"This new web-enabled MedPoint 3.0 software takes proven technology--tested for years at hospitals around the country--to the next level," says Keith McNeice, vice president and CIO of the 457-bed Concord, N.C., hospital.
"Our clinical staff and patients are thrilled we've gone live with MedPoint-MedAdmin. This easy-to-use, easy-to-implement software system prevents potential medication administration errors. These and other innovations demonstrate our commitment to continue to use the latest technology to give our patients the safest, most advanced care possible."
NEMC went live with 11 compact MedPoint units that nurses wheel into patient rooms as needed. The hospital expects to have 70 or more when it completes rollout by end of Q1 2003.
"We launched MedPoint in our largest unit where patients stay longer and receive many medications," explains Barry W. Hawthorne, RN, MSN, CNAA, NEMC's vice president, patient care services. "Scanning medications at the bedside avoids errors caused by 'look-alike/sound-alike' drug names, misplaced decimal points, and other common sources of confusion. MedPoint gives our patients an electronic safety net that complements the critical thinking skills and judgment of our nurses."
Observes NEMC COO Dari Caldwell, BSN, MSN, PhD, CHE: "Safety is the first and most prominent of our four service standards. We feel positive about the contributions this new system and its related processes can deliver to our patients in the near future."
About NorthEast Medical Center
Rated best in the Charlotte/Hickory/Concord/Gastonia region for cardiac surgery, interventional procedures and vascular care (by HealthGrades), NorthEast Medical Center is known for advanced technology, talented clinicians, and compassionate, quality care. The regional Concord, N.C.-based not-for-profit employs more than 3500 people at a 457-bed acute-care hospital and 24 other facilities. Two NEMC nursing units--Maternity and Acute Coronary Care--recently made the Advance for Nurses top five list of "Best Nursing Teams" in the Carolinas and Georgia. For information, visit www.northeastmedical.org.
About Bridge
Founded in 1996, and headquartered in Solana Beach, Calif., Bridge Medical, Inc., has been honored for its patient safety solutions and educational initiatives. A founding member of the new National Alliance for Health Information Technology and Patient Safety Officer Society--two organizations that have publicly announced their support for medication barcoding--the innovative IT firm is continuing to lead the way in making use of barcode-enabled point-of-care (BPOC) patient safety technology as commonplace in the hospital as it is in the supermarket. For information, visit www.bridgemedical.com.
CONTACT:
Bridge Medical, Carol Somer, 858-314-5538, 888-578-0100 x5538, 703-593-5786 (cell) or csomer@bridgemedical.com
NorthEast, Lee Brower, 704-783-1449 or 704-467-7942 (cell), lbrower@northeastmedical.org
MedPoint is a trademark of Bridge Medical, Inc. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.