HCA eNews

HOSPITAL CORPORATION OF AMERICA RECOGNIZED BY INFORMATIONWEEK AS ONE OF NATION’S MOST INNOVATIVE USERS OF BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0000

Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) announced today that it has been named to the InformationWeek 500, which lists the nation’s most innovative users of business technology. HCA is ranked No. 242.

The 2009 InformationWeek 500 companies were revealed on September 14, 2009 at an awards ceremony held during the InformationWeek 500 Conference at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, California.

HCA, which has 163 hospitals and 105 freestanding surgery centers in 20 states and England, was selected for its continued development and implementation of hCare, the company’s comprehensive program for advanced health information technologies. HCA’s hCare builds on foundational electronic health record functions and will include computerized provider order entry and decision support. HCA is already among the 15% of American hospitals that use bar-code medication administration systems. HCA’s hCare also integrates outpatient treatment into the electronic health record, and will include patient health records that capture health information from visits to doctors.

Earlier this year, HCA was selected as one of Computerworld’s top workplaces for information technology professionals. HCA is also listed among Fortune’s “Most Admired” healthcare companies.

The company’s Information Technology & Services department (IT&S) employs more than 3,000 employees across the U.S. and includes four data centers and fourteen division support centers responsible for delivering IT services to HCA as well as more than 145 non-HCA hospitals and facilities. This includes the full array of IT services, including business analysis, systems development, integration, information security, customer support, education services, technology infrastructure support and services. HCA IT&S provides the opportunity for IT professionals to work on many advanced technology projects.

HCA was founded in Nashville, Tenn. more than 40 years ago when Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Jr., his father Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Sr., local businessman Henry Hooker and entrepreneur Jack Massey set out to provide communities with better quality healthcare. Today, HCA is a leading provider of healthcare services, and its approximately 191,000 employees served approximately 18 million patients in 2008. The company has developed industry-leading patient safety initiatives to prevent healthcare-associated infections like MRSA and bar-code systems to help improve medication safety.

InformationWeek identifies and honors the nation’s most innovative users of information technology with its annual 500 listing, now in its 21st year, and also tracks the technology, strategies, investments and administrative practices of America’s best-known companies. Additional details on the InformationWeek 500 can be found online at www.informationweek.com/iw500/.

###

All references to “Company” and “HCA” as used throughout this document refer to HCA Inc. and its affiliates.

Dr. Richard Tayrien is New Chief Health Information Officer

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0000

Tayrien, 56, will report to Dr. Jonathan B. Perlin, President of HCA’s Clinical Services Group and Chief Medical Officer. He will lead an expanding team of clinicians and informaticists and be responsible for the continued development and implementation of hCare, HCA’s comprehensive program for advanced health information technologies.

HCA’s hCare builds on foundational electronic health record functions and will include computerized provider order entry and decision support. HCA is already among the 15% of American hospitals that use bar-code medication administration systems. HCA’s hCare also integrates outpatient treatment into the electronic health record, and will include patient health records that capture health information from visits to doctors.

“During his 25 years in medicine, Dr. Tayrien has proven to be an innovator and gifted leader,” said Perlin. “He has extensive experience creating and deploying clinical information systems that promote quality and efficiency and improve patient safety. We are very pleased to welcome him to HCA.”

Currently, Tayrien is Vice President, Clinical Information Systems for Catholic Healthcare West, where he is responsible for strategy, development and implementation of clinical information systems. He previously was Regional Medical Director for Clinical Informatics at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center/Barrow Neurological Institute. Tayrien practiced internal medicine for the first 18 years of his career.

Tayrien recently served on the Inpatient Work Group of the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT), an official certification body for electronic health records. In addition, Tayrien was recently recognized by the Association of Medical Directors of Information Systems (AMDIS) for his leadership in the deployment of an electronic medical record and computerized provider order entry system.

A graduate of Oklahoma State University, College of Osteopathic Medicine in Tulsa, Tayrien received his undergraduate degree in biology from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Okla. He is boarded in internal medicine and a Fellow in the American College of Osteopathic Internists.

HCA Virginia Announces New Hospital Plan for Loudoun County, Virginia

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0000

HCA Virginia today announced it will seek state and county approvals to move its proposed hospital in Loudoun County, Virginia, from Broadlands to Route 50. The new hospital project – StoneSpring Medical Center (SMC) – replaces Broadlands Regional Medical Center (BRMC).

“Our decision to target a new site in Loudoun serves the best interests of all who live and work there,” said Margaret Lewis, President of HCA’s Capital Division and Senior Executive of HCA Virginia. “While Route 50 wasn’t our first choice for a location, we have modified our plans in response to county residents who need not only hospital beds and services, but also hospital choice and competition.”

The proposed site for StoneSpring Medical Center is on a 50-acre medical campus at the intersection of Gum Spring Road and Route 50. HCA Virginia purchased the property in late 2006. Plans for SMC call for a four-story facility with 337,000 square feet of space that includes 124 acute-care beds (including 12 obstetrical beds), 40 child and adolescent psychiatric beds, comprehensive diagnostic services, a cardiac catheterization lab and seven operating rooms. The cost of the projected facility is $195 million. Barring unexpected delays, the facility could open in December 2015.

In addition to bringing hospital beds and services to one of the most underserved counties in Virginia, SMC would be a strong economic catalyst for Loudoun. During construction, it would create hundreds of jobs and considerable local spending. Once open, it would generate more than 500 permanent new healthcare jobs with a payroll of $50 million as well as an estimated $3 million in annual local tax revenues that fund important community services.

HCA Virginia has already submitted paperwork to the state health commissioner requesting approval to move its Broadlands Certificate of Public Need to Route 50. It has also reactivated its Route 50 special exception zoning request with Loudoun County.

As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive patient care network, HCA Virginia operates 13 hospitals in Central, Southwestern and Northern Virginia, as well as outpatient centers and physician practices. In addition to being one of Virginia’s largest employers, it provides approximately $100 million in charity care to uninsured patients each year and pays $100 million in taxes. Nationally, HCA owns and operates approximately 166 hospitals and approximately 107 freestanding surgery centers in 20 states and London, England.

Bracken on 2009 "100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare" List

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 04:00:00 -0000

HCA President and Chief Executive Officer, Richard M. Bracken, has been named to the 2009 “100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare” list. The results of the eighth annual recognition program were announced today by its sponsor, Modern Healthcare, an industry publication. Mr. Bracken is number 16 on the list.

President Obama topped the list of the most powerful individuals in healthcare in 2009 and several individuals high on the list have connections to Capitol Hill or the White House.

In explaining how the list was created, the publication announced, “Readers submitted more than 25,700 nominations, up 76% from 14,600 last year. Modern Healthcare then placed the 301 people who received the most nominations on a final ballot, which was accessible on Modern Healthcare’s Web site.

From May 25 through June 26, readers visited the site to vote for the 10 candidates they believe should make the final list of the 100 Most Powerful. Readers cast just under half a million vote – a 10% increase compared with last year. The 100 people who received the most votes made the final list with the ranking determined by number of votes received. The magazine reserved the right to resolve voting irregularities.”

The full report and complete “Top 100” listing is on ModernHealthcare. Site registration is free but it is required to view the articles and documents

CJW Medical Center Awarded Certifications from the Joint Commission

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0000

CJW Medical Center has earned the Gold Seal of Approval™ for health care quality. The Joint Commission renewed CJW Medical Center Disease-Specific Care Certification for Stroke and awarded new certifications in the areas of Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI), Colorectal Cancer, and Total Hip Replacement and Total Knee Replacement. The certification for Colorectal Cancer is only the second such certification designated in the entire country.

To earn these distinctions, a disease management program undergoes an extensive, unannounced, on-site evaluation by a team of Joint Commission reviewers every two years. The program is evaluated against Joint Commission standards through an assessment of a program’s processes, the program’s ability to evaluate and improve care within its own organization, and interviews with patients and staff.

“This certification means CJW Medical Center does the right things and does them well for their patients,” says Jean E. Range, M.S., R.N., C.P.H.Q., executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, Joint Commission. “CJW Medical Center voluntarily pursued this comprehensive, independent evaluation to enhance the safety and quality of care we provide,” says Peter Marmerstein, CJW Medical Center CEO. “We’re honored to achieve this distinction and showcase our commitment to quality in these areas and we are especially proud of the colorectal certification because it demonstrates that our Thomas Johns Cancer Hospital is truly a regional leader in cancer care.”

The Joint Commission launched its Disease-Specific Care Certification program in 2002. It is the first program of its kind in the country to certify disease management programs. A list of programs certified by the Joint Commission is available at www.jointcommission.org.

Perlin's Expertise and Influence Lead to Additional National Recognition and a Federal Appointment

Mon, 18 May 2009 04:00:00 -0000

Dr. Perlin is the newly-appointed chair of the Federal Health Information Technology Standards Committee. Mandated by the “HITECH Act” of the Economic Stimulus legislation, the committee supports policy development and drives standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria to accelerate nationwide use of electronic health records capable of exchanging health information.

The law required up to 30 members to be appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, who have demonstrated expertise in health information technology. On May 8, 2009, Dr. David Blumenthal, the National Coordinator for Health IT, announced that from among the hundreds of nominations, Dr. Perlin was selected as one of the Secretarial appointments.

On April 28, 2009, Dr. Perlin also provided expert testimony to the National Center for Vital and Health Statistics for the Department of Health and Human Services on defining the “meaningful use” of electronic health records. The “meaningful use” concept underpins the determination of qualification for incentive payments to hospitals and physicians under the provisions of the HITECH Act.

In addition to his federal appointment, Dr. Perlin recently received another national recognition by being included on Modern Healthcare magazine’s 2009 list of “The 50 Most Powerful Physician Executives in Healthcare.” Readers of Modern Healthcare and its sister publication, Modern Physician, submitted more than 4,300 nominations. The final ballot was based on those nominations. The 50 physicians who received the most votes made the final list, with the ranking determined by the number of votes received. Dr. Perlin was voted the 7th most influential physician in the country.

As president of the Clinical Services Group and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Perlin provides leadership for clinical services and performance improvement at HCA’s hospitals and outpatient centers. Current activities include the implementation of electronic health records throughout HCA, improvement of clinical “core measures” to benchmark levels, and leadership of patient safety programs to eliminate preventable harm, including drug-resistant, healthcare-associated infections.

Before joining HCA in 2006, Dr. Perlin was Under Secretary for Health in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, leading the nation’s largest integrated health system. At VHA, Dr. Perlin directed care to more than 5.4 million patients annually by more than 200,000 healthcare professionals at 1,400 sites, including hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, counseling centers and other facilities.

A champion for implementation of electronic health records, Dr. Perlin led VHA quality performance to international recognition as reported in academic literature and lay press and as evaluated by RAND, Institute of Medicine, and others. He has served on numerous boards and commissions including the National Quality Forum, the Joint Commission, Meharry Medical College, the National Patient Advocate Foundation, and the National eHealth Collaborative.

Broadly published in healthcare quality and transformation, Dr. Perlin is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and the American College of Medical Informatics. He has a Master of Science in Health Administration and received his Ph.D. in pharmacology (molecular neurobiology) with his M.D., as part of the Physician Scientist Training Program at the Medical College of Virginia of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).

Dr. Perlin has faculty appointments at Vanderbilt University as Adjunct Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Informatics and at VCU as Adjunct Professor of Health Administration. He resides in Nashville, Tennessee with his wife and two children.

Hopewell City Council Recognizes John Randolph Medical Center's Record of Service

Thu, 14 May 2009 04:00:00 -0000

John Randolph Medical Center Operating Officer Ed Littlejohn accepted a proclamation from Mayor Brenda Pelham at the City Council Meeting March 10th. “It’s an honor to represent John Randolph Medical Center as we are recognized by the City with this proclamation,” said Littlejohn. “We have been privileged to serve the Hopewell and Tri-Cities community for more than 90 years and look forward to many more years at this community’s health care provider.” Littlejohn is also a board member of the Hopewell & Prince George Chapter of the American Red Cross, which was also recognized with a proclamation for their community commitment.

HCA Virginia Hospitals Excel in Anthem’s Quality Report

Wed, 13 May 2009 04:00:00 -0000

Based on select quality of care measures, HCA Virginia has seven of the top 10 hospitals in the commonwealth, including Reston Hospital Center, according to the most recent results from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s Quality-In-Sights®: Hospital Incentive Program (Q-HIPSM).

“All of us at Reston Hospital Center are extremely proud of the hospital’s excellent performance in Q-HIP,” said William Adams, CEO of RHC. “Nothing has a higher priority at RHC than putting our patients first.”

“These results are just another example of the tremendous emphasis our employees and affiliated physicians place on exceeding patient needs and expectations,” said Margaret Lewis, President of HCA’s Capital Division. “At a time when the cost of healthcare is increasing nationwide, we believe these scores reflect the strong value our services bring to all who entrust us with their care.”

Q-HIP aims to improve the quality of health care provided by hospitals by rewarding them for practicing evidence-based medicine and implementing best practices. Rankings are based on patient safety, health outcomes and member satisfaction criteria. Sixty-seven hospitals were included in the most recent report.

Q-HIP uses metrics endorsed and developed by the American College of Cardiology, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the National Quality Forum, the Leapfrog Group and the Society for Thoracic Surgeons, among others.

“One important aspect of health care transparency is to improve the interaction between patients and health care providers in the system” said John Syer, vice president, Health Services for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. “Based on their Q-HIP scores, it is evident HCA takes these daily interactions seriously and they should be commended for their willingness to promote that fact.”

Reston Hospital CCU Presented With Beacon Award

Tue, 12 May 2009 22:00:00 -0000

The American Association of Critical Care Nurses has recognized Reston Hospital Center’s Critical Care Unit for the second time with the prestigious Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence.

The Beacon Award is presented to units that, like beacons, guide and inspire staff, patients and their families. Units interested in receiving the Beacon must fill out a lengthy application addressing factors that influence staff and patient satisfaction and as well as patient outcomes, including educational opportunities available for nurses, nursing research, patient infection rates and recruitment practices.

“Every nurse on our unit contributes to and promotes the atmosphere of excellence in our professional practice,” remarked Laura Reed, BSN, CCRN, Director of RHC’s Critical Care Unit. “The honor of the Beacon Award is exciting and well deserved. The second time feels just as good as the first.”

Reston Hospital Center’s nurses were also recognized in late 2007 when the hospital was awarded Magnet Recognition by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, an honor given to less than 5 percent of U.S. hospitals.