The laboratory at Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital is set to receive national recognition as an industry leader for its state-of-the-art laboratory robotics system. Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics is recognizing the lab for its adaptation of an automation solution that has dramatically improved lab results, turnaround times, reduced costs and improved accuracy, thereby boosting overall patient safety. While other, larger hospitals more commonly use this same system, Saint Thomas Rutherford is unique in that its size normally would not dictate such an advanced technological solution.

"We are focused on improving efficiency and ensuring patient safety," said Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital President and CEO, Gordon B. Ferguson. "These goals are paramount throughout healthcare today, and here at Saint Thomas Rutherford we are employing more technology as a driving force to help us accomplish those goals."

The Emergency Department (ED) at Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital is one of the busiest emergency departments in Middle Tennessee, seeing over 75,000 patients annually. Velvet Bechard, Saint Thomas Rutherford's laboratory director, has been focused on how to get the fastest possible lab results for ED patients in order for the physician to determine next steps for treatment. "It has been our goal to implement a system that provides fast turnaround times, which will improve the patient and physician experience," says Bechard.

Working together, Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics and Saint Thomas Rutherford laboratory staff were able to design a working system that has ultimately saved significant time on basic testing as well as standardized test results across the Saint Thomas network.

Bechard says the new processes and automation have reduced turnaround times from 55 to 30 minutes in the last 12 months, in addition to reducing costs.

"We have a high patient load, and doctors need information quickly to determine courses of treatment," says Bechard. "Our new system is automated, which means the lab samples come into the lab already bar coded, and then are evaluated by our highly trained medical technology staff. We have the best possible combination of human knowledge and experience, along with the latest technology, to process lab results at the highest levels of accuracy, efficiency and cost containment."

Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital is a member of Saint Thomas Health, Middle Tennessee's faith-based, not-for-profit health care system united under the common mission of one healing community. With more than 7,000 associates, Saint Thomas Health is focused on transforming the health care experience and helping people live healthier lives, with special attention to the poor and vulnerable. For more information, please visit www.sths.com or www.strutherford.com.