August 13, 2008 - Virginia Hospital Center will launch a $14 million new Hospital Information System (HIS) in 2009 from Siemens.
Siemens' health information solution, Soarian, will reportedly create efficiencies and orchestrate clinical best practices.
Virginia Hospital Center will deploy Soarian's clinical, financial, physician order management, scheduling, Internet portal and health information management (HIM) applications, as well as a number of ancillary applications that support the hospital's efforts to ensure patient safety and a positive patient experience. Drawing on a vast database of medical best practices, Soarain will be fully integrated with electronic patient medical records, giving personalized care the backing of a powerful checks and balances system, said the hospital.
Medication orders are just one aspect of care that will benefit from automation. Prescriptions managed through a computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system (as opposed to being written on a pad and then transcribed) will generate pop-up alerts for possible drug and food interactions, counter-indications with a patient's existing medications, and other potential red flags. In some cases, the system may suggest an alternate medication in light of the patient's medical history. In the pharmacy, robotic packaging of individual doses for each patient's medications will be bar coded and sealed. Prior to administration, the bar code is matched with the patient's, as well as to the original order, further reducing the potential for mistakes.
Virginia Hospital Center will also implement Siemens Pharmacy, Enterprise Document Management, Siemens OPENLink, as well as clinical specialty modules that include Soarian Cardiology, Soarian Emergency Department and Soarian Critical Care.
For more information: www.virginiahospitalcenter.com, www.usa.siemens.com/medical