UF Health recognized for technological innovation

University of Florida Health is among an elite group of health care facilities that have been recognized for their commitment to using advanced technology for a better patient experience.

UF Health’s hospitals in Jacksonville and Gainesville have been listed among health care’s “Most Wired” facilities for 2016. The results of the 18th annual survey were released July 6 by the American Hospital Association’s Health Forum and appear in Hospitals & Health Networks magazine.

The Most Wired award recognizes 364 health care organizations nationwide that demonstrate core technological development in infrastructure; clinical integration; clinical quality and safety; and business and administrative management. This year, in addition to requiring systems that support and enable clinical care, financial management and operational management, Most Wired emphasized developments in predictive analytics, telehealth and cybersecurity.

According to the survey, the facilities that made this year’s list are exceptional in using their core systems and are also making extensive use of telehealth to fill gaps in care, provide around-the-clock services and expand access to medical specialties. Telehealth uses telecommunication technology to distribute health-related services and information.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by HealthCare’s Most Wired survey as one of the 364 “Most Wired” health care organizations. The award is a reflection of our excellent UF Health leadership team and their commitment to investing in and encouraging the utilization of our systems in a manner that enables us to deliver coordinated, safe patient care effectively and efficiently,” said Kari Cassel, senior vice president and chief information officer at UF Health.

“The investment in collecting and using our data and the pioneering approach of creating a chief data officer position has put UF Health in the enviable position of having a wealth of information at our fingertips. As an organization, we are very data-driven and having the analytical information that can inform both our operational management and our advanced planning initiatives is invaluable. It has also been great to see UF Health leverage our experiences with distance learning to fast-track our efforts in the telehealth arena,” she said.

The HealthCare Most Wired survey was conducted in early 2016. It surveyed 680 participants representing 2,146 hospitals about ways that their organizations are leveraging information technology to improve value-based health care, according to the American Hospital Association. For a full list of winners and other details about the Most Wired survey, go to http://www.hhnmag.com.