Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/335303
30 Health Information Technology Community Hospital Innovation How 3 Innovative Community Hospitals Are Improving Care Delivery By Helen Gregg It's not just large, multi-state systems that innovate. Community hospitals around the country are developing ways to provide the best, most patient-centered care to the populations they serve. The following three hospitals have tapped into available technology and their own staffs to develop fresh ideas and an overall culture of innovation. Longmont (Colo.) United Hospital Palm vein scanning technology to improve patient safety and the patient experience The idea to implement palm vein scanning technology, like most innovation at Longmont United Hospital, came as a response to an identified opportu- nity to improve care delivery at the hospital and its affiliated clinics. "Initially, we were looking at ways to expedite the check-in process," says Mi- chael Jefferies, vice president of information services at Longmont United Hospital. The hospital was planning on implementing kiosks similar to those found at airport check-in counters until Mr. Jefferies and his team began learning more about palm vein scanning technology. Palm vein scanners are able to identify patients based on each person's unique palm vein pattern. Longmont United Hospital quickly realized this technol- ogy could solve a number of other problems as well, such as patients with the same demographic information. "We have a number of patients with the same name and the same birthday, so telling those patients apart can be a challenge," says Mr. Jefferies. "This gives us a way to positively identify a patient and eliminate duplicated or shared patient records." The hospital plans to finish the implementation of 20 scanners at the hospital and in its four affiliated clinics by mid-July. The palm vein scanners are not the first time Longmont United Hospital has used technology to improve the care delivery process — the hospital has also implemented solutions around automated pricing updates and medica-