Sutter Health Named One of the Nation's "100 Most Wired Health Systems" for Third Year in a Row

SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 21, 2003 — Sutter Health, one of the nation's leading not-for-profit networks of community-based health care providers, has been recognized by Hospitals and Health Networks Magazine as one of the nation's "100 Most Wired Health Systems" in 2003. This is the third time Sutter Health has been awarded this distinction which recognizes technically savvy hospitals that use Internet technologies to improve patient safety, clinical quality, customer service, business processes, employee communications and disaster readiness.

"Sutter has long been focused on doing what's right to continually improve patient care. Today, that means we're among a critical few national leaders making major investments in new safety technologies that will forever change ICU bedside care and medication delivery," said Sutter Health CIO John Hummel. "We're pioneering important technology-based tools that we hope our entire industry will one day adopt."

Across the Sutter Health network, technology supports physicians in performing transplants, offering the most advanced treatments for cancer, providing leading-edge surgical techniques and caring for the most difficult pregnancies and deliveries. Outside the traditional walls of the organization, Internet technology employed by Sutter Health provides patients with access to expert information regarding thousands of common illnesses, treatments and healthy living, as well as locate network services. Sutter Health's Web site, www.sutterhealth.org, also provides job candidates with the ability to search and apply for Sutter Health employment opportunities in eight geographic regions throughout Northern and Central California, as well as Hawaii.

Independent analysis of this year's Most Wired organizations show that they dedicate more staff and capital budget to IT projects than less wired organizations.

Sutter Health's Information and Technology Department of nearly 900 employees provides services in Web development, interface development, project management, electronic security and telecommunications support. It was recently recognized by IDG's Computerworld as a top workplace for information technology professionals.

Sutter Health is one of California's leading not-for-profit networks of community-based health care providers, delivering high-quality care in more than 100 Northern California communities. It is the regional leader in infant deliveries, neonatology, orthopedics and pediatrics services. Sutter supports more than two dozen locally governed acute care hospitals as well as physician organizations; medical research facilities; region-wide home health, hospice and occupational health networks; and long-term care centers.

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Contact
Karen Garner
(916)286-8297
garnerk@sutterhealth.org