Care New England has been recognized as one of the nation’s Most Wired health care organizations with a designation of Most Improved, according to the results of the 2012 Most Wired Survey released in the July issue of Hospitals & Health Networks magazine. Care New England was the only Rhode Island-based health care organization named to the list for 2012.

The nation’s Most Wired hospitals are leveraging the adoption and use of health information technology to improve performance in a number of areas. As a field, hospitals are focused on expanding and adopting IT that protects patient data, and optimizes patient flow and communications.

“Health information technology is an absolutely essential element in the transformation of our health system and the care we provide,” said Cedric Priebe, MD, senior vice president and CIO at Care New England. “HIT is one of our most powerful levers to move the needle on quality and cost effectiveness of care and this recognition is a clear acknowledgement of Care New England’s efforts to do just that.”

“It’s truly an honor to be recognized nationally for our efforts to use technology to provide better and safer outcomes for our patients,” said Dennis Keefe, president and CEO of Care New England. “Our vision for the new world of health care includes a high-value and high-quality continuum of care for the people of Rhode Island and our region. Achieving this state of technology readiness is something we’re extremely proud of.”

Among the key findings this year:

• Ninety-three percent of Most Wired hospitals employ intrusion detection systems to protect patient privacy and security of patient data.

• Seventy-four percent of Most Wired hospitals and fifty-seven percent of all surveyed hospitals use automated patient flow systems.

• Ninety percent of Most Wired hospitals and seventy three percent of all surveyed use performance improvement scorecards to help reduce inefficiencies.

• One hundred percent of Most Wired hospitals check drug interactions and drug allergies when medications are ordered as a major step in reducing medication errors.

“As shown by these survey results, hospitals continue to demonstrate how IT not only can be used to improve patient care and safety but it is also a means to improve efficiency,” says Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the AHA. “Hospitals receiving Most Wired recognition are truly representative of our nation's hospitals and systems – rural and urban, small and large, teaching and non-teaching, and critical access hospitals geographically dispersed.”

About Care New England

Care New England Health System (CNE) was formed in February 1996 by founding members Butler Hospital, Kent Hospital and Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island. Based in Providence, Rhode Island, Care New England serves the southeastern New England community. In June 1999, Kent County Visiting Nurse Association became a member of the Care New England family, and later that year announced its name change to VNA of Care New England. In 2000, HealthTouch, Inc., a private duty nursing service, joined the division. Today, VNA of Care New England provides a broad spectrum of home health and hospice services. To learn more about Care New England, visit carenewengland.org.

About the AHA

The American Hospital Association (AHA) is the national organization that represents and serves all types of hospitals, health care networks, and their patients and communities. Close to 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 40,000 individual members come together to form the AHA. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at www.aha.org.

About the Most Wired Survey

The 2012 Most Wired Survey is conducted in cooperation with McKesson Corporation, the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), and the American Hospital Association.

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