Over the past decade, Hackettstown Regional Medical Center changed the look of our building, added a West Wing to double the size of the hospital, and became connected to a new four-story medical office building. These changes were, of course, all very noticeable.

Changes to the interior of the hospital building, however, are only noticeable when you come in as a patient or visitor, such as the player piano and the Starbucks Coffee Kiosk in the West Wing Lobby, or the new visitor desk in the front (Willow Grove) lobby.

Now, HR MC has one expansion that very few people will ever see, but one that will have a strong impact on how the staff will provide and monitor the quality of care given to patients.

The new Cerner Millennium software application has been built by staff and Care Excellence consultants to gradually change our record-keeping computer system from paper to electronic. Nurses and other clinical staff will be using hand-held devices to record patient information and progress notes. Physicians will be able to review patient lab and diagnostic imaging reports on computers at their office locations.

While the Cerner Millennium system will deliver HR MC into a more electronic world, the complete electronic medical record that you may read about in the media includes a number of additional components that will not yet be available during this first phase of installation, coming later this year.

In upcoming issues of Healthier Living, we will provide you with updates on our progress, and describe some of the additional
benefits to the inner workings of Hackettstown Regional Medical Center.