Prince Fredrick, MD-– Calvert Memorial Hospital (CMH) is once again at the forefront of using information technology to improve health care delivery and outcomes, according to the results of a survey published by the American Hospital Association (AHA). Out of more than 2,200 hospitals across the nation, CMH was one of 338 that made it to the “Most Wired” list for 2015.

“Congratulations to our nation’s Most Wired for harnessing the potential of information technology to improve quality care and patient safety,” said Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the AHA. “These hospitals are setting the bar for the protection of patient data through rigorous security measures.”

This is the second consecutive year that Calvert has received this prestigious honor, placing it in the top 15 percent of technologically advanced hospitals in the US. This year’s award recognizes the hospital’s focus on security and patient engagement.

“We are honored once again to be named as a Most Wired hospital,” said Dean Teague, president and CEO of Calvert Health System, which includes Calvert Memorial Hospital and its subsidiaries.

“The award is important because it measures how well we’re doing in using key information technology.”

He went on to add, “It not only recognizes the great work our IT team does on a daily basis. It’s also a great reflection on our efforts to continually improve the care we provide to our patients.”

According to Ed Grogan, chief information officer at Calvert, “The criteria for this award get more difficult each year and there are higher expectations. They look at how hospitals continue to optimize and enhance their systems, which we have done and continue to do at CMH.”

“Information technology today is critical to attaining a better connection with our patients,” he explained. “Our online patient portal – called My CMH Care – is really about giving patients access to more of their own information so they can be more involved in the management of their health.”

Last month, Grogan said the hospital launched the “Get Well Network,” an interactive bedside education system that provides personalized teaching tools and videos to help patients better understand their specific condition and to take an active role in staying well once they go home.

Also underway is a 12-month project to upgrade the hospital’s information system to a totally new platform that will better connect all the elements of a patient’s health record throughout the hospital. 

“In addition to making the connections with our patients stronger,” he said, “information technology also helps to ensure our patients’ privacy and protection of their health information.”

Grogan went on to add, “We place a huge emphasis on protecting and safeguarding patient health information. Creating secure and efficient IT processes is paramount to providing better care for our patients.”