Contact:  Susan Brandt, 434.200.4731

Centra has been named as one of the Most Wired Hospitals and Health Systems in the country by H&HN (Hospitals & Health Networks) magazine.

Centra is recognized as one of the top 100 most wired hospitals in the nation in the July issue of the magazine, the journal of the American Hospital Association. The magazine surveys health care systems annually on the effective use of information technology in achieving clinical and operational excellence. Hospitals report on how they use information technology in five key areas: safety and quality, customer service, business processes, workforce and public health and safety.

“We are excited to be named one of the 100 Most Wired Hospitals in America,” said George W. Dawson, Centra president and CEO. “Information technology is having a major impact in enhancing the quality and patient safety of patient care in hospitals across the country and we are pleased to be recognized as a national leader.”

Ben Clark, Centra chief information officer and vice president, said, “This is a true honor for our region and the result of efforts that we started in 2003.”

That’s when Centra began using a high-speed data network around Lynchburg, which allowed data connectivity to all Centra locations, including facilities outside Lynchburg, Clark said.

“We leveraged medical imaging with our PACs (Picturing Archiving System), retired our mainframe and replaced all our clinical and financial applications. That includes nearly 500 applications that support our mission. This has made a tremendous impact on patient care and we are pleased to be recognized by H&HN. This award is truly a team effort, which includes our clinical informatics and management information systems teams as well as our nearly 5,000 Centra employees who use this technology every day.”

Centra is a leader in using information technology to enter doctor’s orders, safely provide medications with barcode technology, document and store clinical test results and using database analytics to improve care.

“Health IT has shown incredible promise in helping us improve the quality and safety of the care hospitals deliver every day,” said Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association. “The results of the Most Wired Survey confirm that today’s patient also understands the benefits of IT in improving care and improving the overall hospital experience.”

The July H&HN cover story is available at www.hhnmag.com. For more information about Centra, please visit www.centrahealth.com.