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Current Initiatives$3 Million Loan/Grant Goes to New London HospitalUSDA Funds New NLH Telemedicine System On Wednesday August 24, New London Hospital became the first hospital in New Hampshire and the only hospital in New England to receive an award from the Loan/Grant Program of the USDA Rural Development Office. USDA Rural Development Rural Utilities Service Administrator Curtis Anderson from Washington, DC and NH/VT State Director Jolinda LaClair presented a $2.6 million loan and a $268,000 grant to the hospital for its implementation of a telemedicine system, designed to advance patient service, quality and safety. New London Hospital will use the loan and grant money to purchase and implement a software system to integrate patient information among the hospital, physician practices, school based health clinic, outpatient services and nursing home. The system will provide access to patient information to all clinical staff and healthcare providers. "We are pleased to help bring new and improved medical services to the New London area," said Curtis Anderson, Administrator of Rural Utilities Service, USDA Rural Development. "The loan and grant combination for telemedicine is unique, the first one to be granted in the New Hampshire/Vermont jurisdiction." "The importance of technology and electronic medical records (EMR) have been recognized by top hospitals to improve quality, safety and the patient experience," said Bruce King, President and CEO of New London Hospital. "Now through the awarding of this combination loan/grant, we are partnering with the USDA, a federal agency, to provide the same type of technology and EMR's in a small, rural setting. The USDA recognizes the important role a community hospital like NLH plays in the overall health and well being of the area it serves. We hope that the NLH loan/grant success can serve as a model for others to follow in rural development projects like this." The new system, provided by McKesson Provider Technologies, is designed to improve the efficiency of administrative services to patients, improve safety and quality by reducing errors in medications and orders, and to participate in sharing health information with Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Concord Hospital and other institutions within the guidelines of privacy. "We believe a blend between this improved technology and the continued delivery of individual, personalized care will be reassuring and beneficial to our community and our patients," added King. "We recognize the importance of technology in bringing new resources to rural America," said Jolinda H. LaClair, State Director of USDA Rural Development for New Hampshire. "This loan and grant combination will ensure that the physicians and caregivers of New London Hospital and its affiliates have the ability to share patient information in a efficient and reliable way, providing the best possible in patient care." The application for the loan/grant program was prepared earlier in the year by a team from New London Hospital, headed by Chief Financial Officer Tina Naimie, Senior Grant Writer Sean Lyon, Vice President of Development and Community Affairs Susan Bryant, and Information Systems Director Dave Foss. After months of gathering data, crossing I's and dotting T's, and working closely with LaClair and USDA field representative Stephen McKenzie, the USDA Rural Utilities Service Award of a combination loan/grant totally close to $3 million was presented to NLH. The installation and implementation of the telemedicine system is expected to take a total of 24 months and to be completely installed in New London Hospital, the Clough Center nursing home, Newport Health Center and the physician practices in New London, Georges Mills and soon-to-be opened Grantham by summer 2007. |