High-tech care to be offered at facility

Much of the technology in the new hospital is in place at other HMHP facilities.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- As progress continues on the new St. Elizabeth Boardman Health Center, work goes on behind the scenes to ensure the project encompasses the latest technology.
"From a technology standpoint, the doctors, employees and patients will get a state-of-the-art facility," said Michael F. Seiser, vice president of information systems at Humility of Mary Information Systems.
The new Humility of Mary Health Partners hospital, slated to open next summer, will be equipped with wireless capability for nurses. They will carry wireless phones so they can be contacted when needed.
"It allows nurses not to be tied to the nurses' station," said Robert D. Gumino Jr., manager of data-voice network services.
That also frees up more time for them to focus on patients, he said.
It also cuts down on noise, reducing the need for overhead paging, Seiser added.
"They'll have call lights in the IP phones," Gumino said. "The phone will be at their side rather than at the desk."
That's something that's already at St. Elizabeth's main hospital in Youngstown and at St. Joseph Health Center, Warren, but Seiser said a brand new facility allows it to be installed from scratch.
The new $77 million facility under construction at Market Street and McClurg Road will include seven floors and 108 beds. Each room will be private with private bath and shower.
Other technology benefits at the new hospital include free Internet access for patients and family members. Gumino said HMHP is considering a system that would enable patients to use the television screens in their patient rooms as computer monitors. That way they could access the Internet even without a laptop.
Ranked highly
Last year, St. E's was one of 47 U.S. hospitals named in U.S. News & amp; World Reports "Best Hospitals" and one of the "100 Most Wired" hospitals.
St. Elizabeth was the first area hospital to adopt electronic medical records, eliminating paper charting and files. The electronic format also allows doctors to access patient data from their home or office.
But Seiser emphasized that though that information is available to doctors and the hospitals are wired with technology, HMHP follows by privacy laws and confidential patient information cannot be accessed by anyone other than a patient's doctors and other medical professionals.
Installation of the technology and wiring will begin when the building is secure, but the process to get ready is already in full swing, Seiser said.
"It's an exciting project," Gumino said. "It's nice to work on a project from the ground up, to build on the knowledge that you already have and to make it state of the art."