A combination of technological advancements, as well as clinical achievements, have made the past year noteworthy for Grove City Medical Center.

"Point of Care"

In June, the hospital took its first step to electronic medical records, with a system for computerized clinical documentation. It eliminates the need for nurses and other clinical staff to update patients' charts with pen on paper.

The initial phase has also begun for implementation of the Electronic File Management module. This will allow patient documents, images and files to be stored electronically. This will increase the information online in the patient's electronic medical record.

Looking ahead, installation of the Medication Verification system is scheduled for this year. This system is another check in patient safety, with patients wearing armbands that bear bar codes, which will contain information, including their date of birth and account number. Their medications will also be bar coded.

The patient's armband is scanned and then his or her medication is scanned. The system compares the medication to the patient's medication orders, ensuring the specific medication and dosage was ordered by the physician.

Future projects include ChartLink, which will allow physicians to review patients' charts from a remote location, such as their office or home.

Although it might sound like something from a 1960s futuristic movie, patients can now swallow a capsule equipped with a camera that gives their doctor an up-close look at their digestive tract. Small bowel capsule endoscopy is available at Grove City Medical Center through surgeons Dr. Armando Sciullo and Dr. Charles Majchrzak.

Finding the source of bleeding from the small bowel is a major diagnostic challenge.

The causes of bleeding in the small bowel include tumors, Crohn's disease, ulcers, polyps, diverticulosis or cancer. The best way to find most of the causes of small bowel bleeding is to examine it directly with an endoscope.

The advantage of endoscopy is that it allows the doctor to treat the cause of bleeding at the time of discovery or to biopsy suspicious masses or polyps.

Recently, a new technique called capsule endoscopy has emerged as an effective way to more thoroughly evaluate the small bowel for bleeding.

The endoscopic capsule is the size of a large pill and holds a battery with a six-hour life span, a camera and a transmitter.

Once swallowed, the capsule transmits images of inside the esophagus, stomach and small bowel to a receiver worn by the patient. After six hours, the patient returns the receiver to the physician, who loads the information into a computer and then reviews the images. The patient passes the capsule through the colon, and it is eliminated through the stool.

For information on capsule endoscopy, contact Dr. Armando Sciullo at 724-458-1540 or Dr. Charles Majchrzak at 724-458-0245.

Grove City Medical Center's Home Health Services was named to the 2007 HomeCare Elite, a compilation of the most successful Medicare-certified home health care providers in the United States. This annual review identifies the top 25 percent of agencies, ranked by an analysis of performance measures in quality outcomes, quality improvement and financial performance.

"We are very excited to make the Top 25 percent list," said Karen Bray, vice president of patient care services. "Our Home Health Services consistently performs very strong in quality indicators, and their excellent survey results through the years also proves this."