Memorial Hospital News
Memorial Hospital initiates $6.7 million Project ASPIRE
20-Feb-2012
Memorial Hospital is currently in the midst of a long-term, $6.7 million project that will enhance technology at the hospital and its associated facilities. This technology improvement initiative has been nicknamed “Project ASPIRE” (Achieve Safety and Productivity by Improving Quality and Reducing Errors); it will focus on replacing and upgrading the hospital’s entire data network and nearly every application.
Project ASPIRE involves replacing network, server and desktop hardware, as well as upgrading software andmoving most application services to a state-of-the art hosted service. These improvements will have a myriad of benefits for patients, physicians and hospital associates.
Dustin Hufford,
Chief Information Officer
According to Dustin Hufford, Memorial Hospital Chief Information Officer (CIO), “Critical information, such as medication history, patient identifiers, drug interactions, allergies and other protected health information (PHI) will be available electronically at the fingertips of our clinicians. ”
Attending physicians and other health care providers will also have easier, mobile access to crucial patient care data. “As a result of Project ASPIRE, health care providers at Memorial Hospital will have instant, unfettered access to important patient data – such as test results, x-ray or CT images, and much more - from anywhere in the world,” said Hufford. “It will be accessible via laptops, smart phones, tablets and any other network capable devices; however, the data will remain completely secure.”
Essentially, Project ASPIRE will benefit patients by allowing physicians and hospital associates to spend less time searching and verifying records and more time caring for patients.
“The new systems being put into place at Memorial Hospital are creating an automated, efficient process for maintaining medical records. The automation will allow for quicker turn around times when tests and medications are ordered for patients; it will also feature an alerting system for patient allergies, drug interactions and other critical findings,” said Hufford.
The project is more than an upgrade, though; it is a complete replacement of the majority of the hospital’s networking infrastructure, which will create a higher speed, more efficient system. “The new network at Memorial will transmit data approximately 1,000 times faster than your home Internet connection,” said Hufford. “Also, many fewer network devices will be required to store and transmit information than were previously needed, creating a simpler, more easily supported network.”
Project ASPIRE was initiated in November 2011. The targeted completion of the $6.7 million project is April 2013.
Memorial Hospital has provided health care to Sandusky County and neighboring communities since 1918 – the nationally accredited hospital provides inpatient and outpatient services. It offers a comprehensive range of services, including diagnostic imaging services, a wide range of surgical procedures, intensive care, inpatient pediatric care, emergency care, obstetrics, rehabilitation services, mental health services, hospice care, home health care and much more. For more information, visit memorialhcs.org.
Add to RSS Feed