LUMBERTON — Southeastern Health has been recognized as No. 1 in the state by U.S. News and World Report for its dedication to the use of technology in health care.

“I think it’s a great experience for our organization to be recognized in this way,” said Steve Milston, chief information officer and director of Information Technology for Southeastern Health.

According to U.S. News, to qualify for recognition, hospitals had to show their ability to share data with providers within their hospital or elsewhere to improve patient safety by using a computer and by providing patients with electronic access to their own personal medical information. Recognition was based on points awarded for hospital’s responses from the 2013-2014 American Hospital Association Annual Survey Information Technology Supplements.

To qualify for the ranking, hospitals must score 70 out of 75 points in 2014 or 55 out of 61 points in 2013. Southeastern Health scored 73 points in 2014 and 53 in 2013.

Milston said the distinction shows the a patient is “the most important part” of Southeastern Health’s work.

“As an example, if a patient is admitted to our hospital and is treated here, once they’re discharged if their primary care physician is not a Southeastern Health doctor, how do they get that information?” he said. “It wouldn’t happen if there isn’t some way to be connected. Information needs to be provided to that doctor so that they understand what happened when their patient was in our hospital — what treatment did they have, what tests were done, what were the results of those tests, when they were discharged what were the expectations, and of course what is the follow-up. If they need to have an appointment made, we would like to be able to make that appointment and if you’re not connected, it doesn’t happen. We don’t look at ourselves as only a hospital, we look at ourselves as a health delivery system.”

Steve Milston
https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_steve-milston.jpgSteve Milston

Staff report