit Patients, Doctors, Community

HARLINGEN, August 3, 2006 –  - A state-of-the-art information technology initiative at Valley Baptist Health System represents the beginning of a transformation in the way health care is practiced in the Rio Grande Valley, and will benefit patients through higher quality care, greater patient safety, convenience, and easier access to health care and health information.

The new Information Management for Physician and Patient Access with Clinical Transformation (IMPPACT) initiative at Valley Baptist will save time for patients, doctors and nurses, while simplifying many day-to-day processes in the health care field. For example, once installation of the GE Centricity Enterprise system is complete, patients will no longer have to wait for their file to be located -- or for a hand-written prescription to be read.

“This initiative is about evidence-based medicine, integration, and easier access to healthcare and information,” said James G. Springfield, FACHE, President and Chief Executive Officer of Valley Baptist Health System. “We will transform the clinical processes at Valley Baptist. Our goal is to provide the highest quality patient services in a seamless and transparent manner.”

The multi-million dollar initiative will be completed in phases throughout Valley Baptist Health System over the next two years.

James M. Barbaglia, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Valley Baptist, said the initiative is part of a “technology evolution” that marks a virtual revolution in health care for Valley Baptist.

“This is a total re-engineering of the way we practice from the clinical standpoint,” Mr. Barbaglia added. “We are making this investment because we want to provide a greater service to the community by providing greater patient safety and greater technology.”

At VBMC-Harlingen, the Centricity Enterprise system will be a major upgrade to the existing IDX “LastWord” system.

“This new system will provide a complete, overall accurate picture of what’s been done for the patient,” said Shane Spees, CEO for VBMC-Harlingen. “We will provide a greater level of service to our physicians, so the physicians will have more information to use in making clinical decisions.”

“This investment demonstrates Valley Baptist’s determination to become even more committed to how we serve and care for our patients,” added Jim Wesson, CEO for VBMC-Brownsville. “For example, once a patient registers with any part of our health system, their access and movement to other services within our system will become faster and easier.”



Once design and installation of the new system is complete, the patient’s physician will be able to view the patient’s medical record instantly -- whether the patient is being treated at the hospital in Brownsville or Harlingen -- or at the Valley Baptist Family Practice Residency Clinic, through Valley Baptist’s rehabilitation programs, or through other areas of the health system. Physicians will be able to log into the system and pull up their patient’s medical records -- without having to retrieve paper files.

The system also features Computerized Physician Order Entry, so when the physician orders lab work or tests, they will go straight into the computerized system – and be activated more quickly. Physicians can also view laboratory results on the computer sooner, improving turnaround times and patient care.

“The Centricity Enterprise upgrade will provide the information technology platform to successfully address the health care goals of Valley Baptist,” said Dr. Darryl White, Chief Medical Information Officer for Valley Baptist. “Improved applications of the Electronic Medical Record will help reduce medical errors, improve use of standard care pathways, provide point-of-care decisional support, and allow for enhanced analysis and assessment of the care provided.”

Valley Baptist physicians will be able to access their patient’s records from their office, their home, or even while traveling in other countries, through any computer with Internet access -- as long as the physician has an authorized login name and password, which are required to protect patient confidentiality.

By increasing efficiency in patient care -- and by improving communication -- the project will free up physicians and other caregivers to spend more “face-to-face” time caring for their patients.

Making It Easier for Patients

The project also calls for upgrades to Valley Baptist’s on-line registration process, and eventually for kiosks and a Smart Card system, which will allow patients to easily enter their registration information – simply by swiping a card.

Electronic transmission of prescriptions will mean that the doctor will be able to enter the prescription into the computer and have it sent directly to participating pharmacies. The patient will no longer have to hand-carry a written prescription to the pharmacy and wait while it is being read and filled.

Once installation is finalized, a bar code medication charting feature will serve as a double check that the right medicine is being given to the right patient, at the right time, in the right dose, and through the right route (such as orally or by I.V.).

The project will also include the state-of-the-art Picis applications for high acuity areas such as surgery, anesthesia and critical care units. Picis incorporates “Quality Manager” prompts to alert health care personnel of conditions that could pose potential risks to patients. Other components of the initiative include upgrades to the radiology information system (ImageCast) and the Streamline Health application for better document management of medical records and other documents via an electronic format.