Providence Holy Cross Medical Center Upgrades Technology to Increase Health Care Efficiency, Thanks to $500,000 Verizon Grant

Providence Holy Cross Medical Center has embarked on a technology upgrade, funded by a $500,000 grant from Verizon, that will improve the hospital's efficiency, increase accuracy of patient records, and initiate health care outreach for uninsured Californians.

The two-year grant - awarded by the Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications - was announced Friday (Jan. 8) at a reception attended by Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes, retired Assemblyman Keith Richman, and executives from Providence Health & Services, California, which operates the medical center. 

"Verizon's generosity will help take Providence Holy Cross Medical Center into the future," said Arnold R. Schaffer, Providence Health & Services' senior vice president and regional chief executive. "And with our entire nation so focused on health care, this gift is a shining illustration of how private enterprise can work with health care providers in reaching out to those most in need."

The grant will fund a kiosk in the hospital's busy emergency room where patients will check themselves in, following instructions in either English or Spanish. The system will reduce the time people have to wait for treatment, increase the accuracy of medical records, and alert the staff to the most urgent cases so they are treated immediately.

The grant will also establish an outreach program to help uninsured patients find cost-effective primary health alternatives to treatment in the emergency room, and will enable the purchase of new software for computers in the medical center's 142-bed expansion, which is scheduled to open in 2011. The computer system will enable staff to print identification bracelets at a patient's bedside and help ensure all laboratory orders and tests are matched with the correct patient.

"I commend Verizon for its generosity and commitment to our community," Fuentes said. "Improving the delivery of health care services to the uninsured is an important contribution to the health care issue. At the same time, Verizon's donation will help relieve the pressure on the hospital's emergency room."

Verizon West Region President Tim McCallion said: "As our society debates ways to cost-effectively improve the nation's health care delivery system, Verizon will help Providence Holy Cross Medical Center to use technology to provide high-quality medical care for San Fernando Valley residents."

The Verizon Foundation supports the advancement of literacy and K-12 education through its free educational Web site, Thinkfinity.org, and fosters awareness and prevention of domestic violence. In 2009, the Verizon Foundation awarded more than $67.5 million in grants to nonprofit agencies in the U.S. and abroad. It also matched the charitable donations of Verizon employees and retirees, resulting in an additional $24.4 million in combined contributions to nonprofits. Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation's largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered more than 5 million hours of community service since 2000. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizonfoundation.org.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 89 million customers nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 230,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of more than $97 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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