MCH pegs $6.2 million

Medical Center Hospital officials made no bones about it, this will be a "massive, difficult project" - and one totaling more than $6.2 million.

The Ector County Hospital District Board of Directors approved the purchase of a McKesson Computerized Physicians Order Entry system Tuesday evening. Bill Webster, MCH chief executive officer, said the project is the last major step toward converting to electronic medical records.

"It'll be great," he said. "I've been in this business a long time. I've been looking toward this date for over 20 years."

The system, which will require five new full-time employees to be hired, is designed to improve patient safety, quality and efficiency, Webster said.

The project will involve installing hardware, training physicians, nurses and clinical staff, integrating new software with existing equipment and installing new computer equipment. Webster said work is expected to begin in October and be completed in October 2010.

Gary Barnes, MCH chief information officer, said the project should meet "meaningful use" stipulations in the federal stimulus act, which could qualify it for $5.4 million to help offset the costs.

But some were uncertain.

"What if we don't get the stimulus money?" board member David Dunn said. "You know how Congress is."

But Webster said he was "very confident" MCH would receive part of $19 billion the federal government is allocating for electronic medical records, but, even without the stimulus funds, the project likely would have been included in the fiscal year 2010 budget.

"This is something we would need with or without the stimulus," he said.

Robert Abernethy, MCH chief financial officer, said the project would bring the hospital's total bill for converting to electronic records to close to $30 million over the years, which is typical of a hospital its size.

"I'm looking forward to the day when we have a meeting when Gary doesn't speak," Dunn joked.

The board also approved an agreement with Nursing Solutions Inc. of Lancaster, Penn., which will pay the company $370,000 to recruit 10 emergency room nurses.

Marlene McAllister, MCH chief nursing officer, said the same company recruited 15 experienced critical care nurses last year, all of which have stayed with the hospital.

The contract has guarantees that the company would replace any nurses who leave within six months, McAllister said.

The board also approved an interactive patient television system for $259,175.50. Diana Huerta, nursing education director, said the system would allow patients to find out about hospital activities on their room's television screens, and choose from over 450 videos designed to provide healthcare education.

"We now give them the freedom to select the videos they want to watch on demand, much like they would on TV," Huerta said.

Eventually, the system could be upgraded to allow the hospital to charge patients to access in-room movies and video games, she said.

In other action, the board approved:

>> Computer software that will monitor the hospital's efforts to contain the spread of infection for $126,484.

>> Appointment of the board's committees.  

>> A $3,600 per month five-year lease agreement with Positive Impact Waste Solutions to dispose of medical waste.  

 >> An annual insurance renewal.  

>> Formalizing a $7,000 monthly contract agreement with Austin-based electrophysiologist Dr. Jason Zagrodzky to bring his services to the Permian Basin for two full days per month. The agreement pays for travel expenses for the doctor and his staff.

>> A professional services agreement with the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston's radiology department to provide backup PET and CT scan services for $150 per exam.

>> Sale of a small piece of land at West Second Street and Sam Houston Avenue to the Desert Milagro Dialysis Center for parking and landscaping for $20,000. MCH retains a 25-by-25 foot piece of land for future signage.