Telehealth Grantee Directory

Network Partners:

Not Applicable.

Project Purpose:

The telehealth project is utilizing state-of-the-art home equipment to monitor patients in between personal nursing visits in the rural region of North Central Pennsylvania. The video monitor allows for interaction between the nurse and the patient while the nurse is compiling the patient's vital statistics (i.e. blood pressure, blood sugars, weights, heart and lung sounds, pulse ox etc.). The non video monitor allows the nurse to monitor these same statistics on a daily basis and identify trends that can be identified and corrected before an emergency room visit is needed. This project will provide quality service to the patients while addressing the nursing shortage.

Outcomes Expected/Project Accomplishments:

The project is expected to improve patient care and outcomes. By monitoring patients on a regular basis health conditions can be stabilized quickly resulting in fewer hospital ER visits and fewer hospital admissions.

Service Area:

The Community Nurses service Elk, Cameron, and McKean counties in North Central Pennsylvania. The total population is 87,000.

Services Provided:

Services provided include the monitoring of home health patients suffering from chronic diseases such as Congestive Heart Disease, Diabetes, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Coronary Artery Disease, and Wound Care via the video and non-video monitors.

Equipment:

The Community Nurses are presently using American TeleCare as their vendor of telehealth equipment.

Transmission:

The home telehealth program runs on an analog phone line.

Network Partners:

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital (Wellsboro, PA), Moses Taylor Hospital (Scranton, PA), Sunbury Community Hospital (Sunbury, PA), Dubois Regional Medical Center (Dubois, PA), Geisinger Clinic (Danville and Wilkes Barre, PA), Shamokin Community Hospital (Shamokin, PA), VA Medical Center (Wilkes Barre, PA), Susquehanna Health System (Williamsport, PA), Evangelical Hospital (Lewisburg, PA), Geisinger Health South (Danville, PA), Robert Packer Hospital (Sayre, PA), Center City Medical Complex (Hazelton, PA), Family Practice Center (Mifflinburg, PA), Geisinger Community Practice (Danville, PA), and Guthrie Clinic (Sayre, PA).

Project Purpose:

Create a regional partnership where, by targeted distance education of consumers and providers and by use of other telehealth methods, information is shared and used by all stakeholders to motivate and monitor change in stroke outcomes in rural Pennsylvania. This is needed to ultimately decrease response time from the onset of stroke, address gaps in training to manage stroke victims, and develop regional based triage protocols to optimize appropriate use of local hospitals, regional centers of care and clinical expertise.

Outcomes Expected/Project Accomplishments:

Assess needs to educate consumers and providers, to initiate work relevant to developing a rational rural network of care, and to initiate work for long-term evaluation of these efforts. This will be done through knowledge surveys, educational program development to address gaps, a partnership with each hospital using the distance education platform, which will assist in developing a model plan, and the creation of a blueprint for a stroke registry.

Service Area:

Care is provided to patients who reside in predominantly rural areas of Pennsylvania. Twenty-four of Geisinger's 31 county areas are officially designated as Medically Underserved Areas; the Office of Rural Health officially designated 15 of these as rural.

Services Provided:

Needs assessments, resource analysis, model plan for rural stroke care.

Equipment:

Five computer workstations, Software (MapInfo, MS Project, Reference Manager), one network printer, 2 PDAs.

Transmission:

Phone, fax, computers (including Internet).

Network Partners:

There are no network partners affiliated with this program. All participants in the project are members of the Schuylkill Alliance.

Project Purpose:

To identify and address unmet health needs of the uninsured population of Schuylkill County, PA and to provide access to primary and preventative medical, pharmaceutical, dental, and behavioral services. Major goals and objectives of the project will impact the quality of life of the uninsured and the community at large by integrating the rural health safety net through an Information Technology infrastructure.

Outcomes Expected/Project Accomplishments:

A target population of 3,000 to be identified and having access to public and private healthcare services by end of 4th Q; increased enrollment of uninsured residents into the program; increased efficiency, effectiveness, coordination quality of care to the enrolled population. Full use of iReach program to enroll and track clients; information exchange with the 4 partner/providing hospitals by the end of 4th Q.

Service Area:

Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.

Services Provided:

Linkages between uninsured clients in need of health care services and health care providers in Schuylkill County. Enrollment in public assistance programs for those who qualify. Affordable health care provided by the Alliance partners for those who do not qualify for public programs. Completion of the linkage process will be by the end of the 4th quarter of the grant.

Equipment:

Personal computers, server, back-up server and specific software developed for the project.

Transmission:

Services will be available through personal contact, telephone and Internet. Network is available to authorized providers to access client information. Information and ITT is HIPAA-compliant and backed-up for safety.

Network Partners:

Altoona Regional Health System-operational since 2003. JC Blair Memorial Hospital, Tyrone Hospital, UPMC Bedford Hospital-early 2007. Blair Medical/Blair Orthopedic-early 2007. Tyrone Hospital-mid 2007. October 2006-September 2007-total projected patients to be served 450; projected encounters 18,000.

Project Purpose:

Develop telehealth services in three rural counties in Pennsylvania, targeting the Medicare population. Provide patient education focusing on disease management of high volume diagnoses of CHF, DM and respiratory. Reduce acute care hospitalization rate and use of emergent care for patients utilizing telehealth. Improve efficiencies of nursing staff.

Outcomes Expected/Project Accomplishments:

Reduce hospitalization rates and emergency room visits, improve medication management through comparison of OASIS data collected at initiation of service and end of episode. Increase ratio of patients served per nurse. Develop integration of telehealth data into electronic medical record. Improve continuity of care across multiple health care settings.

Service Area:

Home Nursing Agency has been funded for telehealth services in the following counties: Huntingdon, Bedford, and Fulton. These counties are served by the Huntingdon, Bedford, and Chambersburg branch offices.

Services Provided:

Home Nursing Agency provides in-home services, Remote Patient Monitoring, patient education, and teaching materials to improve self-management abilities and health outcomes.

Equipment:

90 store and forward telehealth units to be utilized in the patient homes provided by the vendor VitelNet. Results will be viewed from a Web-based application in the office.

Transmission:

Information is communicated from the patient's home to the office via POTS.

Network Partners:

Pittsburgh Regional Healthcare Initiative; Western PA Health Disparities Collaborative (FQHCs)-Primary Care Health Service, Inc., East Liberty Family Health Center, Sto-Rox Family Health Center, UPMC Matilda Theiss, Cornerstone Care Health Center, Primary Health-Net, Centerville Clinics, Community Health Net of Erie.

Project Purpose:

The purpose of the Collaborative is to 1) Improve patient care outcomes beginning with diabetics using the PPC System to implement the Chronic Care Model. 2) Develop cost-effective, dissemination tactics. This project will develop a community of learning supported by multiple technologies called the Pittsburgh Regional Learning Network.

Outcomes Expected/Project Accomplishments:

1. Lower average HbA1c; 2. Documentation of self-management goal-setting; 3. Patients with BP 130/80; 4. Patients with LDL <100; 5. Dilated eye exam in past year; 6. Comprehensive foot exam in past year; 7. Microalbuminuria screening in past year.

Service Area:

The Western PA Health Disparities Collaborative consists of eight FQHCs serving low-income and minority populations. These eight centers manage a total of 50 sites delivering primary health care in 9 counties in Western PA. Four of the health centers serve a predominantly urban population; the others serve predominantly rural patients.

Services Provided:

Education in PPC will be provided to the eight FQHCs to support the implementation of the Chronic Care Model. The first population of focus is patients with diabetes.

Equipment:

Not Applicable.

Transmission:

Requisite knowledge of interventions and methodology are communicated through a formal educational curriculum, on-site coaching by trained consultants, Web-based regional learning networks, formal peer-to-peer networks, PRHI Collaborative Platform including regional forums.

Network Partners:

Vtree Corporation (a Philadelphia area health technology company).

Project Purpose:

This program is a unique rehabilitation application using simulation and virtual reality technology to improve quality of life for individuals with spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, strokes, and other illnesses which permits individuals overcoming their mobility challenges without having to leave a safe environment.

Outcomes Expected/Project Accomplishments:

Program evaluation based on disabled persons' improvement in physical and cognitive functioning and social skills. Wheelchair mobility will be screened by number of impacts, time for completion and complexity of tasks. Ambulatory mobility evaluated using standardized walk tests. Perception and neglect standardized tests used as appropriate.

Service Area:

Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, 6 Franklin Plaza (16th and Race Streets), Philadelphia, PA.

Services Provided:

Magee Rehabilitation Hospital telehealth provides rehabilitation for persons with disabling injuries and illnesses such as spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke, chronic pain, and amputation. Our goal and practice are to help persons with physical and cognitive disabilities reach their maximum level of independence.

Equipment:

"Streetscape" software package; HP computer with altered/specially designed joystick, HP.

Transmission:

Virtual interaction software designed by VTree Systems. The system is designed so that in the future it can be operated as an Internet-based system linking patients to the system from home.

Network Partners:

All Mercy affiliated physicians and clinics.

Project Purpose:

To automate the nursing assessment and documentation process. This information will populate the longitudinal, electronic patient record supplementing all patient results and reports already available. This information is available to all physicians and clinicians electronically in the hospitals, physician offices, and/or homes.

Outcomes Expected/Project Accomplishments:

Increase in number of electronic accesses has increased 82 percent over initial estimate of 10-15 percent. Nursing clerical time has been reduced 20-30 minutes per nurse, per shift. Amount of paperwork on chart has been reduced and this information is now presented both electronically and summary on chart in a standardized, legible format.

Service Area:

Lackawanna and Luzerne counties in Pennsylvania.

Services Provided:

Electronic nursing documentation.

Equipment:

Cisco Aironet wireless network infrastructure with NAW are mobile, wireless PC carts utilized at bedside.

Transmission:

Hospital high-speed network and Internet.

Network Partners:

Not Applicable.

Project Purpose:

• Improve physician access to patient-level clinical result information in the hospital setting.
• Improve nursing access to patient-level clinical documentation in the hospital setting.
• Improve accuracy of patient care documentation in the hospital setting.
• Improve utilization of existing clinical workstations.

Outcomes Expected/Project Accomplishments:

Provide physicians with ready access to patient information at any time and basically anywhere in the hospital. Enable nurses and other non-physician caregivers to directly record patient care documentation at the point of care, halving the time required for this task while improving accuracy and availability. Expand wireless access coverage to all clinical areas and provide clinicians ready-access to computer devices, matched to their tasks and provide the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities to optimize utilization of mobile technology.

Service Area:

Greater Pittsburgh area and surrounding counties.

Services Provided:

Mercy is an independent, academic medical center offering a broad range of medical, surgical, and home health services, which includes these centers of excellence: Mercy Heart Institute; Mercy Neuroscience Institute; Mercy Trauma and Burn Centers; Mercy Rehabilitation Center; Mercy Women's Health; Mercy Children's Medical Center; Mercy Diabetes Program; Mercy Cancer Institute; and Mercy Orthopedic Services.

Equipment:

Voice recognition technology was selected and will be implemented by the end of 2006. Wireless infrastructure was completed in 2006. Equipment included: rack-mounted computer servers and consoles.

Transmission:

Hardware devices will be connected to our software information systems using wireless (IEEE 802.11b,g standard), untethered in any fashion, communication protocols as the network connection.

Network Partners:

The project is contained within the closed network at Millcreek Community Hospital and will encompass patient and non-patient care areas. The project will subsequently extend to 13 medical practice sites in Erie County.

Project Purpose:

Improve quality of health care provided to all patients of the health system, including the hospital and the satellite medical practice sites, via upgrade and expansion of the informatics system.

Outcomes Expected/Project Accomplishments:

• Create an infrastructure to support an informatics network between all patient care areas.
• Enhance patient safety by decreasing medication errors and adverse drug events.
• Provide remote access to physicians and other authorized users.
• Assure privacy of patient information.

Service Area:

Millcreek Community Hospital is a 135-bed, acute care facility located in Erie County (Erie, PA) and has a population of approximately 281,000. Millcreek Community Hospital has 13 affiliated medical offices/clinics located throughout Erie County.

Services Provided:

Millcreek Community Hospital offers a full range of services including emergency care, diagnostic, surgical services, chemical dependency, adult and pediatric behavioral health, obstetric/gynecology, rehabilitative, and intensive care.

Equipment:

Seven Dell departmental file servers, 1 EMR server, 4 Internet Gateway servers, 10 background job servers, 1 Forward Advantage Fax Solution, 2 Citrix Meta Frame Servers for remote access, 8 Dell Storage Arrays, 1 Bridgehead Centralized Backup Solution, 1 Modular UPS, and 1 Core Data Center Network Switch.

Transmission:

TCP/IP local and Web-based remote access.

Network Partners:

Clarion University of Pennsylvania, Dubois Business College, University of Pittsburgh/Titusville, Venango Technology Center, Clarion/Venango Educational Resources Alliance

Project Purpose:

The purpose of this project is to address the educational/training needs of three distinct segments within the healthcare industry; Respiratory Therapy, Clinical Medical Assistant Program and Pre-Nursing Distance Learning Opportunities.

Outcomes Expected/Project Accomplishments:

Provide high-quality training programs to meet the needs of the vital health care industry, which will provide careers in health services offering career mobility, flexibility and security. The outcome will be to increase retention rates of those who do enroll by employing learner-centered instructional strategies.

Service Area:

Initially, this project is targeted to serve a multi-county region in northwest Pennsylvania with the potential of drawing residents from every county in northwest Pennsylvania.

Services Provided:

Core services provided within the scope of the project include a focus on education for health care career opportunities. This education will primarily be provided via distance learning opportunities.

Equipment:

Laptop computers, video conferencing equipment, 12 ITV classrooms w/Pictur-tel and Polycom equipment, ISDN and IP technology.

Transmission:

ISDN 128K, ATM 512K and above IP 712K and above, DSL, Broadband Cable Modem & Wireless.

Network Partners:

The Eye Institute of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Mount Airy Eye Clinic, Strawberry Mansion Eye Clinic.

Project Purpose:

This project used digital imaging as well as store and forward technology to link two outlying eye clinics located in urban underserved areas of Philadelphia to a major academic eye care center, The Eye Institute.

Outcomes Expected/Project Accomplishments:

Patient satisfaction surveys, indicators of improved access to and utilization care.

Service Area:

Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties in Pennsylvania.

Services Provided:

Opthalmic consultation services in underserved urban areas of Philadelphia. Targeted services include: routine eye consultation, glaucoma and diabetic eye disease, which are endemic in this population.

Equipment:

Digital fundus cameras and video slit lamp biomicroscopes.

Transmission:

Store and forward software (IE; Image Consultant, Uniqe Media, Canton, PA). T1 between campuses.

Network Partners:

Hershey Medical Center (HMC), Mount Nittany Medical Center (MNMC), Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH).

Project Purpose:

The goal of this project is to establish a digital informatics and communications system which will provide a virtual work environment in offering patient services across central and northeastern Pennsylvania. The advantages of such a system include the ability to bring continuing education and training to isolated rural areas and the ability for immediate interpretation of medical information and laboratory and radiology test results. The system will also allow patients to get cancer care from their local physicians while having increased access to clinical trials. Through this system, unnecessary travel to tertiary care facilities can be avoided.

Outcomes Expected/Project Accomplishments:

The ultimate indicator of achieving these goals will be submitting a successful application to achieve NCI-designation as a comprehensive cancer center. Since submission of such a proposal is still 3-4years away, we will rely on achieving unity in conducting clinical trials as a short-term goal. We have already started the process of establishing a common tumor bank with the three clinical partners (HMC, MNMC, and LVHS), and have been conducting cooperative group trials at all sites through our clinical trials network. Within the next year we hope to have a plan in place for a central IRB and a common data safety and monitoring plan for oversight of clinical trials. With the installation of the new videoconferencing equipment, we hope to make more of the educational (both professional and public) offerings available at the HMC more accessible to the MNMC and LVHS as well.

Service Area:

The primary service area is a 27-county region in Central Pennsylvania serving a mostly rural population.

Services Provided:

Clinical telemedicine, public education and outreach, professional education (including CME), clinical trials access.

Equipment:

Tandberg dual monitor Codecs in multiple sites at the three partnering institutions; desktop polycom units; SM fiber transceivers; high-resolution video/data projectors; videoconference cameras.

Transmission:

Transmission is achieved using the Internet and videoconferencing areas across T1/T3 links between partnering institutions.

Network Partners:

Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center has 10 University Physician Groups across Central Pennsylvania. Care provided at those sites include primary care, advanced specialty care, and services such as laboratory work and diagnostic radiology. The sites were established approximately 12 years ago and are located in Centre, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, and Luzerne counties.

Project Purpose:

The purpose is to recruit physician-scientists who can translate basic science discoveries into new prevention and treatment strategies. In addition to fostering a multidisciplinary approach to care, the project will also develop essential animal models of human disease and create new clinical research biostatistical tools, outcome measures, and clinical end points to enhance the quality of clinical trials.

Outcomes Expected/Project Accomplishments:

The goal is to train and facilitate the research of two physician-scientists per year for 3 years. Four (4) have been hired and are actively engaged in research. The Advisory Committee continues to mentor current physician-scientists and identify new candidates for the project. Participants are encouraged to seek a joint appointment in a basic science department and participate in the graduate program.

Service Area:

The project will impact approximately 3,000,000 residents in Central Pennsylvania spanning 10 counties. Much of this region is in Appalachia, which has been designated as a medically underserved area.

Services Provided:

The physician-scientist program will provide the special mechanism to assist in improved medical care and research into new treatments. Primary care clinical trials network will be established to provide opportunities for these research and patient care opportunities along with prevention education for the service area.

Equipment:

Videoconferencing between clinical network sites will use Tandberg Coded units, desktop Polycom units, SM fiber transceivers, high-resolution video data projectors, and videoconference cameras.

Transmission:

Transmission will be achieved using the Internet and videoconferencing.

Network Partners:

Not Applicable.

Project Purpose:

To allow physicians to enter orders online; have a Medication Administration Checking system; and to provide online access, including remote access to patient records/charts allowing for focus on patient safety and reduction of medical errors. Automation of these processes is part of the electronic health record and allows for implementation of additional telehealth programs.

Outcomes Expected/Project Accomplishments:

This project is expected to increase remote health record access, reduce medical errors and increase patient safety. Tracking will be accomplished through use of reports generated from the Medication Administration Checking system, Risk Management systems, and Data Warehouse.

Service Area:

Pinnacle Health System's primary service area covers five counties-Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon, Perry, and Northern York. Dauphin County includes the City of Harrisburg, which has a significant low-income, underserved population. Also served are a number of rural areas for which Pinnacle Health System is the sole provider of health care.

Services Provided:

Pinnacle Health System is comprised of four hospitals; more than a dozen family practice and urgent medical centers; two outpatient surgery centers; home health and hospice agencies; and additional health services.

Equipment:

The program will utilize notebook computers; information carts with monitors and PCs; wall mounted units; and bed arm units with servers and software. Additionally, cables and switchports will accommodate wireless expansion.

Transmission:

Within facilites, wireless and 1GB fiber backbone with 100mb to the computers will be utilized. Remote providers gain access through secure, encrypted Internet links.

Network Partners:

Beacon Light Behavioral Health, Bradford, PA (headquarters) and Warren, PA (telemedicine program satellite site) was the project partner. The Safe Harbor Behavioral Health Telemedicine Program served four patients and had 22 patient encounters.

Project Purpose:

Telemedicine services were provided in Warren County, where access to child psychiatric services is limited. The two goals of the project were to: increase access to quality children's psychiatric services and evaluation for rural areas; and to successfully provide ongoing education, medical management, and support for telemedicine clinical services with more readily accessible and effective protocol development and case review.

Outcomes Expected/Project Accomplishments:

The program served 4 children in Warren, PA with mental illness. Participant utilization, types of psychiatric services provided, progress, and outcomes were tracked through completed satisfaction surveys for each telemedicine encounter. The telemedicine committee utilizes this data to monitor quality, evaluate the need for additional support, for ongoing and additional telemedicine program funding.

Service Area:

The service area is Warren County-Warren, PA with a population of just over 42,000-full county HPSAs and a MUA. Just under 10 percent of the population lives in poverty. Beacon Light Behavioral Health provides child mental health services for the county and currently has a waiting list for services.

Services Provided:

The Safe Harbor Behavioral Health Telemedicine Program provides children's psychiatric evaluation, medication management, case review, specialist referrals, data collection and analysis. These services will continue with Beacon Light Behavioral Health paying for the psychiatrist's time.

Equipment:

The equipment used for the grant project: two Tandberg 550 MXP NTSC; two T550 MXP 384 kbps ISDN 768 kbps IP; and a Watchguard Firebox X1000 Firewall.

Transmission:

ISDN to mental health provider.

Network Partners:

Not Applicable.

Project Purpose:

The purpose of the grant award has an emphasis in both the Distance Learning/Educational and Informatics/Informational Services areas. SUN Home Health Services will upgrade its aged wide area network to provide for more efficient operation of all programs including the electronic medical record and to meet the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule requirements. The network will be expanded/improved to allow for video conferencing and other education to be exchanged between offices and with patients and their family. Actual number of patients served 1 OCT 05-30 SEP 06: 77. Actual number of patient encounters 1 OCT 05-30 SEP 06: 581.

Outcomes Expected/Project Accomplishments:

By upgrading SHHS' computer and operating systems, SHHS is ensuring the confidentiality of protected health information, meeting Federal requirements, and avoiding penalties for non-compliance. Expanding/upgrading SHHS' network will allow the use of video conferencing and community education while improving the performance of the existing network.

Service Area:

The primary and at least initial are of coverage for SHHS includes the following counties: Snyder, Union, Northumberland, Mifflin, Juniata, Schuylkill, Perry, Lycoming, Dauphin, Columbia, Montour, Clinton, Centre, and Sullivan.

Services Provided:

SUN Home Health Services, Inc., A VNA and Related Enterprises (SHHS) is a voluntary, not-for-profit organization whose mission is to provide high quality community health and social services in cooperation with other community health and social organizations.

Equipment:

At offices: Windows XP desktops and laptops, Windows server, routers, switches, firewalls, hubs, telemed units, and video conferencing systems.

Transmission:

Full T1 Frame Relay lines/fiber/DSL/cable modem/connections between offices and T1 connection to the Internet.

Network Partners:

• The Laurel Health System - Wellsboro, PA since 1997
• The Jersey Shore Hospital, Jersey Shore, PA since 2001
• The Bucktail Medical Center, Renovo, PA since 2004

Project Purpose:

To implement an electronic patient record that spans the continuum of care and the life of the patient that can be accessed and utilized by all care providers participating in this project from any location to enable more efficient quality patient care. Access to PACS images included in the record is being extended to surgical suites and imaging intensive physician offices via dedicated viewing stations.

Outcomes Expected/Project Accomplishments:

Some of the outcomes have been the use and access of this record by physicians and caregivers, testing and validity of user interfaces, testing of security methods (such as digital certificates, tokens and biometrics) and acceptable use, elimination of paper charts both in physicians' offices and acute care settings, testing and validation of web portals and on-line resource usage, mass education of physicians on health care informatics, elimination of printed radiology films, complete transformation to digital radiography, and remote access of records.

Service Area:

North Central Pennsylvania to the New York State border including Lycoming, Clinton, and Tioga counties of Pennsylvania.

Services Provided:

Electronic Health Record development including wide area network development, laboratory, imaging, respiratory therapy, and pathology. History and physicals, discharge summaries, operative reports, consults, PACS images, scanned documents like E/R records, pharmacy drug histories. This information is accessible to clinicians from any place via secure web portal.

Equipment:

Wide Area Network (WAN) equipment, Hewlett-Packard servers, Cisco routers, and many varieties of laptops and desktop personal computers.

Transmission:

Redundant ATM ringed network interconnecting other facilities and organizations using regional cable company provided fiber, Telco T1s, and frame relays, Internet VPNs and cable modem services. Band Width ranges from 56KB to 100 MB.

Network Partners:

Not applicable.

Project Purpose:

Establish an informatics resource supporting the development of Integrative Medicine (IM) practice standards by developing a website accessible to healthcare professionals and institutions supporting work toward the creation of IM practice standards. Activities involve development of: demonstration protocols in the field of clinical oncology for evidence-based integration of complementary therapies into conventional cancer care; demonstration protocols for safe use of nutraceuticals as part of an Integrative Medicine practice; and prototype digital repository for Integrative Medicine documents that supports Integrative Medicine best practices.

Outcomes Expected/Project Accomplishments:

External access enabled to web content developed during the course of this project. Measurement tools will include an inventory of products developed during the course of this project.

Service Area:

Intramural and National.

Services Provided:

• Web Based Distance Learning-ongoing additions to educational and research content.
• Digital Repository for Integrative Medicine Documents-ongoing update and additions.

Equipment:

• Computer.
• Software applications which may be used on this project include: Cold Fusion MX, MySQL and Access database systems, and Perl/CGI scripting.

Transmission:

Internet.

Network Partners:

Tyrone Hospital; Tyrone Medical Associates.

Project Purpose:

Through the use of Health Information Technology in the clinical setting at Tyrone Hospital, patient safety, the quality of care, and the efficiency of providing care will dramatically improve. The Tyrone Hospital Health Information Network project is an 18 moth effort to develop and implement remotely accessible healthcare informatics that will provide caregivers with automation, freeing them from inefficient methods of documenting and coordinating patient care.

Outcomes Expected/Project Accomplishments:

Improved quality of care and patient safety-All inpatient charts on EMR by 2007. Improved patient safety through elimination of errors due to illegible handwriting-All patient test and medication orders automated by 2007. Enhanced ability to monitor the progress of patients and check test results, improving the quality of patient care-50 percent of attending physicians with access to EMR by 2007. Improved patient safety and quality of care-All physicians, nurses, and other caregivers have access to EMR by 2007.

Service Area:

Counties and communities served are the counties surrounding Blair County: Centre, Huntingdon and Cambria. The communities include all surrounding communities.

Services Provided:

The Tyrone Hospital Information Network is newly formed to provide Patient Health Information to providers that are located within the Tyrone area. This information will be in electronic format. Services include Primary Care, Radiology, Lab, Physical Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, Pharmacy, Emergency Medicine and Surgery.

Equipment:

Physician Offices and other care providers will access Electronic Patient Records and Electronic Medical Records via a secure VPN connection. Technology includes Cisco Network equipment, Microsoft Windows Operating Systems, and software from Medical Information Technology, Inc.

Transmission:

A partial T1 line exists today, with capacity up to a Full T1 line. Remote offices will be connecting via either DSL or Cable Broadband where available.

Network Partners:

No network partners.

Project Purpose:

Purpose of Project-It is the premise of this proposed project that a significant aspect of patient safety that can be improved is the medication use process. The introduction of information systems automation and standardization of the medication process of ordering, transcribing, dispensing and administering drugs and other pharmaceuticals can be improved substantially. The project will include introducing automation and information systems in the following areas: inpatient units, operating rooms, and emergency services.

Outcomes Expected/Project Accomplishments:

The ultimate goal of the project is an improvement in patient safety. This shall be achieved through a reduction in medication errors by 50 percent over the previous year's events.

Service Area:

The service area for this phase of the project is the county of Wayne in Pennsylvania, which includes 4 MUAs, 7 Geographic HPSAs, 12 Low-Income HPSAs, a county-wide Mental Health HPSA and a county-wide Dental HPSA.

Services Provided:

The principle activities of the project will be: (1) implementation of a Medical Reconciliation Process through the installation of a new Pharmacy Computer System; (2) implementation of medication surveillance and automated dispensing of medication; (3) implementation of a bar-coded patient armband program to interface with the Pharmacy System verifying medication, dosage and route.

Equipment:

Siemens Pharmacy Application/Database Server (HP Alpha Server DS25); custom interfaces (Third party Lab results one way; PYXIS 2000 Demographics and ADT, charge/credit 2-way).

Transmission:

10/100 MBIS switched LAN.