Most Wired Hospitals Use Technology for a Better Patient Experience
West Orange, NJ, November 26, 2018— The annual Healthcare’s Most Wired® survey, now overseen by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), was recently released and RWJBarnabas Health facilities topped the list for Most Wired Hospitals. RWJBarnabas Health facilities named to the 2018 Most Wired Hospitals list include: Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville; Community Medical Center in Toms River; Jersey City Medical Center in Jersey City; Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch; Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood; Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark; RWJUH- New Brunswick; RWJUH-Somerset; and Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston.
HealthCare’s Most Wired, now in its 20th year, traditionally tracked the adoption of healthcare IT in hospitals and health systems. CHIME took over the Most Wired program and revised the survey questions and methodology this year to highlight strengths and gaps in the industry. The goal is to identify best practices and promote the strategic use of healthcare IT to elevate the health and care of communities around the world.
“We have worked hard to adopt technologies and implement clinical systems to improve the delivery of care,” said Robert G. Irwin, Chief Information Officer for RWJBarnabas Health. “We are optimizing clinical workflows so that our clinicians receive timely alerts and are able to quickly respond to patient needs and so we are honored to receive this prestigious award for the technology that enables us to provide safe, effective and efficient care to our patients.”
Hospitals and health systems at the forefront of using healthcare IT to improve the delivery of care have maximized the benefits of foundational technologies and are embracing new technologies that support population management and value-based care. The most successful organizations not only adopt technology but apply it strategically to achieve great outcomes, according to an analysis of CHIME HealthCare’s Most Wired survey results.
The report found two key areas that emerged in 2018: the use of foundational technologies such as integration, interoperability, security and disaster recovery; and the use of transformational technologies to support population health management, value-based care, patient engagement and telehealth. These foundational pieces need to be in place for an organization to leverage tools to effectively transform healthcare.
“Healthcare IT has the potential to revolutionize care around the world, but to meet that potential it must be used strategically,” said Russell Branzell, president and CEO of CHIME. “The technology is important, but leadership and a strategic vision are equally important. The diversity of the organizations that earned Most Wired status this year shows quality care can be achieved almost anywhere under the right leadership. By sharing the best practices in Most Wired, we hope quality care will one day be available everywhere.”
For a full list of winners and detailed results of the survey and study, visit https://chimecentral.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/CHIME-Most-Wired-2018-final.pdf
ABOUT RWJBarnabas Health
RWJBarnabas Health is the largest, most comprehensive health care system in New Jersey, with a service area covering nine counties with five million people. The system includes eleven acute care hospitals – Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, Community Medical Center in Toms River, Jersey City Medical Center in Jersey City, Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, RWJUH, RWJUH Somerset in Somerville, RWJUH Hamilton, RWJUH Rahway and Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston; three acute care children’s hospitals and a leading pediatric rehabilitation hospital (Children’s Specialized Hospital) with its multiple outpatient centers, a freestanding 100-bed behavioral health center, two trauma centers, a satellite emergency department, ambulatory care centers, geriatric centers, the state’s largest behavioral health network, comprehensive home care and hospice programs, fitness and wellness centers, retail pharmacy services, a medical group, multi-site imaging centers and two accountable care organizations. RWJBarnabas Health is New Jersey’s largest private employer – with more than 33,000 employees, 9,000 physicians and 1,000 residents and interns.
RWJBarnabas Health recently announced a partnership with Rutgers University to create New Jersey’s largest academic health care system. The collaboration will align RWJBarnabas Health with Rutgers’ education, research and clinical activities, including those at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care. The alliance will result in a multi-specialty group that will be one of the largest medical groups in the country.
About CHIME
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is an executive organization dedicated to serving chief information officers (CIOs), chief medical information officers (CMIOs), chief nursing information officers (CNIOs) and other senior healthcare IT leaders. With more than 2,700 members in 51 countries and over 150 healthcare IT business partners and professional services firms, CHIME provides a highly interactive, trusted environment enabling senior professional and industry leaders to collaborate; exchange best practices; address professional development needs; and advocate the effective use of information management to improve the health and healthcare in the communities they serve. For more information, please visit chimecentral.org.
Contact: Carrie Cristello
973-322-4642
Carrie.Cristello@rwjbh.org