Hospitals Lure Patients with Comfort, Quality

Northwest Arkansas hospitals are racing to provide quality and additional patient ammenities. Ever-increasing demands for new medical technology barely eclipse the clamoring for bedside comfort.

So in addition to their reputation for surgial and technological care, local hospitals are competing to create patient environments that are as homey as they are handy.

Tami Hutchison, senior vice president of strategic business planning for Northwest Health System Inc. in Springdale, said the company recently introduced Internet access for patients at its new 125-bed Northwest Medical Center of Benton County.

The Bentonville hospital cost about $65 million to build, and a litany of amenities were built into that price rather than being add-ons for patient bills later.

“We have patient rooms that provide access to the Internet and an internal television network that allows us to broadcast patient education video,” Hutchinson said. “[The hospital has also] installed information kiosks that enable patients and visitors to access various types of information such as patient education resources.”

As for technology in the near future, Hutchinson said, “Northwest will continue to enhance its use of the Internet, intranet and other technologies as patients, staff, and other consumer groups request it.”

Sparks Health System in Fort Smith in 2002 introduced a special amenity for female patients. The Women’s Center at Sparks became the first facility in Northwest Arkansas to offer digital mammography, a process that produces digital images within 10 seconds.

Patients no longer have to wait to be sure that images are useable and accurate, according to Sparks’ literature. The images may also be manipulated and magnified to take a closer look which helps ensure a proper diagnosis.

The digital mammography equipment cost $892,000

Sparks is also on the way to mastering a new intravenous medication system that includes a built-in safety net. The system is designed to aid, not replace the nursing staff and to help rule out human error in dosage and readings.

Fayetteville’s Washington Regional Medical Center, which relocated to Milsap Road a year ago this month, introduced a new communication link between doctors and technicians that it believes will enhance patient care. Terry Fox, a spokesperson for WRMC, said the hospital is the first of its size in the nation to go to full IP Telephony.

“[It’s] a system that allows computers to be used as telephones and telephones to be used as hand-held computers,” Fox said. “This new system increases communication for all hospital personnel.”

Fox said faster communication results in faster and more accurate responses to the patients. WRMC has also introduced computerized bedside registration which, she said, decreases waiting times and aides compliance with the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).

“This new system allows more privacy for the patients when giving personal data and allows the hospital staff to start treating the patients more quickly,” Fox said.

As far as technological enhancements furthering patient diagnosis and treatment WRMC has adopted the Picture Archival Communication (PAC) System which aides video-conferencing and allows for distance learning capabilities.

“With the PAC system X- rays can be taken, stored and read digitally instead of on film. WRMC was the first public hospital in Northwest Arkansas to go completely filmless with the new system,” Fox said.

Both WRMC and Northwest Health have new beds in their critical care units that turn patients with little effort.