MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amcom Software, Inc. today announced that St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is adding to its Amcom technology suite to strengthen communications in clinical settings. The 532-bed hospital is adding smartphone communications and web-based on-call scheduling to its existing Amcom solutions for emergency notification and operator consoles. The goal is to further improve speed, accuracy, and security in its staff communications, which in turn enables physicians and staff to enhance patient care.
The hospital selected the Amcom Mobile Connect smartphone communications solution for encrypted, HIPAA-compliant mobile messaging among several hundred physicians and administrators using a variety of smartphones. The solution will protect sensitive patient information while eliminating questions of whether a message was delivered or responded to using the solution’s audit trail. Patient data will be further protected with capabilities such as remote message deletion for lost or stolen smartphones.
Web-based on-call scheduling will be implemented organization wide to provide accurate, easily updated schedules for physicians and others involved in patient care. In particular, the Emergency Department at St. Luke’s will use this new system to help ensure the right on-call physician can be reached around the clock, streamlining patient care communications and replacing paper-based schedules. The contact center will administer the on-call scheduling system in tandem with its Amcom operator consoles, which also support 110 physicians’ offices and departments with live, after-hours call handling.
St. Luke’s uses Amcom’s emergency notification system to communicate with outlying clinics, particularly during disaster situations such as the 2008 flood. Now, the solution is also used to alert traveling nurses of bad weather and road closings as they treat hospice and home-based patients throughout the region. In addition, various hospital departments use emergency notification to quickly disseminate important information to associates when there is a change in a scheduled event such as an important meeting. The system’s automated reminders to physicians have greatly increased attendance at section meetings.
“The security of information communicated about patients is paramount for St. Luke’s, particularly when it comes to interaction among mobile staff,” said Cathy Rammelsberg, Telecom Supervisor, St. Luke’s Hospital. “Our expanded capabilities will enable us to better support fast, informed decision making and involve the right people at every step.”
“Since 1996 we’ve worked with St. Luke’s Hospital to develop and implement technology that truly makes a difference for patients and staff,” said Chris Heim, President, Amcom Software. “We’re lucky to continue this partnership and support their new initiatives for smartphone messaging and Web-based on-call scheduling.”
About St. Luke’s Hospital
St. Luke’s is a fully accredited
532-bed hospital serving a five-county area surrounding Cedar Rapids,
Iowa. Founded in 1884 as Cedar Rapids’ first hospital, today it offers a
wide range of patient care services with strengths in cardiac care,
obstetrics, neonatology, pediatrics, rehabilitation, behavioral health,
general surgery, trauma care and senior services. St. Luke’s Hospital is
nationally recognized as a Top 100 and Magnet Hospital.
About Amcom Software
Amcom
Software, a subsidiary of USA Mobility, Inc. (Nasdaq: USMO),
connects people to each other and to the data they need. This helps
organizations save lives with communications that are faster, more
accurate, and more efficient. Thousands of organizations worldwide rely
on Amcom solutions for critical smartphone communications, contact
center optimization, emergency management, and clinical workflow
improvement. The company's products are used by leading organizations in
healthcare, hospitality, education, business, and government. By
continually developing its industry-leading technologies, Amcom Software
has rapidly grown and solidified its market leadership. For more
information, call 800.852.8935 or go to http://www.amcomsoftware.com
or find us on Twitter @AmcomSoftware.