Methodist Recognized for Outstanding Achievements in Healthcare Delivery

July 21, 2008

McKesson Technology Solutions presents Methodist Medical Center a 2008 VIP Award for using information technology (IT) to achieve outstanding results in delivering healthcare to the community. The VIP Awards are presented annually to organizations that exhibit vision, innovation and performance in the use of healthcare IT.

Methodist is one of six healthcare organizations selected this year by a panel of judges - who are considered experts in the field of healthcare IT use - to receive the award. In honor of its achievements, the Methodist Medical Center Foundation will receive a $10,000 grant from McKesson.

Methodist received the VIP Award for driving a technological transformation in the way physicians and other clinicians work. Methodist has a long history of using information technology and automation to achieve impressive advancements in patient safety and efficiency. But the organization wanted to create a paperless environment and move toward electronic medical records (EMRs) to benefit both patients and physicians.

Methodist President and CEO Michael Bryant said, " We're delighted to be recognized as a national trendsetter in healthcare technology. Methodist's goal is to be in the top five percent in all that we do. This McKesson award further demonstrates how we are achieving that in our technological advancements, as well as demonstrating our commitment to our mission and values. The Methodist mission statement ('We are committed to delivering outstanding healthcare. Period.') is the strategic driver of our strategy to bring more technology to Peoria to continue to improve the care for our patients."

With McKesson's document imaging solution in place, authorized clinicians can access the patient's record whenever and wherever it's needed. Doctors can sign into a secure online portal to access and complete charts, whether they are in the hospital, their offices or at home. Methodist has not only laid the foundation for an EMR, it has increased staff productivity and achieved a remarkable 99% physician satisfaction rating.

"Every year, McKesson's VIP Award winners raise the bar for what it means to deliver outstanding healthcare," said Michael Brozino, vice president of marketing, McKesson Provider Technologies. "It's rewarding for us to see how organizations like Methodist are using the power of information technology to deliver more efficient and more effective care for their patients."

VIP Award applicants underwent a rigorous judging process based on six weighted criteria: definition of the business objective, quality of the process used to make improvements, use of McKesson solution in enabling the improvement, impact on clinical and/or financial issues, improvement in service to the community, and the method used to measure results.

About McKesson

McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 18th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining processes, and improving the quality and safety of patient care. McKesson is the longest-operating company in healthcare today, marking its 175th anniversary this year. Over the course of its history, McKesson has grown by providing pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management across the spectrum of care; healthcare information technology for hospitals, physicians, homecare and payors; hospital and retail pharmacy automation; and services for manufacturers and payors designed to improve outcomes for patients. For more information, visit http://www.mckesson.com.