The “Why” of MedConnect and the “What” of Our Blog



Dr. Janis Orlowski

We are about to flip a very important switch. And we are excited to invite you to take this journey with us, as we launch our new, upgraded electronic medical record (EMR).

On Saturday, July 27, at 11:59 p.m. – a day all MedStar Washington Hospital Center associates have had circled or highlighted on their calendars for nearly a year – MedConnect goes live.

If you have ever successfully synced your mobile phone with your tablet, or networked several computers in your home, you know the benefits of being connected. Everything is at your fingertips in an instant.

At the Hospital Center, we are syncing and connecting systems on a scale that is hard for most people to imagine and that few hospitals in the world have accomplished! After more than 25,000 hours of learning and training, we are connecting 926 beds on 32 nursing units, 6,500 associates, and 1,600 medical staff and residents.

For our patients, this means: 

• Better coordination of your care among all of the people on your team.
• More timely care, with information about your medical history, medications, test results and treatment plans all in one place.
• Enhanced safety, thanks to less reliance on paper records and handwritten orders.

During the next several weeks, we will share more information about MedConnect, and the fantastic people behind it through a daily blog. We will show you what it’s like to be behind the scenes at one of the largest and busiest hospitals that cares for nearly half a million patients each year. And we will explain the benefits of an EMR, particularly as health care experiences so many critical changes.

Please visit our blog daily, share with your friends, and look for more information and photos on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/medstarwashington.

This is an important step for MedStar Washington Hospital Center and a very important addition to our ability to provide you with the highest quality, safest possible care. Thank you for joining us on our journey.

Janis M. Orlowski, MD, MACP

Chief Operating Officer/Chief Medical Officer