Stimulus Could Help Upgrade Medical Records
Epic, Local Hospitals Could Benefit From Stimulus Package
Updated: 2:00 pm CST February 11, 2009
MADISON, Wis. -- President Barack Obama has been a big advocate for converting medical records nationwide to an electronic format, and he's providing federal dollars through the stimulus package to make it happen.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportWhile the final amount isn't yet know, the stimulus could benefit Verona's Epic Systems, which designs and implements medical record software worldwide, as well as local hospitals looking to convert to electronic records.Stoughton Hospital is among those hoping to finish an upgrade to computerized record systems. Currently, the hospital still relies on paper records, but it has taken the first steps toward an electronic record system.Nurses can check patient records through special software."The downside is that we can only view (patient records). We have to depend on printing it to get the results into the patient's record," said Joyce Williams, quality safety coordinator at Stoughton Hospital.The electronic records system Stoughton Hospital would install is estimated to cost about $1.5 million, WISC-TV reported."What it will mean for us to do this is putting aside some of those other investments in medical equipment or facility upgrades in order to invest in the electronic health record," said Karen Myers, CFO of Stoughton Hospital.Myers said she hopes stimulus money will help the hospital make the upgrade.And with a possible $20 billion going toward upgrades nationwide, Epic Systems said it is bracing for plenty of work."There have been estimates that maybe 18 to 20 percent of hospitals or patients are on an electronic system. Much of medicine continues on paper, which is different from many other industries, so certainly the growth potential is huge when you consider how many patients, hospitals as well as physicians' offices need to move to an electronic system," said Dr. Bret Shillingstad, who works in Clinical Informatics at Epic Systems.Epic said that as far as job creation, hospitals would hire IT people to implement the software, and Epic might need to hire more to train those employees at its Verona center."I think it's huge, and Epic has experienced steady growth and larger than expected growth in a lot of ways, but we see this accelerating the pace of getting electronic systems in," Shillingstad.The amount of money that will ultimately flow to these programs is still in flux. The amounts of money allocated to medical records are different in the Senate and House bills.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportWhile the final amount isn't yet know, the stimulus could benefit Verona's Epic Systems, which designs and implements medical record software worldwide, as well as local hospitals looking to convert to electronic records.Stoughton Hospital is among those hoping to finish an upgrade to computerized record systems. Currently, the hospital still relies on paper records, but it has taken the first steps toward an electronic record system.Nurses can check patient records through special software."The downside is that we can only view (patient records). We have to depend on printing it to get the results into the patient's record," said Joyce Williams, quality safety coordinator at Stoughton Hospital.The electronic records system Stoughton Hospital would install is estimated to cost about $1.5 million, WISC-TV reported."What it will mean for us to do this is putting aside some of those other investments in medical equipment or facility upgrades in order to invest in the electronic health record," said Karen Myers, CFO of Stoughton Hospital.Myers said she hopes stimulus money will help the hospital make the upgrade.And with a possible $20 billion going toward upgrades nationwide, Epic Systems said it is bracing for plenty of work."There have been estimates that maybe 18 to 20 percent of hospitals or patients are on an electronic system. Much of medicine continues on paper, which is different from many other industries, so certainly the growth potential is huge when you consider how many patients, hospitals as well as physicians' offices need to move to an electronic system," said Dr. Bret Shillingstad, who works in Clinical Informatics at Epic Systems.Epic said that as far as job creation, hospitals would hire IT people to implement the software, and Epic might need to hire more to train those employees at its Verona center."I think it's huge, and Epic has experienced steady growth and larger than expected growth in a lot of ways, but we see this accelerating the pace of getting electronic systems in," Shillingstad.The amount of money that will ultimately flow to these programs is still in flux. The amounts of money allocated to medical records are different in the Senate and House bills. Copyright 2009 by Channel 3000. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
