Rep. Wilson tours hospital, talks reform

By D.a. Wilkinson

A patient’s status could be seen on a large screen at Salem Community Hospital.

SALEM — U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson made a whirlwind tour through Salem Community Hospital as part of pending talks on health reform.

The 6th District congressman saw some of the innovations that were included in the hospital’s almost-completed $19 million makeover.

Wilson and his staff spent Friday morning talking with doctors from Boardman and Canfield. He was at the Salem hospital Friday afternoon. Earlier this year, he talked to other hospitals in his district.

In Salem, Deborah Stoudt, a registered nurse at the hospital, dressed as a fake patient — supposedly with a gall-bladder problem — as a part of the tour, which also was intended to be a media photo opportunity to show off some of the hospital’s improvements.

The hospital decided not to use a real patient because under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act — or HIPPA — patients have to give their consent in writing to have their medical information released to the public, said Michelle Hoffmeister, hospital spokesman.

Besides, she added, no real patient would want to be interviewed by the media right after surgery.

Wilson looked over the new surgical check-in area that will offer preparation by nurses who will stay with the patient and would wait with them until the patient went into surgery.

The waiting room in the new areas of the hospital will show the status of patients as they go through their surgery on a large flat-screen television.

Hoffmeister said people who don’t want their information released can have it blocked.

Wilson said the idea behind health-care reform is to give patients the best care. That will include electronic record keeping.

“It’s a big undertaking,” the congressman from St. Clairsville said.

One health-tracking system, Admin-Rx, helps to keep track of a patient’s medicines to allow dosage at the right time and prevent improper medication, he said.

He said he hopes an agreement can be reached by the end of the year.

Medicare, he added, “is growing and growing and growing.” Medicare is the federal health insurance program that covers most people age 65 and older.

Wilson also saw a COW, which Hoffmeister said stands for Computer on Wheels, that contains information on patients.

wilkinson@vindy.com