| New technology at Dameron Hospital focused on superb patient care
By Craig W. Anderson
Dameron Hospital has some high tech hidden gems inside a squat two-story building west of the main hospital. Inside this prosaic shape are some of the coolest examples of American computer and software technology. In another part of the building are examples of the most powerful of American mechanical technology.
It is a $10 million building that will help patients get the best medical care and protect them from power outages.
Inside are two Caterpillar generators that guard the hospital against a power failure. Upstairs from the gargantuan machines is the heart of a computer network that enables doctors, nurses, and technicians to integrate the medical information for a patient in an electronic filing cabinet. A physician can see all the test results from a particular patient, including very high resolution digital images instead of video tape.
The Central Utility building has been planned since 1998 in order to make the hospital safe from a seismic event.
The Caterpillar generators can produce 1250 kilowatts each and run on diesel fuel.
“Just one of them could keep the hospital running,” said Jacob Wiebe, Director of Plant Operations. “The reason for two is for a backup to the backup.”
Each generator cost $175,000. They were purchased from Holt Brothers in Stockton.
In a nearby room are the heating and air conditioning systems for the entire hospital. The water supply and the air supply for the pneumatic system of routing lab specimens are also housed on the ground floor of the Central Utility Building. In an ingenious design, the electricity, water, and air run in conduits and pipes under the street to the hospital.
There is a two-story cooling tower that functions as a radiator for the air conditioning system and it uses electro-magnetic pulses instead of a biocide to control unwanted growths in the system.
The water system uses a technology that monitors water demand and adjusts its output accordingly.
“When the pressure increases in the pipe, sensors notice a decrease demand and slow down either the cooling or heating system, which saves us money,” Mr. Wiebe said.
“The pneumatic system transports blood samples and others,” Wiebe said. “We put the tubing in for that system while running the electrical. It feeds from across the street from the 530 Building. In the hospital there are specimen stations.”
The desire was to hub all utilities together in one building. Finally, after a number of years, the goal is almost met. The backup generators will be online in a matter of weeks. Right now there are smaller Caterpillar generators in the basement of the hospital.
Upstairs the cooling systems are used in the data center, a large room where computer servers reside in a frigid 53 degrees. The computer room has its own separate cooling system because of the steep needs of cooling the computers and associated hardware.
“Simply put, this system allows caregivers to get patient care information anywhere anytime at the speed of light,” said Glenn Whipple, Chief Information Officer for Dameron Hospital.
Dameron’s information system has expanded from a financially focused and business oriented system to one that integrates clinical applications. The assembled data ends up in a repository that is web accessible, yet still secure. This means that doctors can access complete clinical case information from their homes and offices. It also means that it would be possible for consultations in remote and faraway locations.
“Doctors can see lab results or echocardiograms and all the rest in one sitting,” Whipple said.
A network like the Dameron Hospital installation has special features that a typical business network wouldn’t need. There is a high degree of redundancy and backup. There is added pressure on those who run the system.
Ralph Doak is the Manager of Technical Services and oversees the 12 terabyte network.
“It is a lot different than a business system,” Doak said. “For one thing, health care is life and death. Health care never closes. There is a 24/7 aspect with the pressure of a patient in the bed. If we lose electricity or operability here people can die. Acute care hospitals like Dameron are absolutely life and death. We focus on the patient in everything we do.”
“We are clinically focused so physicians can act quickly,” Whipple added.
“This expensive setup is a way to use capital dollars that can depreciate to make daily activities in the hospital more productive,” Whipple said.
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