It seems like only yesterday that the worlds of biomedical engineering and information technology were totally separate. But those two worlds have collided just as hospital-based organizations are implementing EMRs and other advanced clinical information systems. Today, many biomed devices are highly sophisticated machines capable of providing clinicians with tremendous amounts of actionable clinical data. Integrating these devices into an organization's network and connecting them to the EMR (and sometimes the pharmacy and eMAR systems) is extremely important. Read our cover story, “Biomed Joins the Party,” page 44, to see how savvy CIOs are considering biomedical devices in their overall strategic plans.
More than a few hospitals have recently broken ground on a brand new building. Constructing facilities from the ground up can be an IT opportunity for CIOs to live out their medical gadgetry wish list — or it can be an integration nightmare. How modern can you go when you already have legacy systems in the rest of the hospital? What are the biggest challenges when building from the ground up? And what are the toys that everyone wants? Read “Building for the Future,” page 18, to see some of the best practices in new hospital construction.
When Rick Schooler was planning a warehouse distribution management system to revamp the supply chain at Orlando Health, he did what so many others have done — he paid a visit to Sisters of Mercy Health System in Kansas City. The reason? Sisters has earned national recognition for its innovative supply chain management and processes. Read “Demanding a Better Supply Chain,” pages 32, to see why Sisters has hosted visitors from 670 hospitals across the country — and why its highly successful supply chain is rapidly becoming a best practice in the healthcare industry.
Healthcare Informatics 2008 September;25(9):10
