Rural hospital accesses big-city treatment with technology

Two years ago, East Morgan County Hospital became one of the 23 in the Banner Health system retrofitted with an Electronic Medical Record system that allows it to enjoy the same standard of care found at many top-flight suburban and city hospitals. In fact, East Morgan is one of the few rural facilities in the United States that has reached Stage 6 of EMR implementation. Roughly 4.4 percent of all hospitals in the country are at this stage, said Banner Health spokesman Greg Sexton. East Morgan also is part of Banner's Electronic Intensive Care Unit, which uses a remote monitoring system that allows doctors and nurses at the hospital to talk through a video feed to counterparts in command centers in Mesa, Ariz.; Greeley; Southern California; and even Tel Aviv, Israel.