Employee News

IASIS Investing $30 Million in New Technology

Walk into any IASIS hospital and you’ll find cutting edge technology – machines that can peer inside the body, robotic arms that perform the most delicate surgical procedures, smart instruments that can pinpoint a tumor and blast it with a targeted dose of radiation.

And now, every IASIS hospital is about to get wired with a new set of high-tech tools—information systems that will move patient charts from paper to computer; give doctors access to a patient’s most up-to-date medical information anywhere they are and anytime they want it; and provide a safer way to deliver medications using barcode technology that matches patients with their medicines.

“This is going to revolutionize the way doctors and nurses work in IASIS hospitals, giving them better, faster, easier access to the information they need to do their jobs. It will make them more efficient, more accurate, and more available to spend time with their patients,” says Cathy Story, the company’s chief nursing officer.

North Vista’s Donna Devera, unit secretary (left), and Yessinnia Vera, RN, are looking forward to the new timesaving technology.

North Vista Hospital to be First Online
North Vista Hospital in Las Vegas, the newest member of the IASIS family of hospitals, will be the first to implement the new clinical technology, with all IASIS hospitals scheduled to be online with the new systems in the next few years. IASIS will invest $30 million to purchase and install the clinical systems.

A physician portal will give doctors access to a patient’s medical information from any computer. That means a doctor can go onto the Internet and use a highly secured Web site to connect to the hospital’s system. He can then review his patient’s latest vital signs, lab results, X-rays, and other important information. The doctor can also enter orders electronically, keeping the doctor connected to the patient, even when he or she isn’t at the hospital.

An electronic documentation system will speed patient charting by moving it to rolling computer stations that can be placed right at a patient’s bedside or at the nursing station. Rather than writing detailed information with pen and paper, doctors and nurses will be able to input medical notes, prescriptions, and diagnoses right into the electronic chart. Test results can be entered into the same chart from the lab or radiology department. The result is a more complete patient record, with up-to-the-minute information. Doctors and nurses can access the records instantly, and find the information they need to make critical decisions about how to care for a patient without having to dig through piles of paper.

“This is going to be a huge timesaver. Right now, nurses spend an unbelievable amount of time doing the paperwork. With the new system, we’ll be able to chart more information, and do it faster, so we can spend more time taking care of our patients,” says Lisa Nicoud, RN, director of critical care at North Vista.

The electronic documentation system will also be a huge help in an emergency. With the click of a computer button, a nurse will be able to pull up previous hospital records, saving the precious minutes it would take to call medical records and wait for a patient’s chart to be pulled from the files and delivered to the ER.

Safer Medicine

When nurses give medicine using the new electronic medication administration system, they will scan a barcode on the patient’s ID bracelet and match it to a barcode on the medication packet. A computer will check to be sure the nurse is giving the right drug, in the right dose, at the right time, to the right patient. The computer will issue a warning if the barcodes don’t match.

The computer also issues a warning if a doctor prescribes a medication the patient may be allergic to or drugs that might cause a dangerous interaction when used together.

“Patient safety and high-quality care are always our priorities,” says Story. “With the implementation of this new technology, IASIS hospitals will improve the way we care for our patients and the work environment for our healthcare professionals.”

Leading the Way
Hospitals across the country are under pressure to reduce medication errors, improve efficiency, and do a better job of handling patient records. But so far, surveys show less than 20 percent of the nation’s hospitals are equipped with the kind of technology IASIS is putting in place.

“IASIS hospitals are not alone in facing these complex challenges, and we’re proud to step up and be a leader in advancing the clinical process with hi-tech solutions,” says Sandra McRee, president and chief operating officer of IASIS. “With this investment, we will give our staff and our physicians the tools they need to enhance the quality of care they deliver to our patients.”

Benefits of Advanced Clinical Technology

• Provides faster access to patient information
• Increases time available for direct patient care
• Connects the physician to the hospital 24/7
• Enhances patient safety practices
• Reduces costs

	New Investors to Acquire IASIS

IASIS has announced that a group of investors, led by Texas Pacific Group (TPG), is making a substantial investment to acquire the company. The transaction is valued at $1.4 billion and will make TPG the majority stockholder in IASIS.

“This is great, exciting news for our company and for our hospitals,” said David White, IASIS Chairman and CEO. “It means we will have more access to capital so we can continue investing in the hospitals we own now and look at adding new facilities as part of our long-term plan to grow the company.”

There will be no changes to the corporate leadership team or to local hospital management, staff, or operations as a result of this transaction, which is scheduled to be complete in June.

Texas Pacific Group is a private investment firm that has invested in companies such as Petco, J.Crew, Burger King, Del Monte, Ducati and America West Airlines.
“IASIS is an exceptionally well-run hospital company that has experienced consistent, strong growth while delivering high quality patient care,” said Jonathan Coslet, partner, TPG. “The company's facilities are well positioned in some of the nation’s most attractive urban and suburban markets.”

Sandra McRee
Named IASIS President

Sandra McRee has been promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer of IASIS.

“Sandra has done a tremendous job of developing our operating strategies and generating solid results while keeping our hospitals constantly focused on delivering high-quality patient care,” said David White. “I know she can help lead IASIS to even greater success and growth in the coming years.”

McRee joined IASIS in May 2001 and has more than 25 years of healthcare management experience.

“I truly enjoy my work, and I’m very appreciative of this opportunity. We have an incredible group of physicians and employees and wonderful hospitals. I believe IASIS is uniquely positioned to move to the next level, and I’m excited to be a part of making that happen,” said McRee.

Thanks a Lot!

Do you have one? Buried in the back of a drawer, or file, or box somewhere have you saved a note from someone you’ve worked with who wrote to thank you for a job well done?

A recent survey showed that while many people will read and then throw away thank-you notes for gifts, the majority of people save thank-you notes from their employers and co-workers. That says a lot about the power of simply saying thanks. Gratitude for a job well done can improve a person’s pride in their work and self-esteem, as well as strengthen the relationship between the note writer and the recipient.

Experts on the art of thank you notes offer this advice for expressing your appreciation:

Be prompt. Thank-you notes should be sent soon after an act of kindness or a specific event for which you are grateful.

Be sincere. When thanking people for things you truly appreciate, your notes will come across as genuine and thoughtful.

Be brief. Just a few short lines expressing your appreciation and why you are thankful is enough to make someone’s day.

Send handwritten notes by mail. While an e-mail thanks is generally considered appropriate, a handwritten note, received at home when it is not expected, can make a great impact.

Imagine this: What if all 9,000 IASIS employees sent a thank-you note to a co-worker today?