Technology

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center is dedicated to exploring and deploying the latest technology available.

Nurses at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center use GE's "Carecast" for their electronic medical record. Nursing staff use Carecast to document assessments, as well as intake and output, enter orders, see results, and chart medications using bar code scanners. We are almost at 100% with the use of Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE). Click here for information about computer education and support.

Nurses, physicians and other disciplines access Carecast through PCs and flat panel network terminals in the nurses’ stations, hallways and patient rooms, as well as radio frequency laptops. These options give the nurse the mobility to chart in real time at the bedside or at the nurse's station or conference room. Each new nurse receives 12 hours of classroom computer training during orientation.

Monitor techs communicate EKG changes to nurses from the Centralized Telemetry Monitoring Station. PACS workstations allow viewing of x-rays on 19" monitors. Nurses in the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) monitor patients 24 hours a day with video and EEG monitoring.

McKesson HBOC AcuDose-Rx automated medication dispensing cabinets (with fingerprint recognition) are on all inpatient units and the ED for first dose, prn and some scheduled medications. This integrates with the current McKesson ROBOT-Rx used for dispensing daily medications.

Nurses can access patient education materials, required & continuing education, job standards, competencies, and evaluations online. In addition to the many other items available on the Intranet, nurses can quickly search and view all hospital and administrative policies with the click of a mouse.

We are using radio frequency phones that easily connect nurses to nurses and nurses to physicians improving communication accross the continum of care.

In 2012, Wake Forest Baptist Health will be transitioning to Epic as our new EMR.