'Genesis' dawns for midwest IDN

Health Management Technology, Oct, 2004

A St. Louis-based healthcare network has devoted significant financial and employee resources to an innovative IT project. The Sisters of Mercy Health System (Mercy) has earmarked $226 million for its Genesis Project, a four-year information technology initiative designed to enhance patient safety and quality of care. Such improvements could include electronic medical record and patient registration systems. Mercy, which includes 18 hospitals in four states, has recruited at least 70 people to staff the project fulltime. Mainly drawn from the network's health centers and hospitals, staff includes employees from clinical services, finances, information systems and supplies departments.

For an in-depth look at how Mercy has re-engineered its medication administration with bar code technology, see the related article, "Medication Transformation: Pharmacists on the Floor," in this issue of HMT, page 26.