The advancement of IT use within the Physician Network is a major priority to help improve care and convenience. Research and practical experience show that most improvements in the process of health care rely on the use of IT, and it is not possible to achieve the same level of improvement with only paper records.

Electronic Health Records are being implemented in our physician practices, with a commitment to expand implementation over the next few years. For four years in a row, the Physician Network has received awards of top performance from the Integrated Healthcare Association for our adoption of information technology to support patient care. Among those IT capabilities are:

• Prescribing medications electronically
• Electronic medication checks for safety and efficiency
• Electronic access to lab results
• Electronic access to clinical notes within our hospitals