Mercy Investment a Sound One

Tornadoes are a fact of life in this part of the world. Just ask the good folks in Moore, Okla.

The Whispers staff would rather not have any more tornadoes. But if we do, it’s good to know that Mercy health care system has a tight grip on the medical records of its patients.

Did you know Mercy, which operates seven hospitals in Arkansas including Mercy Northwest Arkansas in Rogers, combats the threat of severe weather with a $550 million investment in electronic medical records?

They’re kept in the Mercy Data Center, a 42,500-SF strong house in Washington, Mo., just west of St. Louis. The records can be accessed even in the event of a direct strike, as was the case in May 2011 when Mercy Hospital Joplin was destroyed by an EF5 tornado.

A day after the Joplin storm, hospital officials were able to locate electronic medical records for a patient who had lost his during the tornado. His life was saved as a result.

The Missouri site was chosen due to its distance from fault lines, bedrock foundation and proximity to Mercy operations in Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma.

Safeguards like these are why the American Hospital Association has repeatedly named Mercy a “Most Wired” health care organization.