Newsweek: Inside Hospitals' Digital Command Centers
By Alexis Kayser
During the winter of 2023, staff at Children's Mercy Kansas City were waiting for the "surge": a dreaded period when viral illnesses like influenza and RSV abound, leading to an increase in hospital admissions.
But as the winter bled into 2024, it became clear that something had changed. Children were still getting sick and requiring advanced medical care. However, staff at Children's Mercy weren't "feeling the angst" like they had in years past, according to Dr. Jennifer Watts, the hospital's associate chief medical officer of acute care and inpatient operations.
The difference, Watts said, came from technology. That was the hospital's first year using GE HealthCare's Command Center software, a product that allows it to digitally monitor care delivery and track patients' progress throughout their stay.
It's like the "NASA" control hub for the health system, Watts told Newsweek. During the first winter partnering with GE, Children's Mercy staff began asking, "Is the surge here?"
"They just didn't feel it," Watts said. "We were able to prepare. We were able to have [sufficient] staff present. We got rid of the scramble that typically occurs when you don't prepare for things."
Read the full article via Newsweek