Thanks to the efforts of e-Polk, Inc., St. Luke&squo;s Hospital&39;s engineering department and St. Luke&squo;s IT guru David Pearson, the PANGAEA &dquo;speed of light&dquo; fiber optic network now surrounds the hospital.

Funded with a $10,000 grant awarded by the Polk County Community Foundation, this Internet technology will allow St. Luke&39;s Hospital&39;s professional staff to review mammograms and other digital images from remote workstations. It also will allow real-time consultations with remote facilities and physicians, and will significantly broaden the hospital&squo;s capabilities and service levels to patients, say hospital officials.

More than $200,000 available to St. Luke&squo;s Hospital through the 2009 Omnibus Bill will be spent to improve the hospital&squo;s IT infrastructure, moving St. Luke&squo;s closer to electronic medical records (EMR).

The national movement to EMRs is expected to increase efficiency, decrease costs, improve patient safety and reduce medical errors industrywide.