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Change for the better:
Electronic medical records allow the nursing
staff at Sharon Hospital to concentrate on patient care and safety.
4
q
lifeand health
TECHNOLOGY
THERE
have been some very ex-
citing technology advances at Sharon
Hospital in the past year.
e hospital administration team
committed to going forward with
an electronic medical record (EMR)
initiative. EMR is part of a nation-
wide move toward having all patient
medical records computerized. EMR
enhances communication amongst
practitioners and ultimately results in
improved patient safety.
At Sharon, we have also imple-
mented computerized physician
charting during the past year. is
allows physicians to enter orders
via their computers. e orders are
viewable by the nursing sta and
pharmacy immediately. is improves
delivery of care as well as patient
safety and nurse work ow.
We also adopted an electronic med-
ication administration record (eMAR).
With eMAR, the physician enters an
order, and it can be seen immediately
Technology and nursing
Electronic medical records assist in high-quality patient care at Sharon Hospital
By Kimberlee E. Richard, MSN, MHA, RN
Chief Nursing O cer
by the nurse. e nurse administers the
medication to the patient and docu-
ments it in the computer. To get ready
for eMAR, the nursing sta tested
laptops and special carts. e nurses
now use the carts to administer medi-
cations and to keep records on their
patients. e carts allow the nurses to
spend more time at the patient bed-
side and improve their work ow.
As they say, “It takes a village,” and
all departments and sta have been
on board in supporting these changes.
I want to thank the IT, Pharmacy and
Nursing departments, as well as our
physician leaders, for their commit-
ment to improving patient safety.
When everyone is on board, great
things can happen—and the ultimate
winner is the patient.
19.6
Minutes to
Emergency
Care
When you come to Sharon Hospital for an emergency,
you’ll have peace of mind knowing that our healthcare
providers will care for you within 19.6 minutes on average*.
So whether you have stomach pain, suffered a broken bone,
or are having symptoms of a heart attack or stroke,
you can count on our highly trained medical professionals,
state-of-the-art technology, and award-winning
Emergency Department.
You’re 19.6 minutes * closer
to getting back in the game.
Homeof theERWaiting(Less)Room
The Emer genc y Depar tment at Shar on Hosp i t al
50 Hospital Hill Road, Sharon, CT | 860.364.4111 | sharonhospital.com
*Averagewait times for patients fromdoor to doctor were 19.6minutes based on actual 2010wait times in the Emergency Department at SharonHospital.
Patientswho arrive with life threatening andmore serious injuries and ailments are seenbefore thosewithnon-life threatening problems.