St. Elizabeth Makes List of "Most Wired" Small Hospitals In the U.S.

St. Elizabeth Hospital was named to the 2011 list of the 25 “Most Wired” small and rural hospitals in the United States for its use of information technology to support patient care and achieve operational efficiencies.

The list, announced July 15, is compiled by Hospitals & Health Networks magazine.

"We are proud to be recognized for meaningful use of information technology that makes our hospital the best place to heal, the best place to work and the best community health resource," St. Elizabeth President Dennis Popp said in a news release.

St. Elizabeth, which opened in February, is part of the Franciscan Health System. Its predecessor, Enumclaw Regional Hospital, made the “Most Wired” list from 2006-09.

Technologies at St. Elizabeth include electronic medical records; data management protocols; bedside barcode scanning to ensure that patients receive the correct medications; and wireless technology that enables staff to communicate no matter where they are in the building.

"The technology we use supports our commitment to providing our patients with the best care possible,” Popp said.

St. Elizabeth’s IT infrastructure is largely supported by Inland Northwest Health Services, a network of rural hospitals in Washington and Idaho.