Carilion Clinic Named One of Nation's "Most Wired" Hospital Systems

Third Information Technology Achievement Recognition in Three Months


ROANOKE, Va. (July 7, 2009) – Carilion Clinic has been selected as a 2009 “100 Most Wired” hospital system according to the Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study. This is the third time in three months Carilion Clinic has received national recognition for IT achievement.

"I think recognition as 100 Most Wired is a testament both to Carilion Clinic's commitment to technology as a key tool for patient care, and to the skill of our Technology Services Group,” says Daniel Barchi, chief information officer at Carilion Clinic. “Our talented Technology Services Group has been able to deliver an integrated electronic medical record (EMR) and other technology to seven hospitals and 110 physician practices that truly is as wired as a patient could expect anywhere."

Hospitals are named to the list based on a detailed scoring process. The survey asks hospitals to report on how they use information technology in regard to safety and quality, customer service, business processes, workforce, and public health and safety.

As more health care organizations implement IT projects, the bar is continually raised for achieving the “100 Most Wired” list. Hospitals & Health Networks, the journal of the American Hospital Association, has published this list annually since 1998. Previously, Carilion Clinic has been named on the “100 Most Wired” list six times. Carilion’s strong commitment to investing in technology that improves care, quality and efficiency keeps the organization at the forefront of health care IT. In 2008, Carilion began rolling out a fully integrated electronic medical record (EMR), and is currently on the leading edge of hospital systems moving toward paperless patient records.

Earlier this year, Carilion Clinic was included in CIO magazine’s “CIO 100” list, recognized among the top organizations in the country using IT to enable growth. Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Analytics recognized Carilion as one of only 42 hospitals nation-wide to achieve “Stage 6” implementation of its electronic medical record.

For more information about Hospitals & Health Networks “100 Most Wired”, please visit www.hhnmostwired.com.

President Obama Advocates Clinic Model as Key Part of Health Reform

Carilion Clinic began conversion to clinic model of care in 2006

In a meeting with health reporters and a Town Hall Q&A session in suburban Washington, President Obama praised the clinic model of care for coordination, quality and cost efficiency, stating "that coordinated care drives down costs tremendously, that's the kind of common sense approach we're going to have to take".

The President is calling for health care providers to coordinate care in a way that the Roanoke Times says is "similar to what Carilion Clinic is attempting".

Click below for an excerpt of the President' s town hall meeting, in which he talks about coordinated care, and the need to provide incentives to reduce unnecessary care.

FDA Considers Changing Rules for Acetaminophen (Tylenol, Excedrin, Vocodin, Percocet) to Prevent Accidental Overdose

Carilion Clinic's Pharmacy has already made changes to protect patients.

400 people die every year and thousands are hospitalized according to the Washington Post. People are often unaware of the amount of acetaminophen they're taking when they combine medications.

Click below to watch a WSLS report on the issue, including an interview with Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital Pharmacy Director Karen Lowdon.

Six new Virginia Tech Carilion research projects address infectious disease, develop medical technology

Six $30,000 seed grants have been awarded to advance Virginia Tech Carilion (VTC) School of Medicine and Research Institute research to address falling risks, prevention and treatment of infectious disease, and development of a patient simulator.

The projects include "Prototyping a Human-like Patient". Virginia Tech associate professor Shashank Priya and VTC Associate Professor Sonya L. Ranson are developing human patient simulators as part of a larger project to create a full-scale patient simulation training facility.

Full details are available on the VT News web site.

UPDATE: CNRV Phone Issues Resolved

Verizon recently experienced phone service interruption throughout areas in the New River Valley. Because of that interruption, Carilion New River Valley Medical Center was without direct phone and fax services. Currently this issue has been resolved and direct phone and fax services restored.

Should patients, family members and friends have any trouble with the phone system, they may still contact Carilion New River Valley Medical Center by calling 540-981-7000 and be connected internally through our switchboard to Carilion New River Valley Medical Center.

We apologize for this inconvenience and thank you for your patience and understanding during this time.

CRNV Experiencing Phone Issues

Verizon is currently experiencing phone service interruption throughout areas in the New River Valley. Because of that interruption, Carilion New River Valley Medical Center is currently without direct phone and fax services. We are actively working with Verizon and other appropriate individuals/groups to restore service. We currently estimate that we will be restored by early afternoon.

Patients, families and friends can contact Carilion New River Valley Medical Center by calling 540-981-7000 and being connected internally through our switchboard to Carilion New River Valley Medical Center. We apologize for the inconvenience will keep you posted on our progress and thank you, in advance, for your patience and understanding.

Mill Demolition Making Progress

Demolition of the Roanoke City Mills property across from the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine construction site picked up the pace this week with the arrival of the wrecking ball.